Changes to the National Assessment Governing Board's August 2026 Meeting

You might care about this because the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) has announced important changes to its upcoming meeting in August 2026. This Federal Register notice acts as a correction to an earlier announcement, updating key details about the meeting schedule and location. For example, the Nominations Committee meeting on August 7, 2026, will now start an hour earlier and will be held at the Washington Plaza Hotel. Several other sessions, including the main plenary meetings on August 6 and August 7, have also seen adjustments to their timing. A significant change involves the NAEP State Mapping Study briefing, which was originally an open session but will now be closed to the public and moved to a different day and time. Similarly, part of the Friday plenary session will now be a longer closed session. These closed sessions are due to discussions about internal personnel matters, preliminary data not ready for public release, or confidential embargoed information related to assessment results. The document explains that these closures are necessary to protect the integrity of the assessment process and individual privacy, aligning with specific government transparency exemptions. Basically, if you planned to attend or follow these meetings, you need to be aware of these official updates to ensure you have the correct information for participation or observation. What is particularly interesting about this legal document is the level of detail provided for the changes to the meeting schedule, particularly regarding which sessions are now closed to the public. The Governing Board is being transparent about why certain parts of their meeting must be held in private. They specifically mention discussions about internal personnel, preliminary data for the NAEP State Mapping Study, and embargoed information on student disability participation rates in the NAEP assessment. These reasons highlight the sensitive nature of some of the Board's work, such as protecting the integrity of unreleased test data or respecting the privacy of individuals involved in appointments. It shows the balance the Board tries to strike between public transparency and the need to protect confidential or pre-release information. The document cites specific exemptions from the Government Sunshine Act, which is the law that guides when government meetings can be closed. This demonstrates the legal framework that underpins these decisions, making it clear that these are not arbitrary changes but are based on established rules. People who would be most interested in this legal document include educators, educational researchers, and policymakers who follow the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Anyone who planned to attend or observe the National Assessment Governing Board's August 2026 meeting should pay close attention to these updates. Members of the press or public who cover or are interested in national education assessments would find these corrections important for their planning. Furthermore, individuals involved in the appointment process for the Governing Board or those being considered for roles would find the details about the Nominations Committee meeting relevant. Basically, anyone invested in the operations of the Department of Education and its efforts to assess and improve educational standards should take note of these administrative changes.