ATB Test Takers and Administrators - Public Insitutions

1845-0049 – Affected Public – State, Local or Tribal Governments 09/26/2016

This request is for revision of the approval of the reporting and recordkeeping requirements that are contained in the information collection 1845-0049 for Student Assistance General Provision regulations Subpart J-Approval of Independently Administered Tests; Specification of Passing Score; Approval of State Process. These regulations govern the application for and approval by the Secretary of assessments by a private test publisher or State that are used to measure a student’s skills and abilities. The administration of approved ability to benefit (ATB) tests may be used to determine a student's eligibility for assistance for the Title IV student financial assistance programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) when, among other conditions, the student does not have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent. The language of the current regulations has not changed.

Due to changes in the statute regarding availability of ATB tests for new students, there has been a decrease in both the number of students taking the tests as well as the number of approved tests available as test publishers have voluntarily removed certain exams from ATB use. Therefore there is a decrease in the burden assessed publishers for the submission of the renewal of these examinations.

The request for ATB test approval from independent test publishers or the request for approval of a State process will continue to be received by the Department as often as the test developers determine it is in their interest to apply for the Secretary's approval or as the agreement reaches its expiration consistent with the regulations in Subpart J. To date, there have been no State examinations submitted for approval and as noted earlier some previously approved examinations have been voluntarily removed from use by the test publisher as an ATB examination.

The submission of the student’s test score results from the test publisher to the institution generally, will occur only once. In other cases, where the institution is a two-year or four-year degree granting institution or a public postsecondary vocational institution and the institution has a qualified assessment center, the center may score the student’s ATB test and provide the results to the student’s institution. Because of the changes in the law, decreasing numbers of students will have the ability to use an approved ATB examination to meet the general student eligibility criteria for Title IV, HEA program assistance.

Section 668.151 – Administration of tests.

Section 668.151(g)(4) requires that institutions where approved ATB test are given by certified test administrators either at assessment centers or by an independent test administrators, maintain the name and address of the test administrator who administered the test.

Section 668.151(g)(5) requires that if the individual who took the test has a disability and as a result was unable to be evaluated by the use of a conventional test or required test accommodations, that documentation of the individual’s disability and of the testing arrangements must be maintained by the institution.

We estimate that on average it will take an institution .08 hours (5 minutes) per 23,046 ATB test to collect and maintain the identifier information on each test administrator for each ATB test provided. In addition, for the estimated 2,766 ATB test takers who are individuals with disabilities that it will take an additional .08 hours (5 minutes) per test taker to collect and maintain documentation on the individual’s disability and the testing accommodations that were made by the test administrator for the ATB test-taker.

AFFECTED ENTITES and BURDEN:

Section 668.151(g)(4) –requirement that institutions maintain the identifier information for all certified ATB test administrators.

Revised burden for Public Institutions

23,046 ATB test takers X .43% (934 Public institutions as a percentage of 2,170 participating institutions) = 9,910 X .08 hours = 793 hours

Section 668.151(g)(5) –requirement that institutions collect and maintain documentation of the individual ATB test-takers disability and of any accommodating provided by the certified test administrator to the ATB test-taker (668.151(g)(5)).

AFFECTED ENTITES and BURDEN:

Revised burden For Profit Institutions

2,766 cases of individuals with disabilities taking an ATB test X 19% (For-Profit institutions as a percentage of all participating institutions) = 526 X .08 hours per case reported = 42 hours

Revised burden for Public Institutions

2,766 cases of individuals with disabilities taking an ATB test X 43% (Public institutions as a percentage of all participating institutions) = 1,189 X .08 hours per case reported = 95 hours

Section 668.152 – Administration of tests by assessment centers.

The regulations require that if the test assessment center scores the approved ATB test that it must provide a copy of the completed test to the test publisher or State, as applicable, on a weekly basis to include either; the name, address, and any other identifier provided by the test publisher or State of the test administrator who administered the test; or a report of all test-takers’ scores and institutions to which the scores were sent and the name, address, and any other identifier provided by the test publisher or State of the test administrator who administered the test.

We estimate that of the 1,000 test administrators, approximately one-third or 330 are at test assessment centers.

AFFECTED ENTITES and BURDEN:

Revised burden for Public Institutions

We estimate that 85% of the test assessment centers giving ATB tests are at public institutions.

330 assessment centers X .85 = 280

X .17 hours (10 minutes)

X 52 weeks

equals 2,475 hours of additional burden.

TOTALS

Respondents 1,214

Responses 25,659

Burden Hours 3,363