TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND 

SCIENCE STUDY 2015 (TIMSS 2015) 

MAIN STUDY DATA COLLECTION

OMB# 1850-0695 v.5

SUPPORTING STATEMENT PART A

Submitted by:

National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

Washington, DC

July 2014
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................................... 2

A. JUSTIFICATION................................................................................................................................... 4

A.1 Importance of Information............................................................................................................................4

A.2 Purposes and Uses of Data............................................................................................................................5

A.3 Improved Information Technology (Reduction of Burden)..........................................................................7

A.4 Efforts to Identify Duplication......................................................................................................................7

A.5 Minimizing Burden for Small Entities..........................................................................................................8

A.6 Frequency of Data Collection .......................................................................................................................8

A.7 Special Circumstances..................................................................................................................................8

A.8 Consultations outside NCES.........................................................................................................................8

A.9 Payments or Gifts to Respondents................................................................................................................8

A.10 Assurance of Confidentiality ........................................................................................................................9

A.11 Sensitive Questions.....................................................................................................................................10

A.12 Estimates of Burden....................................................................................................................................10

A.13 Total Annual Cost Burden ..........................................................................................................................11

A.14 Annualized Cost to Federal Government....................................................................................................11

A.15 Program Changes or Adjustments ..............................................................................................................12

A.16 Plans for Tabulation and Publication..........................................................................................................12

A.17 Display OMB Expiration Date ...................................................................................................................12

A.18 Exceptions to Certification Statement ........................................................................................................12

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL INFORMATION

B.1 Respondent Universe

B.2 Statistical Methodology

B.3 Maximizing Response Rates

B.4 Purpose of Field Test and Data Uses

B.5 Individuals Consulted on Statistical Design

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Recruitment Materials (Approved 11/14/2013 OMB #1850-0695 v.3)

Appendix B: Parental Consent Materials (Approved 11/14/2013; OMB #1850-0695 v.3)

Appendix C1: TIMSS 2015 Main Study Grades 4, 8, and 12 Questionnaires

Appendix C2: U.S. National Changes to TIMSS 2015 Main Study Instruments

Appendix D: Non-response Bias Analysis Plan (Approved 11/14/2013; OMB #1850-0695 v.3)
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PREFACE

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Institute of 

Education Sciences, is requesting clearance for data collection materials and procedures for the 2015 Trends in 

International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2015) full scale data collection. In November 2013, NCES 

received clearance (OMB# 1850-0695 v.3) for the TIMSS 2015 field test data collection and recruitment for the 

TIMSS 2015 full scale data collection (also referred to as the main study). The materials to be used in the main 

study are based upon those that were approved in November 2013. With that submission, NCES adequately 

justified the need for and overall practical utility of the full study as proposed and an overarching plan for the 

phases of the data collection over the next 3 years, and provided as much detail on the measures to be used as was 

available at the time of the submission. Thus OMB approved the initial phase of this collection in November 2013, 

and now NCES published a notice in the Federal Register allowing a 30-day public comment period on the details 

of the subsequent study components (the TIMSS 2015 main study) described in this submission.

This submission is a request for OMB’s approval of the final versions of the 2015 TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 

full-scale non-cognitive data collection instruments. A description of the modifications that have been made to the 

previously approved international versions of the grades 4 and 8 field test instruments, which was approved on 

February 10, 2014 (OMB # 1850-0695 v.4), is also included in this submission (Appendix C). The Supporting 

Statements Parts A and B are the same as those approved in November 2013 (OMB# 1850-0695 v.3), with the 

following changes:

 References to a computer-based assessment pilot were deleted as it will not be conducted in the main 

study;

 School sample size for TIMSS Advanced was increased to ensure sufficient numbers of students eligible to 

take the assessments;

 Florida was included as a benchmarking participant at grades 4 and 8;

 References were deleted to 9 benchmarking states and Puerto Rico for grades 4 and 8 as they are not 

participating;

 References were deleted to 10 benchmarking states and Puerto Rico for TIMSS Advanced at grade 12 as 

they are not participating; and

 References were deleted to a possible parent questionnaire as it will not be administered in the main study 

in the United States.

The Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 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), with the next TIMSS assessment, TIMSS 2015, being the 

sixth iteration of the study. Participation in this study by the United States at regular intervals provides data on

current and past education policies and a comparison of U.S. education policies with its international counterparts.

