[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 210 (Friday, October 30, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 58374-58375] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-29086] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education. ACTION: Notice of Teleconference and Partially Closed Meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice set forth the schedule and a 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. DATES: November 16, 1998; November 19-21, 1998. TIME: November 16--Executive Committee 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (closed), 12:00-1:00 p.m. (open); November 19, Design and Methodology Committee 9:00-11:00 a.m., (open); Subject Area Committee #2, 9:00-11:00 a.m., (open). November 20--Full Board, 8:30-10:30 a.m., (open); Subject Area Committee #1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., (open); Reporting and Dissemination Committee, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., (open); Achievement Levels Committee, 10:30-11:15 a.m., (open), 11:15-11:45 a.m. (closed), 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., (open). Full Board, 12:30-4:00 p.m., (open). November 21--Full Board 9:00 a.m. until adjournment, approximately 12:00 Noon, (open). LOCATION: Hotel Washington, Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Ann Wilmer, Operations Officer, National Assessment Governing Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capital Street, NW, 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. 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. Under P.L. 105-78, the National Assessment Governing Board is also granted exclusive authority over developing the Voluntary National Tests pursuant to contract number RJ97153001. On Monday, November 16, the Executive Committee will hold a partially closed teleconference meeting. From 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the Committe will meet in closed session to discuss the development of cost estimates for current contract initiatives for NAEP and future contract initiatives. This portion 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. The discussion of this information would be likely to significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency action if conducted in an open session. Such matters are protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C. Between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. the meeting will be open to the public when the Committee will discuss the NAEP assessment schedule for the year 2000 and hear updates on the Voluntary National Tests program and NAEP reauthorization. On Thursday, November 19, there will be meetings of two committees of the Governing board. The Design and methodology Committee will meet in open sessions from 9:00-11:00 a.m. The Committee will be considering information related to accommodations for testing students with language and/or physical disabilities. Also, the Committee will receive a report on technical information related to the 1999 NAEP field test. Subject Area Committee #2 will meet in open session from 9:00-11:00 a.m. The Committee will discuss development issues for the proposed year 2000 NAEP science and math assessments. In addition, the Committee will be briefed on voluntary National Tests matters such as [[Page 58375]] calculator use, item development, and test development timelines. On Friday, November 20, the Full board will convene in open session at 8:30 a.m. The agenda for this session of the full board meeting includes approval of the agenda, the swearing-in of new Board members and remarks by the Secretary of Education, and a report from the Executive Director. This session will conclude with an update on NAEP and a presentation on NAEP Cooperative Agreements with the Educational Testing Service and Westat. Between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., there will be open meetings of the Subject Area Committee #1, and the Reporting and Dissemination Committee, and a partially closed meeting of the Achievement Levels Committee. Subject Areas Committee #1 will discuss development issues for the proposed year 2000 NAEP grad 4 reading assessment. In addition, the Committee will be briefed on voluntary National Tests matters such as readability findings, item development, and test development timelines. The Reporting and Dissemination Committee will consider the release plan for the 1998 NAEP mathematics report and the schedule for the release of future NAEP reports. Other agenda items include an update on the consideration of reporting data for groups of private schools; review of NAGB policy on reporting and dissemination; and Voluntary National Tests reporting and test utilization guidelines. The Achievement Levels Committee will meet in closed session from 11:15-11:45 a.m., to discuss results of the civics and writing pilot testing. 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. During the open portion of the Achievement Levels Committee meeting, from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., there will be discussions of the National Academy of Sciences Evaluation of Achievement Levels, and a discussion on the results of the civics and writing pilot testing. From 11:45 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., the Committee will consider issues related to linking NAEP and the Voluntary National Tests. The full board will reconvene at 12:30 p.m. The agenda items during this period include reflections on the 10 Year Anniversary Conference, and reports from the national Academy of Sciences: Evaluation of the Voluntary National Tests; High Stakes Testing for Tracking, Promotion, and Graduation, and the National Academy of Sciences, NAEP Evaluation. Also, there will be a report on AllStates 2000. The Board will recess at 4:00 p.m. On Saturday, November 21, the full Board will meet in open session from 9:00 a.m. until adjournment, approximately 12:00 noon. During this session the Board will hear updates on the Voluntary National Tests project and the Allstate 2000 Project. The final agenda item is the presentation of reports from the various Board committee meetings. 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 the 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, NW., Washington, DC, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Roy Truby, Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board. [FR Doc. 98-29086 Filed 10-29-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-M