[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 173 (Thursday, September 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46582-46583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22189]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board; Hearings
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Education.
ACTION: Notice of hearings.
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SUMMARY: The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), U.S.
Department of Education, is announcing three public hearings. These
hearings will be conducted as part of the Council of Chief State School
Officers' contract with NAGB for the purpose of developing an
assessment framework and specifications for the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) in Civics. Public and private parties and
organizations with an interest in civics education and assessment are
invited to present written and oral testimony to the Council.
Each hearing will focus on the first draft of a framework for the
national assessment of civics education for NAEP which will be given to
a national sample of students in grades 4, 8, and 12. The results of
the hearings are particularly important because they will provide broad
public input in developing the civics education assessment framework to
be used in the planned national NAEP examination. This assessment will
measure American students' progress in civics education. These hearings
are being conducted pursuant to Public Law 103-382 which states, ``The
Board shall develop assessment objectives and specifications through a
national consensus approach which includes the active participation of
teachers, curriculum specialists, local school administrators, parents,
and concerned members of the general public.''
DATES: The dates of the three public hearings have been set as follows:
October 25, 1995 in Washington, DC.
November 10, 1995 in Chicago, Illinois.
November 16, 1995 in Seattle, Washington.
The first hearing is scheduled from 10:00 to 2:00 pm and will be
conducted in the Hall of States in the National Guard Memorial Building
in Washington, DC. The second hearing will be held in conjunction with
the National Council for the Social Studies Annual Convention in
Chicago, Illinois from 9:30 am to 11:30 am in the Acapulco Room of the
Hyatt Regency Hotel. The third and final hearing will be held in
cooperation with the meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board
from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm in the Congress Room of the Four Seasons Hotel
in Seattle, Washington. Persons desiring to present oral statements at
any of these hearings shall submit a notice of intent to appear,
postmarked no fewer than ten days (10) prior to the scheduled meeting
date. The scheduling of oral presentations cannot be guaranteed for
notices of intent received less than 10 days prior to the hearing.
Notices of Intent to present oral statements shall be mailed to:
Council of Chief State School Officers, One Massachusetts Avenue NW.,
Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001-1431, Attn: Tiffanie Lee--Public
Hearings.
Individuals are encouraged to request a copy of the draft
framework, prepared by the NAEP Civics Education Consensus Project
committees and staff. This document, which represents the project's
first attempt at outlining the NAEP civics education assessment, will
serve as the springboard for public comment and review. Requests for
the draft framework may be made to Tiffanie Lee at the Council (address
above), by phone to 202/336-7076, or fax to 202/789-0596.
Locations: For detailed information on the exact locations of all
public hearings, please contact Council offices at (202) 336-7076.
Written Statements: Written statements may be submitted for the public
record in lieu of oral testimony up to 30 days after each hearing.
These statements should be sent directly to the Council (see
aforementioned address) in the following format:
I. Issues and Questions Addressed
Testimony should respond to the content and layout of the draft
civics education assessment framework, and the following questions:
1. Does the civics assessment framework combine feasibility and
vision?
2. Does the framework contain appropriate expectations for students
in grades 4, 8, and 12?
3. Is the design of NAEP civics education assessment appropriate
for a large-scale national assessment?
4. Will this framework be useful to policymakers, educators,
legislators, school board members and the public?
II. Summary
Briefly summarize the major points and recommendations presented in
the testimony.
III. Discussion
The narrative should provide information, points of view and
recommendations that will enable the Council to consider all factors
relevant to the question(s) the testimony addresses. Respondents are
encouraged to limit this section of their written statements to five
(5) pages. The discussions may be appended with documents of any length
providing further explanation. Written statements presented at each
hearing will be accepted and incorporated into the public record. All
written statements should follow the above format, as much as it is
possible.
HEARINGS OBJECTIVES AND PROCEDURES: The Council seeks participation in
the hearings from a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations in
the sharing of opinions and recommendations regarding civics education
proficiencies, knowledge, and those skills and strategies to be
assessed at grade levels 4, 8, and 12. The list of speakers shall, on
the one hand, provide a wide range of viewpoints and interests, but
also be organized to respect the time constraints of the hearing
schedule.
The goal of the hearings is to provide a medium for maximum input
and guidance from teachers, curriculum specialists, policymakers,
business and government representatives, civic and professional
organizations, and concerned members of the general public. Following a
brief introduction to the project by the Council of Chief State School
Officers, the majority of each session will be devoted to presentations
by scheduled speakers.
As listed in the Dates section above, speakers wishing to present
statements shall file notices of intent. To assist the Council in
appropriately scheduling speakers, the written notice of intent to
present oral testimony should include the following information: (1)
name, address and telephone number of each person to appear; (2)
affiliation (in any); (3) a brief statement of the issues and/or
concerns that will be addressed; and (4) whether a written statement
will be submitted for the record.
Individuals who do not register in advance will be permitted to
register and speak at the meeting in order of registration, if time
permits. Speakers should plan to limit their total remarks to no more
than five (5) minutes. While it is anticipated that all persons will
[[Page 46583]]
have an opportunity to speak, time limits may not allow this to occur.
The Council will make the final determination on selection and
scheduling of speakers.
All written statements presented at the hearings will be accepted
and incorporated into the public record. Written statements submitted
in lieu of oral testimony should be received no later than 30 days
after each hearing in order to be included in the public record.
However, while written statements received after this date will be
accepted, inclusion in the public record cannot be guaranteed.
A staff member from the Council of Chief State School Officers will
preside at each of the hearings. The proceedings will be audio taped.
The hearings can also be signed for the hearing-impaired, upon advance
request.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Additional information is available from the
Council offices for anyone wishing to obtain more specifics on the
assessment project. A draft assessment framework document will be made
available to interested parties prior to the hearings in October and
November. Individuals desiring additional information on a specific
hearing should contact Council offices at (202) 336-7076.
STEPS AFTER HEARING: The Council will review and analyze all comments
and opinions received in response to this announcement. A report of the
outcomes of these hearings will be made available to the public upon
request after January 1996.
The results of this public testimony, along with the Council's
civics education consensus committee work, will be used to formulate
recommendations for the NAEP Civics Education Assessment for the
National Assessment Governing Board. The Board, charged with developing
the assessment framework and specifications, will take final action on
the Council's recommendations in the spring of 1996.
A record of all Council proceedings will be kept at the Council of
Chief State School Officers until March 1996, at which time all records
will be transferred to the National Assessment Governing Board, and
will be available for public inspection.
Dated: August 31, 1995.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 95-22189 Filed 9-6-95; 8:45 am]
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