In TIMSS 2011, 50 countries and 7 other education systems participated at grade 4, and 42 countries and 14 other 

education systems participated at grade 8. The United States will participate in TIMSS 2015 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 2015 will be administered in the spring of the 2014-15 school year in the United 

States and in more than 50 other nations or education systems during the comparable school year.

Periodically, TIMSS has also conducted an assessment of advanced mathematics and physics of students at the end 

of secondary school (1995 and 2008). The United States participated in TIMSS Advanced in 1995, but not in 2008.

Because of the current strong policy interest in preparedness for college and for careers in science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, the U.S. plans to participate in TIMSS Advanced in 2015. It will also 
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be administered in the spring of the 2014-15 school year in the United States and in 10 other nations during the 

comparable school year.

TIMSS 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 frameworks used to 

develop the assessment, the background questionnaires, and the studies’ timeline. IEA decides and agrees upon a

common set of standards and procedures for collecting and reporting data, and defines the studies’ timeline, 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., the National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) sponsors this study in collaboration with the IEA and other contractors (Westat, Avar Consulting 

(Avar), AIR, and Hager Sharp) to ensure proper implementation of the study and adoption of practices in adherence 

to the IEA’s standards. Participation in TIMSS also allows 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., Section 9543].

In reporting achievement in mathematics and science at grades 4 and 8, TIMSS results provide four benchmarks 

(Advanced, High, Medium, and Low) for each content domain depending on the grade and subject assessed (fourth

and eighth grades in mathematics and science). Although the fourth and eighth grade content domains differ, the 

cognitive domains (knowing, applying, and reasoning) remain the same for both grades and subjects to understand 

the problem-solving skills learned and applied throughout primary and middle school years. TIMSS also reports on 

a variety of issues related to the education context for the students in the sample, including instructional practices, 

school resources, and curriculum implementation.

TIMSS Advanced will report the numbers and proportions of the overall population who are participating in 

physics and advanced mathematics at the end of secondary school. In advanced mathematics, the assessment 

framework covers algebra, calculus, and geometry. In physics, the framework covers mechanics, 

electricity/magnetism, heat/temperature, and atomic/nuclear physics. Student achievement will be reported based 

on international benchmarks (Advanced, High, Medium, and Low), and will include contextual data about education 

practices, resources, and student preparation and attitudes, that can be used to inform education policy discussions 

about STEM fields.

Compared to previous assessment cycles, TIMSS 2015 differs in several ways:

 Unlike TIMSS 2011, TIMSS 2015 will not involve the IEA’s bilateral coordination of TIMSS with the 

International Study Center’s Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment.

 Unlike the 2011 assessment, there will be no federally funded state benchmarking.

 Participation in TIMSS Advanced, which will measure achievement in advanced mathematics and physics for 

students in their last year of secondary school, represents the first U.S. participation since 1995.

 For TIMSS 2015, class and student lists from participating schools will be gathered electronically using an 

adaptation of a secure E-filing process. E-filing provides advantageous features such as efficiency and data 

quality checks. Schools will access the E-filing system through the new MyTIMSS web site.

 TIMSS 2015 will include a parent questionnaire at grade 4; however, the United States will not participate in 

the parent questionnaire.

In preparation for the TIMSS 2015 main study, all countries were asked to implement a 2014 field test. The United 

States participated in the TIMSS Advanced field test but not the TIMSS field test at grades 4 and 8. Based on the 

field test results for TIMSS Advanced, along with information about participation in Advanced Placement (AP) 
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Calculus and Physics courses provided by the College Board, the main study sample of grade 12 schools has been 

increased from 250 to 350 schools to ensure sufficient numbers of students eligible to take the assessments. It is 

anticipated that approximately 50 of the initially selected schools will not be eligible for TIMSS Advanced because 

they do not offer the requisite advanced mathematics and physics courses.

Also since the field test, the state of Florida contacted Westat (TIMSS 2015 contractor) to request that Florida 

participate in the TIMSS 2015 main study as a benchmarking participant at grades 4 and 8. This request was 

approved by the IEA, and NCES has drawn a state sample for Florida to participate. 

