Notice2025-08602

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2026

Primary source

Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.

Published
May 15, 2025

Issuing agencies

Education Department

Abstract

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Department is proposing a revision of a currently approved information collection request (ICR).

Full Text

<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 93 (Thursday, May 15, 2025)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 93 (Thursday, May 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20636-20637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08602]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2024-SCC-0133]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2026

AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 
June 16, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for proposed 
information collection requests should be submitted within 30 days of 
publication of this notice. Click on this link <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a> to access the site. Find this information collection request 
(ICR) by selecting ``Department of Education'' under ``Currently Under 
Review,'' then check the ``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox. 
<a href="http://Reginfo.gov">Reginfo.gov</a> provides two links to view documents related to this 
information collection request. Information collection forms and 
instructions may be found by clicking on the ``View Information 
Collection (IC) List'' link. Supporting statements and other supporting 
documentation may be found by clicking on the ``View Supporting 
Statement and Other Documents'' link.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Matthew Soldner, 202-453-7441.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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: National Assessment of Educational Progress 
(NAEP) 2026.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-0928.
    Type of Review: A revision of a currently approved ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 786,113.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 449,560.
    Abstract: The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 
conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), is a 
federally authorized survey of student achievement at grades 4, 8, and 
12 in various subject areas, such as mathematics, reading, writing, 
science, U.S. history, civics, geography, economics, technology and 
engineering literacy (TEL), and the arts. The National Assessment of 
Educational

[[Page 20637]]

Progress Authorization Act (Public Law 107-279 Title III, section 303) 
requires the assessment to collect data on specified student groups and 
characteristics, including information organized by race/ethnicity, 
gender, socio-economic status, disability, and limited English 
proficiency. It requires fair and accurate presentation of achievement 
data and permits the collection of background, noncognitive, or 
descriptive information that is related to academic achievement and 
aids in fair reporting of results. The intent of the law is to provide 
representative sample data on student achievement for the nation, the 
states, and subpopulations of students and to monitor progress over 
time. NAEP consists of two assessment programs: the NAEP long-term 
trend (LTT) assessment and the main NAEP assessment. The LTT 
assessments are given at the national level only and are administered 
to students at ages 9, 13, and 17 in a manner that is very different 
from that used for the main NAEP assessments. LTT reports mathematics 
and reading results that present trend data since the 1970s. In 
addition to the operational assessments, NAEP uses two other kinds of 
assessment activities: pilot assessments and special studies. Pilot 
assessments test items and procedures for future administrations of 
NAEP, while special studies (including the National Indian Education 
Study (NIES), the Middle School Transcript Study (MSTS), and the High 
School Transcript Study (HSTS)) are opportunities for NAEP to 
investigate particular aspects of the assessment without impacting the 
reporting of the NAEP results.
    This request is to conduct NAEP in 2026, specifically: (1) Main 
NAEP operational assessments will include for grades 4 and 8 (first 
administration of the new frameworks for reading and mathematics), 
grade 8 (civics and U.S. history); in Puerto Rico, grades 4 and 8 
mathematics will be the only subject assessed and will include the new 
framework; (2) Pilot testing in grades 4, 8, and 12 (reading and 
mathematics); in Puerto Rico, grades 4 and 8 mathematics will be the 
only subject assessed; (3) Field Trial for grades 4, 8, and 12 in U.S. 
mainland and grades 4 and 8 in Puerto Rico; and (4) Special studies for 
grades 4, 8, and 12 for one or more focused topics such as Multi-stage 
Testing (MST) and accessibility.
    At least one additional package will be submitted in 2025 in order 
to update all materials in time for the data collection in early 2026.
    As of April 2025, NCES's assurances of confidentiality protections 
for NAEP 2026 have changed due to recent staffing changes at the 
Department of Education. NCES has removed the Foundations of Evidence-
Based Policymaking Act of 2018, Title III, Part B, Confidential 
Information Protection (``CIPSEA'') as a confidentiality assurance. 
However, confidentiality assurances under the Education Sciences Reform 
Act of 2002 (ESRA) remain in effect.

Ross Santy,
Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy 
Development.
[FR Doc. 2025-08602 Filed 5-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


</pre></body>
</html>
Indexed from Federal Register on May 15, 2025.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.