OECD

PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT

(PISA 2015) FIELD TEST AND RECRUITMENT FOR FIELD 

TEST AND MAIN STUDY

REQUEST FOR OMB CLEARANCE

OMB# 1850-0755 v.14

SUPPORTING STATEMENT PART A

Submitted by:

National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

Washington, DC

June 2013
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE...................................................................................................................................... ii

A. JUSTIFICATION ................................................................................................................... 1

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

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

A.3 Improved Information Technology (Reduction of Burden)........................................ 4

A.4 Efforts to Identify Duplication......................................................................................... 5

A.5 Minimizing Burden for Small Institutions....................................................................... 6

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

A.7 Special Circumstances........................................................................................................ 6

A.8 Consultations Outside NCES ........................................................................................... 6

A.9 Payments or Gifts to Respondents................................................................................... 7

A.10 Assurance of Confidentiality ............................................................................................. 8

A. 11 Sensitive Questions............................................................................................................. 9

A. 12Estimates of Burden .......................................................................................................... 9

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

A.14 Annualized Cost to Federal Government .....................................................................12

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

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

A.17 Display OMB Expiration Date .......................................................................................13

A.18 Exceptions to Certification Statement...........................................................................13

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

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 STUDY DESIGN

APPENDIX A: RECRUITMENT MATERIALS

APPENDIX B: PARENTAL CONSENT MATERIALS

APPENDIX C: INSTRUMENTS

APPENDIX D: NON-RESPONSE BIAS ANALYSIS PLAN
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PREFACE

The Program for International Student Assessments (PISA) is an international assessment of 15-year-olds 

which focuses on assessing students’ science, mathematics, and reading literacy. PISA was first administered 

in 2000 and is conducted every three years. The sixth cycle of PISA, PISA 2015, is being administered at a 

time when interest is increasing, both worldwide and in the United States, in how well schools are preparing 

students to meet the challenges of the future, and how the students perform compared with their peers in 

other education systems of the world. The participation in the PISA study among education systems1has 

significantly increased since the initial survey in 2000: 43 education systems in 2000, 41 in 2003, 57 in 2006, 65

in 2009, 65 in 2012, and approximately 65 are expected to participate in 2015. The United States has 

participated in all of the previous cycles, and will participate in 2015 in order to track trends and to compare 

the performance of U.S. students with that in other education systems.

PISA 2015 is sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In the 

United States, PISA 2015 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the 

Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. PISA is a collaboration among the 

participating countries, the OECD, and a group of international organizations each under contract to the 

OECD (hereafter referred to as the PISA International Consortium), including the Educational Testing 

Service (ETS), Westat, the German Institute for Educational Research (DIPF), Pearson, and led by ETS.

In each administration of PISA, one of the subject areas (science, mathematics, or reading literacy) is the 

major domain and has the broadest content coverage, while the other two subjects are the minor domains. 

Other areas may also be assessed, such as, in the case of PISA 2015, collaborative problem solving and 

financial literacy. PISA emphasizes functional skills that students have acquired as they near the end of 

mandatory schooling (aged 15 years). Moreover, PISA assesses students’ knowledge and skills gained both in 

and out of school environments. The focus on the “yield” of education in and out of school makes it 

different from other international assessments such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science 

Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), which are closely tied to 

school curriculum frameworks and assess younger and grade-based populations.

PISA 2015 represents an important shift for PISA. While previous cycles have included optional computerbased components, and in 2012 the United States administered computer-based assessments in reading, 

mathematics, and problem solving, the primary means of assessing students and collecting questionnaire data 

has been through paper-based instruments. In PISA 2015, the entire assessment and the questionnaires will 

be administered on computer. Moving to computer will enable PISA to include more innovative assessment 

items not possible with paper-based instruments, will allow for greater efficiency in scoring and data 

processing, will allow PISA to collect better and more information about what students know and can do, and 

measure how students interact with others and solve problems. While it is possible for countries to continue 

using paper-based instruments, and some countries are choosing to do so, those instruments will not include 

new items. The United States will administer PISA 2015 on computer. 

PISA 2015 will focus on science literacy as the major domain. Reading and mathematics literacy will also be 

assessed as minor domains. In addition, there will be a collaborative problem solving assessment and an 

assessment of financial literacy. PISA 2015 represents the second cycle with the major domain in science 

literacy (PISA 2006 was the first). This is the first time PISA is assessing collaborative problem solving. The 

science, mathematics, and reading literacy assessments and the collaborative problem solving assessment are 

 

1

Some PISA participants are subnational jurisdictions (e.g., Hong Kong, China). 
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core components of PISA 2015 and all education systems administering PISA 2015 on computers are 

required to participate. Financial literacy is optional for countries. 

In addition to the cognitive assessments described above, PISA 2015 will include questionnaires administered 

to assessed students, school principals, and teachers. The school and teacher questionnaires will be delivered 

online. The school and student questionnaire are core components of PISA and as such are required for 

countries, while the teacher questionnaire is optional for countries. 

To prepare for the main study in 2015, PISA countries will conduct a field test in the spring of 2014, to 

evaluate assessment and questionnaire items. The field test will also be used to evaluate the quality of new 

items developed to address the PISA 2015 science literacy, collaborative problem solving, and financial 

literacy frameworks, as well as new items in the student, school, and teacher questionnaires, developed per the 

PISA 2015 background questionnaire framework. Another important element of this field test is a mode 

effects study to support PISA’s transition from a paper-and-pencil to a fully computer-based assessment in

2015. For the mode effects study, some students will take paper-based versions of PISA “trend items” (items 

that have been administered in past administrations of PISA that are used to measure trends over time) and 

some students will take computer-based versions of those same items. The mode effect study will include 

trend items in science, mathematics, reading, and financial literacy. The field test will also be used, in the 

United States, to help determine whether to administer the optional financial literacy assessment and the 

optional teacher questionnaire in the main study. In Part B plans for determining whether to field the 

financial literacy assessment and the teacher questionnaire in the main study are detailed. Finally, the field test

will be used to test school recruitment, data collection, and data management procedures in preparation for 

the main study. 

