Notices. Notice of open meeting and closed meetings

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A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request AGENCY: Department of Education. SUMMARY: The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before March 16, 2005. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention:

Carolyn Lovett, Desk Officer, Department of Education, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503 or faxed to

(202)395-6974. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB)provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. OMB may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform its statutory obligations. The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes that notice containing proposed information collection requests prior to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the following:

(1)Type of review requested, *e.g.* new, revision, extension, existing or reinstatement;

(2)title;

(3)summary of the collection;

(4)description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information;

(5)respondents and frequency of collection; and

(6)reporting and/or recordkeeping burden. OMB invites public comment. Dated: February 8, 2005. Angela C. Arrington, Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer. Office of Vocational and Adult Education *Type of Review:* Reinstatement. *Title:* Tech-Prep Demonstration Grants. *Frequency:* Annually. *Affected Public:* State, local, or tribal gov't, SEAs or LEAs; not-for-profit institutions. *Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:* * Responses:* 50. * Burden Hours:* 3,200. *Abstract:* Section 207 of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-332) authorizes grants to consortia to carry out tech-prep education programs that involve the location of a secondary school on the campus of a community college. This collection solicits applications for grant funding from eligible applicants. This information collection is being submitted under the Streamlined Clearance Process for Discretionary Grant Information Collections (1890-0001). Therefore, the 30-day public comment period notice will be the only public comment notice published for this information collection. Requests for copies of the submission for OMB review; comment request may be accessed from *http://edicsweb.ed.gov* , by selecting the “Browse Pending Collections” link and by clicking on link number 2669. When you access the information collection, click on “Download Attachments” to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20202-4700. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the Internet address *OCIO_RIMG@ed.gov* or faxed to 202-245-6621. Please specify the complete title of the information collection when making your request. Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be directed to Sheila Carey at her e-mail *Sheila.Carey@ed.gov* . Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD)may call the Federal Information Relay Service

(FIRS)at 1-800-877-8339. [FR Doc. E5-589 Filed 2-11-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Overview Information; Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training—Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year

(FY)2005. *Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

(CFDA)Number:* 84.129B. *Dates:* *Applications Available:* February 14, 2005. *Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:* March 24, 2005. *Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:* May 23, 2005. *Eligible Applicants:* States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher education, are eligible for assistance under the Rehabilitation Training program. *Estimated Available Funds:* $3,150,000. *Estimated Range of Awards:* $125,000-$150,000. *Estimated Average Size of Awards:* $137,500. *Estimated Number of Awards:* 23. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. *Project Period:* Up to 60 months. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description *Purpose of Program:* The Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program provides financial assistance for—

(1)Projects that provide basic or advanced training leading to an academic degree in areas of personnel shortages in rehabilitation as identified by the Secretary;

(2)Projects that provide a specified series of courses or program of study leading to award of a certificate in areas of personnel shortages in rehabilitation as identified by the Secretary; and

(3)Projects that provide support for medical residents enrolled in residency training programs in the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation. *Priority:* This priority is from the notice of final priority for this program, published in the **Federal Register** on January 15, 2003 (68 FR 2166). This priority is designed to increase the number of rehabilitation counseling programs that provide experiential activities for students, such as formal internships, practicum agreements, and other partnership activities with State vocational rehabilitation

(VR)agencies. This priority supports a close relationship between the educational institution and the State VR agency by creating or increasing ongoing collaboration in order to increase the number of graduates who seek employment in State VR agencies. *Absolute Priority:* For FY 2005, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: Partnership With the State VR Agency This priority supports projects that will increase the knowledge of students of the role and responsibilities of the VR counselor and of the benefits of counseling in State VR agencies. This priority focuses attention on and intends to strengthen the unique role of rehabilitation educators and State VR agencies in the preparation of qualified VR counselors by increasing or creating ongoing collaboration between institutions of higher education and State VR agencies. Projects funded under this priority must include within the degree program information about and experience in the State VR system. Projects must include partnering activities for students with the State VR agency including experiential activities, such as formal internships or practicum agreements. In addition, experiential activities for students with community-based rehabilitation service providers are encouraged. Projects must include an evaluation of the impact of project activities. *Program Authority:* 29 U.S.C. 772. *Applicable Regulations:*

(a)The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, and 99.

(b)The regulations for this program in 34 CFR parts 385 and 386. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only. II. Award Information *Type of Award:* Discretionary grants. *Estimated Available Funds:* $3,150,000. *Estimated Range of Awards:* $125,000-$150,000. *Estimated Average Size of Awards:* $137,500. *Estimated Number of Awards:* 23. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. *Project Period:* Up to 60 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. *Eligible Applicants:* States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher education, are eligible for assistance under the Rehabilitation Training program. 2. *Cost Sharing or Matching:* Cost sharing of at least 10 percent of the total cost of the project is required of grantees under the Rehabilitation Training program (34 CFR 386.30). Note: Under 34 CFR 75.562(c), an indirect cost reimbursement on a training grant is limited to the recipient's actual indirect costs, as determined by its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever amount is less. Indirect costs in excess of the eight percent limit may not be charged directly, used to satisfy matching or cost-sharing requirements, or charged to another Federal award. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. *Address to Request Application Package:* Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX:

