[Federal Register: August 29, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 169)] [Notices] [Page 45414-45415] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Advisory Council on Education Statistics; Partially Closed Meeting AGENCY: Advisory Council on Education Statistics, ED. ACTION: Notice of Partially Closed Meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the Advisory Council on Education Statistics (ACES). 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 the open portions of the meeting. DATES: September 11-13, 1996. TIMES: September 11--Full Council, 1:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (open); September 12--Management Committee, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (closed from 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.); Statistics Committee, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., (open); Strategy/Policy Committee, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., (open); September 13--Full Council, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. (closed) and 9:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. (open). LOCATION: 80 F Street, NW., Room 100, Washington, DC 20208-7575. The Committee meetings will take place in the following locations: Management-Room 326a; Strategy/Policy-Room 326b; Statistics-Room 322. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Marenus, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Ave, NW., Room 400j, Washington, DC 20208-5530. Telephone: (202) 219-1828. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Advisory Council on Education Statistics (ACES) is established under Section 406(c)(1) of the Education Amendments of 1974, Pub. L. 93-380. The Council is established to review general policies for the operation of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement and is responsible for advising on standards to insure that statistics and analyses disseminated by NCES are of high [[Page 45415]] quality and are not subject to political influence. In addition, ACES is required to advise the Commissioner of NCES and the National Assessment Governing Board on technical and statistical matters related to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). The proposed agenda includes the following: * Discussion of NCES's next steps in implementing the redesign of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). * An update and discussion on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). * Individual meetings of the three ACES committees which will focus on specific topics. The agenda for the Management Committee includes a report on the preliminary findings from NCES's customer survey and related customer service activities. In addition there will be discussions of a design feasibility grant competition to solicit ideas on a redesigned NAEP. If these portions of the meeting were held in open session, the possible disclosure of the Department's position might affect decisions by third parties outside the Government. These discussions would be likely to significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency action if conducted in open session. These portions of the meeting will be closed under the authority of Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463; 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2) and under exemption (9)(B) of Section 522b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C. The agenda for the Statistics Committee includes issues surrounding background variables in NAEP, and the potential for linking data from the TIMSS and NAEP. The agenda for the Strategy/Policy Committee includes review of a draft strategic plan for NAEP and the use of criteria for decisionmaking on the NCES budget. A summary of the activities of the closed sessions and related matters which are informative to the public consistent with the policy of Title 5 U.S.C. 551b(c) will be available within 14 days of the meeting. Records are kept of all Council proceedings and are available for public inspection at the Office of the Executive Director, Advisory Council on Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 400J, Washington, DC 20208-7575. Sharon P. Robinson, Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement. [FR Doc. 96-21993 Filed 8-28-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-M