Notice2021-17676
Solicitation of Public Comments for Updating the Science Assessment Framework for the 2028 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Published
August 18, 2021
Issuing agencies
Education DepartmentNational Assessment Governing Board
Abstract
The National Assessment Governing Board (Governing Board) is soliciting public comment for preliminary guidance in updating the Assessment Framework for the 2028 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Science.
Full Text
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 18, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46231-46232]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17676]
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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 (NAEP)
AGENCY: National Assessment Governing Board, U.S. Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice of opportunity for preliminary public comment for 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 preliminary guidance in 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 (and most
recently used for the 2019 NAEP Science Assessment). Comments received
in response to this notice will be utilized to inform Governing Board
decisions on the extent of revisions needed to update the NAEP Science
Assessment Framework. A Governing Board charge to launch the framework
revision process is anticipated at the March 2022 quarterly Board
meeting.
Public and private parties and organizations are invited to provide
written comments and recommendations relative to the current framework,
adopted in 2005. Comments
[[Page 46232]]
should specifically address: (a) Whether the 2019 NAEP Science
Framework needs to be updated; (b) if the framework needs to be
updated, why a revision is needed; and (c) what should a revision to
the framework include? This notice sets forth the review schedule and
provides information for accessing additional materials that will be
informative and useful for this review.
Assessment and Item Specifications elaborate on the framework as
guidance for item development conducted by the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) and the NAEP assessment development
contractor(s). The framework development and update process also
produces recommendations for contextual variables, which supports NCES'
development of the questionnaires administered to students, teachers,
and schools to help the public understand the achievement results in
each subject. 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 Frameworks and Specifications can be
found at <a href="https://www.nagb.gov/naep-frameworks/frameworks-overview.html">https://www.nagb.gov/naep-frameworks/frameworks-overview.html</a>.
All responses will be taken into consideration before finalizing
the recommendations for updating the NAEP Science Assessment Framework.
Once finalized, recommendations will be used to guide a framework
update process, if an update is needed for the 2028 NAEP Science
Assessment.
Comments shall be submitted via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#305e5157527055541e575f46"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="177976707557727339707861">[email protected]</span></a> with the email
subject header NAEP Science Framework no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Time on Thursday, September 30. 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 will 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 <a href="https://www.nagb.gov/naep-frameworks/science/science-framework-feedback.html">https://www.nagb.gov/naep-frameworks/science/science-framework-feedback.html</a>.
Existing Science Framework for the NAEP
The existing framework (adopted in 2005) can be downloaded from the
Governing Board website at <a href="https://www.nagb.gov/naep-frameworks/science.html">https://www.nagb.gov/naep-frameworks/science.html</a>.
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 is initiating a preliminary review of the NAEP
Science Framework. The Governing Board's NAEP Science Framework review
will use general public comment collected through this notice as well
as expert commentary to determine whether a framework update is
required and the type of updates that may be needed. Learn more about
framework update processes at <a href="https://www.nagb.gov/content/dam/nagb/en/documents/naep/NAEP-Frameworks-FAQ_FINAL.pdf">https://www.nagb.gov/content/dam/nagb/en/documents/naep/NAEP-Frameworks-FAQ_FINAL.pdf</a>.
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:
<a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys">www.gpo.gov/fdsys</a>. 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: <a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Authority: Pub. L. 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. 2021-17676 Filed 8-17-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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