For decades, when elected officials, researchers, educators, and parents have wanted a clear-eyed measure of what students know in a range of subjects, they have turned to an authoritative source: the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Now the country stands poised to enter a new testing era. All but two states have agreed to work toward creating common academic standards, with the eventual goal of establishing common assessments. Which leads to an obvious question: What will become of NAEP? Some say the federally sponsored program is unlikely to change as a result of the ongoing standards and assessment project. Others say that until more is known about the structure and schedule of common state tests, it is difficult to predict whether NAEP's role will grow or shrink. Established in 1969, NAEP, often called "the nation's report card," is the only continuous, nationally representative test of what students know in various subjects. It allows state-by-state comparisons of student reading and math performance every two years, scores that receive widespread attention. Above all, the national assessment serves a truth-telling function. When individual states report big gains or declines in student scores on their own tests, NAEP offers an independent, though not necessarily perfect, point of comparison. Several observers say the future role of NAEP will likely hinge on what the future common assessments look like.