[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 136 (Monday, July 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36406-36408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17470]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.

ACTION: Notice of partially closed meeting.

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[[Page 36407]]


SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a 
forthcoming meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board. This 
notice also describes the functions of the Board. Notice of this 
meeting is required under section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act. This document is intended to notify the general public 
of their opportunity to attend.

DATES: August 3-5, 1995.

TIME: August 3, 1995--Executive Committee, 10 A.M.-1:30 P.M. (closed), 
2 P.M.-3 P.M. (open); Achievement Levels Committee, 4 P.M.-6 P.M. 
(closed); Subject Area Committee #2, 4 P.M.-8 P.M. (closed); 
Nominations Committee, 6 P.M.-8 P.M. (closed). August 4, 1995--Full 
Board, 9 A.M.-10 A.M. (open); Design and Methodology Committee, 
Reporting and Dissemination Committee, and Subject Area Committee #1, 
10 A.M.-12 Noon (open); Full Board, 12 Noon-2:30 P.M. (closed); 2:30 
P.M.-5 P.M. (open); and 6:30 P.M.-8:30 P.M. (closed). August 5, 1995--
Full Board, 9 A.M.-11:45 A.M. (open), 11:45 A.M.-until adjournment, 
approximately 12 Noon (closed).

LOCATION: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel--Pentagon City, 1250 South Hayes 
Street, Arlington, Virginia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Ann Wilmer, Operations Officer, National Assessment Governing 
Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 
20002-4233, Telephone: (202) 357-6938.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Assessment Governing Board is 
established under section 412 of the National Education Statistics Act 
of 1994 (Title IV of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994) (Pub. 
L. 103-382).
    The Board is established to formulate policy guidelines for the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress. The Board is responsible 
for selecting subject areas to be assessed, developing assessment 
objectives, identifying appropriate achievement goals for each grade 
and subject tested, and establishing standards and procedures for 
interstate and national comparisons.
    On August 3, the Executive Committee of the National Assessment 
Governing Board will meet in closed session from 10 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. 
The Committee will meet to discuss the development of cost estimates 
for NAEP and future contract initiatives. Public disclosure of this 
information would likely have an adverse financial effect on the NAEP 
program. The discussion of this information would be likely to 
significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency action if 
conducted in open session. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) 
of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
    Beginning at 2 P.M. until adjournment, 3 P.M., the Executive 
Committee will meet in open session to hear an update on the NAGB 
planning initiative activities and to discuss the special provisions 
for testing students with disabilities and with limited English 
proficiency.
    Also on August 3, there will be closed meetings of the Achievement 
Levels Committee from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M., SAC #2 from 4 P.M.-8 P.M., and 
the Nominations Committee from 6 P.M.-8 P.M. The Achievement Levels 
Committee will be examining and discussing unreleased NAEP data (cut 
scores, percent of students at or above the levels, and test items) in 
the process of making their decisions about the 1994 levels in history 
and geography. The discussion will include references to specific items 
from the assessments, the disclosure of which might significantly 
frustrate implementation of the NAEP. This session mist be closed to 
the public because reference may be made to data which may be 
misinterpreted, incorrect, or incomplete. Premature disclosure of this 
data might significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency 
action. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) 
of Title 5 U.S.C.
    SAC #2 will be considering test items for inclusion in the 1996 
assessments of mathematics and science. The review and subsequent 
discussions will include references to specific items for these 
assessments, the disclosure of which might significantly frustrate 
implementation of the NAEP. Premature disclosure of this data might 
significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency action. 
Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of 
Title 5 U.S.C.
    The Nominations Committee will review and discuss the 
qualifications of nominees for filling potential vacancies in Board 
membership. The review and subsequent discussions of this information 
relate solely to the internal rules and practices of an agency and will 
disclose information of a personal nature where disclosure would 
constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy if 
conducted in open session. Such matters are protected by exemptions (2) 
and (6) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
    On August 4, the full Board will convene in open session from 9 
A.M. to 10 A.M. The agenda for this session of the full Board meeting 
includes approval of the agenda, the Executive Director's Report, and 
update on NAEP activities. Between 10 A.M. and 12 noon, there will open 
meetings of the following subcommittees: Design and Methodology, 
Reporting and Dissemination, and Subject Area Committee #1. The Design 
and Methodology Committee will hear updates on below state assessments, 
the 1996 NAEP assessment design, and the Technical Review Panel studies 
planned for 1996 and beyond.
    Agenda items for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include 
consideration of Board policy on public access to NAEP background and 
cognitive questions; plans for release of NAEP reports; and testing of 
students with disabilities and limited English proficiency.
    Subject Area Committee #1 will hear a progress report from the 
contractor on the plans for the civics assessment.
    Beginning at 12 noon, until 2:30 P.M., the full Board will meet in 
closed session. The Board will hear a report on the 1994 achievement 
levels in history and geography which will include references to 
specific items from the assessment. This portion of the meeting must be 
closed because reference may be made to data which may be 
misinterpreted, incorrect, or incomplete. Premature disclosure of these 
data might significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency 
action. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of Section 552b(c) 
of Title 5 U.S.C.
    The meeting will be open from 2:30 P.M. until 5 P.M. when the Board 
will hear an update on the civics framework, NAGB Planning Initiative 
and presentations by authors of commissioned papers.
    At 6:30 P.M., until 8:30 P.M., the Board will reconvene in closed 
session to consider candidates for nomination to the Board. Discussion 
of the candidates' qualifications relates solely to the internal rules 
and practices of an agency and will disclose information of a personal 
nature where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion 
of personal privacy if conducted in open session. Such matters are 
protected by exemptions (2) and (6) of Section 552b(c) of Title 5 
U.S.C.
    On August 5, at 9 A.M., the full Board will reconvene. The Board 
will meet in open session from 9 A.M. through adjournment, 
approximately 12 noon. The agenda for the open session includes a 
presentation by Kati Haycock of the American Association for Higher 
Education on Using NAEP Data and reports from the Board's standing 

[[Page 36408]]
subcommittees--Subject Area #1, Subject Area #2, Achievement Levels, 
Reporting and Dissemination, Design and Methodology, and the Executive 
Committee.
    The Board will hear the Nominations Committee report during the 
closed session, beginning at 11:45 A.M. to approximately 12:00 noon, 
and consider the recommendations of candidates for Board membership. 
Discussion of the candidates' qualifications relates solely to the 
internal personnel rules and practices of an agency and will disclose 
information of a personal nature where disclosure would constitute a 
clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy if conducted in open 
session. Such matters are protected by exemptions (2) and (6) of the 
Section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
    Summaries of the activities of the closed sessions and related 
matters, which are informative to the public and consistent with the 
policy of section 5 U.S.C. 552b, will be available to the public within 
14 days after the meeting. Records are kept of all Board proceedings 
and are available for public inspection at the U.S. Department of 
Education, National Assessment Governing Board, Suite 825, 800 North 
Capitol Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., from 8:30 A.M. to 5 P.M.

    Dated: July 12, 1995.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 95-17470 Filed 7-14-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M