President Joe Biden has appointed North Carolina Central University (NCCU) alumna Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D., ’76, as commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. She previously served as acting commissioner for the organization until 2018. Carr’s new six-year term will end on June 20, 2027.
Carr is a leading international expert in education assessment and statistics. She is known for her contributions to the design, methodology and implementation of highly specialized large-scale assessments.
Prior to her appointment, she served as associate commissioner for assessment at NCES for over 20 years. In that position, she led national and international large-scale assessments and managed the administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Prior to joining NCES, she served as the chief statistician for the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. Carr also has over 15 years of experience teaching graduate-level courses in statistics and research methodology for Howard University’s School of Arts and Sciences.
Her efforts have led to recognition, including the 2008 Presidential Meritorious Executive Rank Award and the 2016 Golden Apple Award for exceptional service.
Carr obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from NCCU. She also earned master’s and doctoral degrees in developmental psychology from Howard University.
