[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 217 (Thursday, November 13, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50941-50942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-19876]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No.: ED-2025-SCC-0910]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Trends
in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2027) Main Study
International Questionnaire
AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education
(ED).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995,
the Department is proposing a revision of a currently approved
information collection request (ICR).
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
January 12, 2026.
ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the
information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2025-SCC-0910.
Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal
mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov
site is not available to the public for any reason, the Department will
temporarily accept comments at [email protected]. Please include the
docket ID number and the title of the information collection request
when requesting documents or submitting comments. Please note that
comments submitted after the comment period will not be accepted.
Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail
or delivery should be addressed to the National Center for Education
Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ,
Room 5C125, Washington, DC 20202-1200.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to
collection activities, please contact Matt Soldner, 202-453-7441.
[[Page 50942]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)),
provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to
comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of
information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting
burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in
the desired format. The Department is soliciting comments on the
proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below.
The Department is especially interested in public comment addressing
the following issues: (1) is this collection necessary to the proper
functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and
used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4)
how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department
minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including
through the use of information technology. Please note that written
comments received in response to this notice will be considered public
records.
Title of Collection: Trends in International Mathematics and
Science Study (TIMSS 2027) Main Study International Questionnaire.
OMB Control Number: 1850-0695.
Type of Review: A revision of a currently approved ICR.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and Households.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 19,236.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 8,047.
Abstract: 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, 2019, and 2023), with the next TIMSS assessment,
TIMSS 2027, being the ninth iteration of the study. In TIMSS 2023, 70
countries or education systems participated, and TIMSS 2027 is expected
to have a similar scope. The United States will participate in TIMSS
2027 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 (RTI
International, Measurement Incorportated, and Ideal Systems Solutions
Inc.) 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)].
TIMSS 2027 will be a computer-based assessment (referred to as
``eTIMSS''), administered electronically using the eTIMSS player. TIMSS
2027 will be the third eTIMSS assessment cycle in the United States.
In preparation for the TIMSS 2027 main study, all countries are
asked to implement a 2026 field test. The purpose of the TIMSS field
test is to evaluate newly developed assessment items and background
questions, to test operational procedures of electronic administration
of the assessment, to ensure practices that promote low exclusion
rates, and to ensure that classroom sampling procedures proposed for
the main study are successful. However, since the U.S. has participated
successfully in all prior cycles and to contain costs, the U.S. will
not participate in the field test of TIMSS 2027 and will only
participate in the main study.
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 main study plans as well
as draft and final questionnaires. In order to meet the international
data collection schedule and to align with recruitment for other NCES
studies (e.g., the National Assessment of Education Progress, NAEP),
the current package requests approval to conduct the TIMSS 2027 main
study sampling, recruitment and data collections. Recruitment for the
main study will begin in Spring 2026 with data collection occurring in
March through June 2027. The final internationally approved
questionnaires for the main study are expected to be submitted via a
change memo in January 2027.
Ross Santy,
Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy
Development.
[FR Doc. 2025-19876 Filed 11-12-25; 8:45 am]
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