NAEP 2027 Amendment_Change Memo v40 (1)

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July 14, 2026
MEMORANDUM
To:		Bev M. Pratt, OMB
From:		Gina Ruehl, Enis Dogan, Yan Wang, NCES
Through:	Matthew Soldner, NCES
Re:	National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2027 Amendment (OMB# 1850-0928 v.40)
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 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, and civics. 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, sex, 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. 
NAEP 2027 will include the grade 8 Science Pilot assessment.
This Amendment is a revision to the NAEP 2027 Clearance package (OMB#1850-0928 v.39). Since the 30-day Clearance Package, there are minor changes to burden hours and costs to the Federal Government. Minor shifts in schools expected to participate in School Device Model versus NAEP Device Model, as well as percentages of schools who will need an additional staff member to support the assessment, resulted in an increase in burden hours from the initial Clearance package (10,790 hours) compared to this Amendment (10,892 hours). 
In addition, the costs to the Federal Government have increased by $1,889,007 from the initial Clearance package. Since the OMB approval of the initial Clearance Package, the Confidentiality Assurances are unchanged.
This Amendment includes updates to: Parts A and B including changes to burden hours and costs, committee members and their affiliations in Appendix A, communication materials in Appendix D (see headers notated with “NEW”), the school coordinator preassessment and assessment day feedback forms in Appendix E, Assessment Management System (AMS) screens in Appendix I (see headers notated with “NEW”), final survey questionnaire items (SQs) in J-1 (student), J-2 (teacher), J-3 (school administrator), the 2027 sampling memo in Appendix C. Additionally, NAEP changed the TUDA acronym from “Trends in Urban Districts Assessment (TUDA)” to “Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA),” and references throughout package documents reflect this change. This package is the final submission for the 2027 NAEP assessment.

The following table and pages below provide a summary of the changes that are included in this submission. 

Summary of All Changes
Document
Changes
Part A
    • Burden and Costs to the Federal Government updates
    • Editorial updates (e.g., references to the Amendment, schedule, or Appendices)
Part B
    • Editorial updates (e.g., references to the Amendment, schedule, or Appendices)
Appendix A
    • Minor updates to committee members and/or their affiliations
Appendix C
    • The 2027 sampling memo
Appendix D
    • All communication and recruitment materials; See documents marked “NEW”
    • Of note, the term “Trends in Urban Districts Assessment (TUDA)” is now used in communications rather than “Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA).” The previously approved versions of the Facts for Districts and Facts for Principals documents have this updated naming convention reflected in this appendix.
Appendix E
    • The school coordinator preassessment and assessment day feedback forms
Appendix I
    • Assessment Management System content and screens; See documents marked “NEW”
Appendix J-1
    • 2027 Student Questionnaires
Appendix J-2
    • 2027 Teacher Questionnaires
Appendix J-3
    • 2027 School Questionnaires


Part A Changes

A.1.a. Purpose of Submission
The main NAEP assessments report current achievement levels and trends in student achievement at grades 4, 8, and 12 for the nation and, for certain assessments (e.g., reading and mathematics), states and select urban districts (i.e., Trends in Urban Districts Assessment, or TUDA)1. The main NAEP assessments provide results on subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences, and school environment for different student populations (e.g., all fourth-graders) and groups within those populations (e.g., sex [male and female students], race/ethnicity groups). NAEP does not provide scores for individual students or schools. 

The possible universe of student respondents for NAEP 2027 is estimated to be 12,000 students at grade 8 attending the approximately 321 public and private schools in a variety of states and the District of Columbia and may include Bureau of Indian Education Schools. 

NAEP will administer the assessment using school devices and internet. For schools that cannot meet the minimum specification for the use of school devices, NAEP will provide an alternate delivery model utilizing NAEP Chromebooks. NAEP has transitioned to administering on school devices with a staged approach so that trends can be measured across time. NAEP conducted a School-based Equipment study in 2024 (OMB #1850-0803 v.347) as well as a Field Test in 2025 (OMB #1850-0803 v.353) to provide more information about student and school interactions with the eNAEP system on school devices, as compared to NAEP Chromebooks and Surface Pros, to inform the use of school devices at a larger scale in NAEP assessments beginning in 2026. Also, results from a 2026 bridge study are being analyzed to compare NAEP devices and school devices to evaluate whether scores from the two different assessment models are comparable. Note: in this study, some schools that qualified to be assessed on school devices were assessed on NAEP devices, since the two different school types (i.e., those qualified to assess on school devices, and those not qualified to assess on school devices) may have different characteristics. This allows the study to establish a common linking population. 	

This submission is an Amendment to the 2027 NAEP Clearance package, which was approved in May 2026. All final materials needed for the 2027 Science Pilot administration, which includes communication materials, Assessment Management System (AMS) content, survey questionnaires, and supporting Appendices are available in this Amendment. 