The U.S. TIMSS main study will be conducted from March 30 through May 29, 2015. The main study will involve 

a nationally-representative sample of students in the target population for each subject from 300 schools at each 

grade (4 and 8), and about 300 schools for TIMSS Advanced in grade 12 (with both the advanced mathematics and 

physics assessments administered in the same schools whenever possible).

This submission describes the TIMSS 2015 main study. In addition to the supporting statements Parts A and B, 

Appendix A provides main study recruitment materials, consisting of letters to state and district officials and school 

principals, and text for a TIMSS brochure, “Frequently Asked Questions,” and a “Summary of Activities”. Parental 

consent materials are provided in Appendix B. All materials in Appendix A and B were approved on November 

14, 2013. Also approved on February 10, 2014, was the revised version of Appendix C containing the international 

versions of the TIMSS 2015 field test questionnaire items and U.S. version of the TIMSS Advanced 2015 field test 

questionnaire items. 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 draft and final questionnaires. For this 

submission, the contents of Appendix C have been updated with the latest drafts of the U.S. versions of the 2015 

TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced main study questionnaires. We expect the final U.S. versions of these questionnaires 

to be approved by the IEA in mid-October, at which point we will submit them to OMB for approval as a change 

request. We expect the final versions to be very similar to the drafts included in this submission.

A. Justification

A.1 Importance of Information

Benchmarking of U.S. student achievement against other countries continues to be of high interest to education 

policymakers, and informs policy discussions of economic competitiveness and workforce and post-secondary 

preparedness. TIMSS provides a unique opportunity to compare U.S. students’ mathematics and science knowledge 

and skills at fourth and eighth grade with that of their peers in countries around the world. Science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) preparedness is key to economic improvement. The TIMSS Advanced 

component is the only international assessment that provides information about the achievement and educational 

context of students who take advanced mathematics and physics courses in high school, preparing them for further 

education and careers in science, engineering, and technology fields.

The continuation of U.S. participation allows for the study of past and current education policies that have shaped 

science and mathematics achievement over the past 20 years. Furthermore, participating countries are not only able 

to obtain information about students' knowledge and abilities in the specified subjects, but also about the cultural 

environments, teaching practices, curriculum goals, and institutional arrangements that are associated with student 

achievement in the respective subject areas.

TIMSS complements what we learn from national assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational 

Progress (NAEP) by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of student science and mathematics achievement 

relative to participating countries around the world. It provides valuable benchmarking information about 

educational polices enacted in other countries and policies that could be applied to U.S. educational practices.
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Based on earlier TIMSS data releases, it is likely that the results of these studies will draw great attention in the 

United States and elsewhere. It is therefore expected that TIMSS will contribute to ongoing national and 

international debates and efforts to improve mathematics and science learning and achievement.

A.2 Purposes and Uses of Data

TIMSS assesses mathematics and science knowledge and skills at grades 4 and 8, and advanced mathematics and 

science knowledge and skills of select students at grade 12. TIMSS is designed to align broadly with curricula in 

the participating countries. The results, therefore, suggest the degree to which students have learned concepts and 

skills likely to have been taught in school. TIMSS also collects background information on students, teachers, 

schools, curricula, and official education policies in order to allow cross-national comparison of educational 

contexts that may be related to student achievement.

Data compiled and collected from TIMSS 2015 allows for evidence-based decisions to be made for the purposes of 

educational improvement. Each successive participation in TIMSS provides trend information about student 

achievement in mathematics and science relative to other countries, as well as indicators that show how this 

achievement relates to demographic and curricular, school, teacher, and student factors that provide the educational 

context for achievement. This high quality, internationally comparative trend data provides key information to 

inform education policy discussions.

Through the participation in TIMSS and other international assessment programs, NCES is able to provide 

comparative indicators on student performance and school practices across countries in order to benchmark U.S. 

student performance, and to suggest hypotheses about the relationship between student performance and factors that 

may influence performance as well as areas in which students have strengths or weaknesses. The international 

studies identify differences among countries over time in instructional practices, school policies, and opportunityto-learn that can lead to discussions about how to organize instruction.

