[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 101 (Thursday, May 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27725-27726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-12836]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Assessment Governing Board; Public Forum

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The National Assessment Governing Board is announcing the 
opportunity for commentary and review of the achievement levels being 
considered for the 1994 U.S. history assessment and the world geography 
assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). 
The Board, in accordance with its statutory responsibility to identify 
``develop appropriate student performance levels for each age and grade 
in each subject area tested under the National Assessment'' has 
contracted with American College Testing, which convened panels of 
judges for each subject to recommend achievement levels for grades 4, 
8, and 12 to be used in reporting the 1994 NAEP. The Board intends to 
take final action on these recommendations at its regularly scheduled 
quarterly meeting on August 5, 1995. This document is intended to 
notify interested individuals and organizations of their opportunity to 
present oral and/or written views to the Board.

DATES: June 13, 1995.

TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

PLACE: The Madison Hotel, 15th and M Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 
(202) 862-1600.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Cooper Loomis, NAEP Project 
Director, American College Testing, 2201 North Dodge Street, Iowa City, 
Iowa 52243. Telephone: 319-337-1048; or, Mary Lyn Bourque, Assistant 
Director for Psychometrics, National Assessment Governing Board, 800 
North Capitol Street, Suite 825, Washington, D.C. 20002-4233. 
Telephone: 202-357-6940.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Assessment Governing Board is 
established under Section 412 of the Improving America's Schools Act of 
1994, reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
(1965) (Pub. L. 103-382).

    The Board is established to formulate policy guidelines and to 
advise the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics 
on policies and actions needed to improve the form and use of the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress, and develop specifications 
for the design, methodology, and reporting of test results. The Board 
also is responsible for selecting subject areas to be assessed, 
identifying the objectives for each age and grade tested, and 
established standards and procedures for interstate and national 
comparisons. The National Assessment Governing Board will hold a public 
forum in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, June 13, 1995 to hear comments on 
proposed definitions of U.S. history achievement levels and of world 
geography achievement levels, both for grades 4, 8, and 12 to be used 
in reporting the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The 
proposed achievement levels were prepared by [[Page 27726]] the panel 
for U.S. history and the panel for world geography in accordance with 
the NAGB policy document ``Setting Appropriate Achievement Levels for 
the National Assessment of Educational Progress,'' dated November 20, 
1993, and further amended on March 5, 1995, and a design developed by 
American College Testing and approved by the Board on March 5, 1994. 
The proposals include detailed descriptions of the subject-matter 
knowledge and skills proposed for each level.
    These proposals are scheduled to be presented to the Board during 
its quarterly meeting in Washington, D.C. August 3-5, 1995. The text of 
these proposals and a description of the achievement levels-setting 
process may be obtained by contacting the ACT office at the address or 
telephone number above by 3:00 p.m. on June 9, 1995. However, every 
effort will be made to receive testimony from all persons attending the 
forum who wish to make a presentation. Written statements should be 
submitted at the forum or to the ACT office by 5:00 p.m. on July 10, 
1995. The Board plans to analyze all comments received in response to 
this announcement. The results of the public comments will be used by 
the Board in conjunction with other information to fulfill its 
statutory requirement to establish achievement levels on the National 
Assessment.
    Records are kept of all Board proceedings, and are available to 
public inspection at the National Assessment Governing Board, 800 North 
Capitol Street, Suite 825, Washington, D.C., from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m., Monday through Friday.

    Dated: May 22, 1995.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 95-12836 Filed 5-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M