[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 32 (Thursday, February 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10099-10101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02838]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of open and closed meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the agenda, time, and instructions to 
access or participate in the National Assessment Governing Board 
(hereafter referred to as Governing Board or Board) meetings scheduled 
for March 2-3, 2023, in Alexandria, VA. This notice provides 
information about the meetings to members of the public who may be 
interested in attending the meetings and/or providing written comments 
related to the work of the Governing Board.

ADDRESSES: Westin Alexandria Old Town, 400 Courthouse Square, 
Alexandria, VA 22314.

DATES: March 2-3, 2023.

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) 357-6906, 
fax: (202) 357-6945, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of the meetings is required under 
Section 1009(a)(2) of 5 U.S.C. Chapter 10 (Federal Advisory 
Committees).
    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 (20 U.S.C. 9621). 
Information on the Governing Board and its work can be found at 
www.nagb.gov.
    The Governing Board formulates policy for the National Assessment 
of Educational Progress (NAEP) administered by the National Center for 
Education Statistics (NCES). The Governing Board's responsibilities 
include:
    ``(1) selecting the subject areas to be assessed; (2) developing 
appropriate student achievement levels; (3) developing assessment 
objectives and testing specifications that produce an assessment that 
is valid and reliable, and are based on relevant widely accepted 
professional standards; (4) developing a process for review of the 
assessment which includes the active participation of teachers, 
curriculum specialists, local school administrators, parents, and 
concerned members of the public; (5) designing the methodology of the 
assessment to ensure that assessment items are valid and reliable, in 
consultation with appropriate technical experts in measurement and 
assessment, content and subject matter, sampling, and other technical 
experts who engage in large scale surveys; (6) measuring student 
academic achievement in grades 4, 8, and 12 in the authorized academic 
subjects; (7) developing guidelines for reporting and disseminating 
results; (8) developing standards and procedures for regional and 
national comparisons; (9) taking appropriate actions needed to improve 
the form, content use, and reporting of results of an assessment; and 
(10) planning and executing the initial public release of NAEP 
reports.''

Standing Committee Meetings

    The Governing Board's standing committees will meet to conduct 
regularly scheduled work planned for the quarterly board meeting and 
any items undertaken by standing committees for consideration by the 
full Governing Board. (Please see standing committee meeting minutes 
for previous meetings, available at https://www.nagb.gov/governing-board/quarterly-board-meetings.html). Standing committee meeting 
agendas and meeting materials for the March 2-3, 2023, quarterly board 
meeting will be posted on the Governing Board's website, www.nagb.gov, 
no later than five business days prior to the meetings.

Standing Committee Meetings

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Nominations Committee (Closed Session)
5:30-6:45 p.m.
    The Nominations Committee will meet in closed session on March 1, 
2023, from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. to review and discuss the committee member 
ratings for finalists in open categories for Governing Board 2024 
vacancies and finalize recommendations for submission to the Board for 
action. 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 the Government Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c).

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Executive Committee Meeting
8:30-10 a.m. (Closed Session)
    The Executive Committee will meet in closed session on March 2, 
2023, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. to discuss the NAEP and Governing Board's 
budgets, planned procurements and the NAEP Assessment Schedule. These 
discussions must be kept confidential to maintain the integrity of the 
federal budgeting and acquisition processes. Public disclosure of this 
confidential information would significantly impede implementation of 
the NAEP assessment program if conducted in open session. Such matters 
are protected by exemption 9(B) of the Government Sunshine Act, 5 
U.S.C. 552b(c).

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Assessment Development Committee
3:45-5:15 p.m. (Open Session)
5:15-6 p.m. (Closed Session)
    The Assessment Development Committee will meet in open session on 
March 2, 2023, to receive a project update on the 2028 NAEP Science 
Assessment Framework, to discuss the next steps for 2030 Writing 
Assessment Framework and discuss recommendations for future NAEP 
assessment updates. The Assessment Development Committee will meet in 
closed session on March 2, 2023, from 5:15 to 6 p.m. to preview initial 
results from pretesting of NAEP Mathematics and Reading Items 
assessment items. These items have not been released to the public. 
Public disclosure of this confidential information would significantly 
impede implementation of the NAEP assessment program if conducted in 
open session. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of the 
Government Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c).

[[Page 10100]]

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology
3:45-4:20 p.m. (Closed Session)
4:20-5 p.m. (Open Session)
5-6 p.m. (Open Joint Session with Reporting & Dissemination Committee)
    The Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology (COSDAM) will 
meet in closed session on March 2, 2023, from 3:45-4:20 p.m., to 
receive an update and discuss Adaptive Testing for NAEP. The session 
will include preliminary data from recently completed pilot studies 
that are not yet available to the public. Public disclosure of this 
confidential information would significantly impede implementation of 
the NAEP assessment program if conducted in open session. Such matters 
are protected by exemption 9(B) of the Government Sunshine Act, 5 
U.S.C. 552b(c).
    COSDAM will then meet in open session from 4:20-5 p.m. and discuss 
next steps for NAEP State Sampling. The committee will then convene in 
an open joint session with the Reporting and Dissemination Committee to 
discuss strategies for disseminating Achievement Levels findings.

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Reporting and Dissemination Committee (R&D)
3:45-5 p.m. (Open Session)
5-6 p.m. (Open Joint Session with Committee on Standards, Design and 
Methodology)
    The Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet on March 2, 
2023, to discuss release plans for results from the NAEP Civics and 
NAEP U.S. History assessments as well as general communications 
strategies. The Committee then will convene in a joint session with the 
Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology to discuss dissemination 
of Achievement Levels descriptions.

