[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 75 (Monday, April 20, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19477-19478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10298]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Department of 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.

DATES: May 7-9, 1998.

TIME: May 7--Design and Methodology Committee, 9:00-11:30 a.m., (open); 
Joint Meeting Design and Methodology and Reporting and Dissemination 
Committees, 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., (open); Subject Area Committee #2, 
2:00-4:00 p.m., (open), Executive Committee, 4:00-6:00 p.m., (open) May 
8--Full Board, 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m., (open); Subject Area Committee #1, 
10:00-10:30 a.m. (closed), 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., (open); Reporting and 
Dissemination Committee, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., (open); Achievement 
Levels Committee, 10:00-11:00 a.m., (open); Design and Methodology 
Committee, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., (open); Full Board, 12:00-1:30 p.m. 
(closed), 1:30-4:00 p.m., (open). May 9--Full Board, 8:00-11:30 a.m., 
(open), 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (closed); adjournment, 12:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Crystal Gateway Marriott, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
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.


[[Page 19478]]


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 May 7, the Design and Methodology Committee will meet in open 
session from 9:00-11:30 a.m. The Committee will be reviewing the plan 
for research studies on the Voluntary National Tests, and the pilot 
test design.
    From 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. the Design and Methodology and Reporting 
and Dissemination Committees will meet jointly in open session. The 
Committees will be reviewing the work plan for accommodations and 
adaptations on the Voluntary National Tests. There will be an open 
meeting of Subject Area Committee #2 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. The agenda for 
this meeting includes review of math issues and timeliness for the 
Voluntary National Tests, and an update on 1998 NAEP assessment in 
civics.
    Also on May 7, the Executive Committee will meet in open session 
from 4:00-6:00 p.m. The Executive Committee will receive updates on 
Voluntary National Tests activities and decisions on the Voluntary 
National Tests contract. Also, the Committee will hear updates on 
reauthorization and NAEP redesign activities. The Committee will begin 
discussion on augmenting the schedule of NAEP assessments to include 
grade 4 reading in the year 2000.
    On May 8, the full Board will convene in open session from 8:30-
10:00 a.m. In addition to a report from the Executive Director of the 
National Assessment Governing Board, and an update on NAEP activities, 
the agenda for this session of the meeting includes the release of the 
NAEP--TIMSS Linking Report on 8th Grade Mathematics and Science.
    Beginning at 10:00 a.m. there will be meetings of the standing 
committees. Subject Area Committee #1 will meet in partially closed 
session. From 10:00-10:30 a.m., the meeting will be closed to permit 
the Committee to review proposed items for the Voluntary National Test 
in reading. 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.
    In open session, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., the Committee will review 
Voluntary National Test reading issues and timelines. Also, the 
Committee will receive an update on the 1998 NAEP assessment in reading 
and writing.
    The Reporting and Dissemination Committee will meet from 10:00 
a.m.-12:00 p.m. The Committee will be considering the schedule and 
plans for the release of NAEP reports; reporting district-level results 
from existing state samples; and work plans for reporting and 
utilization of the results for the Voluntary National Tests.
    There will be open meetings of the Achievement Levels Committee and 
the Design and Methodology Committee. The Achievement Levels Committee 
will meet from 10:00-11:00 a.m. to prepare recommendations to the Board 
on the preliminary achievement levels descriptions for NAEP. The 
Committee will receive a briefing on the status of the 1998 achievement 
levels setting activities. The Committee will discuss the achievement 
levels issues on the Voluntary National Tests, such as reliable 
classification of individual student performance.
    The Design and Methodology Committee will meet from 11:00 a.m.-
12:00 p.m. to review the plans for research studies on the Voluntary 
National Tests, and the pilot test design.
    The Full Board will reconvene in partially closed session from 
12:00-4:00 p.m. The meeting will be closed to the public from 12:00-
1:30 p.m. for the Board to hear a presentation on the results of the 
NAEP Instructional Reports for Mathematics and Science. This portion of 
the meeting must be closed because references may be made to data, 
which may be misinterpreted, incorrect, or incomplete. Such matters are 
protected by exemption 9(B) of Section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C. The 
agenda for the open portion of this session of the Full Board meeting 
includes an update on work plans for the Voluntary National Tests and 
comments about the NAEP and the Voluntary National Tests by 
representatives of the National Alliance of Business.
    On May 9, the Full Board will meet in partially closed session. In 
open session, from 8:00-11:30 a.m., the Board will receive a briefing 
on the Mathematics Content Analysis Project; hear a presentation from 
ACHIEVE, Inc. on the work being conducted in Benchmarking, and be given 
reports from the NAGB standing committees. The Board will meet in 
closed session from 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. to receive the report from 
the Nominations Committee regarding recommendations to submit to the 
Secretary of Education for Board appointments in the following 
categories: general public, secondary school principal, elementary 
school principal, eighth grade teacher, fourth grade teacher, chief 
state school officer, and state legislator (Democrat). This session 
must be closed because the Board will be considering qualifications of 
nominees for appointment to Board membership. The review and subsequent 
discussion of this information will touch upon matters that relate 
solely to the internal rules and practices of an agency and would 
disclose information of a personal nature where disclosure would 
constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy if 
conducted in open session. Such matters are protected by exemptions (2) 
and (6) of Section 552b(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
    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 of 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.

    Dated: April 15, 1998.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 98-10298 Filed 4-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M