[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]


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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.

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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 
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    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 
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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]
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