[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54990-54991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27134]


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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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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 the open portions of the meeting.

DATES: November 14-16, 1996
TIME: November 14--Design and Methodology Committee, and Subject Area 
Committee #2, 3:00-5:00 p.m., (open); Executive Committee, 5:00-6:00 
p.m. (open); 6:00-7:00 p.m. (closed). November 15-- Full Board, 9:00 
a.m., (open) Achievement Levels Committee 10:00-11:00 a.m., (open), 
11:00-12:00 noon, (closed); Subject Area Committee #1, and Reporting 
and Dissemination Committee, 10:00-12:00 noon, (open); Full Board 12:00 
noon-2:00 p.m. (closed), 2:15-4:30 p.m. (open). November 16--
Nominiations Committee, 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m., (open); Full Board, 9:00 
a.m. until adjournment, approximately 12:00 noon (open).

LOCATION: The Hotel Washington, 15th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Ann Wilmer, Operations Officer, National Assessment Governing 
Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol Street, N.W., 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 November 14, from 3:00-5:00 P.M., there will be open meetings of 
the Design and Methodology Committee and Subject Area Committee #2. The 
Design and Methodology Committee will discuss several policy areas 
related to the NAEP redesign including, but not limited to, changing 
sampling procedures to reduce the burden on states, policy options for 
states wishing to exercise flexible subject area or grade-level 
assessments, and options for international benchmarking with NAEP. 
Subject Area Committee #2 will meet to review the status of the 1997 
arts probe and 1998 writing assessment, and to discuss NAEP redesign 
policy implementation issues. Also, on November 14, the Executive 
Committee will meet in partially closed session. During the open 
portion of the meeting, 5:00-6:00 p.m., the Committee will hear an 
update on the NAEP redesign and review the proposed schedule of 
assessments for the nest eight to ten years. The Committee will then 
meet in closed session from 6:00-7:00 p.m. to review official 
government cost estimates for the 1997 RFP for NAEP programs. Public 
disclosure of this information would likely have an adverse financial 
affect 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.
    On November 15, the full Board will convene in open session at 9:00 
a.m. The agenda for this session of the full Board meeting includes 
approval of the agenda, the Executive Director's Report, and an update 
on the NAEP project. Between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon

[[Page 54991]]

there will be meetings of three of the Board's standing committees: 
Achievement Levels, Reporting and Dissemination, Subject Area #1.
    The Achievement Levels Committee will meet in partially closed 
session. During the open portion of the meeting, 10:00-11:00 a.m., the 
Committee will discuss the 1996 science level-setting process and 
proposed achievement level descriptions. The Committee will then meet 
in closed session from 111:00 a.m.-12:00 noon to discuss the results of 
the current 1996 science level-setting and to review the current 
analysis of data and proposed exemplar items. This part of the meeting 
must be conducted in closed session because references will be made to 
specific items from the assessment and premature disclosure of the 
information presented for review would be likely to 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.
    Between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, there will be open meetings of 
the Reporting and Dissemination Committee, and Subject Area Committee 
#1. Agenda items for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include 
a discussion of redesign issues related to timely release of NAEP 
reports and definitions of standard, comprehensive, and focussed 
reports. Subject Area Committee #1 will meet to review the status of 
the 1998 civics and reading assessments, and to discuss NAEP redesign 
policy implementation issues.
    The full Board will reconvene in closed session, beginning at 12:00 
noon, to hear a briefing on the proposed achievement levels for the 
1996 science assessment. This part of the meeting must be conducted in 
closed session because reference will be made to specific items from 
the assessment and premature disclosure of the information presented 
for review would be likely to 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.
    Beginning at 2:15 p.m., the meeting will be open to the public. 
During the open portion of the meeting the Board will hear two 
presentations: (1) the New Education Entity--Follow-up to the National 
Education Summit, and (2) an update on the NAEP redesign initiative.
    On November 16, 1 the Nominations Committee will meet in open 
session from 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. The Committee will review procedures 
to be used for the solicitation of the names of individuals to succeed 
the Board members whose terms expire September 30, 1997. The expiring 
terms are in the following categories: general public, non-public 
school, business, local board of education, state board of education, 
state legislator (Republican), and test and measurement specialist.
    Beginning at 9:00 a.m., until adjournment at approximately 12:00 
noon, the full Board will reconvene. The agenda includes a presentation 
on international standards and reports from the standing committees--
Subject Areas #1 and #2, Achievement Levels, Reporting and 
Dissemination, Design and Methodology, and Executive.
    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(c), 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 5:00 p.m.

    Dated: October 18, 1996.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 96-27134 Filed 10-22-96; 8:45 am]
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