This collection of data is consistent with the NCES mandate. The enabling legislation of the National Center for 

Education Statistics [Section 406 of the General Education Provisions Act, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1221e-1)] 

specifies that "The purpose of the Center [NCES] shall be to collect and analyze and disseminate statistics and other 

information related to education in the United States and in other nations." The Educational Sciences Reform Act of 

2002 (ESRA 2002: 20 U.S.C., Section 9543) also specifies that NCES shall collect, report, analyze, and 

disseminate statistical data related to education in the United States and in other nations, including acquiring and 

disseminating data on educational activities and student achievement in the United States compared with foreign 

nations. In addition to being essential for any international perspective on mathematics and science knowledge and 

skills, U.S. participation fulfills both the national and international aspects of NCES' mission.

TIMSS 2015 Components

The mathematics and science assessments at grades 4 and 8 are organized around a content dimension that specifies 

the subject matter to be assessed and a cognitive dimension that specifies the thinking processes to be assessed. The 

cognitive domains are the same in mathematics and science: knowing, applying, and reasoning. The TIMSS 2015 

frameworks are similar to 2011, but have been slightly revised or updated to provide more specificity for item 

writers, and to better reflect current curricula in participating countries. There were no revisions to the content 

domains or cognitive domains, nor were there changes to the target percentages for the content domains or 

cognitive domains at either subject at either grade.

In fourth grade mathematics the cognitive content domains include: number, geometric shapes and measures, and 

data display. More advanced content in these three domains are assessed in eighth grade, supplemented by a data 
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and chance domain. TIMSS assesses a range of problem-solving situations within mathematics, with about twothirds of the questions requiring students to use applying and reasoning skills.

In science at fourth grade, the content domains include: life science, physical science, and earth science. At eighth 

grade the content domains transition to a more discipline-based approach, reflecting the differences in instruction 

from elementary school. The content domains at eighth grade are: biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science.

TIMSS 2015 will also measure science practices and science inquiry, reflecting recent emphasis on these skills in 

many countries’ curricula and content standards.

TIMSS Advanced assesses students in the twelfth grade who have taken advanced mathematics and physics 

coursework. The cognitive domains are the same as fourth and eighth grade (knowing, applying, and reasoning), 

and emphasize the thinking processes students are expected to use when answering the advanced mathematics and 

physics questions.

The advanced mathematics framework has three content domains: algebra, calculus, and geometry. In physics, the 

content domains are: mechanics and thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, wave phenomena, and 

atomic/nuclear physics.

Assessment Instruments

TIMSS. In order to minimize burden and to ensure broad subject-matter coverage, TIMSS will use a matrix 

sampling approach where the mathematics and science items at each grade level are organized into a set of test 

booklets, with each student taking only one booklet.

TIMSS Advanced. Matrix sampling will also be used in TIMSS Advanced so that students will take only a subset 

of the items in one subject: advanced mathematics or physics.

Questionnaires

The background questionnaires for TIMSS 2015 are being developed to address a background questions framework 

developed internationally. The United States will adapt the questions to fit the U.S. education context, including 

adding a few questions, such as about the race/ethnicity of students. All but the student questionnaire will be 

offered online, with a paper and pencil backup. Students will only receive a paper and pencil questionnaire.

School Questionnaire. A representative from each participating school will be asked to provide information on 

mathematics and science resources, teacher availability and retention, principal leadership, school emphasis on 

academic success, school climate, and parental involvement in school activities.

Teacher Questionnaire. At grades 4 and 8, mathematics and science teachers of students in selected classes will be 

asked to complete a teacher questionnaire. For the Advanced study, all teachers of the eligible courses in selected 

schools will be asked to complete the relevant teacher questionnaire (for either advanced mathematics or physics).

Teacher questionnaires will include questions about teacher preparation and experience, mathematics and science 

topics taught, instructional resources and technology, instructional time, instructional engagement, and classroom 

assessment.

Student Questionnaire. Student information will be collected about home resources, motivation, self-concept,

self-efficacy, and student characteristics such as gender and race/ethnicity.
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A.3 Improved Information Technology (Reduction of Burden)

The TIMSS 2015 design and procedures are prescribed internationally and data collection involves paper and pencil 

student assessments and questionnaires, as well as optional online or paper and pencil school, teacher, and parent

questionnaires. Each participating nation is expected to adhere to the internationally prescribed design. In the 

United States, the school and teacher questionnaires will be made available to school administrators and teachers 

online as the main mode of administration, with a paper and pencil backup to facilitate user preference for 

participation. The online questionnaires will be provided on the secure NCES server, so that NCES will be able to 

control access to the data to ensure confidentiality and minimize disclosure risk.

