[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54990-54991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27134]
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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 the open portions of the meeting.
DATES: November 14-16, 1996
TIME: November 14--Design and Methodology Committee, and Subject Area
Committee #2, 3:00-5:00 p.m., (open); Executive Committee, 5:00-6:00
p.m. (open); 6:00-7:00 p.m. (closed). November 15-- Full Board, 9:00
a.m., (open) Achievement Levels Committee 10:00-11:00 a.m., (open),
11:00-12:00 noon, (closed); Subject Area Committee #1, and Reporting
and Dissemination Committee, 10:00-12:00 noon, (open); Full Board 12:00
noon-2:00 p.m. (closed), 2:15-4:30 p.m. (open). November 16--
Nominiations Committee, 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m., (open); Full Board, 9:00
a.m. until adjournment, approximately 12:00 noon (open).
LOCATION: The Hotel Washington, 15th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Ann Wilmer, Operations Officer, National Assessment Governing
Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol Street, N.W., 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 November 14, from 3:00-5:00 P.M., there will be open meetings of
the Design and Methodology Committee and Subject Area Committee #2. The
Design and Methodology Committee will discuss several policy areas
related to the NAEP redesign including, but not limited to, changing
sampling procedures to reduce the burden on states, policy options for
states wishing to exercise flexible subject area or grade-level
assessments, and options for international benchmarking with NAEP.
Subject Area Committee #2 will meet to review the status of the 1997
arts probe and 1998 writing assessment, and to discuss NAEP redesign
policy implementation issues. Also, on November 14, the Executive
Committee will meet in partially closed session. During the open
portion of the meeting, 5:00-6:00 p.m., the Committee will hear an
update on the NAEP redesign and review the proposed schedule of
assessments for the nest eight to ten years. The Committee will then
meet in closed session from 6:00-7:00 p.m. to review official
government cost estimates for the 1997 RFP for NAEP programs. Public
disclosure of this information would likely have an adverse financial
affect 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 November 15, the full Board will convene in open session at 9:00
a.m. The agenda for this session of the full Board meeting includes
approval of the agenda, the Executive Director's Report, and an update
on the NAEP project. Between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon
[[Page 54991]]
there will be meetings of three of the Board's standing committees:
Achievement Levels, Reporting and Dissemination, Subject Area #1.
The Achievement Levels Committee will meet in partially closed
session. During the open portion of the meeting, 10:00-11:00 a.m., the
Committee will discuss the 1996 science level-setting process and
proposed achievement level descriptions. The Committee will then meet
in closed session from 111:00 a.m.-12:00 noon to discuss the results of
the current 1996 science level-setting and to review the current
analysis of data and proposed exemplar items. This part of the meeting
must be conducted in closed session 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.
Between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, there will be open meetings of
the Reporting and Dissemination Committee, and Subject Area Committee
#1. Agenda items for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include
a discussion of redesign issues related to timely release of NAEP
reports and definitions of standard, comprehensive, and focussed
reports. Subject Area Committee #1 will meet to review the status of
the 1998 civics and reading assessments, and to discuss NAEP redesign
policy implementation issues.
The full Board will reconvene in closed session, beginning at 12:00
noon, to hear a briefing on the proposed achievement levels for the
1996 science assessment. This part of the meeting must be conducted in
closed session because reference 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.
Beginning at 2:15 p.m., the meeting will be open to the public.
During the open portion of the meeting the Board will hear two
presentations: (1) the New Education Entity--Follow-up to the National
Education Summit, and (2) an update on the NAEP redesign initiative.
On November 16, 1 the Nominations Committee will meet in open
session from 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. The Committee will review procedures
to be used for the solicitation of the names of individuals to succeed
the Board members whose terms expire September 30, 1997. The expiring
terms are in the following categories: general public, non-public
school, business, local board of education, state board of education,
state legislator (Republican), and test and measurement specialist.
Beginning at 9:00 a.m., until adjournment at approximately 12:00
noon, the full Board will reconvene. The agenda includes a presentation
on international standards and reports from the standing committees--
Subject Areas #1 and #2, Achievement Levels, Reporting and
Dissemination, Design and Methodology, and Executive.
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 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, N.W., Washington, D.C., from 8:30 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
Dated: October 18, 1996.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 96-27134 Filed 10-22-96; 8:45 am]
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