[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 33 (Friday, February 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8337-8338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4086]


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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.

DATE: March 4-6, 1999.

TIME: March 4--Achievement Levels Committee, 1:30-2:30 p.m., (closed), 
2:30-4:00 p.m., (open); Subject Area Committee #1, 2:00-3:00 p.m., 
(closed); 3:00 p.m.-4:00, (open); and Executive Committee, 4:00-5:30 
p.m., (open), 5:30-6:00 p.m., (closed).
    March 5--Full Board, 8:30-10:00 a.m., (open); Subject Area 
Committee #1, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., (open); Reporting and 
Dissemination Committee, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., (open); Achievement 
Levels Committee, 10:00-12:00 (open); Full Board, 12:00-4:15 p.m., 
(open). March 6--Nominations Committee, 8:00-9:00 a.m., (open); Full 
Board, 9:00-11:30 a.m., (open); adjournment, 11:30 a.m.

LOCATION: Madison Hotel, 15th and M Streets, NW, Washington, DC.

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).

[[Page 8338]]

    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. Under Pub. L. 105-78, the National 
Assessment Governing Board is also granted exclusive authority over 
developing the Voluntary National Tests pursuant to contract number 
RJ97153001.
    On March 4, the Achievement Levels Committee will meet in partially 
closed session. From 1:30-2:30 p.m., the meeting will be closed to 
permit the Committee to review the results of the civics and writing 
standards setting activities for the National Assessment examinations. 
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. In 
open session, 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., the Committee will review other civics 
and writing information from the national assessment, and discuss the 
draft report to Congress regarding the quality of the achievement 
levels setting process.
    Subject Area Committee #1 will hold in a partially closed meeting. 
From 2:00-3:00 p.m. the meeting will be closed to permit the Committee 
to review reading passages that have been developed for inclusion in 
the Voluntary National Test in 4th grade reading. 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 if conducted in open 
session. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of Section 
552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C. In open session, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Subject Area 
Committee #1 will discuss the IEA civic Education Study, the new NAEP 
Foreign Language assessment development, and activities related to the 
Voluntary National Test in 4th grade reading.
    Also on March 4, the Executive Committee will meet in partially 
closed session. The open portion of the meeting will be from 4:00-6:00 
p.m. at which time the Committee will receive updates on Voluntary 
National Tests, NAEP reauthorization, and NAEP design for 2000-2010. 
From 5:30-6:00 p.m., the Committee will meet in closed session to 
discuss the development of cost estimates for the NAEP contract. 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.
    On March 5, the full Board will convene in open session from 8:30-
10:00 a.m. In addition to a report from the Executive Director of the 
National Assessment Governing Board, and an update on NAEP activities, 
the agenda for this session of the meeting includes a report and 
discussion on Voluntary National Tests: purposes, definitions, and 
reporting plans.
    Beginning at 10:00 a.m. there will be open meetings of the standing 
committees.
    Subject Area Committee #1 will meet from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. to 
discuss NAEP math development activities, national trends in math 
standards and assessments, the Achieve math project, and activities 
related to the Voluntary National Test in 8th grade mathematics.
    The Design and Methodology Committee will meet from 10:00 a.m.-
12:00 p.m. to take action on a change in the proposed sampling for NAEP 
2000. The agenda also includes the following action items for the 
Voluntary National Tests (VNT): (1) Accommodations for limited English 
proficient students, and (2) the revisions in the research plan for 
year 2 of the (VNT).
    Also, the Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet from 
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. The Committee will be reviewing the following 
documents: (1) NAGB policy on reporting and dissemination of National 
Assessment results, (2) NAEP 1998 Reading Report release, and (3) 
schedule for release for future NAEP reports. Other agenda items to be 
considered by the Reporting and Dissemination Committee are related to 
the reporting of specific data: private school results; categories for 
race; and students with disabilities and limited English proficiency.
    The Full Board will reconvene in open session from 12:00-4:15 p.m. 
The Board will hear a briefing on the NAEP 1998 Reading Report, and 
NAEP Internet Item Release. The Board will discuss the National 
Assessment Design: 2000-2010, and the NAEP report to Congress on 
achievement levels. Also, the Board will hear a briefing on the 
recommendations for NAEP 2000, and receive a follow-up report on the 
NAGB tenth anniversary conference.
    On March 6, from 8:00-9:00 a.m., there will be an open meeting of 
the Nominations Committee. The Committee will consider the nominations 
process and schedule for 1999.
    Beginning at 9:00 a.m., until adjournment, approximately 11:30 
a.m., the full Board will reconvene to discuss NAGB: its cultures, and 
traditions and to receive reports from its various standing committees.
    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 of 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, DC, from 8:30 a.m. to 
5:00 p.m.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 99-4086 Filed 2-18-99; 8:45 am]
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