[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35265-35267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15887]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board, U.S. Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Announcement of open and closed meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the agenda for the August 2-4, 2018 
Quarterly Board Meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board 
(hereafter referred to as Governing Board). This notice provides 
information to members of the public who may be interested in attending 
the meeting or providing written comments related to the work of the 
Governing Board. Notice of this meeting is required under Sec.  
10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). This meeting 
notice is published late due to the fact that approval of the August 
Board meeting agenda required a quorum of the Board's Executive 
Committee which could not be established in time to provide timely 
notice in the Federal Register.

DATES: The Quarterly Board Meeting will be held on the following dates:
     August 2, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
     August 3, 2018 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
     August 4, 2018 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Park Hyatt Washington, 1201 24th Street NW, Washington, DC 
20037.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Munira Mwalimu, Executive Officer/
Designated Federal Official for the Governing Board, 800 North Capitol 
Street NW, Suite 825, Washington, DC 20002, telephone: (202) 357-6938, 
fax: (202) 357-6945, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Statutory Authority and Function: The Governing Board is 
established under the National Assessment of Educational Progress 
Authorization Act, Title III of Public Law 107-279. Written comments 
may be submitted electronically or in hard copy to the attention of the 
Executive Officer/Designated Federal Official (see contact information 
noted above). Information on the Governing Board and its work can be 
found at www.nagb.gov.
    The Governing Board is established to formulate policy for the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The Governing 
Board's responsibilities include the following: Selecting subject areas 
to be assessed, developing assessment frameworks and

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specifications, developing appropriate student achievement levels for 
each grade and subject tested, developing standards and procedures for 
interstate and national comparisons, improving the form and use of 
NAEP, developing guidelines for reporting and disseminating results, 
and releasing initial NAEP results to the public.

August 2-4, 2018: Committee Meetings

    The Governing Board's standing committees will meet to conduct 
regularly scheduled work based on agenda items planned for this 
Quarterly Board Meeting and follow-up items as reported in the 
Governing Board's committee meeting minutes available at https://www.nagb.gov/governing-board/quarterly-board-meetings.html.

Detailed Meeting Agenda: August 2-4, 2018

August 2: Committee Meetings

    Assessment Development Committee: Open Session: 9:00 a.m. to 9:15 
a.m.; Closed Session: 9:15 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.; Open Session: 12:05 p.m. 
to 12:30 p.m.
    Ad Hoc Committee on Measures of Postsecondary Preparedness: Open 
Session: 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
    Poster Gallery Session: Spotlight on NAEP Secondary Research (SV 
#1); Graduate Fellows: Open Session: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Executive Committee: Open Session: 5:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.; Closed 
Session: 5:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

August 3: Full Governing Board and Committee Meetings

    Full Governing Board: Open Session: 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.; Closed 
Session: 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Open Session: 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Committee Meetings: 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
    Assessment Development Committee (ADC): Closed Session: 9:30 a.m. 
to 11:20 p.m. Open Session: 11:20 p.m. to 12:00 p.m.
    Reporting and Dissemination (R&D): Open Session 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 
p.m.
    Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology (COSDAM): Open 
Session: 9:30 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.; Closed Session: 11:10 a.m. to 12:00 
p.m.;

August 4: Full Governing Board and Committee Meetings

    Nominations Committee: Closed Session: 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
    Full Governing Board: Closed Session: 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.; Open 
Session: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
    On Thursday, August 2, 2018, the ADC will meet in open session from 
9:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. for opening remarks and a review of the 
committee agenda, followed by a closed session meeting from 9:15 a.m. 
to 12:05 p.m. During the closed session, ADC will receive a briefing on 
the secure item pool for the NAEP Mathematics Assessment and review 
secure cognitive and contextual items for the NAEP Assessments in 
Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science. This meeting must be 
conducted in closed session because the test items and data are secure 
and have not been released to the public. Public disclosure of the 
secure test items would significantly impede implementation of the NAEP 
assessment program if conducted in open session. Such matters are 
protected by exemption 9(B) of Sec.  552b(c) of Title 5 of the United 
States Code.
    On Thursday, August 3, 2018, the Ad Hoc Committee on Measures of 
Postsecondary Preparedness will meet in open session from 1:30 p.m. to 
4:00 p.m. Thereafter, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. a Poster Gallery 
session will provide a spotlight on NAEP Secondary Research.
    The Executive Committee will then convene in open session from 5:00 
p.m. to 5:15 p.m. followed by a closed session from 5:15 p.m. to 6:00 
p.m. During the closed session, the Executive Committee will receive 
and discuss cost estimates and implications for implementing NAEP's 
Assessment Schedule for 2014-2024. The first session of this closed 
meeting must be conducted in closed session because public disclosure 
of this information would likely have an adverse financial effect on 
the NAEP program by providing confidential cost details and proprietary 
contract costs of current contractors to the public. 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 of Title 5 U.S.C. Following 
this closed session, the second session of the closed meeting is being 
held to receive a briefing from Terry Mazany, Chair of the Search 
Committee for the Executive Director on the status of the search 
process.
    On Friday, August 3, 2018, the Governing Board will meet in open 
session from 8:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. The Governing Board will review 
and approve the August 2-4, 2018 Governing Board meeting agenda and 
meeting minutes from the May 2018 Quarterly Board Meeting from 8:30 
a.m. to 8:40 a.m. Thereafter, from 8:40 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. the Governing 
Board's Executive Director, Bill Bushaw will provide an annual report 
on progress made in implementing the Governing Board's Strategic 
Vision. From 9:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., the standing committee chairs will 
provide a preview of the agenda items for the committee meetings. At 
9:15 a.m., the Governing Board will recess for a 15 minute break. 
Thereafter, committee meetings will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 
p.m.
    On Friday, August 3, 2018, the Reporting and Dissemination 
Committee will meet in open session from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ADC 
will meet in closed session from 9:30 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. to address two 
agenda items. For the first agenda item, ADC will complete the review 
of secure cognitive and contextual items for the NAEP Assessments in 
Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science. For the second agenda item, 
ADC will receive a briefing on secure test items and data for NAEP 
Assessments in Civics, Geography, and U.S. History. This meeting must 
be conducted in closed session because the test items and data are 
secure and have not been released to the public. Public disclosure of 
the secure test items would significantly impede implementation of the 
NAEP assessment program if conducted in open session. Such matters are 
protected by exemption 9(B) of Sec.  552b(c) of Title 5 of the United 
States Code. Following the closed sessions, ADC will meet in open 
session from 11:20 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
    On Friday, August 3, 2018, COSDAM will meet in open session from 
9:30 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. followed by a closed session from 11:10 a.m. to 
12:00 p.m. During the closed session, COSDAM will discuss information 
regarding analyses of secure 2017 NAEP writing assessment data. This 
part of the meeting must be conducted in closed session because the 
secure writing data has not been released to the public. Public 
disclosure of the data would significantly impede implementation of the 
NAEP assessment program if conducted in open session. Such matters are 
protected by exemption 9(B) of Sec.  552b(c) of Title 5 of the United 
States Code.
    The Governing Board will meet in closed session from 12:15 p.m. to 
1:30 p.m. during a working lunch to discuss the NAEP budget 
implications of implementing the Board's priorities for extending the 
NAEP Assessment Schedule beyond the year 2024. This meeting must be 
conducted in closed session because public disclosure of this 
information would likely have an adverse financial effect on the NAEP 
program by providing confidential cost details and proprietary contract 
costs of current contractors to the public.

