[Federal Register: July 16, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 136)]
[Notices]
[Page 37017-37019]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jy01-52]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.
ACTION: Notice of full and 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. Individuals who will need
accommodations for a disability 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 July 23, 2001. We will attempt to
meet requests after this date, but cannot guarantee availability of the
requested accommodation. The meeting
[[Page 37018]]
site is accessible to individuals with disabilities.
DATES: August 2-4, 2001.
Time:
August 2--Ad Hoc Committee on Confirming Test Results, 4:00 p.m.-
5:00 p.m.; Executive Committee, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., (open), 6:00 p.m.-
7:00 p.m. (closed).
August 3--Full Board 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. (open); Assessment
Development Committee 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m. (closed); 10:15 a.m.-12:00
p.m., (open); Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology, 9:30
a.m.-12:00 p.m. (open); Reporting and Dissemination Committee, 9:30
a.m.-12:00 p.m. (open); Full Board, 12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m., (closed);
1:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m., (open).
August 4--Nominations Committee, 7:30 a.m.-8:00 a.m.; Full Board,
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (open).
Location: Ritz Carlton Pentagon City, 1250 South Hayes Street,
Arlington, Virginia.
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 (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 (NAEP). 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.
The Ad Hoc Committee on Confirming Test Results will meet in open
session on August 2, 2001 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to discuss
matters pertaining to NAEP's confirming role envisaged under President
Bush's ``No Child Left Behind'' initiative. The Executive Committee
will meet on August 2, 2001 in open session from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00
p.m., and in closed session from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
In open session, the Executive Committee will receive updates on
proposed legislation affecting NAEP and NAGB and on the contract to
maintain test questions, and will receive a report on the Ad Hoc
Committee on Confirming Test Results.
From 6:00--7:00 p.m. the Executive Committee will meet in closed
session to discuss Independent Government Cost Estimates and Contract
Decisions pertaining to the National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) program. This session of the meeting must be conducted in closed
session because public disclosure of this information would likely have
an adverse financial and technical impact 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.
During the latter part of the closed portion of the Executive
Committee meeting on August 2, the Committee will nominate the Vice
Chair of the National Assessment Governing Board. This session has to
be conducted in closed session, as reference will be made to private
and personal background qualifications that will be assessed by the
Committee in the nomination of the Vice Chair, in accordance with
NAGB's bylaws. These discussions relate solely to information of a
personal nature which disclosure would constitute an unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy if conducted in open session. Such matters
are protected by exemptions (2) and (6) of section 552b(c) of title 5
U.S.C.
On August 3, the full Board will convene in open session from 8:30
a.m.-9:30 a.m. The Board will approve the agenda; hear a report from
the Executive Director of the National Assessment Governing Board; and
receive an update on the NAEP Program. From 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.,
the Board's standing committees will meet in open session.
The Assessment Development Committee (ADC) will meet in closed
session on Friday, August 3, 2001 from 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m. to review
secure items from the NAEP reading assessment. This meeting must be
closed because references will be made to specific test items from the
NAEP assessment and premature disclosure of the items being reviewed
whould significantly frustrate the implementation of the NAEP program.
Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of
Title 5 U.S.C.
Following the closed session, the Assessment Development Committee
will meet in open session from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to discuss the
NAEP Oral Reading Study; the Economics Framework Procurement; and the
draft 2004 NAEP Mathematics Framework. From 11:30 a.m.-12:00 noon the
ADC will meet in joint session with the Committee on Standards, Design
and Methodology (COSDAM) to discuss technical issues related to the
draft NAEP Mathematics Framework.
The Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology will meet on
Friday, August 3, 2001 from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. to discuss technical
issues arising from changes in the NAEP block/booklet structure;
technical issues related to increasing precision; proposed changes to
the 2004 mathematics framework with scaling considerations; and
technical considerations pertaining to Office and Management Budget
(OMB) mandated changes in racial/ethnic questions. This session will
then be followed by the joint session of the ADC and COSDAM from 11:30
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to discuss technical issues related to the draft
NAEP Mathematics Framework.
The Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet on Friday,
August 3, 2001 from 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. to review background questions
for NAEP 2000; to discuss policy matters on the content of NAEP reports
in reading and mathematics; and to discuss reporting matters pertaining
to OMB mandated changes in racial/ethnic questions.
On August 3, 2001, the full Board will meet in closed session from
12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m. to receive a briefing on the NAEP 2000 Science
Report Card. This meeting must be closed because the report has not
gone through complete National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
adjudication process and has not been released by the Secretary of
Education. 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.
The full Board will meet in open session on August 3, 2001 from
1:15 p.m.-2:00 p.m. to receive survey results on academic standards and
testing. From 2:15 p.m.-3:00 p.m., the Board will receive an update
from Congressional staff on ``NAEP/NAGB: View from the Hill.'' From
3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m., the full Board will hear a discussion on NAEP
Mathematics Trends from a State Perspective upon which the August 3,
2001 session of the Board meeting will adjourn.
On August 4, 2001 the Nominations Committee will convene from 7:30
a.m.-8:00 a.m. to discuss a letter received from the Secretary of
Education requesting NAGB to continue to provide input and names of
potential candidates
[[Page 37019]]
for NAGB appointments made by the Secretary; to approve the timeline
for seeking potential candidates in various categories; and to review
and approve the rating and selection procedures.
From 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Board will receive a briefing on
Achieve's Mathematics Achievement Partnership, followed by an update
and discussion on the NAEP 2004 Mathematics Framework project from 8:30
a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The Board will then hear and take action on Committee
reports from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. From 11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. the
Board will elect the Vice Chair of the National Assessment Governing
Board, whereupon the meeting will adjourn.
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. Eastern Standard Time.
Dated: July 11, 2001.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 01-17693 Filed 7-13-01; 8:45 am]
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