questionnaires administered? The teacher and school questionnaires are administered
online from a secure website. Teacher questionnaires
ask teachers about their experience, available resources,
and instructional practices and take about 30 minutes
to complete. School questionnaires ask about school
practices and resources and take about 30 minutes
to complete.
Do teachers need to help administer the assessment? No, Westat TIMSS staff will visit the school on the
day of the assessment, bringing with them all the
materials required. The Westat TIMSS staff will
administer the assessments to students.
Do schools need to provide computer equipment for the field test? No, Westat TIMSS staff will bring all the equipment
needed for the field test, including tablets, styluses,
and keyboards.
When will the field test be conducted? The field test will be conducted between March
and April 2018. Each school will be notified of
its scheduled assessment date in summer/fall 2017.
Westat TIMSS staff will work with schools to
identify an alternate date should there be a conflict on
that date.
How long does the field test take? The assessment takes 72 minutes at fourth grade and
90 minutes at eighth grade, and there will be breaks
between sections and a questionnaire that takes
30 minutes. The two classes will be assessed in sequential
sessions, with one class assessed in the morning and the
second class assessed in the afternoon.
What will happen with the collected data? The field test data will be used to evaluate how the
knowledge and skills of U.S. students compare to those
of their peers in other participating countries. All of
the information you provide 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.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).
Reports of the findings from the assessment will not
identify participating districts, schools, students, or
individual staff. Individual responses will be combined
with those of other participants to produce summary
statistics and reports.
