[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 211 (Tuesday, November 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63513-63514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24379]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting and closed meetings.

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SUMMARY: The 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 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 November 5, 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: November 18-November 20, 2004.

Times

November 18

Committee Meetings
    Assessment Development Committee: Closed session--12 p.m. to 2:30 
p.m.;
    Reporting and Dissemination Committee: Open session--12 p.m. to 
2:30 p.m.;
    Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP 12th Grade Participation: Open session--
2:30 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.

November 19

    Full Board: Open session--8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Committee Meetings
    Assessment Development Committee: Open session--10 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.;

November 20

    Full Board: Open session--9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    Location: Park Hyatt Washington, 1201 24th Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20037.

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, 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.
    The Assessment Development Committee will meet in closed session on 
November 18 from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to review secure test items for 
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2009 Reading 
Assessment. The meeting must be conducted in closed session as 
disclosure of proposed test items from the NAEP assessments 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.
    On November 18, the Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet 
in open session from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the Ad Hoc Committee on 
NAEP 12th Grade Participation and Motivation will meet in open session 
from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Executive Committee will meet in open 
session on November 18 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 
government 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 and will provide an advantage to potential bidders attending 
the meeting. 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 November 19, the full Board will meet in open session from 8:30 
am. to 4:15 p.m. The Board will approve the agenda and the Chairman 
will introduce new Board members, who will then be administered the 
Oath of Office. The Board will then hear the Executive Director's 
report and receive an update on the work of the National Center for 
Education Statistics (NCES) from the Commissioner of NCES, Robert 
Lerner.
    From 10 am. to 12 p.m. on November 19, the Board's standing 
committees--the Assessment Development Committee; the Committee on 
Standards, Design, and Methodology;

[[Page 63514]]

and the Reporting and Dissemination Committees--will meet in open 
session.
    From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Board members will receive a briefing from 
State NAEP Coordinators on their NAEP roles and on the use of NAEP 
data. This will be followed by Board discussion on NAEP Reporting 
Guidelines led by the Chair of the Reporting and Dissemination 
Committee, John Stevens, after which the November 19 session of the 
Board meeting will adjourn.
    On November 20, the full Board will meet in open session from 9 
a.m. to 12 p.m. At 9 a.m., the Board will discuss NAEP 12th Grade 
issues, led by Vice Chair, Sheila Ford. Board actions on policies and 
Committee reports are scheduled to take place between 10:45 a.m. and 12 
p.m., upon which the November 20, 2004 session of the Board meeting 
will adjourn.
    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: October 28, 2004.
Sharif Shakrani,
Deputy Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board
[FR Doc. 04-24379 Filed 11-1-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M