A communication website, MyTIMSS USA, will be used for TIMSS 2015 during the main study in order to 

provide a simple, single source of information to engage and maintain high levels of school involvement. This 

portal will be used throughout the assessment cycle to inform schools of their tasks and to provide them with easy 

access to information tailored for their anticipated needs. We plan to gather class and student lists from 

participating schools electronically using an adaptation of Westat’s secure E-filing process. E-filing is an electronic 

system for submitting lists of student information, including student background information in school records. It

has been used successfully in NAEP for about 10 years, and was used in the PISA 2012 assessment. The E-filing 

system provides advantageous features such as efficiency and data quality checks. Schools will access the E-filing 

system through the MyTIMSS web site.

A.4 Efforts to Identify Duplication

In the United States, mathematics and science achievement is systematically assessed at (1) the Federal level, where 

trend data have been collected on a fairly regular basis since 1971, through the National Assessment of Educational 

Progress (NAEP); (2) the state level, where data are routinely collected as part of state testing programs, though 

they vary across the states in terms of the frequency of testing, age/grades tested, and types of cognitive items 

administered; and (3) the district level, where data are collected through the use of commercially or locally 

developed standardized tests as well as tests developed in conjunction with the instructional programs used in 

schools. TIMSS 2015 does not duplicate these assessments.

TIMSS 2015 is part of a program of international cooperative studies of educational achievement supported and 

funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Education. These studies represent the U.S. participation in international 

studies involving approximately 60-65 countries. As part of international cooperative studies, the United States 

must collect the same information at the same time as the other nations for purposes of making both valid 

international comparisons with other countries and with the previous TIMSS data. While some studies in the United 

States collect similar, though not identical, kinds of information (e.g., NAEP), the data from those studies cannot be 

substituted for the information collected in TIMSS in that they do not allow for comparisons outside the United 

States. Furthermore, the data collected through TIMSS is based on unique frameworks that are not shared by any 

other state, national, or international data collection effort. In order to participate in these international studies, the 

United States must agree to administer the same core instruments that are administered in the other countries.

Because the items measuring mathematics and science achievement have been developed with intensive 

international coordination, any changes to the instruments require international coordination and approval.

The TIMSS Advanced study will provide the only international measure of the achievement of students who have 

opportunity to learn advanced mathematics and physics. No other study provides information about how many 

students are participating in highly specialized STEM course materials in a global context, along with their 

achievement and educational context supporting that achievement.
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A.5 Minimizing Burden for Small Entities

No small entities are part of this sample. The school samples for TIMSS contain small-, medium- and large-size 

schools, including private schools, selected based on probability proportionate to their size. All school sizes are 

needed to ensure an appropriate representation of each type of school in the selected sample of schools. Burden will 

be minimized wherever possible. For example, schools will be selected so as to avoid overlap with other NCES 

assessments such as NAEP and PISA. In addition, contractor staff will conduct all test administration, and will 

assist with parental notification, sampling, and other tasks as much as possible within each school. In grades 4 and 

8 the assessment will be administered to intact classes to minimize disruption to school schedules.

A.6 Frequency of Data Collection

The main study data collection for the 2015 TIMSS at grades 4 and 8 and TIMSS Advanced at grade 12 is 

scheduled for March 30 through May 29, 2015. This schedule is prescribed by the international collective for 

TIMSS, and adherence to this schedule is necessary to establish consistency in survey operations among 

participating countries as well as to maintain trend lines.

A.7 Special Circumstances

None of the special circumstances identified in the Instructions for Supporting Statement apply to the TIMSS study.

A.8 Consultations outside NCES

Consultations outside NCES have been extensive and will continue throughout the life of the project. The IEA 

studies are developed as a cooperative enterprise involving all participating countries. An International Steering 

Committee has general oversight of the study and each National Research Coordinator participates in extensive 

discussions concerning the projects, usually with advice from national subject matter and testing experts. In 

addition, the IEA convened separate panels of mathematics and science experts from around the world to develop 

cognitive items.