The U.S. PISA field test data collection will occur from April-May 2014. The United States plans to recruit 54

public schools and 6 private schools for the field test, for a total of 60 national schools, with the expectation 

that the 54 public schools will be large enough to yield 36 assessed students from each school for a total 

student sample of approximately 2,000 students. Furthermore, we anticipate that in 39 of the 54 public 

schools, 12 students will be sampled for the paper-and-pencil field test assessment (n=468), and 24 for the

computer-based assessment (n=1,296). In the remaining 15 public schools and 6 private schools, all students 

will be assessed via computer. The financial literacy assessment will only be administered in the 39 schools 

that are administering both paper-and-pencil and computer-based assessments. Students will be subsampled 

from the original student sample and will return to take the financial literacy assessment in a second session.

From the paper-and-pencil assessments, 6 students will be sampled and in the computer-based assessment 9 

students will be sampled to take financial literacy.

In addition to the field test, NCES plans to conduct focus groups with principals to examine the challenges of 

recruitment and ways to increase participation and knowledge of PISA in the main study. A separate OMB 

request will be submitted for these activities.

The U.S. PISA main study will be conducted from September through November 2015. The main study will 

involve a nationally-representative sample of 5,600 students in the target population from 165 schools. Each 

student will be administered a 2-hour computer-based assessment that will include some combination of 

science, mathematics, reading, and collaborative problem solving items and a 30-minute student 

questionnaire. In addition, if financial literacy will be administered in the main study, a subsample of 8 

students will return for an additional 1-hour assessment in financial literacy. The school principal of each 

sampled school will complete a 45-minute online questionnaire. The United States also may opt to administer

a 30 minute teacher questionnaire, which would be administered to up to 25 teachers who are eligible to teach

the modal grade (grade 10) within a school and would be delivered online.
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In order to meet the international data collection schedule for the spring 2014 field test, questionnaires must 

be finalized by September 2013 and recruiting activities begun by October 2013. This submission requests 

approval for:

1. recruiting for the 2014 field test and 2015 main study;

2. conducting the field test data collection; and

3. a description of the overarching plan for all of the phases of the data collection, including the 

2015 main study.

2

The international schedule calls for field test data collection to take place in April-May 2014, recruiting for the 

main study beginning in the fall of 2014 (at least 12 months in advance of the data collection), and main study 

data collection in the fall of 2015. Field test recruitment materials, including letters to state and district 

officials and school principals, text for a PISA field test brochure, “Frequently Asked Questions,” and a 

“Summary of Activities” are included in Appendix A. Parental consent letters and related materials for the 

field test are included in Appendix B. Main study materials will be based on these, but will reflect the main 

study design and components to be administered. 

It is important to note that because PISA is a collaborative international study, the U.S. administration of 

PISA operates under some constraints, particularly around the schedule and the availability of instruments, 

which are negotiated internationally. For example, at the time that this package is submitted, the final versions 

of the field test questionnaires are not yet available. Instead, in Appendix C, NCES has included the 

international versions of the field test questionnaire items, with proposed adaptations to these items for use in 

the United States. Once the final adaptations are approved by the international contractor, by the end of May 

2013, the final versions of the questionnaires will replace the draft questionnaires in this submission. 

Further, in order to begin recruiting schools for the main study by September 2014, in May 2014 we will 

submit a change-request memo to OMB that will: provide the final main study recruitment materials and 

parental consent letters; document any changes to the design and procedures for the main study; and detail 

the resulting respondent burden estimates for the main study data collection.

Lastly, in late fall 2014 we will submit a clearance package, with a 30-day notice published in the federal 

register, which will include the final main study instruments for data collection in the fall of 2015. The main 

study questionnaires will be a subset of the field test instruments.

 

2 The materials that will be used in the 2015 main study will be based upon the field test materials included in this submission. Additionally, this submission is 

designed to adequately justify the need for and overall practical utility of the full study and to present the overarching plan for all of the phases of the data 

collection, providing as much detail about the measures to be used as is available at the time of this submission. As part of this submission, NCES is publishing a 

notice in the Federal Register allowing first a 60- and then a 30-day public comment period. For the final proposal for the full study, after the field test, NCES will 

publish a notice in the Federal Register allowing an additional 30-day public comment period on the final details of 2015 main study.
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A. JUSTIFICATION

A.1 Importance of Information

As part of a continuing cycle of international education studies, the United States, through the National 

Center for Education Statistics (NCES), is participating in several international assessments and surveys. The 

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), sponsored by the Organization for Economic 

Cooperation and Development (OECD), is one of these studies. 

In light of the growing concerns related to international economic competitiveness, the changing face of our 

workplace, and the expanding international marketplace in which we trade, knowing how our students and 

adults compare with their peers around the world has become an even more prominent issue than ever 

before. Nationwide, interest in understanding what other nations are doing to further the educational 

achievement of their populations has increased beyond simple comparisons.

Data at critical points during the education career of our students will help inform policymakers in their 

efforts to guide and restructure the American education system. These critical points may occur during 

primary, secondary, or tertiary education, as well as extending into adult education and training programs.

Consequently, generating comparative data about students in school, at the end of schooling, and about adults 

in workplace and in community has become an important focus for NCES.

PISA 2015 is part of the larger international program that NCES has actively participated in through 

collaboration with, and representation at, the OECD, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and 

the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Collaboration with 

Statistics Canada, Eurostat, and ministries of education throughout the world helps to round out the portfolio 

of data NCES compiles.

Through this active participation, NCES has sought to strengthen the quality, consistency, and timeliness of 

international data. To continue this effort, the United States must follow through with well-organized and 

executed data gathering activities within our national boundaries. These efforts will allow NCES to build a 

data network that can provide the information necessary for informed decision-making on the part of 

national, state, and local policymakers.

