[Federal Register: February 14, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 29)]
[Notices]
[Page 7486-7487]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14fe05-44]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.
ACTION: Notice of open meeting and closed meetings.
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SUMMARY: The 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 members of the
general public of their opportunity to attend. Individuals who will
need special accommodations in order to attend the meeting (i.e.,
interpreting services, assistive listening devices, materials in
alternative format) should notify Munira Mwalimu at 202-357-6938 or at
Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov no later than February 25, 2005. We will attempt
to meet requests after this date, but cannot guarantee availability of
the requested accommodation. The meeting site is accessible to
individuals with disabilities.
DATES: March 3-5, 2005.
Times:
March 3
Committee Meetings: Assessment Development Committee: Closed
Session--12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.;
Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP 12th Grade Participation: Open Session--
2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.;
Executive Committee: Open Session--4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Closed
session 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
March 4
Full Board: Open Session--8 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Closed Session 12
p.m.-1 p.m.; Open session 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Committee Meetings: Assessment Development Committee: Open
Session--10 a.m. to 12 p.m.;
Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology: Open Session--10
a.m. to 12 p.m.;
Reporting and Dissemination Committee: Open Session--10 a.m. to 12
p.m.;
March 5
Full Board: Open Session--8 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Closed Session--12
p.m. to 1 p.m.; Open Session--1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Location: Four Seasons
Hotel, 98 San Jacinto Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78701.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Munira Mwalimu, Operations Officer,
[[Page 7487]]
National Assessment Governing Board, 800 North Capitol Street, NW.,
Suite 825, 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, as amended.
The Board is established to formulate policy guidelines for the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). THe Board's
responsibilities include selecting subject areas to be assessed,
developing assessment objectives, developing appropriate student
achievement levels for each grade and subject tested, developing
guidelines for reporting and disseminating results, and developing
standards and procedures for interstate and national comparisons.
The Assessment Development Committee will meet in closed session on
March 3 from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to review secure test items for the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2009 Reading
Assessment. The meeting must be conducted in closed session as
disclosure of proposed test items from the NAEP assessments would
significantly impede implementation of the NAEP program, and is
therefore protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5
U.S.C.
On March 3, the Ad Hoc Committee on NAEP 12th Grade Participation
and Motivation will meet in open session from 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
The Executive Committee will meet in open session on March 3 from 4:30
p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Executive Committee will meet in closed session on March 3 from
5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to receive independent government cost estimates
for contracts related to the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP). 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 and will provide an
advantage to potential bidders attending the meeting. The 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(c) of Title 5 U.S.C.
On March 4, the full Board will meet in open session from 8:30 a.m.
to 12 p.m. The Board will approve the agenda and the Chairman will
introduce new Board members, who will then be administered the Oath of
Office. The Board will then hear the Executive Director's report and
receive an update on the work of the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES) from the Commissioner of NCES.
From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on March 4, the Board's standing
committees--the Assessment Development Committee; the Committee on
Standards, Design, and Methodology; and the Reporting and Dissemination
Committee--will meet in open session.
On March 4, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., the full Board will meet in
closed session. The Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology
will update the Board on the 12th grade Mathematics Achievement Level
Setting Process and the Committee deliberations on January 11-12, 2005,
in Jackson, Mississippi. The proposed achievement level cut scores and
percent of students at each achievement level (Advanced, Proficient,
Basic, and Below Basic) will be discussed with the Board for future
approval. This information cannot be released to the public prior to
the October release of the 2005 assessment in Mathematics. The No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001 requires NAGB to release these data, in
collaboration with NCES, after a thorough review of the data and report
content for national and state release. These data constitute a major
basis for the national release and cannot be released in an open
meeting prior to the official release of the report. The meeting must
be therefore be conducted in closed session as disclosure of data would
significantly impede implementation of the NAEP program, and is
therefore protected by exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5
U.S.C.
On March 4, the full Board will meet in open session from 1 p.m. to
4 p.m. Board members will receive and discuss preliminary
recommendations from the Ad Hoc Committee on 12th Grade NAEP. This item
will be followed by an update on the NAEP 2009 Science Framework
contract from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Board will then hear a
presentation from ACT Inc., on recent research on readiness for college
and training for work from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. after which the March 4
session of the board meeting will adjourn.
On March 5, the Board's Nominations Committee will meet in open
session from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The full Board will convene in open
session on March 5 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
From 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the Board will hear a presentation on
the High school initiative. Board actions on policies and Committee
reports are scheduled to take place between 10:45 a.m. and 12 p.m.,
upon which the March 5, 2005 session of the Board meeting will adjourn.
Detailed minutes of the meeting, including summaries of the
activities of the closed sessions and related matters that 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 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern standard
time.
Dated: February 9, 2005.
Sharif M. Shakrani,
Deputy Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 05-2784 Filed 2-11-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M