[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61604-61606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-24637]


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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 November 14-16, 2019 
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

[[Page 61605]]

(FACA). This notice is being posted late because of challenges in 
ensuring the availability of members to constitute a quorum.

DATES: The Quarterly Board Meeting will be held on the following dates:
     November 14, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
     November 15, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
     November 16, 2019 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Westin Arlington Gateway, 801 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 
22203

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 Pub. L. 107-279. 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) administered by the 
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The Governing Board's 
responsibilities include the following: Selecting subject areas to be 
assessed, developing assessment frameworks and 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.
    Written comments related to the work of the Governing Board may be 
submitted electronically or in hard copy to the attention of the 
Executive Officer/Designated Federal Official (see contact information 
noted above).

November 14-16, 2019--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: November 14-16, 2019

November 14: Committee Meetings

    Executive Committee: Open Session: 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Closed 
Session 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

November 15: Full Governing Board and Committee Meetings

    Full Governing Board: Open Session: 8:30 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. Closed 
Session: 12:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.; Open Session: 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    Committee Meetings: 9:40 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
    Assessment Development Committee (ADC): Open Session: 9:45 a.m. to 
11:45 a.m.
    Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology (COSDAM): Open 
Session: 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; Closed Session: 10:30 a.m.-11:45 
a.m.;
    Reporting and Dissemination Committee (R&D): Open Session: 9:45 
a.m. to 11:45 a.m.;

November 16: Full Governing Board and Committee Meetings

    Nominations Committee: Closed Session: 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
    Full Governing Board: Open Session: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.;
    On Thursday, November 14, 2019, the Executive Committee will 
convene in open session from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and thereafter in 
closed session from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. During the closed session, 
the Executive Committee will discuss the NAEP Assessment Schedule and 
budget implications for future NAEP assessments based on the approved 
NAEP Assessment Schedule and independent government cost estimates. 
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 detailed proprietary contract 
costs of current NAEP contractors to the public and disclose 
independent government cost estimates for future NAEP assessments. 
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, November 15, 2019, the Governing Board will meet in open 
session from 8:30 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. to review and approve the November 
15-16, 2019 Quarterly Board Meeting agenda and meeting minutes from the 
August 2019 Quarterly Board meeting. The Governing Board will be 
welcomed by the Governing Board Vice Chair who will then provide 
remarks and introduce new members. Thereafter, Secretary of Education, 
Betsy DeVos, will administer the oath of office to the new members and 
then address the Governing Board. Newly appointed members will then 
provide introductory remarks.
    From 9:30 a.m. to 9:35 a.m., standing committee chairs will provide 
a preview of committee meeting agendas. At 9:35 a.m., the Governing 
Board will recess for a 10-minute break and meet thereafter in 
committee meetings from 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
    ADC and R&D will convene in open session from 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 
a.m. to conduct regular business. COSDAM will meet in open session from 
9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to discuss COSDAM priorities and current 
activities. From 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. COSDAM will meet in closed 
session to discuss plans for the design of 2021 NAEP assessments. The 
presentation contains secure materials from the Reading and Mathematics 
assessments. Public disclosure of secure materials 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 of Title 5 U.S.C.
    Following the committee meetings, on Friday, November 15, 2019, the 
Governing Board will convene in closed session from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 
p.m. During this session, the Governing Board will receive a briefing 
and discuss the NAEP Budget vis-[agrave]-vis the NAEP Assessment 
Schedule, as well as discuss the status of the NAEP design and 
potential impact to the NAEP budget with long-term implications for the 
NAEP Assessment Schedule and Budget. The discussions will involve a 
briefing on confidential design change costs via-a-vis independent 
government cost estimates for assessing NAEP subjects on the recently 
approved NAEP Assessment Schedule. This meeting must be conducted in 
closed session as discussion of the independent government cost 
estimates for NAEP design changes that impact current and future NAEP 
contracts are confidential. Public disclosure of secure 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 take a 15-minute break and reconvene in 
closed session from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. to receive an ethics 
briefing from the Office of General Counsel. This briefing will involve 
a question and answer session on Governing Board member

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ethics matters. The 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 a 15 minute break, the Governing Board will meet in open 
session from 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. The Governing Board will receive an 
update on the NAEP Mathematics Framework and an overview of the NAEP 
Postsecondary Preparedness work. Following these sessions, the 
Governing Board will take a 15-minute recess and meet in small groups 
to discuss post-secondary preparedness from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    The November 15, 2019 session of the Governing Board meeting will 
adjourn at 5:30 p.m.
    On Saturday, November 16, 2019, the Nominations Committee will meet 
from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. in closed session to discuss a briefing on 
applications received and reviewed for the 2020 nominations cycle for 
Governing Board appointments for terms that will begin October 1, 2020. 
The 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 November 16, 2019, the Governing Board will meet in open session 
from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. From 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. the Governing 
Board will discuss highlights from the prior day's breakout group 
meetings and engage in discussion on post-secondary preparedness. From 
9:00 a.m. to 9:20 a.m., the Governing Board will receive an update on a 
proposed statement of the intended meaning of NAEP results. From 9:20 
a.m. to 10:00 a.m., the Governing Board will receive an update on the 
work of the Achievement Levels working Group, following which the 
Governing Board will recess for a 15 minutes break.
    From 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Executive Director, Lesley Muldoon 
will provide an update on the Governing Board's work. Committee reports 
will be provided from 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. with an action item 
submitted by the Assessment Development Committee to approve the 2025 
NAEP Mathematics Framework.
    From 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. the Governing Board has set aside 
time for open discussion on Governing Board priorities and topics that 
members will bring up for future discussions. From 11:45 a.m. to 12:00 
p.m. Governing Board member Dana Boyd will provide a preview of the 
upcoming March 2020 Governing Board meeting scheduled to be held in El 
Paso, Texas.
    The November 16, 2019 session of the Governing 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 November 11, 2019, 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 Monday, 
November 11, 2019.
    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.

Lesley Muldoon,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), U. S. 
Department of Education.
[FR Doc. 2019-24637 Filed 11-12-19; 8:45 am]
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