PISA measures students' knowledge, skills, and competencies primarily in three subject areas – science, 

reading, and mathematics literacy. The overall strategy is to collect in-depth information on student 

capabilities in one of these three domains every 3 years so that detailed information on each becomes 

available every nine years. During each 3-year survey cycle, the major focus is on one content domain, with a 

minor focus on the other two content domains. The major focus for the data collection in 2015 is on science 

literacy, with a minor focus on mathematics and reading. The 2015 data collection will be the second time the 

focus has been on science literacy, thus allowing the first in-depth comparison of performance in science. The 

target population for this project will be a nationally representative sample of 15-year-old students. PISA 2015

will assess students with computer-based assessments in science, mathematics, reading, collaborative problem

solving, and financial literacy. Moving to computer will enable PISA to include more innovative assessment 

items not possible with paper-based instruments, will allow for greater efficiency in scoring and data 

processing, and will allow PISA to collect better and more information about what students know and can do.

Over the last few decades, the world has become accustomed to hearing about Gross Domestic Products, 

Consumer Price Indices, unemployment rates, and other similar terms in news reports comparing national 

economies. The use of these economic indicators allows for discussion and debate of complex economic 

activities with well-respected measures of that activity. Education policymakers and the general public have a 

similar need to discuss what is going on in the field of education with indicators that are based on valid and 
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reliable data and other information. Outcome data from PISA allow U.S. policymakers to gauge U.S. 

performance in relation to other countries, as well as monitor progress over time in comparison to these 

countries. The results of the PISA assessments, published every 3 years along with related indicators, will 

allow national policymakers to compare the performance of their education systems with those of other 

countries. Further, the results will provide a basis for better assessment and monitoring of the effectiveness of 

education systems at the national level. Without these kinds of data, U.S. policymakers will be limited in their 

ability to gain insight into the educational performance and practices of other nations as they compare to the 

United States, and would have lost an investment made in previous cycles in measuring trends.

The Educational Testing Service (ETS), under contract to the OECD, is responsible for the international 

components of this project, along with several other international organizations. Westat, the data collection 

contractor for the United States will work directly with ETS and the PISA U.S. National Project Managers 

from NCES.

A.2 Purposes and Uses of Data

Governments and the general public want solid evidence of education outcomes. In the late 1990s, the 

OECD launched an extensive program for producing policy-oriented and internationally comparable 

indicators of student achievement on a regular basis and in a timely manner. PISA is at the heart of this 

program. How well are schools preparing students to meet the challenges of the future? Parents, students, the 

public, and those who run education systems need to know whether children are acquiring the necessary skills 

and knowledge, whether they are prepared to become tomorrow's workers, to continue learning throughout 

life, to analyze, to reason, and to communicate ideas effectively.

The results of OECD’s PISA, published every 3 years along with related indicators, allow national 

policymakers to compare the performance of their education systems with those of other countries. Further, 

the results provide a basis for better assessment and monitoring of the effectiveness of education systems at 

national levels.

Through PISA, OECD produces three types of indicators:

 Basic indicators that provide a baseline profile of the knowledge, skills, and competencies of students;

 Contextual indicators that show how such skills relate to important demographic, social, economic, and 

education variables; and

 Trend indicators that emerge from the ongoing, cyclical nature of the data collection.

PISA 2015 Components

The primary focus for the assessment and questionnaires for PISA 2015 will be on science literacy. The PISA 

science framework defines science literacy as an individual’s:

• scientific knowledge and use of that knowledge to identify questions, acquire new knowledge, explain 

scientific phenomena and draw evidence-based conclusions about science-related issues;

• understanding of the characteristic features of science as a form of human knowledge and enquiry;

• awareness of how science and technology shape our material, intellectual and cultural environments; 

and

• willingness to engage in science-related issues, and with the ideas of science, as a reflective citizen.

As in all administrations of PISA, reading and mathematics literacy also will be assessed, although they will be 

“minor domains” in 2015. Questionnaires will be administered to students, school principals and teachers. 
3

As part of the transition to a fully computerized assessment, a mode effects study will be required as part of 

the field test for countries participating in the computer-based assessment. This will investigate the invariance 

between item parameters across the two modes of administration. To do this, 18 paper-based forms in 

science, mathematics, and reading have been identified (6 forms in each domain) plus an additional 2 forms 

for financial literacy. The tasks in these blocks have been adapted and transformed into an identical set of 20

computer-based forms.

Assessment instruments

Field Test: There are a total of 60 forms in the field test for science, mathematics, reading, and collaborative 

problem solving which will be administered in a 2 hour session. There are additional 4 forms for financial 

literacy that will be administered to a subsample of students in a second, one-hour session. Within each 

assessment session each sampled student will complete one form. The forms are designed to collect data on 

new items and to conduct the mode effects study to support the transition from paper-based to computerbased format. 

• 24 computer-based forms contain new items assessing science or science and collaborative problem 

solving 

• 20 paper-based forms where 18 contain a combination of reading, mathematics, and/or science, and 2

that contain financial literacy “trend items” from past cycles of PISA, and

• 20 computer-based forms where 18 contain a combination of reading, mathematics, and/or science, and 

2 that contain financial literacy “trend items” from past cycles of PISA that have been “reauthored” for 

the computer-based environment. 

The 20 paper-based and 20 computer-based forms will be used for the mode effects study. The financial 

literacy assessment will be evaluated after the field test and during main study school recruitment to determine 

whether it should be administered in the main study (see further details in Supporting Statement Part B). 

Main Study: There will be a total of 66 computer-based forms administered in a 2 hour session; each student 

will take one form. All forms contain items assessing science and one or two additional subjects. Most 

students will take forms containing science and reading literacy or science and mathematics literacy. The 

United States plans to conduct financial literacy in the main study, pending a review of the field test 

experience. A subsample of 8 students will be selected to take financial literacy.

Questionnaires

The background questionnaires for PISA 2015 have been developed to address a background questionnaire 

framework developed internationally. In addition, the questionnaires include items that have been included in 

multiple cycles of PISA allowing the investigation of patterns and trends over time. Countries adapt the 

questions to fit their national context and the questionnaires are reviewed and verified to ensure they remain 

comparable across countries. 

