[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 208 (Friday, October 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62105-62106]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21495]


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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 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 1, 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: November 17-19, 2005

Times

November 17

Committee Meetings
    Assessment Development Committee: Closed Session--9 a.m. to 2 p.m.;
    Assessment Development Committee and Committee on Standards, Design 
and Methodology (Joint Meeting): Open Session--2 p.m. to 4 p.m.;
    Reporting and Dissemination Committee: Open Session--2 p.m. to 4 
p.m.;
    Executive Committee: Open Session--4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Closed 
Session 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

November 18

    Full Board: Open Session--8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Closed Session 12 
p.m. to 2 p.m.; Open Session 2:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Committee Meetings
    Assessment Development Committee: Open Session--9:30 a.m. to 12 
p.m.;
    Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology: Open Session--9:30 
a.m. to 12 p.m.;
    Reporting and Dissemination Committee: Open Session--9:30 a.m. to 
12 p.m.;

November 19

    Nominations Committee: Open Session--7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
    Full Board: Open Session--9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    Location: Sheraton National Hotel Arlington, 900 South Orme Street, 
Arlington, VA 22204.

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 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (five hours) to review 19 reading 
blocks and 25-30 reading passages (approximately 190 cognitive items) 
for the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading 
assessments at grades 4 and 8. 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 2009 
assessment instrument by NAGB. 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 17, the Assessment Development Committee and the 
Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology will meet in a joint 
open session from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the Reporting and Dissemination 
Committee will meet in open session from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    The Executive Committee will meet in open session on November 17 
from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Executive Committee will meet in closed 
session on November 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. to receive 
independent government cost estimates from the Associate Commissioner, 
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. 
The discussion of independent government cost estimates prior to the 
development of the Request for Proposals for NAEP 2007-2012 contracts 
is necessary for ensuring that NAEP contracts meet congressionally 
mandated goals and adhere to Board policies on 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 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.
    During this closed session, from 5:50 p.m. to 6 p.m. the Executive 
Committee (only Board members) will discuss a NAGB personnel 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 discussions are protected by exemptions 
2 and 6 of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
    On November 18, the full Board will meet in open session from 8:30 
a.m. to 12 p.m. From 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. the Board will approve the 
agenda, and receive the Executive Director's report

[[Page 62106]]

and an update on the work of the National Center for Education 
Statistics (NCES).
    From 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on November 18, the Board's standing 
committees--the Assessment Development Committee; the Committee on 
Standards, Design, and Methodology; and the Reporting and Dissemination 
Committees--will meet in open session.
    The full Board will meet in closed session on November 18 from 12 
p.m. to 2 p.m. The Board will receive a briefing from the Associate 
Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics on NAEP 
participation by various states affected by hurricanes Katrina and 
Rita, and these questions about participation will have a direct impact 
on cost estimates for NCES contracts. The meeting must therefore be 
conducted in closed session as disclosure of independent cost estimates 
for NCES contracts would significantly impede implementation of the 
NAEP contract activities, and is therefore protected by exemption 9(B) 
of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
    On November 18, the full Board will meet in open session from 2:15 
p.m. to 4:30 p.m. At 2:15 p.m., Raymond Simon, U.S. Deputy Secretary of 
Education, will administer the Oath of Office to a new Board member. 
From 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Board members will receive an update and take 
action on the NAEF 2009 Science Framework project. At 4 p.m. an ethics 
briefing will be provided to Board members by a staff member from the 
Office of General Counsel. The November 18 session of the Board meeting 
will conclude at 4:30 p.m.
    On November 19, the Nominations Committee will meet from 7:45 p.m. 
to 8:45 p.m. in open session. The full Board will convene in open 
session from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. At 9 a.m., the Board will receive a 
briefing on the newly formed U.S. Department of Education Higher 
Education Commission and the relationship of the Commission's work with 
the Board's work on high school assessment. Board actions on policies 
and Committee reports are scheduled to take place between 10:15 a.m. 
and 12 p.m., upon which the November 19, 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: October 24, 2005.
Charles E. Smith,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 05-21495 Filed 10-27-05; 8:45 am]
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