[Federal Register: October 31, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 210)] [Notices] [Page 55366-55367] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board, Education. ACTION: Notice of meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This 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 the general public of their opportunity to attend. DATES: November 16-18, 1995. Time: November 16, 1995--Achievement Levels Committee, 2:00-4:00 P.M., (open); and Subject Area Committee #1, 5:00 P.M.-6:00 P.M., open). November 17, 1995--Executive Committee, 7:30 A.M.-8:30 A.M. (closed), 8:30-9:00 A.M. (open); Full Board, 9:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M. , (open); Design and Methodology Committee, Reporting and Dissemination Committee, and Subject Area Committee #2, 10:00 A.M.- 12:00 Noon, (open); Full Board, 12:00 Noon-4:30 P.M. (open). November 18, 1995--Nominations Committee 8:00-9:00 A.M. (open); Full Board, 9:00 A.M. until adjournment, approximately 12:00 Noon (open). Location: Four Seasons Olympic Hotel, 411 University Street, Seattle, Washington. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Ann Wilmer, Operations Officer, National Assessment Governing Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol Street, N.W., 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 (Title IV of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994) (Pub. L. 103-382). The Board is established to formulate policy guidelines for the National Assessment of Education Progress. The Board is responsible for selecting subject areas to be assessed, developing assessment objectives, identifying appropriate achievement goals for each grade and subject tested, and establishing standards and procedures for interstate and national comparisons. On November 16, the Achievement Levels Committee of the National Assessment Governing Board will meet in open session from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Committee will meet to discuss control procedures for ensuring error-free NAEP data, and planning issues affecting the NAEP level-setting activities in the 1996 science assessment. Subject Area Committee #1 will meet in open session from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. to discuss the progress of the NAEP civics planning project. On November 17, the Executive Committee will meet in closed session from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to continue discussion about the development of cost estimates for NAEP and future contract initiatives that were begun at the August 1995 meeting of the Board. Public disclosure of this information would likely have an adverse financial affect on the NAEP program. The discussion of this information would be likely to significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency [[Page 55367]] action if conducted in open session. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of Section 552b(c) of title 5 U.S.C. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., the Executive Committee will convene in open session to hear a presentation by a representative from the National Science Foundation regarding a proposal to use NARP assessments to measure progress in certain NSF-sponsored initiatives during 1996-1997. The full Board will convene in open session from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The agenda for this session includes approval of the agenda, introduction of new Board members, the report of the Executive Director, a presentation by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, State of Washington, and an update on NAEP by the Acting Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. Between 10:00 A.M. and 12:00 noon, there will be open meetings of the following subcommittees: Design and Methodology, Reporting and Dissemination, and Subject Area Committee #2. The Design and Methodology Committee will consider revisions to the sampling policy for states, and be briefed by NCES on ETS-proposed NAEP design changes for 1996 and 1998. The agenda for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee consists of three items: (1) Plans for release of 1994 NAEP Reports, (2) long-range planning for NAEP reporting of 1996 and 1998 results, and (3) implementation of policy on including disabled and limited English-speaking students in NAEP. Subject Area Committee #2 will discuss the progress of the NAEP writing specifications development project. Beginning at 12:00 noon, until 4:30 P.M., the full Board will meet in open session. The Board will hear an update on the NAGB planning initiative activities, and a presentation by a representative from the National Academy of Sciences on the proposed NAEP evaluation design. On November 18, the Nominations Committee will meet in open session from 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. The Committee will review procedures to be used for the solicitation of the names of individuals to succeed the Board members whose terms expire September 30, 1996. The expiring terms are in the following categories: local superintendent, general public (2), testing and measurement expert (2), state superintendent, and 12th grade teacher. Beginning at 9:00 a.m., until adjournment, approximately 12:00 noon, the full Board will reconvene in open session. Agenda items for this portion of the meeting include a presentation on the implementation of `Standards Based Education' in the Everett School District, Everett Washington, and reports from the Board's standing committees--Subject Area #1, Subject Area #2, Achievement Levels, Reporting and Dissemination, Design and Methodology, Nominations, and the Executive Committee. Summaries of the activities of the closed session and related matters which are informative to the public and consistent with the policy of section 5 U.S.C. 552b will be available to the public within 14 days after 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, N.W., Washington, D.C., from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Dated: October 25, 1995. Roy Truby, Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board. [FR Doc. 95-26893 Filed 10-30-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-M