NCES is requesting a 3 year generic system clearance for the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) to be administered in the 2014-2016 timeframe (OMB #1850-0790). The primary reason for the system clearance request is that it enables NAEP to meet its large and complex assessment reporting schedules and deliverables through a more efficient clearance process. NAEP is a federally authorized survey of student achievement at grades 4, 8, and 12 in various subject areas, such as mathematics, reading, writing, science, U.S. history, civics, geography, economics, technology and engineering literacy (TEL), and the arts. The National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (Public Law 107-279 Title III, section 303) requires the assessment to collect data on specified student groups and characteristics, including information organized by race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, disability, and limited English proficiency. It requires fair and accurate presentation of achievement data and permits the collection of background, noncognitive, or descriptive information that is related to academic achievement and aids in fair reporting of results. The intent of the law is to provide representative sample data on student achievement for the nation, the states, and subpopulations of students and to monitor progress over time. The nature of NAEP is that burden alternates from a relatively low burden in national-level administration years to a substantial burden increase in state-level administration years when the sample has to allow for estimates for individual states and some of the large urban districts. Consequently, the estimated respondent burden is substantially lower for the 2014 and 2016 versus the 2015 administration of NAEP. The NAEP results will be reported to the public through the Nations Report Card as well as other online NAEP tools.
PL:
Pub.L. 107 - 279 303
Name of Law: National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act
The nature of NAEP is that burden alternates from a relatively low burden in national-level administration years (i.e., even years) to a substantial burden increase in state-level administration years that include one or more assessments that support national, state-by-state, and certain urban districts reporting (i.e., odd years). In state/district assessment years, NAEP samples approximately 1,000,000 students, while in national-only assessment years, approximately 100,000 students. In 2015, NAEP will conduct state/district assessments, and in 2014 and 2016, national-level assessments. The previous System Clearance included burden for two state/district assessments (2011 and 2013) and only one national-level assessment (2012), therefore the overall number of respondents and responses is lower in this clearance request than in the previous one. However, because we have adjusted the estimated respondent time for students and the pre-assessment visit, the overall time burden estimate is slightly higher for this versus the previous System Clearance. Previously, only the time spent responding to the noncognitive questionnaires was included in the total burden calculation for the students, but now we also include the time for instructions and booklet distribution, which increases the per-student burden estimate by an additional 10 minutes for paper-and-pencil assessments and by 15 minutes for computer-delivered assessments. Finally, recent reports from the field staff have indicated that the pre-assessment visits require two hours, rather than the one hour previously estimated. Therefore, we have adjusted the burden estimate for pre-assessment visit to two hours.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Part B NAEP System Clearance 2014-2016.docx
Att_60-Day FR Notice 1850-0790.pdf
Appendix A NAEP System Clearance 2014-2016.doc