OMB83C NAEP 2018 Library Change Memo

Memorandum United States Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

National Center for Education Statistics

DATE: June 6, 2017

TO: Robert Sivinski and E. Ann Carson, OMB

THROUGH: Kashka Kubzdela, OMB Liaison, NCES

FROM: Linda Hamilton, NEAP Project, NCES

SUBJECT: National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2018 and 2019 Item Library Change Request (OMB# 1850-0928 v.6).

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, 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. The NAEP results are reported to the public through the Nation’s Report Card as well as other online NAEP tools. This request is to conduct NAEP in 2018 and 2019, including operational assessments, pilot tests, and special studies. NAEP 2018-2019 data collections, including operational assessments, pilot tests, and special studies, are currently under OMB review (OMB# 1850-0928 v.5).

This request is to add Oral Ready Fluency (ORF) items to the NAEP 2018-2019 questionnaire item library (Appendix F). We are announcing a second 30-day comment period for NAEP 2018-2019 for the inclusion of these additional ORF questionnaire items.

The ORF Study is described in the Supporting Statement Part A of the NAEP 2018-2019 submission (OMB# 1850-0928 v.5).

Rationale for adding the ORF specific survey questions: Originally only the NAEP operational grade 4 reading questionnaire was planned to be administered as part of the 2018 ORF study. After reviewing the preliminary results from the 2017 ORF pilot study (OMB# 1850-0803 v.174, approved in October 2016), it was determined that it would be advantageous to the utility of the collected data, as part of the analysis and reporting of results, to include four survey questions specific to oral reading. These four questions are not included in the 2017 NAEP operational grade 4 student questionnaire. The four questions have been added on page 323 of the revised Appendix F (after a section title page stating “Appendix F-1ab: 2018 Oral Reading Fluency Study”).

This amendment does not change the estimated respondent burden or the cost to the federal government. The objectives and scope remain the same per the NAEP 2018-2019 activities described in the OMB# 1850-0928 v.5 request under OMB’s review.