[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 80 (Monday, April 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 22495]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9356]



[[Page 22495]]

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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: The notice sets for 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 members of 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 April 30, 2004. 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 13-May 15, 2004.

Times

May 13
    Committee Meetings:
    Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP 12th Grade Participation and Motivation: 
Open session--12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    Executive Committee: Open session--4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.; closed 
session--5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
May 14
    Full Board: Open session--8 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
    Committee Meetings:
    Assessment Development Committee: Open session--10:15 a.m. to 12:30 
p.m.
    Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology: Open session--
10:15 am. to 12:30 p.m.
    Full Board: Closed session--12:30 p.m. to1:30 p.m.; open session--
1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
May 15
    Nominations Committee: Closed session--7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
    Full Board: Open session--9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    Location: Hyatt Regency Denver, 1750 Welton Street, Denver, CO 
80202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Munira Mwalimu, Operations Officer, 
National Assessment Governing Board, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., 
Suite 825, Washington, DC, 2002-4233, 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, developing appropriate 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 13, the Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP 12th Grade Participation 
and Motivation will meet in open session from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The 
Executive Committee will meet in open session on May 13 from 4:30 p.m. 
to 5 p.m. The committee will then meet in closed session from 5 p.m. to 
6 p.m. to discuss independent cost estimates for contracts related to 
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). 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 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.
    On May 14, the full Board will meet in open session from 8 a.m. to 
10:15 a.m. The Board will approve the agenda, hear the Executive 
Director's report; receive an update on the work of the National Center 
for Education Statistics (NCES) from the Commissioner of NCES, Robert 
Lerner; and hear a report on issues and options for the NAEP 12th Grade 
World History Assessment.
    From 10:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on May 14, 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.
    The full Board will meet in closed session on May 14, 2004, from 
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. to receive a report on the NAEP 2002 Special 
Study of Oral Reading at Grade 4. This part of the meeting must be 
conducted in closed session because the results of this study are under 
development and have not been released to the public. Premature 
disclosure of the 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 14 from 1:30 p.m.-
4:30 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., the Board will discuss the NAEP 2009 Draft 
Reading Framework. This will be followed by a report to the Board from 
Charles Smith, Executive Director, NAGB, on NAEP Inclusion and 
Accommodation Issues from 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., after which the May 
14 session of the Board meeting will adjourn.
    On May 15, the Nominations Committee will meet in closed session 
from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. to review nominations for Board membership. 
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 discussions are protected by exemptions 
2 and 6 of section 552b(c) of title 5 U.S.C.
    Thereafter, the full Board will meet in open session from 9 a.m. to 
12 p.m. The Board will discuss the recommendations of the NAEP 12th 
Grade Commission from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Board actions on policies 
and Committee reports are scheduled to take place between 10:30 a.m. 
and 12 p.m., when the May 15, 2004, session of the Board meeting will 
adjourn.
    A final agenda of the May 13-15, 2004 Board meeting can be accessed 
after May 3, 2004, at www.nagb.org. Detailed minutes of the meeting, 
including 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 21, 2004.
Sharif Shakrani,
Deputy Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 04-9356 Filed 4-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M