(301)470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734. You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: *http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html* or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: *edpubs@inet.ed.gov* . If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.129B. Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format ( *e.g.* , Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5075, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone:

(202)245-7363. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service

(FRS)at 1-800-877-8339. 2. *Content and Form of Application Submission:* Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this competition. *Page Limit:* Part III of the application, the application narrative, is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the following standards: • A “page” is 8.5″ × 11,″ on one side only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. • Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. • Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III. We will reject your application if— • You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or • You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit. 3. *Submission Dates and Times:* *Applications Available:* February 14, 2005. *Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:* March 24, 2005. Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV.6. *Other Submission Requirements* in this notice. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. *Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:* May 23, 2005. 4. *Intergovernmental Review:* This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition. 5. *Funding Restrictions:* We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the *Applicable Regulations* section of this notice. 6. *Other Submission Requirements:* Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. a. Electronic Submission of Applications If you choose to submit your application to us electronically, you must use e-Application available through the Department's e-Grants system, accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: *http://e-grants.ed.gov.* While completing your electronic application, you will be entering data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. Please note the following: • Your participation in e-Application is voluntary. • You must complete the electronic submission of your grant application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application for this competition after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process. • The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site. • You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit your application in paper format. • You must submit all documents electronically, including the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. • Any narrative sections of your application should be attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. • Your electronic application must comply with any page limit requirements described in this notice. • Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may wish to print a copy of it for your records. • After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement that will include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to your application). • Within three working days after submitting your electronic application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control Center after following these steps:

(1)Print ED 424 from e-Application.

(2)The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.

(3)Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the hard-copy signature page of the ED 424.

(4)Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at

(202)245-6272. • We may request that you provide us original signatures on other forms at a later date. *Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability:* If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if—

(1)You are a registered user of e-Application and you have initiated an electronic application for this competition; and

(a)The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date; or

(b)The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may contact either

(1)the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ( *see* VII. Agency Contact) or

(2)the e-Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of the Department's e-Application system. If the e-Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to submit your application electronically or you do not receive an automatic acknowledgment of your submission, you may submit your application in paper format by mail or by hand delivery in accordance with the instructions in this notice. b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must send the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable following address: *By mail through the U.S. Postal Service:* U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.129B), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. or *By mail through a commercial carrier:* U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center—Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.129B), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506. Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

(1)A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,

(2)A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service,

(3)A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier, or

(4)Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

(1)A private metered postmark, or

(2)A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service. If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application. Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office. c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.129B), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. *Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:* If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department:

(1)You must indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number—and suffix letter, if any—of the competition under which you are submitting your application.

(2)The Application Control Center will mail a grant application receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at

(202)245-6288. V. Application Review Information 1. *Selection Criteria:* The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210 and 34 CFR 386.20 and are in the application package. 2. *Review and Selection Process:* Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an award are the geographical distribution of projects in each Rehabilitation Training program category in the country (34 CFR 385.33(a)) and the past performance of the applicant in carrying out similar training activities under previously awarded grants, as indicated by factors such as compliance with grant conditions, soundness of programmatic and financial management practices, and attainment of established project objectives (34 CFR 385.33(b)). VI. Award Administration Information 1. *Award Notices:* If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally. If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we will notify you. 2. *Administrative and National Policy Requirements:* We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the *Applicable Regulations* section of this notice. We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the *Applicable Regulations* section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant. 3. *Reporting:* At the end of your project, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118. 4. *Performance Measures:* The Government Performance and Results Act

(GPRA)of 1993 directs Federal departments and agencies to improve the effectiveness of their programs by engaging in strategic planning, setting outcome-related goals for programs, and measuring program results against those goals. The Rehabilitation Services Administration's

(RSA)Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program is designed to provide academic training in areas of personnel shortages. The goal of this Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program is to increase the number of qualified vocational rehabilitation counselors working in State vocational rehabilitation agencies or related agencies. Seventy-five percent of all grant funds must be used for direct payment of student scholarships. Each grantee is required to track students receiving scholarships and must maintain information on the cumulative support granted to RSA scholars, scholar-debt in years, program completion data for each scholar, dates each scholar's work begins and is completed to meet his or her payback agreement, current home address, and place of employment of individual scholars. Each training grant recipient must provide this information to RSA annually using the RSA Grantee Reporting Form, (OMB# 1820-0617), an electronic reporting system. The RSA Grantee Reporting Form collects specific information regarding the number of RSA scholars entering the rehabilitation workforce, in what rehabilitation field, and in what type of employment ( *e.g.* State agency, nonprofit service provider, or practice group). The information provided on the On-Line Grantee Reporting System will allow RSA to measure results against the goal of increasing the number of qualified vocational rehabilitation counselors working in State vocational rehabilitation agencies or related agencies. VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Smith, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5027, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone:

(202)245-7602. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service

(FRS)at 1-800-877-8339. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative format ( *e.g.* , Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this section. VIII. Other Information *Electronic Access to This Document:* You may view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the **Federal Register** , in text or Adobe Portable Document Format

(PDF)on the Internet at the following site: *http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister* . To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at

(202)512-1530. Note: 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 on GPO Access at: *http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.* Dated: February 8, 2005. John H. Hager, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. FR Doc. E5-592 Filed 2-11-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Assessment Governing Board; Meeting AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education. ACTION: Notice of open meeting and closed meetings. 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, 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]

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