In the past week, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has issued two significant publications. This publication, The NPEC Sourcebook on Assessment Volumes 1 and 2, offer "a tool for researchers who are seeking comparative data about the policy-relevance of student outcomes measured in the primary skills areas of critical thinking, problem solving, and writing." The second volume "presents a series of case studies at postsecondary institutions highlighting the successful use of assessment data for policy-related decisionmaking purposes."