[Federal Register: July 23, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 141)] [Notices] [Page 39559-39560] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23jy98-49] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education. ACTION: Notice of partially closed 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: August 6-8, 1998. Time: August 6--Design and Methodology Committee, 1:00-4:00 p.m. (open), Subject Area Committee #2, 3:00-5:00 p.m., (open); and Executive Committee, 5:00-6:00 p.m., (open), 6:00-7:00 p.m., (closed). August 7--Full Board, 8:30-10:00 a.m., (open); Subject Area Committees #1, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 Noon, (open); Achievement Levels Committee 10:00 a.m.-12:00 Noon, (open); Reporting and Dissemination Committee, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 Noon, (open); Full Board, 12:00 noon-4:30 p.m., (open). August 8--Full Board, 9:00 a.m. until adjournment, approximately 12:00 Noon, (open). Location: Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marty Ann Wilmer, Operations Officer, National Assessment Governing Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, D.C., 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 Educational 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. Under Public Law 105-78, the National Assessment Governing Board is also granted exclusive authority over developing the Voluntary National Tests [[Page 39560]] pursuant to contract number RJ97153001. On Thursday, August 6, there will be a meeting of three committees of the Governing Board. The Design and Methodology Committee will meet in open session from 1:00-4:00 p.m. to take action on the Validity Research Agenda, the policies on Voluntary National Tests Pilot Testing, and VNT Accommodations. The Committee will hear briefings on design issues pertaining to the VNT and NAEP. The Subject Area Committee #2 will meet in open session from 3:00- 5:00 p.m. The Committee will receive an update on the NAEP 2000 assessments, the math content, and VNT item development issues and timelines. The Committee will take action on the AIR Work Plan for Calculator Access and Use. The Executive Committee will meet on August 6 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in open session. In the open session from 5:00-6:00 p.m., the Executive Committee will be briefed by staff on the following items: NAEP and the Voluntary National Tests projects, the status of the grant program for secondary analysis of the NAEP data, and NAEP redesign issues. The Executive Committee will hold a partially closed meeting on August 6, from 6:00-7:00 p.m., to discuss the development of cost estimates for current and future contract initiatives for NAEP. Also during, the same closed session, the Executive Committee will discuss processed modifications in the Voluntary National Tests contract to make decisions regarding exercising the second option year of the contract. These matters concerning the NAEP and Voluntary National Tests contracts must be discussed in closed session because public disclosure of this information would likely have an adverse financial effect on these programs. The discussion of this information would be likely to significantly frustrate implementation of proposed agency actions if conducted in open session. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of Section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C. On August 7, the full Board will convene in open session beginning at 8:30 a.m. The agenda for this session of the full Board meeting includes approval of the agenda, a report from the Executive Director, and an update on the NAEP project. This session will conclude with a presentation by representatives of the teacher's unions on the Teacher Perspective on NAEP and Voluntary National Tests. Between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, there will be open meetings of the following committees: Achievement Levels, Reporting and Dissemination, and Subject Area Committee #1. The Achievement Levels Committee will hear a report on the result of the Field Trials in the civics and writing assessments. The Committee will take action on the NAEP Design document. At 11:00 a.m. the Committee will meet jointly with the Design and Methodology Committee to hear a briefing on linking issues regarding the Voluntary National Tests. Agenda items for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include review of schedule and plans for release of future NAEP reports; review of plans for the reporting of--district-level results from existing state samples and private school results; review of the NAGB policy issues on reporting and dissemination of the National Assessment, namely rank-ordering of state-by-state data and primacy of achievement- level results. The Committee will hear briefings on the plans for public hearings on VNT issues, and work-plan activities regarding the reporting and the utilization of VNT data. Subject Area Committee #1 will receive an update on NAEP assessment activities and VNT item development issues and timeline. The Committee will take action on the AIR proposal for determining readability of the VNT. The full Board will reconvene at 12:00 noon. The agenda items during this period include briefings on the following: National Academy of Sciences Linking Study; Discussion of the NAS Letter Report on VNT Item Development, NCES Task Force on State Participation in NAEP; and an Update on the Voluntary National Tests project. The Board recess is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, August 8, the full Board will meet in open session from 9:00 a.m. until adjournment, approximately 12:00 noon. The agenda for this session is an update on the Voluntary National Tests project and the presentation of reports from the various Board committee meetings. A summary of the activities of the closed and partially closed sessions and other related matters which are informative to the public and consistent with the policy of the section 5 U.S.C. 552b(c), 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, NW, Washington, D.C., from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Roy Truby, Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board. [FR Doc. 98-19586 Filed 7-22-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-M