[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 135 (Monday, July 15, 2013)] [Notices] [Pages 42057-42059] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2013-16795] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board, ED. ACTION: Notice of open and closed meeting sessions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for the upcoming meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board (Board) and also describes the specific functions of the Board. Notice of this meeting is required under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This notice is issued to provide members of the general public with an opportunity to attend and/or provide comments. Individuals who will need special accommodations in order to attend the meeting (e.g. interpreting services, assistive listening devices, materials in alternative format) should notify Munira Mwalimu at 202- 357-6938 or at [email protected] no later than July 26, 2013. 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: August 1-August 3, 2013. Times August 1: Committee Meetings Assessment Development Committee: Closed Session: 8:00 a.m.-1:45 p.m. [[Page 42058]] Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP Background Information: 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Executive Committee: Open Session: 4:30 p.m.-5:15 p.m.; Closed Session: 5:15 p.m.-6:30 p.m. August 2: Full Board and Committee Meetings Full Board: Open Session: 8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m.; Closed Session: 12:45 p.m.-1:45 p.m.; Open Session: 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Committee Meetings: Reporting and Dissemination Committee (R&D): Open Session: 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Assessment Development Committee (ADC): Closed Session: 10:00 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology (COSDAM): Open Session: 10:00 a.m.-11:20 a.m.; Closed Session: 11:20 a.m.-12:25 p.m.; Open session: 12:25 p.m.-12:30 p.m. August 3: Full Board and Committee Meetings Nominations Committee: Closed Session: 7:30 a.m.-8:15 a.m. Full Board: Open Session: 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Location: Royal Sonesta Harbor Court, 550 Light Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Munira Mwalimu, Executive 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 (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 the following: selecting subject areas to be assessed, developing assessment frameworks and specifications, developing appropriate student achievement levels for each grade and subject tested, developing standards and procedures for interstate and national comparisons, developing guidelines for reporting and disseminating results, and releasing initial NAEP results to the public. On August 1, 2013, the Assessment Development Committee (ADC) will meet in closed session from 8:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. to review secure NAEP test materials in three areas: (1) Science Interactive Computer Tasks (ICTs) at grades 4, 8, and 12 for the 2014 pilot test, in preparation for the 2015 NAEP Science assessment; (2) Science Hands-on Tasks (HOTs) at grades 4, 8, and 12 for the 2014 pilot test, in preparation for the 2015 NAEP Science assessment; and (3) Computer- based tasks and items at grade 8 for the 2014 Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) assessment. The review of these materials must be conducted in closed session because the ADC members will be provided with secure items and materials which are not yet available for release to the general public. Premature disclosure of the secure test items and materials would compromise the integrity and substantially impede implementation of the secure NAEP assessments and is therefore protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 of the United States Code. On August 1, 2013, the Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP Background Information will meet in open session from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thereafter, the Executive Committee will convene in open session from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and in closed session from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. During the closed session, the Executive Committee will receive and discuss costs for specific activities under individual and collective current contracts, and independent government cost estimates from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) staff on various options for proposed item development, data collection, scoring and analysis, and reporting of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for 2013-2017, and the implications of the cost estimates and the available funds on future NAEP activities. The costs of specific activities budgeted under current contracts would disclose financial information that is proprietary, protected under Section 552b(c) (4) of Title 5 U.S.C. The discussion of independent government cost estimates for the NAEP 2013-2017 contracts is necessary for ensuring that NAEP contracts meet congressionally mandated goals and adhere to Board policies on NAEP assessments available at www.nagb.org/policies.html. 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 by providing contractors attending an unfair advantage in procurement and contract negotiations for NAEP. 