[Federal Register: April 25, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 80)] [Notices] [Page 20160-20161] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr25ap97-41] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 [[Page 20161]] general public of their opportunity to attend.. Dates: May 8-10, 1997. Times: May 8--Subject Area Committee #2, 3:30--5:00 P.M. (closed), 3:00--3:30 P.M., (open); Achievement Levels Committee, 3:00--5:00 P.M., (open); Executive Committee, 5:00--6:30 P.M. (open), 6:30--7:00 P.M. (closed). May 9--Full Board, 8:00 A.M.--10:00 A.M. (open); Subject Area Committees #1 and #2 in 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 Noon--4:00 P.M., (open). May 10--Full Board, 9:00 A.M. until adjournment, approximately 12:00 Noon (open). Location: The Madison Hotel, 15th and M Streets, NW, Washington, D.C. 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 May 8, Subject Area Committee #2 and the Executive Committee will meet in partially closed session. Subject Area Committee #2 will meet in closed session from 3:30--5:00 P.M. to review items, scoring criteria, and sample responses from the 1997 NAEP writing field test. 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, 3:00--3:30 P.M., the Committee will review plans for upcoming assessments and item review sessions in preparation for the 1998 NAEP cycle. 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 hear the results of a customer survey of NAEP users; discuss the status of NAGB committee redesign assignments; and hear a report on NAEP secondary analysis. Also, on May 8, from 3 to 5 p.m., there will be an open meeting of the Achievement Levels Committee. The Committee will hear a briefing on the evaluation being conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, and preview the work for the setting of achievement levels for civics and writing. On May 9, the full Board will convene in open session at 8 a.m. The agenda for this session of the full Board meeting includes approval of the agenda, the Executive Director's Report, a presentation on President Clinton's Initiative on Voluntary Tests, and an update on the NAEP project. Between 10 a.m. and 12 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 review and discuss the draft policy prepared for a short-form NAEP, and hear a briefing on plans for a NAEP Validity Studies Panel. Agenda items for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include consideration of definitions of NAEP Reports: Comprehensive, Standard, Focused, and Market-Basket; review and discuss plans for NAEP Week; and hear presentations on various report release plans. The Joint Subject Area Committees #1 and #2 will discuss progress on their NAEP redesign topics. These topics include the draft framework policy, state options for NAEP, and results of the NCES/NAEP Constituent Survey. The full Board will reconvene in open session at 12 p.m. to hear a briefing on the 1996 NAEP Science Report, have a presentation on and discussion of the reading and math initiatives, and to continue discussion on NAEP Redesign. On May 10, the full Board will meet in open session from 9 a.m. until adjournment at approximately 12 noon. The Board will hear a presentation on the National Academy of Education's Report, Assessment in Transition: Monitoring the Nation's Educational Progress. The Board will then hear reports from its various committees. 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 section 5 U.S.C. 552b, 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, DC, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Roy Truby, Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board. [FR Doc. 97-10707 Filed 4-24-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-M