[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 136 (Monday, July 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37017-37019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17693]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.

ACTION: Notice of full 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. Individuals who will need 
accommodations for a disability in order to attend the meeting (i.e. 
interpreting services, assistive listening devices, materials in 
alternative format) should notify Munira Mwalimu at 202-357-6938 or at 
[email protected] no later than July 23, 2001. We will attempt to 
meet requests after this date, but cannot guarantee availability of the 
requested accommodation. The meeting

[[Page 37018]]

site is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

DATES: August 2-4, 2001.
    Time:
    August 2--Ad Hoc Committee on Confirming Test Results, 4:00 p.m.-
5:00 p.m.; Executive Committee, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., (open), 6:00 p.m.-
7:00 p.m. (closed).
    August 3--Full Board 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. (open); Assessment 
Development Committee 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m. (closed); 10:15 a.m.-12:00 
p.m., (open); Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology, 9:30 
a.m.-12:00 p.m. (open); Reporting and Dissemination Committee, 9:30 
a.m.-12:00 p.m. (open); Full Board, 12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m., (closed); 
1:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m., (open).
    August 4--Nominations Committee, 7:30 a.m.-8:00 a.m.; Full Board, 
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (open).
    Location: Ritz Carlton Pentagon City, 1250 South Hayes Street, 
Arlington, Virginia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Munira Mwalimu, Operations Officer, 
National Assessment Governing Board, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., 
Suite 825, 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 (NAEP). 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.
    The Ad Hoc Committee on Confirming Test Results will meet in open 
session on August 2, 2001 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to discuss 
matters pertaining to NAEP's confirming role envisaged under President 
Bush's ``No Child Left Behind'' initiative. The Executive Committee 
will meet on August 2, 2001 in open session from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 
p.m., and in closed session from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
    In open session, the Executive Committee will receive updates on 
proposed legislation affecting NAEP and NAGB and on the contract to 
maintain test questions, and will receive a report on the Ad Hoc 
Committee on Confirming Test Results.
    From 6:00--7:00 p.m. the Executive Committee will meet in closed 
session to discuss Independent Government Cost Estimates and Contract 
Decisions pertaining to the National Assessment of Educational Progress 
(NAEP) program. This session of the meeting must be conducted in closed 
session because public disclosure of this information would likely have 
an adverse financial and technical impact 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.
    During the latter part of the closed portion of the Executive 
Committee meeting on August 2, the Committee will nominate the Vice 
Chair of the National Assessment Governing Board. This session has to 
be conducted in closed session, as reference will be made to private 
and personal background qualifications that will be assessed by the 
Committee in the nomination of the Vice Chair, in accordance with 
NAGB's bylaws. These discussions relate solely to information of a 
personal nature which disclosure would constitute an 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 August 3, the full Board will convene in open session from 8:30 
a.m.-9:30 a.m. The Board will approve the agenda; hear a report from 
the Executive Director of the National Assessment Governing Board; and 
receive an update on the NAEP Program. From 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 
the Board's standing committees will meet in open session.
    The Assessment Development Committee (ADC) will meet in closed 
session on Friday, August 3, 2001 from 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m. to review 
secure items from the NAEP reading assessment. This meeting must be 
closed because references will be made to specific test items from the 
NAEP assessment and premature disclosure of the items being reviewed 
whould significantly frustrate the implementation of the NAEP program. 
Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of 
Title 5 U.S.C.
    Following the closed session, the Assessment Development Committee 
will meet in open session from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to discuss the 
NAEP Oral Reading Study; the Economics Framework Procurement; and the 
draft 2004 NAEP Mathematics Framework. From 11:30 a.m.-12:00 noon the 
ADC will meet in joint session with the Committee on Standards, Design 
and Methodology (COSDAM) to discuss technical issues related to the 
draft NAEP Mathematics Framework.
    The Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology will meet on 
Friday, August 3, 2001 from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. to discuss technical 
issues arising from changes in the NAEP block/booklet structure; 
technical issues related to increasing precision; proposed changes to 
the 2004 mathematics framework with scaling considerations; and 
technical considerations pertaining to Office and Management Budget 
(OMB) mandated changes in racial/ethnic questions. This session will 
then be followed by the joint session of the ADC and COSDAM from 11:30 
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to discuss technical issues related to the draft 
NAEP Mathematics Framework.
    The Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet on Friday, 
August 3, 2001 from 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. to review background questions 
for NAEP 2000; to discuss policy matters on the content of NAEP reports 
in reading and mathematics; and to discuss reporting matters pertaining 
to OMB mandated changes in racial/ethnic questions.
    On August 3, 2001, the full Board will meet in closed session from 
12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m. to receive a briefing on the NAEP 2000 Science 
Report Card. This meeting must be closed because the report has not 
gone through complete National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 
adjudication process and has not been released by the Secretary of 
Education. 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 full Board will meet in open session on August 3, 2001 from 
1:15 p.m.-2:00 p.m. to receive survey results on academic standards and 
testing. From 2:15 p.m.-3:00 p.m., the Board will receive an update 
from Congressional staff on ``NAEP/NAGB: View from the Hill.'' From 
3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m., the full Board will hear a discussion on NAEP 
Mathematics Trends from a State Perspective upon which the August 3, 
2001 session of the Board meeting will adjourn.
    On August 4, 2001 the Nominations Committee will convene from 7:30 
a.m.-8:00 a.m. to discuss a letter received from the Secretary of 
Education requesting NAGB to continue to provide input and names of 
potential candidates

[[Page 37019]]

for NAGB appointments made by the Secretary; to approve the timeline 
for seeking potential candidates in various categories; and to review 
and approve the rating and selection procedures.
    From 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Board will receive a briefing on 
Achieve's Mathematics Achievement Partnership, followed by an update 
and discussion on the NAEP 2004 Mathematics Framework project from 8:30 
a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The Board will then hear and take action on Committee 
reports from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. From 11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. the 
Board will elect the Vice Chair of the National Assessment Governing 
Board, whereupon the meeting will adjourn.
    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. Eastern Standard Time.

    Dated: July 11, 2001.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 01-17693 Filed 7-13-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M