[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 140 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39226-39227]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19382]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.

ACTION: Notice of partially closed meetings.

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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.

DATES: July 31-August 2, 1997.

TIME: July 31--Subject Area Committee Item Review Session, 8:30 a.m.-
5:00 p.m. (closed); Achievement Levels Committee, 2:00-4:15 p.m. 
(closed), 4:15-5:00 p.m. (open); Executive Committee, 5:00-6:30 p.m. 
(open), 6:30-7:00 p.m. (closed). August 1--Full Board, 8:00-10:00 a.m., 
(open); Subject Area Committees #1 and #2 in a joint session, 10:00 
a.m.-12:00 Noon (open); Design and Methodology Committee, 10:00 a.m.-
12:00 Noon (open); Reporting and Dissemination Committee, 10:00 a.m.-
12:00 Noon (open); Full Board, 12:00-1:15 p.m. (open); 1:15-3:30 p.m. 
(closed); 3:30-4:15 p.m., (open). August 2--Full Board, 9:00 a.m. until 
adjournment, approximately 12:00 Noon (open).

LOCATION: 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 Thursday, July 31, 1997, the Subject Area Committee will meet in 
closed session from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Committee will be 
reviewing items for the 1998 writing assessment. This 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.
    Also, there will be partially closed meetings of the Achievement 
Levels and the Executive Committees. The Achievement Levels Committee 
will meet in partially closed session from 2:00-4:15 p.m. During the 
closed portion of this meeting, the Committee will continue discussion 
of the results of the current 1996 science level-setting activities, 
review the current analysis of data and proposed exemplar items, the 
new description to interpret the levels, and formulate recommendations 
for Board action. This meeting must be closed 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. In open session, 4:15-5:00 p.m., the Achievement Levels 
Committee will hear a briefing on the new contract to set levels in 
civics and writing.
    The Executive Committee will meet in closed session from 6:30-7:00 
p.m., 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. In the open session from 5:00-6:30 p.m., the 
Executive Committee will be briefed by staff on NAEP reauthorization 
and the Voluntary National Test initiative.
    On August 1, the full Board will convene in open session at 8:30 
a.m. The agenda for this session of the full Board meeting includes 
approval of the agenda, the Executive Director's Report, a discussion 
on the status of the Voluntary National Test and its relationship to 
NAEP, and an update on the NAEP project. Between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 
noon, there will be open meetings of the following subcommittees: 
Design and Methodology, Reporting and Dissemination, and a joint 
meeting of Subject Area Committees #1 and #2. The Design and 
Methodology Committee will continue discussion of redesign issues and 
formulate final recommendations for Board consideration. Agenda items 
for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include review of the 
Board policy on market basket reporting, and briefings on the reporting 
of the NAEP Arts Assessment, and the release plan for 1996 Long-Term 
Trends Report.
    The Joint Subject Area Committees #1 and #2 will discuss issues 
related to the NAEP redesign. State-NAEP linking and the draft Board 
policy on framework development are the agenda items.
    The full Board will reconvene in open session at 12:00 noon to hear 
a briefing on the 1996 TIMSS 4th Grade Science Report. The full Board 
will then meet in closed session from 1:15-3:30 p.m. From 1:15-2:15 
p.m., the Board will

[[Page 39227]]

hear a report with recommendations from the Achievement Levels 
Committee on setting levels for the 1996 science assessment. This 
portion of the meeting must be closed 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.
    The Board will remain in closed session from 2:15-2:30 p.m. to hear 
a briefing on the 1996 report on Long Term Trends in Academic Progress. 
This report will include references to specific items from the 
assessments. 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.
    From 2:30-3:30 p.m., the full Board, still in closed session, will 
hear a briefing on the 1998 Writing Assessment. This portion of the 
meeting must be closed 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. The Board will 
meet in open session from 3:30-4:15 p.m. for a discussion on redesign 
issues.
    On Saturday, August 2, the Board will meet in open session from 
9:00 a.m. until adjournment, approximately, 12:00 noon. The agenda for 
this session includes continued discussion on redesign issues, and 
presentation of reports from the various Board committee meetings.
    The public is being given less than fifteen days notice of this 
meeting because the administrative process delayed clearance of the 
closed portions.
    A summary of the activities of the closed and partially closed 
sessions and other related matters which are informative to the public 
and consistent with the policy of the 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, NW, Washington, D.C., from 
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

    Dated: July 18, 1997.
Roy Truby,
 Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 97-19382 Filed 7-21-97; 8:45 am]
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