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

on basic demographics of the school population and more in-depth information on one or more specific 

issues (generally related to the content of the assessment in the major domain, science). Basic information to 

be collected includes data on school location; measures of socio-economic context of the school, including 

location, school resources, facilities, and community resources; school size; staffing patterns; instructional 

practices; and school organization. The in-depth information is designed to address a very limited selection of 

issues that are of particular interest and that focus primarily on the major content domain, science. For both 

the field test and main study, it is anticipated that the school questionnaire will take approximately 60 minutes 

in the field test and 45 minutes in the main study. It will be available to respondents online.
4

Teacher questionnaire. The United States will administer a teacher questionnaire as part of the field test.

Based on the field test results a decision will be made to pursue the teacher questionnaire for the main study.

The teacher questionnaire will be offered online and is estimated to take approximately 45 minutes to 

complete in the field test and 30 minutes in the main study. Within a school, a total of up to 25 teachers who 

are eligible to teach the modal grade (grade 10) will be selected. Up to ten teachers will be science teachers

(teachers who are eligible to teach grade 10 in a science subject) and up to 15 teachers will be non-science 

teachers (teachers who are eligible to teach grade 10, but not in science). The teachers and students are not 

linked, that is, the teachers are not necessarily teachers of the sampled students. The sampling selection for 

teacher and students are independent of one another. The results of the field test will be used to decide 

whether to carry the teacher questionnaire to the main study. We will evaluate not only the item data, but the 

reaction and response to the questionnaires by teachers and schools to make sure the instrument does not 

negatively impact school response rates. Criteria for evaluating the administration of the teacher questionnaire 

are described in Part B.

Student questionnaire. Participating students will be asked to provide basic demographic data and 

information pertaining to the major assessment domain, science. Basic information to be collected includes 

demographics (e.g., age, gender, language, race, ethnicity); socio-economic background of the student (e.g., 

parental education, economic background); student's education career; and educational resources and their 

use at home and at school. Domain-specific information will include instructional experiences and time spent 

in school, as perceived by the students, and student attitudes. It is anticipated that the student questionnaire 

will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. In the field test there will be multiple forms of the 

questionnaire in order to try out different items and item formats. The main study may or may not use 

multiple forms.

The field test versions of the PISA questionnaires are included in Appendix C. For the field test, both paperbased and computer-based versions of the questionnaire will be administered. However, students selected to 

take the paper-based assessment will receive one page of core trend questionnaire items (5 minutes). Students 

taking CBA will receive a full version of the student questionnaire with 5 minutes of core items and 25 

minutes of additional items for a total of 30 minutes. In addition, students sampled for financial literacy will 

receive 5 minutes of background questions related to financial literacy (these are the same items that were 

used in 2012). For the main study, only a computer-based version of the student questionnaire will be 

administered.

A.3 Improved Information Technology (Reduction of Burden)

The PISA 2015 design and procedures are prescribed internationally. Data collection will consist of

computer-based responses for science, mathematics, reading, collaborative problem solving, and financial 

literacy. Responses to the computer-based assessments will be captured electronically. During the field test, 42 

students within each school will be sampled. In 39 of the schools up to 12 students will be assessed separately 

using paper-based instruments in order to conduct the mode effects study. The remaining 30 students will 

take the computer-based assessment. In the United States, the computer-based assessments will be 

implemented using laptops carried into schools by the data collection staff.

In PISA 2015, the school questionnaire will be available for the first time to school administrators on-line as 

the main mode of administration. The teacher questionnaire will also be administered on-line. We are 

examining the feasibility of providing a paper-based back-up of the school and teacher questionnaires. Also, 

the student questionnaires will be delivered via computer after the completion of the computer-based 

assessment. Data from the questionnaire will be stored and transmitted in a similar way as the assessment 

data.
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A.4 Efforts to Identify Duplication

A number of international comparative studies already exist to measure achievement in science, mathematics, 

and reading, including the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress 

in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). The Program for the International Assessment of Adult 

Competencies (PIAAC), administered in 2012, measures the reading literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving 

skills of adults. In addition, the United States has been conducting its own national surveys of student 

achievement for more than 40 years through the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 

program. PISA differs from these studies in several important ways:

Content. PISA is designed to measure “literacy” broadly, while other studies, such as TIMSS and NAEP, 

have a strong link to curriculum frameworks and seek to measure students’ mastery of specific knowledge, 

skills, and concepts. The content of PISA is drawn from broad content areas, such as understanding, using, 

and reflecting on written information for reading, in contrast to more specific curriculum-based content such 

as decoding and literal comprehension. Moreover, PISA differs from other assessments in the tasks that 

students are asked to do. PISA focuses on assessing students’ knowledge and skills in science, reading, and 

mathematics literacy in the context of everyday situations. That is, PISA emphasizes the application of 

knowledge to everyday situations by asking students to perform tasks that involve interpretation of real-world 

materials as much as possible. A study based on expert panels’ reviews of mathematics and science items 

from PISA, TIMSS, and NAEP reports that PISA items require multi-step reasoning more often than either 

TIMSS or NAEP.3 The study also shows that PISA mathematics and science literacy items often involve the 

interpretation of charts and graphs or other “real world” material. These tasks reflect the underlying 

assumption of PISA: as 15-year-olds begin to make the transition to adult life, they need to know not only 

how to read, or know particular mathematical formulas or scientific concepts, but also how to apply this 

knowledge and these skills in the many different situations they will encounter in their lives. The computerbased assessments to be included in 2012 add additional “real world” tasks, given the predominance of 

technology in the lives of young adults.

