Dear Mr. Fogarty:

I heve wanted for some time to send you an informal end

personal report on our reaction to Admiral Rickover's

suggestion that the Nation would benefit by the establish-

nal standerds in education. You will
suggestec th in testimony before you

nS, urging th & voluntary plan be

a group of distinguished

o
ote

oO
recall that he g
on several ocecasio
worked out under
scholars.

b
cS

find myself in hearty agreement with the Admiral that the
fation does need a way of estimating where it stands in the

quality of its work in educetion--end the parents need a

2

way of knowing how well their local school is doing. Soon

‘at bed

 

after talking with you about these matters in the early
winter, I had an hour's talk with Admiral Rickover to get
a more detailed sense of what he had in mind. TI then asked

the Brookings Institution to study his suggestions end to
report their view on whether the method he proposed would
accomplish what he had in mind.

Brookings reported that in their opinion his proposel might
have some serious unintended consequences and recommended
that some other way be sought. Admiral Rickover had sug-~-
gested that a set of tests be created by s group of scholars
to be given to high school seniors if they wish to take them.
Brookings pointed out that it was likely that the students
who took them would probably be those whose parents were
ambitious for them, or students who were already doing quite
well academically. The results might therefore be skewed

and not represent a fair sample of whet was happening with
boys and girls at all levels of ability, ambition, end Pamily
cireumstences. It is even concelvable that the results would
suggest to the public that our high schools are doing better
than they actually are because of the nature of the sample.

s
R
yet T hated to stop at this point. Admiral Rickover

obviously is dealing with a very important point. TIT have
subsequently been eonsulting with a number of men who seen

to me well qualified to advise ta this area: men such as

Henry Chauncey, President of the Baucational Testing Service,
Ralph Tyler of the Center for Advanced Study im the Beheviorel
Seiences, and Jonn Gardner, President of the Carnegie Corporation.
Our thinking has not yet jelled into a detailed program, but

the oublines are getting clearer.

The first step must be the establishment within the Office oP.
Rdueation of a strong statistical unit, well qualified to carry
out 3 good sampling program. The recent reports thet have cote in
from Project Talent, conducted through the Cooperative Research
Program, gives us the basis for a good way of collecting data,
but is not inclusive enough as yet.

What we need before we take the next step is to find a first-
rate man to head up the program. ~ have had bad Luck in the
last three months in trying to get such a man, but I can assure
you thet we are still trying end will not give up. After he
gets on board, I think we can describe @ detailed plan to you
to carry out the intent of the Admiral's program.

 

Francis Keppel

Honorable John E. Fogarty
House of Representatives

4

Washington 25, D.C.