[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 82 (Tuesday, April 29, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22684-22685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-10431]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting 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 special 
accommodations 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 May 5, 2003. We will attempt to 
meet requests after this date, but cannot guarantee availability of the 
requested accommodation. The meeting site is accessible to individuals 
with disabilities.

DATES: May 15-May 17, 2003.

TIMES: May 15: Assessment Development Committee: closed session--12 
p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Ad Hoc Committee on Background Questions: open 
session--2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP Sampling 
Studies: open session--2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Executive Committee: 
open session--5 p.m. to 6 p.m.; closed session--6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
    May 16: Full Board: open session--8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.; Assessment 
Development Committee: closed session--10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.; open 
session--10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Committee on Standards, Design, and 
Methodology: open session--10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Reporting and 
Dissemination Committee: open session--10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Full Board: 
closed session--12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; open session--2:15 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    May 17: Nominations Committee: closed session--7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.; 
Full Board: open session--9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; closed session--11:30 
a.m. to 12 p.m.
    Location: Fairmont Kansas City, 401 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64112.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Munira Mwalimu, Operations Officer, 
National Assessment Governing Board, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., 
Suite

[[Page 22685]]

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, as amended.
    The Board is established to formulate policy guidelines for the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The Board's 
responsibilities include selecting subject areas to be assessed 
developing assessment objectives, student achievement levels for each 
grade and subject tested developing guidelines for reporting and 
disseminating results, and developing standards and procedures for 
interstate and national comparisons.
    On May 15, the Assessment Development Committee will meet in closed 
session from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to review secure test items for the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Long-term Trend 
Reading and Mathematics Assessments. The meeting must be conducted in 
closed session because disclosure of proposed test items from the NAEP 
Long-term Trend Assessments would significantly impede implementation 
of the NAEP program and is there protected by exemption 9(B) of section 
552b(c) of title 5 U.S.C.
    The Executive Committee will meet in open session on May 15 from 5 
p.m. to 6 p.m. This committee will them meet in closed session from 6 
p.m. to 7 p.m. for two purposes. First, the committee will receive 
independent government cost estimates on the impact of changing the 
schedule for future National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 
assessments. This part 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 impede open session. Such 
matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of title 5 
U.S.C.
    Second, in the closed session the Executive Committee will discuss 
a personnel action pertaining to a Board staff matter. This discussion 
pertains solely to internal personnel rules and practices of an agency 
and will disclose information of a personal nature where disclosure 
would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. As such, 
the discussion is protected by exemptions 2 and 6 of section 552b(c) of 
title 5 U.S.C.
    On May 16, the full Board will meet in open session from 8:30 a.m. 
to 10 a.m. The Board will approve the agenda and hear welcoming remarks 
from Board member and State Legislator of Topeka, Kansas. The Board 
will then receive the Executive Director's report and an update on the 
work of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) from the 
Associate Commissioner of NCES, Peggy Carr.
    From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 16, the Board's standing 
committees--the Assessment Development Committee; the Committee on 
Standards, Design, and Methodology; and the Reporting and Dissemination 
Committee--will meet in open session, with one exception. The 
Assessment Development Committee will meet in closed session from 10 
a.m. to 10:45 a.m. to review and discuss secure test items for the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2001 U.S. History 
Assessment. The meeting must be conducted in closed session because 
disclosure of proposed test items from the 2001 U.S. History Assessment 
would significantly impede implementation of the NAEP program and is 
therefore protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of title 5 
U.S.C.
    The full Board will meet in closed session on May 16 from 12 p.m. 
to 2 p.m. to receive results of the 2002 NAEP Reading and Writing 
Assessments and to be briefed on sampling and data analysis for the 
2002-2003 NAEP. This session must be closed because the results of the 
Reading and Writing Assessments are under development and have not been 
released to the public, and results of the sampling and data analysis 
are preliminary data that have not been disclosed to the pubic. 
Premature disclosure of this information would 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 May 16 from 2 p.m. to 4 
p.m. The Board will receive an update on the 2007 Reading Framework 
Project at 2:15 p.m. and then discuss the NAEP Background Question 
Framework from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., when the session will adjourn.
    On May 17, the Nominations Committee will meet in closed session 
from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. to review and discuss nominations for Board 
membership. These discussions deal with the internal evaluation of 
potential nominees to the Board and the rating provided to each 
candidate by members of the committee. This information is of a 
personal nature, disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted 
invasion of personal privacy. As such, the discussions are protected by 
exemptions 2 and 6 of section 552b(c) of title 5 U.S.C.
    The full Board will meet in open session from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 
on May 17. The Board will receive an update on the NAEP 12th grade 
Commission. This presentation will be followed by a discussion on 
options for the structure of future Board meetings. Board actions on 
policies and committee reports are scheduled to take place between 
10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
    The Board will meet in closed session from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. to 
receive nominations for Board membership from the Nominations 
Committee. This discussion pertains solely to internal personnel rules 
and practices of an agency and will disclose information of a personal 
nature where disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of 
personal privacy. As such, the discussion is protected by exemptions 2 
and 6 of section 552b(c) of title 5 U.S.C.
    The May 17 session of the Board meeting will adjourn at 12 noon.
    Summaries of the activities of the closed sessions and related 
matters that 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 9 
a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern standard time.

    Dated: April 23, 2003.
Charles E. Smith,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 03-10431 Filed 4-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M