[[Page 35267]]

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 
of Title 5 U.S.C.
    On Friday, August 3, 2018 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. the Board 
will meet in open session to receive an update on the NAEP Mathematics 
Framework followed by a full Board member discussion. From 2:30 p.m. to 
3:00 p.m. Mr. Terry Mazany, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Measures 
of Postsecondary Preparedness will provide an overview of the Ad Hoc 
Committee's draft recommendations. Following this session, the Board 
will take a 15 minute break and reconvene in open session from 3:15 
p.m. to 4:15 p.m. in small groups to discuss draft the Ad Hoc 
Committee's recommendations. Thereafter, the Board will recess for a 15 
minute break and convene at 4:30 p.m. to discuss takeaways from the 
small group discussions on the Ad Hoc Committee recommendations. The 
breakout sessions will conclude at 5:00 p.m.
    The August 3, 2018 session of the Governing Board meeting will 
adjourn at 5:00 p.m.
    On Saturday, August 4, 2018, the Nominations Committee will meet in 
closed session from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. The Committee will provide 
updates on nominees for Governing Board vacancies for terms beginning 
October 1, 2018 and provide updates on plans to open the nominations 
cycle for Board vacancies for terms beginning October 1, 2019. The 
Nominations Committee's discussions pertain solely to internal 
personnel rules and practices of an agency and information of a 
personal nature where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted 
invasion of personal privacy. As such, the discussions are protected by 
exemptions 2 and 6 of Sec.  552b(c) of Title 5 of the United States 
Code.
    On August 4, 2018, the Governing Board will convene in closed 
session from 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. to receive a briefing from Terry 
Mazany, Chair of the Search Committee for the Executive Director on the 
status of the search process and make decisions on the next steps for 
the hiring process. These discussions pertain solely to internal 
personnel rules and practices of an agency and information of a 
personal nature where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted 
invasion of personal privacy. As such, the discussions are protected by 
exemptions 2 and 6 of Sec.  552b(c) of Title 5 of the United States 
Code.
    Following the closed session, the Governing Board will meet in open 
session from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. to receive a briefing on the NAEP 
Assessment Schedule with a focus on Social Studies. This briefing will 
be led by Sharyn Rosenberg, Governing Board staff and Eunice Greer, 
NCES staff.
    From 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. the Ad Hoc Committee Chair, Terry 
Mazany will provide additional reflections on the Ad Hoc Committee's 
recommendations on Post-Secondary Preparedness. The Governing Board 
will then receive reports from its standing committees from 10:00 a.m. 
to 10:30 a.m. Following a 15 minute break, the Board will receive a 
briefing and engage in discussion on the NAEP Achievement Levels 
Setting Policy led by Andrew Ho, COSDAM Chair. From 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 
p.m. retiring Governing Board's Executive Director Bill Bushaw will 
provide remarks.
    The August 4, 2018 session of the board meeting will adjourn at 
12:00 p.m.
    Access to Records of the Meeting: Pursuant to FACA requirements, 
the public may also inspect the meeting materials at www.nagb.gov 
beginning on Thursday, August 2, 2018, by 10:00 a.m. EST. The official 
verbatim transcripts of the public meeting sessions will be available 
for public inspection no later than 30 calendar days following the 
meeting.
    Reasonable Accommodations: The meeting site is accessible to 
individuals with disabilities. If you will need an auxiliary aid or 
service to participate in the meeting (e.g., interpreting service, 
assistive listening device, or materials in an alternate format), 
notify the contact person listed in this notice no later than 21 days 
prior to the meeting.
    Electronic Access to this Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Internet 
access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at: 
www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well as 
all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF, 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
Adobe website. You may also access documents of the Department 
published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature 
at: www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Authority:  Pub. L. 107-279, Title III--National Assessment of 
Educational Progress Sec.  301.

    Dated: July 20, 2018.
William Bushaw,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), U.S. 
Department of Education.
[FR Doc. 2018-15887 Filed 7-24-18; 8:45 am]
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