2021-24430. Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS 2023) Main Study Sampling, Recruitment, and Data Collection

AGENCY:

Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a reinstatement with change of a previously approved collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before January 10, 2022.

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-2021-SCC-0157. 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, ED will temporarily accept comments at [e-mail]. 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 by fax or email and those 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 PRA Coordinator of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W208B, Washington, DC 20202-8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Carrie Clarady, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Education (ED), 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. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education 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: International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS 2023) Main Study Sampling, Recruitment, and Data Collection.

OMB Control Number: 1850-0929.

Type of Review: Reinstatement with change of a previously approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 9,860.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 4,817.

Abstract: The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) is a computer-based international assessment of eighth-grade students' computer and information literacy (CIL) skills. ICILS was first administered internationally in 2013 in 21 education systems and again in 2018, when the United States participated for the first time. Our participation in this study has provided data on students' skills and experience using technology to investigate, create, and communicate, and provided a comparison of U.S. student performance and technology access and use with those of the international peers. The next administration of ICILS will be in 2023. The 2023 study will allow the U.S. to begin monitoring the progress of its students compared to that of other nations and to provide data on factors that may influence student computer and information literacy skills. The data collected through ICILS will provide valuable information with which to understand the nature and extent of the “digital divide” and has the potential to inform understanding of the relationship between technology skills and experience and student performance in other core subject areas.

ICILS is conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), an international collective of research organizations and government agencies that create the assessment framework, assessment, and background questionnaires. The IEA decides and agrees upon a common set of standards and procedures for collecting and reporting ICILS data, and defines the study timeline, all of which must be followed by all participating countries. As a result, ICILS is able to provide a reliable and comparable measure of student skills in participating countries. In the U.S., the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducts this study and works with the IEA and RTI International to ensure proper implementation of the study and adoption of practices in adherence to the IEA's standards. Participation in ICILS will allow NCES to meet its 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].

In preparation for the ICILS 2023 main study, all countries are asked to implement a field test between March 1 and April 15, 2022. The purpose of the ICILS field test is to evaluate new assessment items and background questions, to ensure practices that promote low exclusion rates, and to ensure that classroom and student sampling procedures proposed for the main study are successful. In October 2021 NCES submitted and OMB approved a separate package for the ICILS 2023 Pilot Field Test (OMB# 1850-0803 v.304). The U.S. ICILS main study will be conducted from March through May 2023 and will involve a nationally-representative sample of at least 3,000 eighth-grade students from a minimum of 150 schools. This request is to conduct the ICILS 2023 main study data recruitment and collection. The materials to be used in the main study are based upon those that were proposed most recently in October 2021. This submission describes the overarching plan for all phases of the data collection for the 2023 main study.

Dated: November 3, 2021.

Stephanie Valentine,

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.