[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 233 (Monday, December 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 68112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31582]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Meeting 
of the National Reading Panel

    Notice is hereby given of the Washington, DC area meeting of the 
National Reading Panel. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 
8, 1999, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Thursday, December 9, 1999, 
from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The meeting location is the Holiday Inn 
Georgetown, 2101 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20007. The entire 
meeting will be open to the public.
    The National Reading Panel was requested by Congress and created by 
the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human 
Development in consultation with the Secretary of Education. The Panel 
will study the effectiveness of various approaches to teaching children 
how to read and report on the best ways to apply these findings in 
classrooms and at home. Its members include prominent reading 
researchers, teachers, child development experts, leaders in elementary 
and higher education, and parents. The Chair of the Panel is Dr. Donald 
N. Langenberg, Chancellor of the University System of Maryland.
    The Panel will build on the findings presented by the National 
Research Council's Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties 
in Young Children. Based on these findings and the National Reading 
Panel's own review of the literature, the Panel will: Determine the 
readiness for application in the classroom of the results of these 
research studies; identify appropriate means to rapidly disseminate 
this information to facilitate effective reading instruction in the 
schools; and identify gaps in the knowledge base for reading 
instruction and the best ways to close these gaps.
    The agenda for this meeting will include presentations of subgroup 
reports and discussions of the reports by The National Reading Panel. A 
period of time will be set aside at approximately 3:00 PM on Thursday, 
December 9 for members of the public to address the Panel and express 
their views regarding the Panel's mission. Individuals desiring an 
opportunity to speak before the Panel should address their requests to 
F. William Dommel, Jr., J.D., Executive Director, National Reading 
Panel, c/o Mr. Patrick Riccards and either mail them to the Widmeyer-
Baker Group, 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 
20009, or
e-mail them to [email protected], or fax them to 202-667-0902. Request 
for addressing the Panel should be received by December 6, 1999. Panel 
business permitting, each public speaker will be allowed five minutes 
to present his or her views. In the event of a large number of public 
speakers, the Panel Chair retains the option to further limit the 
presentation time allowed to each. Although the time permitted for oral 
presentations will be brief, the full text of all written comments 
submitted to the Panel will be made available to the Panel members for 
consideration.
    For further information contact Mr. Patrick Riccards at 202-667-
0901. Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance, such 
as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, 
should contact Mr. Patrick Riccards by December 6, 1999.

    Dated: November 29, 1999.
Duane Alexander,
Director, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
[FR Doc. 99-31582 Filed 12-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M