[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7849-7850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02969]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board Quarterly Board Meeting
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board, U.S. Department of
Education.
ACTION: Announcement of open and closed meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the agenda for the March 5-7, 2015
Quarterly Meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board (hereafter
referred to as Governing Board). This notice provides information to
members of the public who may be interested in attending the meeting or
providing written comments on the meeting. The notice of this meeting
is required under Section 10(a)2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(FACA).
DATES: The Quarterly Board meeting will be held on the following dates:
March 5, 2015 from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; March 6, 2015 from 8:30
a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; March 7, 2015 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The Westin Crystal City, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Arlington, VA 22202.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Munira Mwalimu, Executive Officer, 800
North Capitol Street NW., Suite 825, Washington, DC 20002, telephone:
(202) 357-6938, fax: (202) 357-6945.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Statutory Authority and Function: The National Assessment Governing
Board is established under Title III--National Assessment of
Educational Progress Authorization Act, Public Law 107-279. Information
on the Board and its work can be found at www.nagb.gov.
The Board is established to formulate policy 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, improving the form and use of NAEP, developing guidelines
for reporting and disseminating results, and releasing initial NAEP
results to the public.
Detailed Meeting Agenda: March 5-March 7, 2015
March 5: Committee Meetings
Assessment Literacy Work Group: Open Session: 11:30 a.m.--4:00 p.m.
Executive Committee: Open Session: 4:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.; Closed Session:
5:00 p.m.-5:55 p.m.; Open Session: 5:55 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
March 6: 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.-3:30 p.m.; Closed Session 3:45
p.m.-4:45 p.m.; Open Session 4:45 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Committee Meetings
Reporting and Dissemination Committee (R&D): Open Session: 10:00 a.m.-
12:30 p.m.
Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology (COSDAM): Open Session:
10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Assessment Development Committee (ADC): Open Session: 10:00 a.m.-11:30
p.m.; Closed Session: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 7: Full Board and Committee Meetings
Nominations Committee: Closed Session: 7:30 a.m.-8:15 a.m.
Full Board: Closed Session: 8:30 a.m.-8:50 a.m. Open Session 8:50 a.m.-
12:00 p.m.
On March 5, 2015, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Assessment
Literacy Work Group will meet in open session to discuss assessment
literacy strategies and timelines related to their work on supporting a
better understanding of educational tests among parents, students,
policy makers, and members of the general public.
The Board's Executive Committee will convene in open session on
March 5, 2015 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to review and discuss the
March 6-7, 2015 Board meeting agenda, receive updates on the Executive
Director recruitment process, NAEP budget, and reauthorization.
Following this session, the Executive Committee will meet in closed
session from 5:00 p.m. to 5:55 p.m. to receive and discuss cost
estimates on various options for implementing NAEP for 2014-2024 based
on the President's FY 2016 budget request. The implications of the cost
estimates and funds in support of the NAEP Assessment Schedule and
future NAEP activities will also be discussed. This 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 confidential cost details and proprietary contract
costs of current contractors to the public. 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.
The Executive Committee will then meet in open session from 5:55
p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to take action on the NAEP Schedule of Assessments.
On March 6, 2015, the full Board will meet in open session from
8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. The Board will review and approve the March 6-7,
2015 Board meeting agenda and meeting minutes from the November 21-22,
2014 Quarterly Board meeting. This session will be followed by the
Chairman's remarks. Thereafter, the Executive Director of the Governing
Board will provide a report, followed by an update on the Institute of
Education Sciences (IES) from the Acting Director and an update on NCES
from the Acting Commissioner. The Board will recess for Committee
meetings from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Reporting and Dissemination Committee and the Committee on
Standards, Design and Methodology (COSDAM) will meet in open sessions
from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to discuss their ongoing work and policy
matters.