A.1.c.3. Survey Items
To minimize burden on the respondents and maximize the number of topics or constructs addressed via the questionnaires, NAEP may spiral items across student respondent forms in the pilot assessment and/or rotate some non-required items across assessment administrations. All NAEP Grade 8 Science Pilot questionnaires are provided in their final form in the Amendment in Appendices J1, J2, and J3. Survey questionnaires from previous administrations can be viewed on the NAEP website: https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/experience/archive.aspx.

A.1.c.5. Digital Test Delivery
In 2027, the NAEP assessment will be administered either on school devices or NAEP devices using the NAEP Assessment Application, also referred to as eNAEP. The NAEP Assessment Application will be installed and confirmed on school devices during the preassessment phase. As part of this Amendment, NAEP will be supporting additional device types, specifically macOS. The Download Center (Appendix D-7) has been updated accordingly, and additional communications to schools have also been included in this submission (Appendix D-28). Sampled schools that do not meet the technical requirements for school devices, outlined in the eNAEP Download Center (Appendix D-7), will be provided with NAEP Chromebooks. These devices will use the NAEP Network and will have the NAEP Assessment Application installed for students to complete the assessment. 

A.3. Improved Use of Technology
Online Teacher and School Administrator Questionnaires
The NAEP program delivers teacher and school administrator survey questionnaires online through an application. This survey application is compatible with major browsers (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox) and operating systems, including Windows, ChromeOS, macOS, and iPadOS. Participants receive a secure, personalized link and access code—generated by the AMS—to complete their survey. After submission, the survey data are transmitted in real time to NAEP analytic dashboard for monitoring completion status.

Digitally Based Content 
NAEP transitioned to DBA in 2017/2019 using NAEP-provided Windows devices. In 2024, NAEP expanded to include both Windows and Chromebook devices before fully transitioning to school-owned devices. Since these school devices are comparable to NAEP-provided devices, NAEP is moving forward with using school devices for future administrations. This allows NAEP to provide assessments consistent with other large-scale assessments. In 2027, it is expected that slightly more than 80% of schools will use school devices to participate in the Pilot administration. 

Automated Scoring
NAEP administers a combination of selected-response items and open-ended or constructed-response items. In recent years, NAEP has introduced algorithmic scoring for selected-responses items that have a definable and finite number of responses, and each response can be unambiguously coded to map to a level of the scoring rubric. Algorithmic scoring is fully automated, yielding process and cost efficiencies. The volume of algorithmically-scored items continues to increase as more items are developed for DBA. NAEP uses human scorers to score the constructed-response items, using detailed scoring rubrics and proven scoring methodologies. With the increased use of technologies, the methodology and reliability of automated scoring (i.e., the scoring of constructed-response items using computer software) have advanced. In 2026, the majority of operational reading items were scored using automated scoring methodologies. Note, the remaining operational reading items and mathematics items were human scored. However, automated scoring will not be utilized in scoring the 2027 science pilot administration.

A.8. Consultations Outside the Agency
Appendix A lists the current members of the following NAEP advisory committees:
NAEP Design and Analysis Committee
NAEP Mathematics Standing Committee
NAEP Reading Standing Committee
NAEP Survey Questionnaires Standing Committee
NAEP Science Standing Committee
NAEP Validity Panel


A.11. Sensitive Questions
Educators, psychologists, economists, and others have called for the collection of non-cognitive student information that can explain why some students do better in school than others. Similar questions have been included in other NCES-administered assessments such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and other federal questionnaires, including the U.S. Census. The insights achieved by the use of these well-established survey questions will help educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders make better informed decisions about how best to help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

A.12. Estimation of Respondent Reporting Burden (2027)
The burden numbers for NAEP data collections fluctuate considerably, with the number of students sampled every other year being much larger than in the years in between. 

Exhibit 1 provides the burden information per respondent group, by grade, for the 2027 data collection. It is assumed that slightly over 80 percent of the sample will be in the School Device Model. Exhibit 2 summarizes the burden by respondent group. 

School Device Model
    • Teachers—The teachers of the eighth-grade students participating in the main NAEP are asked to complete questionnaires about their teaching background, education, training, and classroom organization. Average eighth-grade teacher burden is 20 minutes if only one subject is taught, and an additional 10 minutes for each additional subject taught in an operational year. For the 2027 science pilot administration, the teacher SQ burden is estimated to be 20 minutes.  
    • Principals/Administrators—The school administrators in the sampled schools are asked to complete a questionnaire. The core items are designed to measure school characteristics and policies that research has shown are highly correlated with student achievement. Subject-specific items concentrate on curriculum and instructional services issues. The burden for school administrators is determined in the same manner as burden for teachers (see above) and is estimated to average 20 minutes per principal/administrator, although burden may vary depending on the number of subject-specific sections included. The 20-minute burden estimate includes a supplemental charter school questionnaire designed to collect information on charter school policies and characteristics and is provided to administrators of charter schools who are sampled to participate in NAEP. The supplement covers organization and school governance, parental involvement, and curriculum and offerings. 
    • Additional School Staff—Schools who choose to assess all 50 sampled students at once in one or two locations are asked to designate an additional staff member to provide classroom management support. Based on the 2026 Operational Assessment, it is estimated that 77 percent of the schools will choose to assess all 50 students at one time. The burden for this individual would be 120 minutes, and this is captured in Exhibit 1.

