[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 51 (Thursday, March 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16248-16249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05338]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Assessment Governing Board


Solicitation of Public Comments for Updating the Science 
Assessment Framework for the 2028 National Assessment of Educational 
Progress

AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board, U.S. Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity for public comment on working draft of 
the Science Assessment Framework for the 2028 National Assessment of 
Educational Progress (NAEP).

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SUMMARY: The National Assessment Governing Board (Governing Board) is 
soliciting public comment for input on proposed recommendations for 
updating the Assessment Framework for the 2028 National Assessment of 
Educational Progress (NAEP) in Science.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Governing Board is authorized to 
formulate policy guidelines for NAEP. Section 302(e)(1)(c) of Public 
Law 107-279 specifies that the Governing Board determines the content 
to be assessed for each NAEP Assessment. Each NAEP subject area 
assessment is guided by a framework that defines the scope of the 
domain to be measured by delineating the knowledge and skills to be 
tested at each grade and subject, the format of the assessment, and the 
achievement level descriptions--guiding assessments that are valid, 
reliable, and reflective of widely accepted professional standards. The 
NAEP Science Assessment Framework was last revised in 2005 for use in 
2009. In accordance with the Board policy on Assessment Framework 
Development for NAEP, panels of science experts representing many 
different stakeholder groups have provided recommendations for updating 
the NAEP Science Assessment Framework. Public feedback is being sought 
on a working draft of the 2028 NAEP Science Assessment Framework that 
was produced by the Science Framework Development Panel. Comments 
received in response to this notice will be utilized to inform 
Governing Board decisions on the NAEP Science Assessment Framework. 
Governing Board action on a revised science framework that incorporates 
feedback received during public comment is anticipated at the November 
2023 Board meeting.
    This notice sets forth the review schedule and provides information 
for accessing additional materials that will be informative and 
necessary for this review.
    By engaging NAEP's audiences, partners, and stakeholders in the 
panels that provide recommendations for NAEP frameworks and by seeking 
public comment, NAEP frameworks reflect content valued by the public as 
important to measure. Additional information on the Governing Board's 
work in developing NAEP assessment frameworks and Specifications can be 
found at https://www.nagb.gov/naep-frameworks/frameworks-overview.html.
    All responses will be taken into consideration before finalizing 
the recommendations for updating the NAEP Science Assessment Framework. 
Once finalized, the updated NAEP Science Assessment Framework will be 
used to guide what is tested on the NAEP Science Assessment in 2028 and 
beyond.
    Feedback shall be submitted via the project website 
(www.naepframeworkupdate.org) no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 
Monday, April 17. It is anticipated that public comments will be shared 
and discussed publicly in upcoming Governing Board meetings and 
materials. When providing comment, please indicate if you are not 
comfortable with your name and affiliation being included with the 
comments that may be shared publicly by the Governing Board in its 
deliberations.
    Additional information (including the materials referenced below) 
can be found on the project website at www.naepframeworkupdate.org.

Existing Science Framework for the NAEP

    The existing framework (adopted in 2005) can be downloaded from the 
Governing Board website at: https://www.nagb.gov/naep-subject-areas/science.html.

Governing Board's Periodic Review and Updating of NAEP Frameworks

    Governing Board policy articulates the Board's commitment to a 
comprehensive, inclusive, and deliberative process to determine and 
update the content and format of all NAEP assessments. For each NAEP 
assessment, this process results in a NAEP framework, outlining what is 
to be measured and how it will be measured. Periodically, the Governing 
Board reviews existing NAEP frameworks to determine if changes are 
warranted. Each NAEP framework development and update process considers 
a wide set of factors, including but not limited to reviews of recent 
research on teaching and learning, changes in state and local standards 
and assessments, and the latest perspectives on the nation's future 
needs and desirable levels of achievement.
    In 2021, the Board initiated a preliminary review of the NAEP 
Science Framework, which included an initial public comment on whether 
and how the framework should be updated as well as expert commentary to 
determine the type of updates needed. In May 2022, the Governing Board 
formally decided to initiate an update to the NAEP Science Framework 
and issued a Board Charge providing guidance to the panels of experts 
who were tasked with developing the framework recommendations.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Internet 
access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at: 
www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well as 
all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF, 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
Adobe website. You may also access documents of the Department 
published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature 
at: www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit

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your search to documents published by the Department.
    Authority: Public Law 107-279, Title III--National Assessment of 
Educational Progress Sec.  301.

Lesley Muldoon,
Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), U.S. 
Department of Education.
[FR Doc. 2023-05338 Filed 3-15-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P