E7-18454. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Department of Education

SUMMARY:

The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 19, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Education Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10222, Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are encouraged to submit responses electronically by e-mail to [e-mail] or via fax to [phone]. Commenters should include the following subject line in their response “Comment: [insert OMB number], [insert abbreviated collection name, e.g., “Upward Bound Evaluation”]. Persons submitting comments electronically should not submit paper copies.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. OMB may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform its statutory obligations. The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, publishes that notice containing proposed information collection requests prior to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the following: (1) Type of review requested, e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information; (5) Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6) Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites public comment.

Dated: September 12, 2007.

Delores J. Barber,

Acting Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management.

Institute of Education Sciences

Type of Review: New.

Title: Assessment Accommodations for English Language Learners.

Frequency: Annually.

Affected Public: Individuals or household.

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 3,667.

Burden Hours: 397.

Abstract: This study will examine the effect of a test accommodation and its impact on the validity of assessments for English language learners (ELLs). Specifically, it will examine the ways in which linguistic students' ability to access content (e.g. math) during testing. Linguistic modification is theory-based process in which the language in test items, directions, and/or response options are modified in ways that clarify and simplify the text without simplifying or significantly altering the construct tested. By comparing the effects of linguistic modification on the performance of ELL students with that of English language proficient general education students without disabilities (non-ELL/non-SD), this study aims to increase understanding of the effects of an accommodation—one that holds promise as a means of decreasing the achievement gap between non-ELL/non-SD and ELL students—on construct validity, differential validity, and incremental validity of achievement test scores. While the initial phase of this study focuses on instrument refinement and validation, the second phase uses experimental design to examine the effectiveness of this accommodation for ELLs on tests of mathematics achievement.

Requests for copies of the information collection submission for OMB review may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the “Browse Pending Collections” link and by clicking on link number 3412. When you access the information collection, click on “Download Attachments” to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20202-4700. Requests may also be electronically mailed to [e-mail] or faxed to 202-245-6623. Please specify the complete title of the information collection when making your request.

Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be electronically mailed to [e-mail]. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.