[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 217 (Monday, November 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60488-60489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-29520]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board, Education.

ACTION: Notice of closed and 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: November 20-22, 1997.

TIME: November 20--Joint Meeting of Subject Area Committees #1 and #2, 
2:00-3:00 p.m., (open); Design and Methodology Committee, 2:00-5:00 
p.m., (closed), Subject Area Committee #2, 3:00-5:00 p.m., (open); and 
Executive Committee, 5:00-6:00 p.m., (open), 6:00-7:00 p.m., (closed). 
November 21--Full Board, 8:30-10:00 a.m., (open; Subject Area 
Committees #1, 10:15 a.m.-12:00 Noon, (open); Achievement Levels 
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 noon-5:00 
p.m., (open). November 22--Nominations Committee, 8:00-9:00 a.m. 
(open); 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, DC 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, November 20, 1997, there will be meeting of four 
committees of the Governing Board. Subject Area Committees #1 and #2 
will meet in joint session from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. to receive an update 
on the 1998 assessments in reading, writing, and civics.
    The Design and Methodology Committee will meet in closed session 
from 2:00-5:00 p.m. to review the unreleased NAEP procurement documents 
which contain contract specifications and government cost estimates for 
the purpose of determining the appropriateness of their alignment with 
the NAGB redesign policy. This meeting must be conducted in closed 
session because 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 Subject Area Committee #2 will meet in open session from 3:00-
5:00 p.m. The Committee will be briefed on the North Carolina/NAEP Math 
Content Analysis project, and discuss issues related to NAEP redesign.
    The Executive Committee will meet on November 20 from 5:00 to 6:00 
p.m. in open session. In the open session from 5:00-6:00 p.m., the 
Executive Committee will be briefed by staff on the following items: 
NAEP and the Voluntary National Tests initiative, the status of the 
grant program for secondary analysis of the NAEP data, and NAEP 
redesign issues.
    Then the Executive Committee will meet in closed session from 6:00 
to 7:00 p.m. and the Committee will discuss the development of cost 
estimates for NAEP and future contract initiatives. This portion of the 
meeting must be conducted in closed session because 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.
    Also, during the same closed session, the Committee will discuss 
the qualifications of individuals to serve as Vice-Chair of the 
Governing Board. The Committee will formulate a recommendation for 
action by the full Board. The discussion would 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 November 21, the full Board will convene in open session 
beginning at 8:30 a.m. The agenda for this session of the full Board 
meeting includes approval of the agenda, introduction of new members, 
and election of the NAGB Vice-Chair. Also, the morning agenda will 
include a report from the Executive Director, administration of the 
oath of office to new members and remarks by the Secretary of 
Education. This session will conclude with an update on the NAEP 
project.
    Between 10:15 a.m. and 12:00 noon, there will be open meetings of 
the following subcommittees: Achievement Levels, Reporting and 
Dissemination, and Subject Area Committee #1. The Achievement Levels 
Committee will discuss the calendar for the upcoming levels setting 
process and consider policy issues for 1998.
    Agenda items for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include 
plans for release and schedule of future NAEP reports; plans for the 
development of a NAEP Resource Kit; and plans for reporting district-
level results from existing state samples.
    There will be two discussion items on the Subject Area Committee #1 
agenda: (1) issues related to the preparation of an RFP for a foreign 
language assessment, and (2) issues related to the NAEP redesign.
    The full Board will reconvene at 12:00 noon. The agenda items 
during this period include: a briefing on the 1996 Science Achievement 
Levels Report, a presentation on Redesign Issues, and a presentation on 
NAEP activities from framework development to reporting of the 
assessment results. The Board recess is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
    On Saturday, November 22, the Nominations Committee will meet in 
open session from 8:00-9:00 a.m. to

[[Page 60489]]

review procedures to be used for the solicitation of the names of 
individuals to succeed Board members whose terms expire September 30, 
1998. The expiring terms are in the following categories: general 
public, elementary school principal, secondary school principal, 
fourth-grade classroom teacher, state legislator (Democrat) Chief State 
School Officer, Governor (Democrat), Governor (Republican), and eighth 
grade classroom teacher.
    The full Board will meet in open session from 9:00 a.m. until 
adjournment, approximately 12:00 noon. The agenda for this session is 
the presentation of reports from the various Board committee meetings.
    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: November 4, 1997.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 97-29520 Filed 11-7-97; 8:45 am]
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