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 of Title 5 U.S.C. On August 2, 2013, the full Board will meet in open session from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., followed by a closed session from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., and in open session from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. On August 2, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., the Board will review and approve the August 2-3, 2013 Board meeting agenda and meeting minutes from the May 17-18, 2013 Quarterly Board meeting. Thereafter, the Chairman will open the meeting and introduce the Maryland State Superintendent Lillian Lowery who will then provide welcome remarks and address the Governing Board. Following her remarks, Governing Board Member and Former CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools Andres Alonso will welcome the Board and provide welcome remarks. This session will be followed by a report from the Executive Director of the Governing Board, and updates from the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Thereafter, the Board will recess for Committee meetings from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet in open session from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Assessment Development Committee (ADC) will meet in closed session from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to continue its review of secure NAEP test materials in three areas: (1) Science Interactive Computer Tasks (ICTs) at grades 4, 8, and 12 for the 2014 pilot test, in preparation for the 2015 NAEP Science assessment; (2) Science Hands-on Tasks (HOTs) at grades 4, 8, and 12 for the 2014 pilot test, in preparation for the 2015 NAEP Science assessment; and (3) Computer- based tasks and items at grade 8 for the 2014 Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) assessment. The review of these materials must be conducted in closed session because the ADC members will be provided with secure items and materials which are not yet available for release to the general public. Premature disclosure of the secure test items and materials would compromise the integrity and substantially impede implementation of the secure NAEP assessments and is therefore protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 of the United States Code. Following this review, the Committee will also receive an update on the TEL 2013 pilot test at grade 8 with preliminary data analyses and secure items shared at the session, followed by an update on reporting information from the 2012 grade 4 computer-based Writing pilot. This presentation will [[Page 42059]] include a demonstration of a Web site to convey the results, which have not yet been released to the public. Premature disclosure of the secure test items and materials that have not yet been released to the public would compromise the integrity and substantially impede implementation of the secure NAEP assessments and is therefore protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 of the United States Code. The Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology (COSDAM) will meet in open session from 10:00 a.m. to 11:20 a.m., in closed session from 11:20 a.m. to 12:25 p.m., and thereafter in open session from 12:25 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. During the closed session, COSDAM members will receive a briefing on statistical analyses of results from the NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) pilot assessment. These data have not yet been released and therefore cannot be disclosed to the general public at this time. Premature disclosure of these secure data would significantly impede implementation of the NAEP program, and is therefore protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C. From 12:25 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. in open session, COSDAM will identify future agenda items for discussion. Following the Committee sessions, the full Board will meet in closed session from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. to receive a briefing on the NAEP 2013 Reading and Mathematics results for Grades 4 and 8. The Board will receive an embargoed briefing on preliminary results which will include secure test items, embargoed assessment data, and results that cannot be discussed in an open meeting prior to their official approval and release. Premature disclosure of these results would significantly impede implementation of the NAEP assessment program, and is therefore protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 United States Code. After this closed session briefing, the Board will meet in open session from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. From 2:00 p.m.-2:45 p.m. the Board will receive a report of the Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP Background Information. From 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., the Board will receive a briefing and have discussions on the Common Core State Assessment Consortia. From 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Board will have policy discussions on Interpreting NAEP Results Using Preparedness Research Findings available at http://www.nagb.gov/what-we-do/preparedness-research.html. The August 2, 2013 Board meeting is scheduled to adjourn at 5:00 p.m. On August 3, 2013, the Nominations Committee will meet in closed session from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. to discuss the status of potential candidates for Board terms beginning October 1, 2013, followed by discussions on the 2014 nominations cycle. The Committee's discussions on Board nominations pertain solely to internal personnel rules and practices of an agency and 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 of the United States Code. On August 3, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. the full Board will receive a briefing on how NAEP survey questions are developed and used. Following these discussions, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the Board will discuss topics related to future initiatives and the draft policy statement on the conduct and reporting of NAEP. The Board is scheduled to receive reports from the standing Committees and take action on Committee recommendations from 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The August 3, 2013 meeting is scheduled to adjourn at 12:00 p.m. A verbatim transcript of the meeting, 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, Suite825, 800 North Capitol Street NW., Washington, DC, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/index.html. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free at 1-866-512-1800; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-0000. Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html. Dated: July 9, 2013. Cornelia S. Orr, Deputy Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), U.S. Department of Education. [FR Doc. 2013-16795 Filed 7-12-13; 11:15 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P