NAEP Device Model
    • Teachers—The teachers of eighth-grade students participating in NAEP are asked to complete questionnaires about their teaching background, education, training, and classroom organization. Average eighth-grade teacher burden is 20 minutes if only one subject is taught, and an additional 10 minutes for each additional subject taught in an operational year. For the 2027 science pilot administration, the teacher SQ burden is estimated to be 20 minutes. 
    • Principals/Administrators—The school administrators in the sampled schools are asked to complete a questionnaire. The core items are designed to measure school characteristics and policies that research has shown are highly correlated with student achievement. Subject-specific items concentrate on curriculum and instructional services issues. The burden for school administrators is determined in the same manner as burden for teachers (see above) and is estimated to average 20 minutes per principal/administrator, although burden may vary depending on the number of subject-specific sections included. The 20-minute burden estimate includes a supplemental charter school questionnaire designed to collect information on charter school policies and characteristics and is provided to administrators of charter schools who are sampled to participate in NAEP. The supplement covers organization and school governance, parental involvement, and curriculum and offerings. 


EXHIBIT 1
Estimated Burden for NAEP 2027 Assessments 






 
 
8th Grade



Subjects
Science Pilot (School Device Model)
Science Pilot
(NAEP Device Model)

Total
School Technology Survey (STS)
# of Staff
270
51

321

Avg. Minutes per Response
45
45

N/A

Burden (in hours)
202
39

241
Students
 # of Students
10,080
1,920

12,000

Avg. Minutes per Response
30
30

N/A

Burden (in hours)
5,040
960

6,000
Teachers
# of Teachers 
540
102

642

Avg. Minutes per Response
20
20

N/A

Burden (in hours)
180
34

214
School Questionnaire 
(School Principal)
# of Schools
270
51

321

Avg. Minutes per Response 
20
20

N/A

Burden (in hours) 
90
17

107
Preassessment Activities
# of Staff
540
51

591

Avg. Minutes per Response 
165
120

N/A

Burden (in hours)
1,485
102

1,587

Sample Submission
(School Coordinator)
# of School Coord.
270
51

321

Burden (in hours)
140
27

167
Day of Assessment Activities
# of Staff
748
51

799

Avg. Minutes per Response
120
120

N/A

Burden (in hours)
1,496
102

1,598
Post-Assessment activities
# of Staff
270
51

321

Avg. Minutes per Response
60
20

80

Burden (in hours)
270
17

287
SD/EL (School Staff)
# of Schools
270
51

321

# of SD/EL Students
2,318
442

2,760

Avg. Minutes per Response
15
15

N/A

Burden (in hours)
580
111

691
Total Burden (in hours)
9,483
1,409

10,892
Note: Numbers may not sum to totals because of rounding.

EXHIBIT 2

Total Annual Estimated Burden Time Cost for NAEP 2027 Assessments
Data Collection Year
Number of Respondents
Number of Responses
Total Burden (in hours)
2027
14,344
18,076
10,892

The estimated respondent burden across all these activities translates into an estimated total burden time cost of 10,892 hours,2 broken out by respondent group in the table below.
Students
Teachers & School Staff
Principals
Total
Hours
Cost
Hours
Cost
Hours
Cost
Hours
Cost
6,000
$43,500 
4,785
$165,737
107
$5,973
10,892
$215,210

A.14. Estimates of Cost to the Federal Government
The total cost to the federal government for the administration of the 2027 NAEP data collections (i.e., contract costs plus NCES salaries and expenses) is estimated to be $41,039,668. The table below represents the 2027 assessment cost estimates as of July 2026. 
NCES salaries and expenses
$700,150
Contract costs
$40,339,518
Scoring
$1,903,027

Item Development
 $5,220,684 

Sampling and Weighting
 $1,572,256

Data Collection (including materials distribution)
 $11,628,274 

Recruitment and State Support
 $1,153,244 

Design, Analysis, and Reporting
 $2,034,444 

Securing and Transferring DBA Assessment Data
 $794,321 

NAEP System Development
 $16,033,268 


A.15. Reasons for Changes in Burden and Budget (from last Clearance submittal)
This Amendment reflects slight updates to the NAEP 2027 Clearance package burden and budget. Minor shifts in schools expected to participate in School Device Model versus NAEP Device Model, as well as percentages of schools who will need an additional staff member to support the assessment, resulted in an increase in burden hours from the initial Clearance package (10,790 hours) compared to this Amendment (10,892 hours). 

In addition, the costs to the Federal Government have increased by $1,889,007 from the initial Clearance package.