[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