[Federal Register: February 19, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 33)]
[Notices]
[Page 8337-8338]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19fe99-48]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.
ACTION: Notice of partially closed meeting.
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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.
DATE: March 4-6, 1999.
TIME: March 4--Achievement Levels Committee, 1:30-2:30 p.m., (closed),
2:30-4:00 p.m., (open); Subject Area Committee #1, 2:00-3:00 p.m.,
(closed); 3:00 p.m.-4:00, (open); and Executive Committee, 4:00-5:30
p.m., (open), 5:30-6:00 p.m., (closed).
March 5--Full Board, 8:30-10:00 a.m., (open); Subject Area
Committee #1, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., (open); Reporting and
Dissemination Committee, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., (open); Achievement
Levels Committee, 10:00-12:00 (open); Full Board, 12:00-4:15 p.m.,
(open). March 6--Nominations Committee, 8:00-9:00 a.m., (open); Full
Board, 9:00-11:30 a.m., (open); adjournment, 11:30 a.m.
LOCATION: Madison Hotel, 15th and M Streets, NW, Washington, DC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Ann Wilmer, Operations Officer,
National Assessment Governing Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol
Street, NW, 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).
[[Page 8338]]
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 Pub. L. 105-78, the National
Assessment Governing Board is also granted exclusive authority over
developing the Voluntary National Tests pursuant to contract number
RJ97153001.
On March 4, the Achievement Levels Committee will meet in partially
closed session. From 1:30-2:30 p.m., the meeting will be closed to
permit the Committee to review the results of the civics and writing
standards setting activities for the National Assessment examinations.
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. In
open session, 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., the Committee will review other civics
and writing information from the national assessment, and discuss the
draft report to Congress regarding the quality of the achievement
levels setting process.
Subject Area Committee #1 will hold in a partially closed meeting.
From 2:00-3:00 p.m. the meeting will be closed to permit the Committee
to review reading passages that have been developed for inclusion in
the Voluntary National Test in 4th grade reading. 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 if conducted in open
session. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of Section
552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C. In open session, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Subject Area
Committee #1 will discuss the IEA civic Education Study, the new NAEP
Foreign Language assessment development, and activities related to the
Voluntary National Test in 4th grade reading.
Also on March 4, the Executive Committee will meet in partially
closed session. The open portion of the meeting will be from 4:00-6:00
p.m. at which time the Committee will receive updates on Voluntary
National Tests, NAEP reauthorization, and NAEP design for 2000-2010.
From 5:30-6:00 p.m., the Committee will meet in closed session to
discuss the development of cost estimates for the NAEP contract. This
portion 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. 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.
On March 5, the full Board will convene in open session from 8:30-
10:00 a.m. In addition to a report from the Executive Director of the
National Assessment Governing Board, and an update on NAEP activities,
the agenda for this session of the meeting includes a report and
discussion on Voluntary National Tests: purposes, definitions, and
reporting plans.
Beginning at 10:00 a.m. there will be open meetings of the standing
committees.
Subject Area Committee #1 will meet from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. to
discuss NAEP math development activities, national trends in math
standards and assessments, the Achieve math project, and activities
related to the Voluntary National Test in 8th grade mathematics.
The Design and Methodology Committee will meet from 10:00 a.m.-
12:00 p.m. to take action on a change in the proposed sampling for NAEP
2000. The agenda also includes the following action items for the
Voluntary National Tests (VNT): (1) Accommodations for limited English
proficient students, and (2) the revisions in the research plan for
year 2 of the (VNT).
Also, the Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet from
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. The Committee will be reviewing the following
documents: (1) NAGB policy on reporting and dissemination of National
Assessment results, (2) NAEP 1998 Reading Report release, and (3)
schedule for release for future NAEP reports. Other agenda items to be
considered by the Reporting and Dissemination Committee are related to
the reporting of specific data: private school results; categories for
race; and students with disabilities and limited English proficiency.
The Full Board will reconvene in open session from 12:00-4:15 p.m.
The Board will hear a briefing on the NAEP 1998 Reading Report, and
NAEP Internet Item Release. The Board will discuss the National
Assessment Design: 2000-2010, and the NAEP report to Congress on
achievement levels. Also, the Board will hear a briefing on the
recommendations for NAEP 2000, and receive a follow-up report on the
NAGB tenth anniversary conference.
On March 6, from 8:00-9:00 a.m., there will be an open meeting of
the Nominations Committee. The Committee will consider the nominations
process and schedule for 1999.
Beginning at 9:00 a.m., until adjournment, approximately 11:30
a.m., the full Board will reconvene to discuss NAGB: its cultures, and
traditions and to receive reports from its various standing committees.
Summaries of the activities of the closed sessions and related
matters, which 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 8:30 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 99-4086 Filed 2-18-99; 8:45 am]
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