[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 74 (Monday, April 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19140-19141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9663]


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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.

DATES: May 13-16, 1999.

TIME: May 13--Subject Area Committee #1, 1:30-2:20 p.m., (open); Joint 
Meeting of the Design and Methodology Committee and the Subject Area 
Committee, #1 and #2, 2:30-3:30 p.m., (closed); Design and Methodology 
Committee, 3:30-4:30 p.m., (open); Subject Area Committee #2, 3:30-4:30 
p.m., (open); and Reporting and Dissemination Committee, 3:00-4:30 
p.m., (open). May 14--Full Board, 8:30-9:00 a.m., (open), 9:00-10:30 
a.m. (closed), 10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., (open); May 15--Nominations 
Committee, 8:00-9:00 a.m., (closed); Full Board, 9:00-11:30 a.m., 
(open); adjournment, 11:30 a.m.

LOCATION: Lowe's New York, 569 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: May 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. Under Public Law 105-78, the 
National Assessment Governing Board is also granted exclusive authority 
over developing the Voluntary National Tests pursuant to contract 
number RJ97153001.
    On May 13, the Subject Area Committee #1 will meet in open session 
from 1:30-2:30 p.m. The Committee will discuss the new NAEP Foreign 
Language Consensus contract.
    From 2:30-3:30 p.m., there will be a closed joint meeting of the 
Design and Methodology Committee and the Subject Area Committee #1 and 
#2. The Committee will discuss the results of a report about the 
feasibility of linking assessment instruments. 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.
    The Design and Methodology Committee will meet in open session from 
3:30-4:30 p.m., to consider technical issues related to the Voluntary 
National Tests, and hear a report from the National Academy of 
Sciences' studies on ``market basket assessment'', conduct of 
assessments below the state level.
    Subject Area Committee #2 will meet in open session from 3:30-4:30 
p.m. to discuss the NAEP mathematics assessment item development 
activities for 2000.
    Also on May 13, the Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet 
in open session from 3:00-4:30 p.m. Agenda items for this meeting 
include action on the revisions to NAGB Policy on Reporting and 
Dissemination of National Assessment Results; an update on the 
implementation of the Board decision on reporting private school 
results; sampling and reporting of students with disabilities and 
limited-English proficiency; and reporting Voluntary National Tests 
results to parents and schools.
    On May 14, the full Board will convene in open session from 8:30-
9:00 a.m. The Board will hear a report from the Executive Director of 
the National Assessment Governing Board, and an update on NAEP 
activities. From 9:00-10:30 a.m., the Board will meet in closed session 
to receive a report on the Achievement Level Setting for Civics and 
Writing Assessments and to discuss the results. 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.
    The Board will convene in open session from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 
The agenda for this portion of the meeting includes a report and 
discussion on the Voluntary National Tests: Purpose, Definitions and 
Reporting Plans; NAEP Report on Accommodations; a discussion on the 
National Assessment Design 2000-2010; and a discussion on the NAGB plan 
and report to Congress on achievement levels. Final action of the day 
will be remarks from the New York State Commissioner of Education.
    On May 15, there will be a closed meeting of the Nominations 
Committee from 8:00-9:00 a.m. The Committee will discuss nominees 
qualifications for Board membership. These discussions will relate 
solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency and 
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 exemption (2) 
and (6) of Section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
    Beginning at 9:00 a.m., until adjournment, approximately 11:30 
a.m., the full Board will reconvene to hear an update on the Voluntary 
National Tests and to receive reports from its various standing 
committees.
    Also on May 15, the full Board will receive and consider the 
Nominations Committee recommendations for membership, in a partially 
closed session, beginning at 11:30 a.m. through adjournment, 
approximately 12:00 noon. The review and subsequent discussion of this 
information relate sole 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 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 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

[[Page 19141]]

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. 99-9663 Filed 4-16-99; 8:45 am]
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