The Progress in International Reading
Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 is coordinated by the International
Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and
in the U.S. administered by the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES). Since its inception in 2001, PIRLS has continued
to assess students every five years (2001, 2006, 2011, 2016). It is
typically administered in more than 40 countries and provides data
for internationally benchmarking U.S. performance in fourth-grade
reading. PIRLS also collects background information on students,
parents, teachers, schools, curricula, and official education
policies. Each successive round of participation in PIRLS provides
trend information about U.S. 4th-grade students' knowledge and
abilities in reading relative to other countries, and about the
cultural environments, teaching practices, curriculum goals, and
institutional arrangements that are associated with student
achievement, and how these change over time in different countries.
This submission describes the overarching plan for all phases of
the data collection, including the field test and the main study.
The field test will take place in March-April, 2015, and the main
study in the spring of 2016. The purpose of the PIRLS field test is
to evaluate new assessment items and background questions to ensure
practices that promote low exclusion rates, and to ensure that
classroom and student sampling procedures proposed for the main
study are successful. This submission requests approval for
recruiting for the 2015 field test and 2016 main study; conducting
the 2015 field test data collection; and a description of the
overarching plan for all of the phases of the data collection,
including the 2016 main study.
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.
PIRLS 2016 Field Test Response to Passback.docx
PIRLS Student Questionnaire