[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35916-35918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17408]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Assessment Governing Board
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board; Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of Information Collection Activity; Request for Comment.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this notice announces a proposed information collection
request (ICR) of the National Assessment Governing Board. The
information collection is to conduct pilot tests of items developed for
use in the proposed voluntary national tests in 4th grade reading and
8th grade mathematics. Before submitting the ICR to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), the Governing Board is soliciting comments
on the information collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 31, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments identified by ``ICR: Voluntary
National Tests--Pilot,'' by mail or in person addressed to Ray Fields,
Assistant Director for Policy and Research, National Assessment
Governing Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington,
DC, 20002. Comments may be submitted electronically by sending
electronic mail (e-mail) to Ray __ [email protected]. Comments sent by e-
mail must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special
characters and any form of encryption.
All written comments will be available for public inspection at the
address given above from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray Fields, Assistant Director for
Policy and Research, National Assessment Governing Board, Suite 825,
800 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20002, Telephone: (202)
357-0395, e-mail: Ray __ [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Information Collection Request
The National Assessment Governing Board is seeking comments on the
following Information Collection Request (ICR).
Type of Review: New.
[[Page 35917]]
Title: Pilot Tests for the Voluntary National Tests in 4th Grade
Reading and 8th Grade Mathematics.
Affected Entities: Parties affected by this information collection
are state, local, Tribal Government or non-public education agencies.
Abstrate: Pub. L. 105-78 vests exclusive authority to develop the
voluntary national tests in the Governing Board and also prohibits the
use of Fiscal Year 1998 funds for pilot testing, field testing,
implementation, administration, or distribution of voluntary national
tests. If Congress does not prohibit further development of the
voluntary national tests after September 30, 1998, the Governing Board
intends to begin pilot testing of items (i.e., test questions) in March
1999.
Public Law 105-78 also requires the Governing Board to make four
determinations about the voluntary national tests: (1) the extent to
which test items selected for use on the tests are free from racial,
cultural, or gender bias, (2) whether the test development process and
test items adequately assess student reading and mathematics
comprehension in the form most likely to yield accurate information
regarding student achievement in reading and mathematics, (3) whether
the test development process and test items take into account the needs
of disadvantaged, limited English proficient, and disabled students,
and (4) whether the test development process takes into account how
parents, guardians, and students will appropriately be informed about
testing content, purpose and uses.
The purpose of the pilot test is to gather data on the test
questions in order to construct multiple equated test forms (i.e., test
booklets that are essentially interchangeable) in 4th grade reading and
in 8th grade mathematics and to provide information related to the four
determinations. Test forms would be constructed on the basis of the
pilot test data and would be field-tested in March of 2000. The overall
purpose of the field-testing is to ensure that the test forms are in
fact equated to each other. Test forms developed in this first cycle
would be available for use in March 2001. Further item and test
development is expected, with pilot testing in March of 2000 and 2001,
and field-testing, for respective cycles, in March 2001 and 2002.
Approximately 1,100 test items in 4th grade reading and 1,100 test
items in 8th grade mathematics will be pilot tested in March 1999.
Individual 4th grade students will respond to 45 reading items;
individual 8th grade students will respond to 60 mathematics items.
This is the same number of items that will be on the respective test
forms for field-testing. The objective is to produce six equated test
forms in reading and in mathematics for the year 2000 field test. Thus,
270 reading test items and 360 mathematics test items are required for
the field-test forms. This provides a ratio of pilot tested items to
field-tested items of 4:1 for reading and 3:1 for mathematics.
The pilot tests will be conducted on nationally representative
samples. The sample size is based on at least 800 students per test
item. For 4th grade reading, the March 1999 pilot will involve an
estimated 24,000 students in 558 schools. The March 2000 and 2001 pilot
tests in 4th grade reading will each involve an estimated 16,000
students in 374 schools. For 8th grade mathematics, the March 1999
pilot test will involve an estimated 19,200 students in 344 schools.
The March 2000 and 2001 pilot tests in 8th grade mathematics will each
involve an estimated 13,000 students in 231 schools. The reason for the
smaller sample sizes in 2000 and 2001 is that the target is to field
test four test forms in the second and third development cycles as
opposed to six in the first cycle (i.e., March 1999 pilot test, March
2000 field test).
In order to ensure adequate control and proper identification of
the booklets of test items, and conduct necessary analyses of the data
that results from the information collection, the following background
information will be collected on the cover of the booklets of test
questions: student name, date of birth, race/ethnicity, and sex (all to
be supplied by the student), and special education status, limited
English proficiency status, disadvantaged status, test administration
accommodations, primary language, the test administrator under
contract). Although students will write their name on each booklet for
identification purposes during the administration of the pilot test,
the students' names will be removed from the booklet shortly after the
pilot test. Student names will not be included in the database for
analysis and will not leave the school building where pilot testing is
taking place. Instead, a unique numeric or alphanumeric identifier will
be assigned to each booklet for tracking and analysis purposes. No
third party notification or public disclosure burden is associated with
this collection.
Burden Statement: The annual burden respondent estimate is based on
90 minutes of testing and 30 minutes of test administration activities
(e.g., delivering instructions, handing out and collecting booklets,
and providing background information as described above) per student,
or two hours per student. For 4th grade reading, the burden estimate is
48,000 hours in 1999, 32,000 hours in 2000, and 32,000 hours in 2001.
For 8th grade mathematics, the burden estimate is 38,400 hours in
19999, 26,000 hours in 2000, and 26,000 hours in 2001. Each respondent
is required to respond only once per event. Respondents will be
different individuals in different pilot test years.
Participation in the pilot test is voluntary. State, local, and
non-public education agencies are not mandated or required to
participate.
II. Request for Comments
The National Assessment Governing Board solicits comments to:
(a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Governing
Board, including whether the information will have practical utility;
(b) Evaluate the accuracy of the Governing Board's estimates of the
burden of the proposed collection of information;
(c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected;
(d) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses.
III. Public Record
A record has been established for this action. A public version of
this record, including printed, paper versions of electronic comments,
is available for inspection from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The public record is located in Suite
825, 800 North Capital Street, NW., Washington, DC, 20002. Comments may
be submitted electronically by sending electronic mail (e-mail) to
[email protected]. Comments sent by e-mail must be submitted as an
ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of
encryption.
The official record for this action, as well as the public version,
as described above will be kept in paper form. Accordingly, the
National Assessment Governing Board will transfer all comments received
electronically into printed, paper form as they are received and will
place the paper copies in the official record which will also include
all comments submitted directly in
[[Page 35918]]
writing. The official record is the paper record maintained at the
National Assessment Governing Board, Suite 825, 800 North Capitol
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20002.
List of Subjects
Pilot tests for the voluntary national tests in 4th grade reading
and 8th grade mathematics and Information Collection Requests.
Dated: June 25, 1998.
Roy Truby,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 98-17408 Filed 6-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M