Age-based sample. The goal of PISA is to represent outcomes of learning rather than outcomes of 

schooling. By placing the emphasis on age, PISA intends to show not only what 15-year-olds have learned in 

school, but outside of school, as well as over the years, not just in a particular grade. In contrast, NAEP, 

TIMSS, and PIRLS are all grade-based samples: NAEP assesses students in grade 4, 8, and 12; TIMSS 

assesses students in grades 4 and 8; and PIRLS assesses students in grade 4. PISA thus seeks to show the 

overall yield of an education system and the cumulative effects of all learning experience. Focusing on 

students at age 15 provides an opportunity to measure broad learning outcomes while all students are still 

required to be in school across the many participating nations. Finally, because years of education vary among 

countries, choosing an age-based sample makes comparisons across countries somewhat easier than a gradebased sample. 

Information collected. The kind of information PISA collects also reflects a policy purpose slightly different 

from the other assessments. PISA collects only background information related to general school context and 

student demographics. This differs from other international studies such as TIMSS, which collects 

background information related to how teachers in different countries approach the task of teaching and how 

the approved curriculum is implemented in the classroom. The results of PISA will certainly inform education 

policy and spur further investigation into differences within and between countries, but PISA is not intended 

 

3

Neidorf, T.S., Binkley, M., Gattis, K., and Nohara, D. (2006). Comparing Mathematics Content in the National

Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 Assessments (NCES 2006-029). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: 

National Center for Education Statistics.
6

to provide direct information about improving instructional practice in the classroom. The purpose of PISA 

is to generate useful indicators to benchmark performance and inform policy.

Alternate sources for these data do not exist. This study represents the U.S. participation in an international 

study involving approximately 65 countries and jurisdictions in the PISA 2015 field test in spring of 2014 and 

the main study in fall of 2015. The United States must collect the same information at the same time as the 

other nations for purposes of making international comparisons. No other study in the United States will be 

using the instruments developed by the international sponsoring organization, and thus no alternative sources 

of comparable data are available.

In order to participate in the international study, the United States must agree to administer the same core 

instruments that will be administered in the other countries. Because the items measuring academic 

achievement have been developed with intensive international coordination, any changes to the PISA 2015

instruments would also require international coordination.

A.5 Minimizing Burden for Small Entities

No small entities are part of this sample. The school sample for PISA will contain small-, medium-, and largesize schools from a wide range of school types, including private schools, and burden will be minimized 

wherever possible for all institutions participating in the data collection. For example, the selection of schools 

to be assessed in the PISA 2015 field test (spring 2014) will avoid overlap with the selection of schools for 

NAEP or TIMSS, which will also be in the field in the spring of 2014. Schools included in the field test will 

have a low likelihood of being included in the main study. Student burden will be reduced through the use of 

multiple forms of the student background questionnaire. In the field test this will allow PISA to test out new 

background items or differing versions of items without adding to administration time. In addition, contractor 

staff will assume as much of the organization and test administration as possible within each school.

Contractor staff will undertake all test administration and these staff will also assist with parental notification, 

sampling, and other tasks as much as possible within each school.

A.6 Frequency of Data Collection

This request to OMB is for the PISA 2015 field test in spring of 2014 and main study in fall of 2015. PISA is 

conducted on a 3-year cycle as prescribed by the international sponsoring organization, and adherence to this 

schedule is necessary to establish consistency in survey operations among the many participating countries.

A.7 Special Circumstances

No special circumstances exist in the data collection plan for PISA 2015 that would necessitate unique or 

unusual manners of data collection. None of the special circumstances identified in the Instructions for 

Supporting Statement applies to the PISA 2015 study.

A.8 Consultations Outside NCES

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

nature of the study requires this, because international studies typically are developed as a cooperative 

enterprise involving all participating countries. PISA 2015 is being developed and operated, under the 

auspices of the OECD, by a consortium of organizations. Key persons from these organizations who are 

involved in the design, development and operation of PISA 2015 are listed below. 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Andreas Schleicher, Indicators and Analysis Division
7

2, rue André Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex16, FRANCE

Tel: +33 (1) 4524 9366, Fax: +33 (1) 4524 9098

Educational Testing Service

Irwin Kirsch, Project Director, ETS Corporate Headquarters

660 Rosedale Road, Princeton, NJ 08541 USA

Tel: 1-609-921-9000, Fax: 1-609-734-5410

Westat

Keith Rust, Director of Sampling

1600 Research Boulevard, Rockville, Maryland 20850-3129 USA

Tel: 301 251 8278, Fax: 301 294 2034

A.9 Payments or Gifts to Respondents

Currently, the minimum response rate targets required by OECD are 85 percent of original schools and 80 

percent of students, while the NCES minimum response rate target is 85 percent at the student level. These 

high response rates are difficult to achieve in school-based studies. The United States failed to reach the 

school response rate targets for the study in all previous PISA administrations (2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 

2012) and had to adjust incentives upwards in the middle of the recruitment and data collection period in 

order to meet minimum response rate requirements. Gaining sufficient student cooperation is also 

challenging. While we met the NCES requirement in PISA 2006 by 6 percent and PISA 2009 by barely 2 

percent, unweighted results from 2012 suggest that we improved our rate to 89 percent. The added monetary 

incentives used in 2012, particularly for school coordinators, had an impact on the increased student response 

rates in 2012. School Coordinators indicated that the incentives were meaningful to them and the end result 

was an increase in the student response rate from 86 percent in 2009 to 89 percent.

NCES is using a multi-pronged approach to address the challenge of gaining school and student cooperation 

and learn as much as possible during the field test about how to achieve acceptable participation rates. First, 

our PISA contractor will review the most recent PISA 2012 experience to understand where possible 

improvements can be made in materials and communication with schools. Staff with experience working on 

the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), PISA, other international assessments, other 

large-scale data collections, and with expertise in effective approaches to school recruitment will provide input 

so that strategies can be identified for achieving high response rates and serve as an ongoing source of ideas 

and feedback. Second, in September-October 2013 we will conduct focus groups with principals of refusing 

schools in PISA 2012 to gain insights into the barriers to participating in PISA and desirable approaches to 

gaining cooperation. We will also continue the use of effective incentives. The proposed amounts are

described below and are based on the amounts used in PISA 2012.

