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OMB Control No: 1850-0695	ICR Reference No: 202510-1850-001
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202210-1850-010
Agency/Subagency: ED/IES	Agency Tracking No: ED-2025-SCC-0910
Title: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2027) Main Study International Questionnaire
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 07/21/2026
	Date Received in OIRA: 02/04/2026
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	07/31/2029	36 Months From Approved	07/31/2026
Responses	19,236	0	50,996
Time Burden (Hours)	8,047	0	20,336
Cost Burden (Dollars)	177,630	0	0

Abstract: The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education (ED), 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, 2015, 2019, and 2023), with the next TIMSS assessment, TIMSS 2027, being the ninth iteration of the study. In TIMSS 2023, 70 countries or education systems participated, and TIMSS 2027 is expected to have a similar scope. The United States will participate in TIMSS 2027 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 is led 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 survey instruments, and the study timeline. IEA decides and agrees upon a common set of standards, procedures, and timelines for collecting and reporting data, 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., NCES conducts this study in collaboration with the IEA and a number of contractors (RTI International, Measurement Incorportated, and Ideal Systems Solutions Inc.) to ensure proper implementation of the study and adoption of practices in adherence to the IEA’s standards. Participation in TIMSS is consistent with NCES’s mandate of acquiring and disseminating data on educational activities and student achievement in the United States compared with foreign nations [The Educational Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543)]. 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 final main study plans as well as draft and final questionnaires. In order to meet the international data collection schedule and to align with recruitment for other NCES studies (e.g., the National Assessment of Education Progress, NAEP), the current package requests approval to conduct the TIMSS 2027 main study sampling, recruitment and data collections. Because the U.S. has participated successfully in all prior cycles and to contain costs, the U.S. will not participate in the field test of TIMSS 2027 and will only participate in the main study. Recruitment for the main study will begin in Spring 2026 with data collection occurring in March through June 2027. The final internationally approved questionnaires for the main study are expected to be submitted via a change memo in January 2027.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 20 USC 9573 Name of Law: Education Sciences Reform Act

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	90 FR 50941	11/13/2025
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	91 FR 4908	02/03/2026
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	19,236	50,996	-31,760
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	8,047	20,336	-12,289
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	177,630	0	177,630

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: This is the estimated sample size for TIMSS 2027

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $6,848,053

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? Yes Part B of Supporting Statement

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Matt Soldner 202 453-7441

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