The Assessment Development Committee will meet in open session from
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to discuss ongoing work and in closed session
from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. During the closed session, the Committee
will receive a briefing on transitioning NAEP to digital based
assessments. The briefing will be in-depth, with discussion of secure
NAEP U.S. history, civics, and geography test questions at grades 8 and
12 and how those questions will be transitioned from a paper-and-pencil
format to a digital-based platform for the 2018 NAEP operational
assessment. This part of the meeting must be conducted in closed
session because the items are to be used in NAEP assessments; public
disclosure
[[Page 7850]]
of secure test items would significantly impede implementation of the
NAEP assessment program if conducted in open session. Such matters are
protected by exemption 9(B) of Sec. 552b of Title 5 U.S.C.
Following the Committee meetings, the Board will convene in closed
session from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. to receive a briefing and discuss
the NAEP 2012 grade 8 civics, geography, and U.S. history report cards.
This part of the meeting must be conducted in closed session because
results of these NAEP assessments have been embargoed and are not ready
for public release. Public disclosure of this information would likely
have an adverse technical and financial impact on the NAEP program.
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 Sec. 552b of
Title 5 U.S.C.
On March 6, 2015 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Board will meet
in open session to receive a briefing and discuss the NAEP Assessment
of English Language Learners.
Thereafter, the Board will meet in closed session from 3:45 p.m. to
4:45 p.m. to review and discuss independent government costs estimates
for subjects to be assessed under the proposed NAEP Schedule of
Assessments. This session will be an in-depth briefing and discussion
to examine specific costs for assessing NAEP subjects, including cost
projections for moving NAEP to digital-based assessments, which will
impact the NAEP schedule from 2016-2024. 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 the Board meeting 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 Sec. 552b of
Title 5 U.S.C.
Following this closed session, from 4:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the
Board will meet in open session to take action on the NAEP Schedule of
Assessments. The March 6, 2015 session will adjourn at 5:00 p.m.
On March 7, 2015, the Nominations Committee will meet in closed
session from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. to discuss candidates for the eight
Board vacancies for terms beginning on October 1, 2015. The Committee's
discussions 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 Sec. 552b(c) of
Title 5 of the United States Code.
On March 7, 2015, the Board will meet in closed session from 8:30
a.m. to 8:50 a.m. to receive a briefing from the Nominations Committee
on proposed candidates for Board vacancies for the October 1, 2015
Board term. These discussions 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 Sec. 552b(c) of Title 5 of the United States Code.
From 8:50 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., the Board will take action on the
proposed 2015 slate of finalists for the eight Board positions.
From 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the Board will discuss a strategic
planning initiative in open session. Following this session, from 10:45
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. the Board will receive reports from the standing
committees and the Assessment Literacy Work Group. The Board will take
action on committee recommendations to include action on a proposed
release plan for the 2014 NAEP Report Cards in civics, geography, and
U.S. history.
From 11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the Board will preview plans for the
upcoming May 2015 quarterly Board meeting. The March 7, 2015 meeting is
scheduled to adjourn at 12:00 p.m.
Access to Records of the Meeting: Pursuant to FACA requirements,
the public may also inspect the meeting materials at www.nagb.gov on
Friday, March 6, 2015 by 9:00 a.m. ET. The official verbatim
transcripts of the public meeting sessions will be available for public
inspection no later than 30 calendar days following the meeting.
Reasonable Accommodations: The meeting site is accessible to
individuals with disabilities. If you will need an auxiliary aid or
service to participate in the meeting (e.g., interpreting service,
assistive listening device, or materials in an alternate format),
notify the contact person listed in this notice at least two weeks
before the scheduled meeting date. Although we will attempt to meet a
request received after that date, we may not be able to make available
the requested auxiliary aid or service because of insufficient time to
arrange it.
Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can 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). To use PDF,
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Authority: Public Law 107-279, Title III--National Assessment of
Educational Progress Sec. 301.
Dated: February 9, 2015.
Munira Mwalimu,
Executive Officer, National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), U.S.
Department of Education.
[FR Doc. 2015-02969 Filed 2-11-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P