The majority of the consultations (outside NCES) have involved the TIMSS International Study Center at Boston 

College in the United States. Key to these ongoing consultations are: Dirk Hastedt (executive director of the IEA); 

Michael Martin, Ina V.S. Mullis, and Victoria Centurino, all of whom have extensive experience in developing and 

operating international education surveys (especially related to TIMSS).

A.9 Payments or Gifts to Respondents

In order to achieve acceptable school response rates, schools have historically been offered compensation for the 

time they invest in and the space they make available for the international assessments. High response rates are 

required by both IEA and NCES, and are difficult to achieve in school-based studies. The U.S. has historically had 

difficulties in achieving sufficient participation levels. Based on incentives provided in past administrations of 

TIMSS and currently offered in international assessments, schools will be offered $200 for their time.

The school staff serving as School Coordinators will receive $100 for their time and effort. The School Coordinator 

serves a critical role in data collection, functioning as the central school contact and facilitating arrangements for 

the assessments. They are asked to file class and student listing forms; arrange the date, time and space for the 

assessment; and disseminate information to parents and students.

Consistent with prior administrations of TIMSS, as a token of appreciation for their participation, students will 

receive a small gift valued at approximately $2. In the TIMSS Advanced 2015 field test, each participating student 

received a small flashlight that could be clipped securely (with an attached karabiner) to a backpack or belt loop. 

The same product will be distributed to participating students for the TIMSS 2015 data collection. Students will 

also receive a certificate with their name thanking them for participating in and representing the United States in 
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TIMSS 2015. Some schools also offer recognition parties with pizza or other treats for students who participate; 

however these are not reimbursed by NCES or the contractor.

High school students participating in the TIMSS Advanced study will receive a certificate from the U.S. 

Department of Education for four hours of volunteer service.

A.10 Assurance of Confidentiality

The laws pertaining to the collection and use of personally identifiable information are clearly communicated in 

correspondence with states, districts, schools, teachers, and students. Letters and information materials will be sent 

to parents and school administrators describing the study, its voluntary nature, and the extent to which respondents 

and their responses will be kept confidential (see copies in Appendix B):

NCES is authorized to conduct this study under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002), 20 U.S. Code, § 

9543. By law, the data provided [by your schools, staff, and students] may only be used for statistical purposes and may not 

be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, § 9573).

The following statement will appear on the front cover of the questionnaires (the phrase “search existing data 

resources, gather the data needed” will not be included on the student questionnaire):

U.S. participation in this study is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of 

Education. Your responses are protected by federal statute (20 U.S.C., § 9573). Your answers may be used only for 

statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless 

such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this voluntary information 

collection is 1850-0695. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average XX minutes per 

respondent, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete 

and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s), 

suggestions for improving the form, or comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this 

form, write directly to: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), National Center for Education 

Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.

OMB No. 1850-0695, Approval Expires xx/xx/2016.

The TIMSS 2015 confidentiality plan includes signing confidentiality agreements and notarized nondisclosure 

affidavits by all contractor and subcontractor personnel and field workers who will have access to individual 

identifiers. Also included in the plan is personnel training regarding the meaning of confidentiality, particularly as it 

relates to handling requests for information and providing assurance to respondents about the protection of their 

responses; controlled and protected access to computer files under the control of a single data base manager; builtin safeguards concerning status monitoring and receipt control systems; and a secured and operator-manned inhouse computing facility. Data files, accompanying software, and documentation will be delivered to NCES at the 

end of the project. Neither names nor addresses will be included on any data file.

NCES understands the legal and ethical need to protect the privacy of the TIMSS respondents and has extensive 

experience in developing data files for release that meet the government’s requirements to protect individually 

identifiable data from disclosure. The contractor will conduct a thorough disclosure analysis of the TIMSS 2015 

data when preparing the data files for use by researchers, in compliance with 20 U.S.C., § 9573. Schools with high 

disclosure risk will be identified and, to ensure that individuals may not be identified from the data files, a variety 

of masking strategies will be used, including swapping data and omitting key identification variables (i.e., school 

name and address) from both the public- and restricted-use files (though the restricted-use file will include an 

NCES school ID that can be linked to other NCES databases to identify a school); omitting key identification 
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variables such as state or ZIP Code from the public-use file; and collapsing or developing categories for continuous 

variables to retain information for analytic purposes while preserving confidentiality in public-use files.

