[Federal Register: July 24, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 142)]
[Notices]
[Page 45586-45587]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24jy00-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board: Meeting
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education
ACTION: Notice of partially closed and closed meetings.
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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.
DATES: August 3-5, 2000.
TIME: August 3--Subject Area Committee #1, 2-5 p.m. (closed);
Achievement Levels Committee, 3-5 p.m.; Executive Committee, 5:30-6:15
p.m. (open), 6:15-7 p.m., (closed). August 4--Full Board 8:30-10:30
a.m., (open); Subject Area Committee #2, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. (open), 12-
12:30 p.m., (closed); Reporting and Dissemination Committee, 10:30
a.m.-12:30 p.m. (open); Design and Methodology Committee, 10:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m., (open); Full Board 12:30-1:30 p.m., (closed), and 1:30-4
p.m., (open). August 5--full Board, 8:30 a.m.-adjournment,
approximately, 12 noon, (open).
LOCATION: Ritz Carlton Pentagon City, 1250 South Hayes Street,
Arlington, Virginia.
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. Under P.L. 105-78, the national
Assessment Governing Board is also granted exclusive authority over
developing the Voluntary National Tests pursuant to contact number
RJ9753001.
On Thursday, August 3, there will be meetings of three committees
of the Governing Board. From 2-5 p.m., Subject Area Committees #1 will
meet in closed session to review secure test items for the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in the following subject
areas: reading, writing, and geography. This meeting must be closed to
the public because reference may be made to data which may be
misinterpreted, incorrect, or incomplete. Premature disclosure of this
data might 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.
The Achievement Levels committee will meet in open session on
Thursday, August 3, from 3 to 5 p.m., to receive an update on the
voluntary national test, to review the work on the achievement levels
study, and to review sections of the achievement levels report on
student performance standards.
Also, on August 3, the Executive Committee will meet in partially
closed session. In the open session from 5:30-6:15 p.m. the Committee
will hear an update on the Voluntary National Tests contract, the NAEP
participation issues, and NAEP reauthorization; the Committee also will
discuss possible changes to the Governing Board meeting schedule and
committee structure.
From 6:15-7 p.m., the Executive Committee will meet in closed
session. There are two agenda items for the closed session. First, the
Committee will hear an update on the development of cost estimates for
NAEP and future contract initiatives. Public disclosure 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.
Second, the Executive Committee will discuss the qualifications of
current Board members to serve as Vice-Chairman of NAGB. Based upon
these discussions, the Board will elect a Vice-Chairman. This portion
of the meeting will relate solely to the internal personnel rules and
practices of an agency and will disclose information of a personal
nature where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion
of personal privacy and, as such, is protected by exemptions (2) and
(6) of Section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
On August 4, the full Board, will convene in open session beginning
at 8:30 a.m. In addition to the approval of the agenda, a report from
the Executive Director, and an update on the NAEP project, the Board
will hear a report on College Board Initiatives and receive a report
from the Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP Participation and discuss the
findings.
Subject Area Committee #2 will meet in partially closed session.
From 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., the Committee will meet in open session to
discuss issues related to the upcoming NAEP 2004 mathematics framework
update project. In closed session, from 12:00-12:30 p.m., the Committee
will review secure
[[Page 45587]]
test items for the proposed Voluntary National Test (VNT) in 8th grade
mathematics. 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 open session. Such matters
are protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
There will be open meetings of the Reporting and Dissemination
Committee and the Design and Methodology Committee from 10:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m.
Agenda items for the Reporting and Dissemination Committee include
the schedule for the release of future NAEP reports; reporting NAEP
2000 mathematics assessment, samples with and without accommodations;
private school reporting plans for NAEP 2002 assessments in reading and
writing; and an update on reporting NAEP long-term trend data in
writing, internet and printed reports.
The Design and Methodology committee will meet in open session to
receive an update on the voluntary national test, and to review a
progress report on the market basket study.
The full Board will reconvene in closed session from 12:30-1:30
p.m. to hear the 1999 NAEP Long-Term Trend Report. During this meeting,
Dr. Peggy Carr, Associate Commissioner of NCES, will make a
presentation to the full Board. The session may discuss specific items
from the 1999 Long Term Trend Assessment in Math, Science and Reading.
If the meeting was held in open session, the disclosure of such
information might 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.
From 1:30-4:00 p.m. the board will meet in open session. Agenda
items for this portion of the meeting include a panel discussion on
mathematics assessment issues, receiving conclusions and
recommendations on Achievement Levels and the Follow-up Report to
Congress and hear an update on a study regarding the impact of
incentives and rewards on NAEP.
On Saturday, August 5, the Board will hear an update on NAEP/NAGB
Reauthorization and conclude with the presentation of committee reports
and Board actions.
A summary of the activities of the closed, 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. 00-18663 Filed 7-21-00; 8:45 am]
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