Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2027) Main Study International
Questionnaire
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
02/04/2026
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
01/31/2026
19,236
50,996
8,047
20,336
177,630
0
The Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), conducted by the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department
of Education (ED), is an international assessment of fourth and
eighth grade students’ achievement in mathematics and science.
Since its inception in 1995, TIMSS has continued to assess students
every 4 years (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019), with
the next TIMSS assessment, TIMSS 2023, being the eighth iteration
of the study. In TIMSS 2023, approximately 65 countries or
education systems will participate. The United States will
participate in TIMSS 2023 to continue to monitor the progress of
its students compared to that of other nations and to provide data
on factors that may influence student achievement. TIMSS is led by
the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational
Achievement (IEA), an international collective of research
organizations and government agencies that create the frameworks
used to develop the assessment, the survey instruments, and the
study timeline. IEA decides and agrees upon a common set of
standards, procedures, and timelines for collecting and reporting
data, all of which must be followed by all participating countries.
As a result, TIMSS is able to provide a reliable and comparable
measure of student skills in participating countries. In the U.S.,
NCES conducts this study in collaboration with the IEA and a number
of contractors to ensure proper implementation of the study and
adoption of practices in adherence to the IEA’s standards.
Participation in TIMSS is consistent with NCES’s mandate of
acquiring and disseminating data on educational activities and
student achievement in the United States compared with foreign
nations [The Educational Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20
U.S.C. §9543)]. Previous requests associated with the TIMSS 2023
field test, which was conducted in March and April 2022, were
approved by OMB between May 2021 and February 2022 (OMB# 1850-0695
v.16-19). Because TIMSS is a collaborative effort among many
parties, the United States must adhere to the international
schedule set forth by the IEA, including the availability of final
field test and main study plans as well as draft and final
questionnaires. In order to meet the international data collection
schedule, to align with recruitment for other NCES studies (e.g.,
the National Assessment of Education Progress, NAEP), and for
schools to put the TIMSS 2023 field test assessment on their Spring
2022 calendars, recruitment activities for the field test began in
June of 2021. Recruitment activities for the main study began in
January 2022, with the data collection activities currently
scheduled to begin in March 2023. This package solicits 30 days of
public comment and requests OMB approval for the final
international version of the main study questionnaires. Adaptation
activities to fit the questionnaire text into the U.S. education
context are currently underway. The U.S. questionnaires for the
main study will be submitted via non-substantive change request in
January 2023.
US Code:
20
USC 9573 Name of Law: Education Sciences Reform Act
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 TIMSS2027 Main Study Sampling Recruitment and Data Collection.docx
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2027) Field Test Data Collection and Main Study Sampling, Recruitment, and Data Collection