A.11 Sensitive Questions

None of the TIMSS questionnaires that the United States is administering—the student, school, and teacher 

questionnaires--have items considered to be of sensitive nature.

A.12 Estimates of Burden

This package shows estimated burden to respondents for all TIMSS 2015 activities, and requests approval for 

burden to respondents for the 2015 TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced main study data collection portions of the total 

study burden. Burden estimates are shown in Table A.1. The time required for students to respond to the assessment 

(cognitive items) portion of the study, and associated directions, are shown in gray font and are not included in the 

totals because they are not subject to the PRA. Student, administrator, and teacher questionnaires are included in 

the requested burden totals. Recruitment and pre-assessment activities include the time to review study 

requirements in the districts that require approval before contacting the school, and the time involved in a school 

deciding to participate, completing teacher and student listing forms, distributing parent consent materials, and 

arranging assessment space.

The main study burden estimates reflect burden for the inclusion of Florida as a benchmarking participant at grades 

4 and 8. For the 2015 TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced main study national and Florida samples, the total 

student response burden of 19,259 hours from 23,111 students is based on a 50-minute background 

questionnaire. At $7.25 per hour (the 2009 Federal minimum wage) cost to students, the burden cost of 

the main study for students is estimated at $139,628.

For the main study school administrator 30-minute questionnaire and recruitment and pre-assessment activities for 

the national and Florida samples, burden cost is calculated at an estimated $50.00 per hour cost to school and 

district administrators (for 2,666 hours), and an estimated $35.00 per hour cost for school staff, coordinators, and 

teachers (for 5,376 hours), and the burden cost of the main study recruitment and pre-assessment activities for 

6,150 district and school staff is estimated at $321,460.

The total response burden for schools in the main study national and Florida samples is based on the following:

 A 120-minute study review and approval by 100 district IRB staff;

 A 60-minute study review and approval by 600 district IRB panel members;

 A 90-minute recruitment activities with school administrators in 934 schools;

 A 30-minute course catalog collection from school staff in 350 schools;

 A 30-minute school questionnaire for school administrators in 934 schools;

 A 30-minute teacher questionnaire for 3,274 teachers;

 A 50-minute student questionnaire for 23,111 students; and

 An average of 4 hours for school coordinators to coordinate logistics with the data collection contractor; 

supply a list of eligible students and teachers for sampling; communicate with teachers, students, and 

parents about the study to encourage participation; assist the test administrator in ensuring the sampled 

students attend the testing sessions; and assist the test administrator in arranging make-up sessions as 

needed in 891 schools.
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Table A.1. Burden estimates for TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 2015 Main Study (continued on the next 

page).