Schools. Schools participating in PISA will receive $200. In order to meet the minimum school response 

rates mandated by the PISA international governing board, and in order to compensate the school for the 

increased disruption and burden resulting from the addition of a second session, we believe it is necessary to 

offer schools this incentive to encourage participation. 

School coordinators. The school coordinator will be offered $200. The role of the school coordinator is 

critical for the success of the study. The coordinator is expected to coordinate logistics with the data 

collection contractor; supply a list of eligible students and teachers for sampling to the data collection 

contractor; communicate with teachers, students, and parents about the study to encourage participation; 

assist the test administrator in ensuring that the sampled students attend the testing sessions; and assist the 

test administrator in arranging for make-up sessions as needed.. 
8

Teachers: The field test will implement a teacher questionnaire delivered as an on-line instrument. Up to 25 

teachers will be selected from each school. As in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), 

selected teachers will be offered $20 for completing the questionnaire.

Students. As described in section A.2 and in Part B, in some field test schools, some students will take the 

paper-based assessment and some will take the computer-based assessment (CBA). In the remainder of the 

field test schools, all sampled students will take only the CBA. The former model reflects the international 

need to conduct a mode effect study of paper-based assessment versus computer-based assessment. The 

latter (CBA only schools) are included in the field test to obtain a sufficient sample size for item statistics and 

because this will be the main study mode of administration for all schools. As in the previous PISA, all 

participating students will be offered $25. Those students that participate in the financial literacy assessment

will receive an additional $15; this is consistent with the incentive in PISA 2012 for students that returned for 

a second 1-hour assessment session.

Additionally, students participating in the assessment during non-school hours (after school or on a Saturday), 

which is an accommodation offered in the main study when it is not possible to find a suitable time within 

school hours, and one that is exercised rarely, only as a last resort, will be offered $35. The increased incentive 

over and above the “normal” incentive compensates students for travel time and other activities (work, 

sports) that a student may miss to participate in the assessment out of hours (in PISA 2006, 2009 and 2012, 

we received approval to offer up to $50 for after-school and up to $75 for Saturday assessments in the main 

study). Incentives for students will only be provided with the explicit permission of the school principal.

All student incentives will be offered directly to the student. Parents will be informed of the amount of the 

payment the students will receive in the consent form/letter in advance of the assessment. The payments will 

likely take the form of a personal check. This was the method used in the field test and main study in 2012

and it worked well on the whole.

A.10 Assurance of Confidentiality

Procedures for handling confidential aspects of the study that will be used in PISA 2015 will mirror those 

used in past administrations of PISA. Expertise in data security and confidentiality was a significant criterion 

in the selection of the PISA 2015 contractor. The plan for maintaining confidentiality includes signed 

confidentiality agreements and notarized nondisclosure affidavits obtained from all personnel 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; built-in safeguards concerning status monitoring and receipt control 

systems; and a secured and operator-manned in-house computing facility.

Letters and other materials will be sent to parents and school administrators describing the voluntary nature 

of this survey. The material sent will include a brochure that describes the study and conveys the extent to 

which respondents and their responses will be kept confidential (copies of letters to be used in the field test

and the brochure text are included in Appendix A). The following statement will appear on the front cover of 

the questionnaires (the phrase “gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection” 

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. 
9

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 1850-0755. The time required to 

complete this information collection is estimated to average XX minutes per response, 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) or suggestions for improving the form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, 

Washington, D.C. 20202-4537. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your 

individual submission of this form, write directly to: Program for International Student Assessment 

(PISA), National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, 

N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. 

OMB No. 1850-0755, Approval Expires xx/xx/2016.

Data files, accompanying software, and documentation will be delivered to NCES at the end of the project.

No school or individual names or addresses will be included on these files or documentation.

NCES understands the legal and ethical need to protect the privacy of the PISA 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 PISA 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 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

PISA 2015 does not include questions usually considered to be of a highly sensitive nature, such as items 

concerning religion, substance abuse, or sexual activity. The international version of the questionnaire 

includes items enquiring about students’ height and weight, with the intention to use the answers to construct 

measure of Body Mass Index (BMI). The United States will not administer these items.

Several items in the background questionnaires may be considered sensitive by some of the respondents, such 

as the socioeconomic context of the school, parents’ education and occupation, family possessions, and 

students’ belongings. Research indicates that the constructs these items represent are strongly correlated to 

academic achievement, and they have been used in the five previous cycles of PISA (2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 

and 2012). Therefore, the items are essential for the anticipated analyses and to retain consistency in planned 

comparisons with the international data.

A. 12 Estimates of Burden 

This package requests approval for the field test recruitment and data collection, and for the main study 

recruitment activities, which are to begin early in the fall of 2014, after the completion of the field test. 

Burden estimates are shown in Table A.2. 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 involved 
10

in a school deciding to participate, completing teacher and student listing forms, distributing parent consent 

materials, and arranging assessment space. Burden estimates for the main study (calculated based on the 

scenario of the United States participating in the core and international optional teacher questionnaire) are 

also provided for information purposes in table A.2.

The cost/burden to respondents for the PISA 2015 field test is calculated for the estimated time required of 

students and school staff (school administrator and school coordinators) to complete recruitment, preassessment, and assessment activities (see Table A.2) in 60 national schools . In addition, Puerto Rico has 

expressed interest in participating in PISA 2015. Puerto Rico expects to fund its own participation and to 

administer paper-based instruments rather than the computer-based instruments. Because Puerto Rico has

not participated in PISA before (except in 2012 when PR administered PISA instruments as a research study) 

and is not administering the same instruments as in the national sample, Puerto Rico must participate in the 

field test and will assess students in 25 schools. The estimated burden for 25 Puerto Rico schools has been 

included in the burden estimates in case Puerto Rico does participate. In Puerto Rico, the school 

questionnaire will be administered as a paper version, the teacher questionnaire will not be administered, and 

financial literacy will not be assessed.

