This report concerns the governance of the structure of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), especially the law and the role of the Assessment Policy Committee (APC). The major sources of evidence include interviews with APC members and National Institute of Education (NIE) staff, minutes of APC meetings and historical documents on NAEP, statutes, and field research on use of NAEP. Several options for change are suggested that involve minimal disruptions of current operations: (a) the categories of APC membership specified by law should include an expert in statistical research policy; (b) the APC should have direct, routine access to a senior NIE executive who is responsible for liaison with NAEP and for articulating and explaining NIE's agenda; (c) a formal mechanism for assuring that APC members are aware of new issues and ideas, apart from those provided by NAEP and NIE, needs to be created; and (d) the tension between NIE's research mission and the NAEP's traditional data collection mission needs to be resolved. Several options for a major change include those that focus more heavily on (a) research, (b) cooperative statistical systems and research, and (c) states. (Author/PN)