[Federal Register: February 16, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 32)]
[Notices]
[Page 8282-8283]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16fe06-38]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.
ACTION: Notice of open meeting and partially closed meeting.
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SUMMARY: The 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 members of the
general public of their opportunity to attend. Individuals who will
need special accommodations in order to attend the meeting (i.e.,
interpreting services, assistive listening devices, materials in
alternative format) should notify Munira Mwalimu at 202-357-6938 or at
Munira. Mwalimu@ed.gov no later than February 25, 2006. We will attempt
to meet requests after this date, but cannot guarantee availability of
the requested accommodation. The meeting site is accessible to
individuals with disabilities.
DATES: March 2-4, 2006.
Times
March 2
Committee Meetings: Ad Hoc Committee on Planning for NAEP 12th
Grade Assessments in 2009: Open Session--12 p.m. to 2 p.m.;
Reporting and Dissemination Committee: Open Session--2 p.m. to 4
p.m.;
Executive Committee: Open Session--4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.; Closed
Session 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.
March 3
Full Board: Open Session--8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Committee Meetings: Assessment Development Committee: Open
Session--10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.;
Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology: Open Session--10
a.m. to 12:30 p.m.;
Reporting and Dissemination Committee: Open Session--10 a.m. to
12:30 p.m.;
March 4
Nominations Committee: Closed Session--7:45 a.m to 8:45 a.m.
Full Board: Open Session--9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: St. Regis Hotel San Francisco, 125 Third Street, San
Francisco, CA 94103.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Munira Mwalimu, Operations Officer,
National Assessment Governing Board, 800 North Capitol Street, NW.,
Suite 825, 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, as amended.
The Board is established to formulate policy guidelines for the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The Board's
responsibilities include selecting subject areas to be assessed,
developing assessment objectives, developing appropriate student
achievement levels for each grade and subject tested, developing
guidelines for reporting and disseminating results, and developing
standards and procedures for interstate and national comparisons.
The Ad Hoc Committee on Planning for NAEP 12th Grade Assessments in
2009 will meet in open session on March 2 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and
the Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet in open session
from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thereafter, the Executive Committee will meeting
open session on from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
[[Page 8283]]
The Executive Committee will meet in closed session on March 2,
2006, from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. From 5:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., the
Committee will receive independent government cost estimates from the
Associate Commissioner, National Center for Education Statistics, for
options affecting current and planned operations under current
contracts due to the one percent reduction in the NAEP budget in FY
2006. From 5:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. the Associate Commissioner will
present additional independent cost estimates for newly proposed
activities under current contracts including item development for the
science assessment, bridge studies, and validity research. The
discussion of independent government cost estimates prior to decision
making on which projects to approve is necessary so that NAEP contracts
meet congressionally mandated goals and adhere to Board policies on
NAEP assessments. This part of the meeting must be conducted in closed
session because public disclosure of this information would likely have
an adverse financial effect on the NAEP program and will provide an
advantage to potential bidders attending the meeting. The 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(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
On March 3, the full Board will meet in open session from 8:30 a.m.
to 4:15 p.m. From 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. the Board will approve the
agenda, introduce and administer the oath of office to a new Board
member, receive the Executive Director's report, and hear an update on
the work of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on March 3, the Board's standing
committees--the Assessment Development Committee; the Committee on
Standards, Design, and Methodology; and the Reporting and Dissemination
Committee--will meet in open session.
From 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., the full Board will discuss inclusion
and accommodations in NAEP, followed by discussion and action on the
NAEP 2009 Science Specifications from 1:45 p.m. to 3 p.m.
On March 3, from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. the Board will hear a
presentation on revisions to the NAEP 12th Grade Mathematics Objectives
upon which the March 3 session of the Board meeting will conclude.
On March 4, 2006 the Nomination Committee will meet in closed
session from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. to discuss nominations for Board
vacancies. This discussion pertains solely to internal personnel rules
and practices of an agency and will disclose information of a personal
nature where disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy. As such, the discussions are protected by exemptions
2 and 6 of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
The full Board will convene in open session from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
At 9 a.m., the Board will receive a briefing on the National Assessment
of Adult Literacy with a discussion on lessons for NAEP. Board actions
on policies and Committee reports are scheduled to take place between
10:15 a.m. and 12 p.m., upon which the March 4, 2006 session of the
Board meeting will adjourn.
Detailed minutes of the meeting, including summaries of the
activities of the closed sessions and related matters that are
informative to the public and consistent with the policy of section 5
U.S.C. 552b(c) will be available to the public within 14 days of 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, DC, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern standard
time.
Dated: February 13, 2006.
Charles E. Smith,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 06-1445 Filed 2-15-06; 8:45 am]
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