[Federal Register: July 22, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 140)]
[Notices]
[Page 39226-39227]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22jy97-42]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.
ACTION: Notice of partially closed meetings.
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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: July 31-August 2, 1997.
TIME: July 31--Subject Area Committee Item Review Session, 8:30 a.m.-
5:00 p.m. (closed); Achievement Levels Committee, 2:00-4:15 p.m.
(closed), 4:15-5:00 p.m. (open); Executive Committee, 5:00-6:30 p.m.
(open), 6:30-7:00 p.m. (closed). August 1--Full Board, 8:00-10:00 a.m.,
(open); Subject Area Committees #1 and #2 in a joint session, 10:00
a.m.-12:00 Noon (open); Design and Methodology Committee, 10:00 a.m.-
12:00 Noon (open); Reporting and Dissemination Committee, 10:00 a.m.-
12:00 Noon (open); Full Board, 12:00-1:15 p.m. (open); 1:15-3:30 p.m.
(closed); 3:30-4:15 p.m., (open). August 2--Full Board, 9:00 a.m. until
adjournment, approximately 12:00 Noon (open).
LOCATION: Ritz Carlton Hotel, Pentagon City, 1250 South Hayes Street,
Arlington, Virginia.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary 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.
On Thursday, July 31, 1997, the Subject Area Committee will meet in
closed session from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Committee will be
reviewing items for the 1998 writing assessment. This meeting must be
conducted in closed session because references will be made to specific
items from the assessment and premature disclosure of the information
presented for review would be likely to significantly frustrate
implementation of a proposed agency action. Such matters are protected
by exemption (9)B of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
Also, there will be partially closed meetings of the Achievement
Levels and the Executive Committees. The Achievement Levels Committee
will meet in partially closed session from 2:00-4:15 p.m. During the
closed portion of this meeting, the Committee will continue discussion
of the results of the current 1996 science level-setting activities,
review the current analysis of data and proposed exemplar items, the
new description to interpret the levels, and formulate recommendations
for Board action. This meeting must be closed because references will
be made to specific items from the assessment and premature disclosure
of the information presented for review would be likely to
significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency action.
Such matters are protected by exemption (9)(B) of Section 552b(c) of
Title 5 U.S.C. In open session, 4:15-5:00 p.m., the Achievement Levels
Committee will hear a briefing on the new contract to set levels in
civics and writing.
The Executive Committee will meet in closed session from 6:30-7:00
p.m., to discuss the development of cost estimates for NAEP and future
contract initiatives. Public disclosure of this information would
likely have an adverse financial effect on the NAEP program. The
discussion of this information would be likely to significantly
frustrate 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. In the open session from 5:00-6:30 p.m., the
Executive Committee will be briefed by staff on NAEP reauthorization
and the Voluntary National Test initiative.
On August 1, the full Board will convene in open session at 8:30
a.m. The agenda for this session of the full Board meeting includes
approval of the agenda, the Executive Director's Report, a discussion
on the status of the Voluntary National Test and its relationship to
NAEP, and an update on the NAEP project. 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 a joint
meeting of Subject Area Committees #1 and #2. The Design and
Methodology Committee will continue discussion of redesign issues and
formulate final recommendations for Board consideration. Agenda items
for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include review of the
Board policy on market basket reporting, and briefings on the reporting
of the NAEP Arts Assessment, and the release plan for 1996 Long-Term
Trends Report.
The Joint Subject Area Committees #1 and #2 will discuss issues
related to the NAEP redesign. State-NAEP linking and the draft Board
policy on framework development are the agenda items.
The full Board will reconvene in open session at 12:00 noon to hear
a briefing on the 1996 TIMSS 4th Grade Science Report. The full Board
will then meet in closed session from 1:15-3:30 p.m. From 1:15-2:15
p.m., the Board will
[[Page 39227]]
hear a report with recommendations from the Achievement Levels
Committee on setting levels for the 1996 science assessment. This
portion of the meeting must be closed because references will be made
to specific items from the assessment and premature disclosure of the
information presented for review would be likely to significantly
frustrate implementation of a proposed agency action. Such matters are
protected by exemption (9)(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
The Board will remain in closed session from 2:15-2:30 p.m. to hear
a briefing on the 1996 report on Long Term Trends in Academic Progress.
This report will include references to specific items from the
assessments. This portion of the meeting must be closed because
reference may be made to data which may be misinterpreted, incorrect,
or incomplete. Premature disclosure of these data might significantly
frustrate implementation of a proposed agency action. Such matters are
protected by exemption (9)(B) of Section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
From 2:30-3:30 p.m., the full Board, still in closed session, will
hear a briefing on the 1998 Writing Assessment. This portion of the
meeting must be closed because references will be made to specific
items from the assessment and premature disclosure of the information
presented for review would be likely to significantly frustrate
implementation of a proposed agency action. Such matters are protected
by exemption (9)(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C. The Board will
meet in open session from 3:30-4:15 p.m. for a discussion on redesign
issues.
On Saturday, August 2, the Board will meet in open session from
9:00 a.m. until adjournment, approximately, 12:00 noon. The agenda for
this session includes continued discussion on redesign issues, and
presentation of reports from the various Board committee meetings.
The public is being given less than fifteen days notice of this
meeting because the administrative process delayed clearance of the
closed portions.
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.
Dated: July 18, 1997.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 97-19382 Filed 7-21-97; 8:45 am]
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