[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41697-41698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14199]


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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 set 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 July 27, 2005. 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: August 4-6, 2005.
    TIMES:
    August 4:
    Committee Meetings:
    Assessment Development Committee: Closed Session--9 a.m. to 3:45 
p.m.;
    Reporting and Dissemination Committee: Open Session--2 p.m. to 3:45 
p.m.;
    Executive Committee: Open Session--4 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Closed 
session--5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
    August 5:
    Full Board: Open Session--8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Closed Session 
12:30 p.m.--2 p.m.; Open session--2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    Committee Meetings:
    Assessment Development Committee: Open Session--10:30 a.m. to 12:30 
p.m.;
    Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology: Open Session--
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.;
    Reporting and Dissemination Committee: Open Session--10:30 a.m. to 
12:30 p.m.;
    August 6:
    Full Board: Open Session--8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.;
    LOCATION: St. Regis Hotel, 923 16th and K Streets NW., Washington, 
DC 20006.

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 
August 4 from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. to review cognitive items for the 
2006 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments 
items in Civics, U.S. History, and Economics. This review is required 
by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 prior to submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for clearance. This is the last review 
of the 2006 assessment instruments by NAGB. The meeting must be 
considered 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 August 4, the Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet in 
open session from 2 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
    The Executive Committee will meet in open session on August 4 from 
4 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Executive Committee will meet in closed session on 
August 4 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. to receive independent government cost 
estimates from the National Center for Education Statistics for 
proposed contracts for item development, sample selection, analysis, 
and reporting of NAEP testing for 2007-2012 and their implications on 
future NAEP activities. This part of the

[[Page 41698]]

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 August 5, the full Board will meet in open session from 8:30 
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Board will approve the agenda and the Chairman 
will introduce a new Board member, who will then be administered the 
Oath of Office by Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings. 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 Director of the Institute of Education Sciences.
    From 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on August 5, 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 August 5 from 12:30 
p.m. to 2 p.m. The Board will preview the 2005 draft NAEP Reading and 
Mathematics results presented by the Associate Commissioner, National 
Center for Education Statistics. The data constitute a major basis for 
the national release of the Reading and Mathematics Report Cards in the 
fall of 2005 and cannot be released in an open meeting prior to the 
official release of the report. The meeting must therefore be conducted 
in closed session as disclosure of data would significantly impede 
implementation of the NAEP release activities, and is therefore 
protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
    On August 5, the full Board will meet in open session from 2 p.m. 
to 4:30 p.m. At 2:15 p.m. Board members will receive an update on the 
NAEP 2009 Science Framework project, followed by Board discussion of 
options to consider for 12th Grade State NAEP from 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 
p.m. upon which the August 5 session of the Board meeting will 
conclude.
    On August 6, the full Board will convene in open session from 8:30 
a.m. to 12 p.m. At 8:30 a.m., the Board will receive results of two 
research studies on assessment by computer in Mathematics and Writing. 
Board actions on policies and Committee reports are scheduled to take 
place between 10:15 a.m. and 12 p.m., upon which the August 6, 2005 
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: July 14, 2005.
Charles E. Smith,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 05-14199 Filed 7-19-05; 8:45 am]
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