The main study burden estimates are shown below the field test estimates. In 2012, three states provided their 

own funding to participate in PISA. There is growing interest in PISA at the state level and more states may 

choose to participate in 2015. In addition, the President’s proposed 2014 budget includes funding for some 

states to collect state-level PISA data. The main study burden estimates reflect burden for the inclusion of up 

to 10 states and Puerto Rico (but do not include estimates for assessing financial literacy in any of the state

samples or Puerto Rico). The main study burden estimates will be updated following the field test as final 

design decisions are made.

For the field test, the total student response burden of 1,373 hours from 3,053 students is based on (a) a five 

minute core-only questionnaire for 468 students taking the paper-based assessment in the national field test 

sample; (b) a 30-minute background questionnaire for 1,692 students taking the computer-based assessment

in the national field test sample; (c) an additional 5 minute student questionnaire for a subsample of 497 

students taking the national financial literacy assessment; and (d) 893 students taking a 30-minute 

questionnaire in Puerto Rico. At an estimated $7.25 per hour (the 2009 Federal minimum wage) cost to 

students, the dollar cost of the field test study for students is estimated at $9,954. 

The total school response burden of 1,453 hours for schools in the field test is based on the following: 

 In 60 schools in the national sample, a 60-minute school questionnaire for 60 school administrators; a 

45-minute teacher questionnaire for 1,200 teachers; 90 minutes for 60 school administrators during 

the field test recruitment process; and an average of 4 hours for 60 school coordinators to coordinate 

logistics with the data collection contractor; supply a list of eligible students and teachers for sampling 

to the data collection contractor; 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 25 schools in Puerto Rico, a 60-minute school questionnaire for 25 school administrators; 90 

minutes for 25 school administrators during the field test recruitment process; and an average of 4 

hours for 25 Puerto Rican school coordinators performing the same duties described above for 

school coordinators in the national sample.
11

Table A-2. Burden estimates for PISA 2015 field test and main study

Sample

Expected 

response rate

Number of 

respondents

Number of 

responses

Per respondent 

(minut es)

Total burden 

(hours)

 Student 

 US Computer-based 

 Directions (computer-based assessment) 1,991 0.85 1,692 1,692 10 282 

 Computer-based assessment 1,991 0.85 1,692 1,692 120 3,384 

 Financial Literacy computer-based assessment 351 0.85 298 298 60 298 

 Student Questionnaire (full questionnaire) 1,991 0.85 1,692 1,692 30 846 

 Financial Literacy background items CBA 351 0.85 298 298 5 25 

 US mode effect study 

 Directions 551 0.85 468 468 10 78 

 Paper-and-pencil test booklet 551 0.85 468 468 120 937 

 Financial Literacy paper-based assessment 234 0.85 199 199 60 199 

 Student Questionnaire (paper-based core only) 551 0.85 468 468 5 39 

 Financial Literacy background items (paper-based) 234 0.85 199 199 5 17 

 Puerto Rico 

 Directions 1,050 0.85 893 893 10 149 

 Paper-and-pencil test booklet 1,050 0.85 893 893 120 1,785 

questionnaire) 1,050 0.85 893 893 30 446 

 Total Student Burden Field Trial 3, 053 3,550 1, 373 

 School Administrator 

 Questionnaire (U.S. online) 60 1.00 60 60 60 60 

 Questionnaire (Puerto Rico paper-based) 25 1.00 25 25 60 25 

 Teachers 

 Questionnaire 1,500 0.80 1,200 1,200 45 900 

 School Administrator 85 1.00 85 85 90 128 

 School Coordinator 85 1.00 85 85 240 340 

 Total School Burden Field Trial 1, 455 1,455 1, 453 

 Total Burden Field Trial 4, 508 5,005 2, 825 

 National sample 

 Student 

 Directions 6,930 0.85 5,891 5,891 10 982 

 Computer-based assessment 6,930 0.85 5,891 5,891 120 11,781 

 Financial Literacy computer-based assessment 1,280 0.85 1,088 1,088 60 1,088 

 Student Questionnaire (computer-based) 6,930 0.85 5,891 5,891 30 2,945 

 Financial Literacy background items 1,280 0.85 1,088 1,088 5 91 

 Total Student Burden Main Study 5, 891 6,979 35 3, 036 

 School Administrator 

 Questionnaire (on-line) 165 1.00 165 165 45 124 

 Teacher 

 Questionnaire (on-line) 3,882 0.85 3,300 3,300 30 1,650 

 Recruitment and Pre-Assessment Activity 

 School Administrator 165 1.00 165 165 90 248 

 School Coordinator 165 1.00 165 165 240 660 

 Student 

 10 states comput er-based assessment 

 Directions 21,000 0.90 18,900 18,900 10 3,150 

 Computer-based assessment 21,000 0.90 18,900 18,900 120 37,800 

 Student Questionnaire (computer-based) 21,000 0.90 18,900 18,900 30 9,450 

 Puerto Rico (Paper-based test booklet) 

 Directions - paper and pencil test 2,100 0.90 1,890 1,890 10 315 

 Paper-and-pencil test booklet 2,100 0.90 1,890 1,890 120 3,780 

 Student Questionnaire (paper-based) 2,100 0.90 1,890 1,890 30 945 

 School Administrator 

 Questionnaire (US: On-line) 500 1.00 500 500 45 375 

 Questionnaire (Puerto Rico paper-based) 50 1.00 50 50 45 38 

 Teacher 

 Questionnaire (on-line; states only) 12,500 0.85 10,625 10,625 30 5,313 

 Recruitment and Pre-Assessment Activity 

 School Administrator 550 1.00 550 550 90 825 

 School Coordinator 550 1.00 550 550 240 2,200 

 Total Burden Main Study 42,751 43,839 24,825 

 5, 938 6,435 6, 758 

 Field Trial—Based on core + international options 

 Main Study —Based on core + international options 

 State benchmarking (up to 10 st ates & Puerto Rico) 

 Recruitment and Pre-Assessment Activity (includes Puerto Rico) 

NOTE: OMB Clearance Requested: Total Burden includes total burden associated with conducting the PISA 2015 Field Test and the recruitment and preassessment

activities for the PISA 2015 Main Study. The PISA 2015 Main Study burden is conservatively high because the PISA 2015 Main Study may include up to 10 benchmarking 

states and Puerto Rico, however the burden is held consistent with national sample schools because of potential variability between states. Total student burden does

not include time for cognitive assessment and its associated instructions. Puerto Rico has expressed interest in participating in PISA 2015 and would be expected to 

conduct a field trial. The estimates for Puerto Rico schools and students have been added to the paper-based burden estimates for the field trial and the main study. 