Data collection instrument Sample 

size

Expected 

response 

rate

Number of 

respondents

Number of 

responses

Minutes Per 

respondent

Total burden 

Hours

National sample

Student Grades 4 & 8 Directions (sample size

5,650 each) 11,300 0.93 10,509 10,509 10 1,752

Student Assessment Grade 4 5,650 0.93 5,255 5,255 72 6,306

Student Assessment Grade 8 5,650 0.93 5,255 5,255 90 7,882

Student Grades 4 & 8 Questionnaire (sample 

size 5,650 each) 11,300 0.93 10,509 10,509 50 8,758

Student Directions Advanced Math. & Physics 8,550 0.93 7,952 7,952 10 1,325

Student Assessment Advanced Math. & Physics 8,550 0.93 7,952 7,952 90 11,928

Student Questionnaire Advanced Mathematics 

& Physics (sample size 8,550 each) 8,550 0.93 7,952 7,952 50 6,626

School Administrators Questionnaire Grade 4, 

8, & Advanced 836 0.99 828 828 30 414

Teachers Questionnaire Grade 4, 8, & 

Advanced 2,975 0.97 2,886 2,886 30 1,443

School Administrator Recruitment 950 0.88 836 836 90 1,254

School Staff Course Catalogue 350 1.00 350 350 30 175

School Coordinator Grade 4 300 0.88 264 264 240 1,056

School Coordinator Grade 8 & 12 600 0.88 528 528 240 2,112

District IRB Staff Study Approval 100 1.00 100 100 120 200

District IRB Panel Study Approval 600 1.00 600 600 60 600

State benchmarking – Florida Grades 4 and 8 

Student Grades 4 & 8 Directions (sample size 

2,500 each) 5,000 0.93 4,650 4,650 10 775

Student Assessment Grade 4 2,500 0.93 2,325 2,325 72 2,790

Student Assessment Grade 8 2,500 0.93 2,325 2,325 90 3,488

Student Grades 4 & 8 Questionnaire (sample 

size 2,500 each) 5,000 0.93 4,650 4,650 50 3,875

School Administrators Questionnaire Grade 4

and 8

99 0.99 98 98 30 49

Teachers Questionnaire Grade 4 and 8 400 0.97 388 388 30 194

School Administrator Recruitment 100 0.99 99 99 90 149

School Coordinator Grades 4 and 8 100 0.99 99 99 240 396

Total Burden Requested in this Submission 29,261 30,187 27,301

Note: Total Burden includes the already approved burden associated with recruitment for the TIMSS 2015 Main Study (items 

in bold) and burden associated with conducting the main study. Total student burden does not include the time for the 

cognitive assessment and its associated instructions (items in gray font).

A.13 Total Annual Cost Burden

Other than the burden associated with completing these pre-assessment activities and questionnaires (estimated 

above in Section A.12), the study imposes no additional cost to respondents nor the imposition of any recordkeeping requirement.

A.14 Annualized Cost to Federal Government

The total cost to the federal government for conducting TIMSS 2015 full scale study (grades 4 and 8 and TIMSS 

Advanced) is estimated to be $10,658,124 over a 5-year period. These figures include all direct and indirect costs, 

and are based on the national data collection contract, valued at $6,087,960 over five years, from February 2013 to 

January 2018, for the core activities at grades 4 and 8, and $3,770,164 for the TIMSS Advanced option.
12

A.15 Program Changes or Adjustments

This request is for the recruitment and data collection for the main study. There is a change in burden in relation to 

the burden approved in the current record because the last approval was for the field test and for the main study 

recruitment (OMB# 1850-0695 v.3), which included estimates for 10 states plus Puerto Rico. However, only 

Florida will participate at grades 4 and 8 as a benchmarking state. In addition, the school sample size for TIMSS 

Advanced was increased somewhat in order to achieve the needed number of student participants.

A.16 Plans for Tabulation and Publication

The TIMSS International Study Center will prepare separate reports for mathematics and science at grades 4 and 8, 

for advanced mathematics at grade 12, and for physics at grade 12. These reports will be released in December 

2016. As has been customary, NCES will also release a report for each study at the same time as the international 

reports are released, interpreting the results for the U.S. audience. NCES reports on initial data releases are 

generally limited to simple bivariate statistics. There are currently no plans to conduct complex statistical analyses 

of either dataset. Examples of past reports on TIMSS can be found at 

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2013009. In the spring of 2017, the International Study Center 

will also prepare technical reports for both TIMSS 2015 and TIMSS Advanced, describing the design and 

development of the assessments as well as the scaling procedures, weighting procedures, missing value imputation, 

and analyses. After the release of the international data, NCES plans to release the national data and an 

accompanying User’s Guide for each study.

Electronic versions of each publication are made available on the NCES website. Schedules for tabulation and 

publication of TIMSS 2015 and TIMSS Advanced results in the United States are dependent upon receiving data 

files from the international sponsoring organization. With this in mind, the expected data collection dates and a 

tentative reporting schedule are as follows:

Dates Activity

April—December 2013 Prepare data collection manuals, forms, assessment materials, 

questionnaires for field test

November 2013—February 2014 Contact and gain cooperation of states, districts, and schools for field test

February 2014—March 2014 Select student samples

March 2014—April 2014 Collect field test data

May 15, 2014 Deliver raw data to international sponsoring organization

July 2014—August 2014 Review field test results

October 2014 Final U.S. versions of the 2015 main study questionnaires approved by IEA

May 2014—December 2014 Prepare for the main study/recruit schools

March 2015—May 2015 Collect main study data

June 2016 Receive final data files from international sponsors

June 2016—December 2016 Produce reports

A.17 Display OMB Expiration Date

The OMB expiration date will be displayed on all data collection materials.

A.18 Exceptions to Certification Statement

No exceptions to the certifications are requested.