Quarterly Governing Board Meeting

    The plenary sessions of the Governing Board's March 2023 quarterly 
meeting will be held on the following dates and times:

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Open Meeting: 10:10 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
Closed Meeting: 2:15-3:30 p.m.

Friday, March 3, 2023

Open Meeting: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Closed Meeting: 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Open Meeting: 1:45-3:30 p.m.

March 2, 2023, Meeting

    On Thursday, March 2, 2023, the plenary session of the Governing 
Board meeting will convene in open session from 10:10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. 
The meeting will start with welcome remarks from Beverly Perdue, Chair 
of the Governing Board, followed by a motion to approve the meeting 
agenda for the March 2-3, 2023, quarterly Governing Board meeting and 
minutes from the November 17-18, 2022, quarterly Governing Board 
meeting. Thereafter, from 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Lesley Muldoon, 
Executive Director of the Governing Board, will update members on 
ongoing work followed by an update from Peggy Carr, Commissioner, NCES, 
on NAEP activities from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m.
    From 11:15 to 11:45 a.m., members will receive a briefing on 
Ensuring Fair and Unbiased NAEP Assessments. From 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 
p.m. members will meet in small groups to discuss strategies to assure 
commitment to all students in administering fair and unbiased NAEP 
assessments. The members will debrief on the small group discussions 
from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m.
    NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr, will then provide an update on the 
NAEP Budget and Assessment Schedule in closed session from 2:15 to 3:30 
p.m. These discussions must be kept confidential to maintain the 
integrity of the federal budgeting and acquisition processes. Public 
disclosure of this confidential information would significantly impede 
implementation of the NAEP assessment program if conducted in open 
session. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of the Government 
Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c).
    Following a 15-minute break, members will convene in standing 
committee meetings from 3:45 to 6 p.m., as described above. The March 
2, 2023, session of the Board meeting will adjourn at 6 p.m.

Friday, March 3, 2023

    On March 3, 2023, the plenary session of the Governing Board will 
begin in closed session from 8 to 9 a.m. to receive a briefing from the 
Nominations Committee on its recommendations for candidates to fill 
Governing Board vacancies. Members will review the Nominations 
Committee's recommendations for the final slate of candidates for 
submission to the Secretary of Education for appointments that begin 
October 1, 2023. 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.
    The Governing Board will then transition to an open session from 9 
to 9:05 a.m. to vote on the 2023-2024 slate of candidates that will be 
submitted to the Secretary of Education for consideration.
    After a 10-minute break, members will convene in open session to 
receive updates on the NAEP Science Assessment Framework from 9:15 to 
10:45 a.m. followed by a discussion and vote on reporting achievement 
level descriptions for Civics, U.S. History, and Science from 10:45 to 
11:30 a.m. Thereafter members will have open discussion time from 11:30 
a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
    Following a 15-minute break, the Board will convene in closed 
session from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. to receive a briefing on results from 
the 2022 NAEP Civics and U.S. History Report Cards from 12:15 until 
1:30 p.m. These items have not been released to the public. Public 
disclosure of this confidential information would significantly impede 
implementation of the NAEP assessment program if conducted in open 
session. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of the Government 
Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c).
    After a 15-minute break, from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. members will 
convene in open session to discuss and vote on the release plans for 
the 2022 NAEP Civics and U.S. History Report Cards. From 2:15 to 3:15 
p.m. members will discuss their experiences with engagement and 
outreach with members of Congress. The final session of the March 3, 
2023, meeting will take place from 3:15 to 3:30 p.m. with a preview of 
the May 2023 Quarterly Board meeting.
    The March 3, 2023, session of the Governing Board meeting will 
adjourn at 3:30 p.m.
    The quarterly board meeting and standing committee meeting agendas, 
along with the meeting materials, will be posted on the Governing 
Board's website at www.nagb.gov no later than five working days prior 
to each meeting.

[[Page 10101]]

Instructions for Participating in the Meetings

    Registration: Members of the public may attend in-person to all 
open sessions of the Governing Board's March 2-3, 2023, meetings. A 
link to register for virtual attendance for the open sessions and 
instructions for how to register will be posted on the Governing 
Board's website at www.nagb.gov no later than 5 business days prior to 
the meeting. Registration is required to join the meeting virtually.
    Public Comment: Written comments related to the work of the 
Governing Board and its committees may be submitted electronically or 
in hard copy to the attention of the Executive Officer/Designated 
Federal Official (DFO) via email at [email protected] no later than 
10 business days prior to the meeting. Written comments should be 
directed to the DFO as they relate to committee and Board meeting work 
and should reference the relevant agenda item.
    Access to Records of the Meeting: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 1009(b), the 
public may inspect the meeting materials at www.nagb.gov, which will be 
made available no later than five business days prior to each meeting. 
The public may also inspect the meeting materials and other Governing 
Board records at 800 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 825, Washington, DC 
20002, by emailing [email protected] to schedule an appointment. 
The official verbatim transcripts of the open meeting sessions will be 
available for public inspection no later than 30 calendar days 
following each meeting and will be posted on the Governing Board's 
website. Requests for the verbatim transcriptions may be made via email 
to the DFO noted above.
    Reasonable Accommodations: The meeting location 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 DFO listed in this notice no later than ten working days 
prior to each meeting date.
    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, section 301--National 
Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9621).

Lesley Muldoon,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), U.S. 
Department of Education.
[FR Doc. 2023-02838 Filed 2-15-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P