The Teacher Questionnaire will not be administered in Puerto Rico. 

 Total Burden Requested in this Submission 
12

For the main study, recruitment and pre-assessment burden of 3,025 hours is based on 715 school 

administrators at 90 minutes per school and an average of 4 hours for 715 school coordinators to coordinate 

the assessment in the school. This includes 165 school administrators and 165 school coordinators 

participating in national PISA. In addition, the burden includes 500 school administrators and 500 school 

coordinators in state samples, accounting for the possible participation of up to ten states, plus 50 school 

administrators and 50 school coordinators in Puerto Rico.

Burden cost is calculated by combining the field test burden and the burden for the main study recruitment 

and pre-assessment activities for the national, state, and Puerto Rico samples. At an estimated $50.00 per hour 

cost to administrators (1,286 hours), and an estimated $35.00 per hour cost for school coordinators and 

teachers (3,200 hours and 900 hours respectively), the dollar cost of the field test for schools is $207,800

($64,300 for school administrators, $112,000 for school coordinators, and $31,500 for teachers).

A.13 Total Annual Cost Burden

Other than the burden associated with completing the PISA questionnaires and assessments (estimated above 

in Section A.12), the field test and main study impose no additional cost to respondents.

A.14 Annualized Cost to Federal Government

The cost to the Federal Government for conducting the PISA 2015 field test is estimated to be $2,483,434

over a 2-year period. The total cost to the Federal Government for conducting the PISA 2015 main study is 

estimated to be of $4,278,915over a 4-year period. This is based on the national data collection contract, 

valued at $6,762,349 over five years, from January 2013 to January 2018, and includes costs for the national 

sample. These figures include all direct and indirect costs of the project.

A.15 Program Changes or Adjustments

There is an overall reduction in burden, because the last approval was for the full scale PISA 2012 collection, 

while this clearance request is only for field test and recruitment activities for PISA 2015.

With regards to content, there are some changes to PISA 2015 from the previous rounds of data collection.

The main change is that the assessment will focus on science literacy during this cycle. The result is that the 

bulk of the items will be science items and that mathematics and reading will be the secondary components.

Also, the collaborative problem solving assessment is new. The teacher questionnaire is also new for 2015.

The move to fully computer-based assessments also represents a significant change. Additionally, there are 

minor changes in wording to some of the questionnaire items, and questions that focused on student attitudes 

toward mathematics or reading now focus on attitudes toward science. Each student will still take a single 30-

minute questionnaire.

A.16 Plans for Tabulation and Publication

The PISA2015 field test is designed to provide a statistical review of the performance of items on the 

assessments and questionnaires in preparation for the main data collection. The international contractor, ETS, 

will provide the international instruments to be used in the field test and will report to the participating 

countries on the results of the field test. Based on the field test results, ETS, with input and agreement from 

the participating countries, will make final revisions in the survey instruments, materials, and documents in 

preparation for the main study.

For the main study in 2015, an analysis of the U.S. and international data will be undertaken to provide an 

understanding of the U.S. national results in relation to the international results. Based on proposed analyses 
13

of the international data set by ETS, and the need for NCES to report results from the perspective of an 

American constituency, a plan is being prepared for the statistical analysis of the U.S. national data set as 

compared to the international data set. Analysis of data will include examinations of the science, reading, and 

mathematics literacy and collaborative problem-solving of U.S. students in relation to their international 

counterparts; and the relationships between student performance and student and school background 

variables. 

All reports and publications will be coordinated with the release of information from the international 

organizing body. Planned publications and reports for the PISA 2015 main study include the following:

General Audience Report. This report will present information on the status of science, mathematics, and 

reading education among students in the United States in comparison to their international peers, written for 

a non-specialist, general U.S. audience. This report will present the results of analyses in a clear and nontechnical way, conveying how U.S. students compare to their international peers, and what factors, if any, may 

be associated with the U.S. results.

Survey Operations/Technical Report. This document will detail the procedures used in the main study 

(e.g., sampling, recruitment, data collection, scoring, weighting, and imputation) and describe any problems 

encountered and the contractor’s response to them. The primary purpose of the main study survey 

operations/technical report is to document the steps undertaken by the United States in conducting and 

completing the study. This report will include an analysis of non-response bias, which will assess the presence 

and extent of bias due to nonresponse. Selected characteristics of respondent students and schools will be 

compared with those of non-respondent schools and students to provide information about whether and how 

they differ from respondents along dimensions for which we have data for the nonresponding units, as 

required by NCES standards.

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

publication of PISA 2015 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:

April - December 2013 Prepare OMB clearance documents, data collection manuals, forms, assessment 

materials, questionnaires for field test

October 2013-February 2014 Contact and gain cooperation of states, districts, and schools for field test

March – May 2014 Select student samples and collect field test data

July 2014 Deliver raw data to international sponsoring organization

August – September 2014

November 2014

Receive Field test Report from international sponsors, 

Submit OMB package

September 2014–September 2015 Prepare for the main study phase/ recruit schools

June/July 2015 Summer conference for sampled schools

September 2015–November 2015 Collect main study data

March - April 2016 Receive final data files from international sponsors

August - December 2016 Produce General Audience Report and Survey Operations/Technical Report for 

the United States

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 are requested to the "Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions" of OMB Form 

83-I.