[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 142 (Monday, July 24, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45586-45587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18663]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board: Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education

ACTION: Notice of partially closed and 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: August 3-5, 2000.

TIME: August 3--Subject Area Committee #1, 2-5 p.m. (closed); 
Achievement Levels Committee, 3-5 p.m.; Executive Committee, 5:30-6:15 
p.m. (open), 6:15-7 p.m., (closed). August 4--Full Board 8:30-10:30 
a.m., (open); Subject Area Committee #2, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. (open), 12-
12:30 p.m., (closed); Reporting and Dissemination Committee, 10:30 
a.m.-12:30 p.m. (open); Design and Methodology Committee, 10:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m., (open); Full Board 12:30-1:30 p.m., (closed), and 1:30-4 
p.m., (open). August 5--full Board, 8:30 a.m.-adjournment, 
approximately, 12 noon, (open).

LOCATION: Ritz Carlton 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. Under P.L. 105-78, the national 
Assessment Governing Board is also granted exclusive authority over 
developing the Voluntary National Tests pursuant to contact number 
RJ9753001.
    On Thursday, August 3, there will be meetings of three committees 
of the Governing Board. From 2-5 p.m., Subject Area Committees #1 will 
meet in closed session to review secure test items for the National 
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in the following subject 
areas: reading, writing, and geography. This meeting must be closed to 
the public because reference may be made to data which may be 
misinterpreted, incorrect, or incomplete. Premature disclosure of this 
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.
    The Achievement Levels committee will meet in open session on 
Thursday, August 3, from 3 to 5 p.m., to receive an update on the 
voluntary national test, to review the work on the achievement levels 
study, and to review sections of the achievement levels report on 
student performance standards.
    Also, on August 3, the Executive Committee will meet in partially 
closed session. In the open session from 5:30-6:15 p.m. the Committee 
will hear an update on the Voluntary National Tests contract, the NAEP 
participation issues, and NAEP reauthorization; the Committee also will 
discuss possible changes to the Governing Board meeting schedule and 
committee structure.
    From 6:15-7 p.m., the Executive Committee will meet in closed 
session. There are two agenda items for the closed session. First, the 
Committee will hear an update on the development of cost estimates for 
NAEP and future contract initiatives. Public disclosure 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.
    Second, the Executive Committee will discuss the qualifications of 
current Board members to serve as Vice-Chairman of NAGB. Based upon 
these discussions, the Board will elect a Vice-Chairman. This portion 
of the meeting will relate solely 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 and, as such, is protected by exemptions (2) and 
(6) of Section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
    On August 4, the full Board, will convene in open session beginning 
at 8:30 a.m. In addition to the approval of the agenda, a report from 
the Executive Director, and an update on the NAEP project, the Board 
will hear a report on College Board Initiatives and receive a report 
from the Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP Participation and discuss the 
findings.
    Subject Area Committee #2 will meet in partially closed session. 
From 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., the Committee will meet in open session to 
discuss issues related to the upcoming NAEP 2004 mathematics framework 
update project. In closed session, from 12:00-12:30 p.m., the Committee 
will review secure

[[Page 45587]]

test items for the proposed Voluntary National Test (VNT) in 8th grade 
mathematics. 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.
    There will be open meetings of the Reporting and Dissemination 
Committee and the Design and Methodology Committee from 10:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m.
    Agenda items for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include 
the schedule for the release of future NAEP reports; reporting NAEP 
2000 mathematics assessment, samples with and without accommodations; 
private school reporting plans for NAEP 2002 assessments in reading and 
writing; and an update on reporting NAEP long-term trend data in 
writing, internet and printed reports.
    The Design and Methodology committee will meet in open session to 
receive an update on the voluntary national test, and to review a 
progress report on the market basket study.
    The full Board will reconvene in closed session from 12:30-1:30 
p.m. to hear the 1999 NAEP Long-Term Trend Report. During this meeting, 
Dr. Peggy Carr, Associate Commissioner of NCES, will make a 
presentation to the full Board. The session may discuss specific items 
from the 1999 Long Term Trend Assessment in Math, Science and Reading. 
If the meeting was held in open session, the disclosure of such 
information 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 1:30-4:00 p.m. the board will meet in open session. Agenda 
items for this portion of the meeting include a panel discussion on 
mathematics assessment issues, receiving conclusions and 
recommendations on Achievement Levels and the Follow-up Report to 
Congress and hear an update on a study regarding the impact of 
incentives and rewards on NAEP.
    On Saturday, August 5, the Board will hear an update on NAEP/NAGB 
Reauthorization and conclude with the presentation of committee reports 
and Board actions.
    A summary of the activities of the closed, 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, DC, from 
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 00-18663 Filed 7-21-00; 8:45 am]
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