Response to Public Comments Received During the 60-day Comment Period

Response to Public Comments Received During the 60-day Comment Period

January 2022

International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS 2023)
Main Study Sampling, Recruitment, and Data Collection

ED-2021-SCC-0157 Comments on FR Doc # 2021-24430

NCES and the staff of ICILS want to thank all public commenters for your feedback responding to a request for comments on the ICILS 2023 Main Study Sampling, Recruitment, and Data Collection package published in the Federal Register. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) appreciates your interest in our work. The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) provides an opportunity for an open and public comment period where comments on collections can be made. We are grateful for this process and your comment and hope that you will continue to follow our work.

Submitter Information

Name: Carl Bryan, Administrative Rules Coordinator

Organization: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Comment

Dear Ms. Valentine:

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WDPI) appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback on the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), United States Department of Education’s request for comment regarding the 2023 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) data collection. Our comments, which focus on the IES’s need to gather data under this proposed collection and how the data may be used, follow below.

The WDPI is committed to improving the educational outcomes of all students in Wisconsin, and, as part of our work around digital learning, providing support for the effective use of instructional technology in Wisconsin schools to strengthen the student learning experience and ensure successful lifelong learning. The WDPI understands that learning in the context of the “digital divide” does not necessarily include the use of hardware and the internet alone, but also includes gathering information around student skills and the use of technology. Further, after working with Wisconsin schools throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a new generation of students with digital literacy skills; however, weaknesses relative to students’ ability to use technology to enhance or demonstrate learning at higher levels have also been identified.

The WDPI therefore believes the information obtained under the ICILS would be valuable to share with our pre-service partners and other strategic partners who support teacher and instructional training. This study can support the ongoing need for professional learning funding, as this ties into continual support for the use of Title IV-A funds and stimulus money for school districts, and support for school district planning around their instructional vision for students. For these reasons, the WDPI believes the data collected through the ICILS will create a valuable understanding of the relationship between technology skills and student performance.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. If you have any additional questions, please contact Janice Mertes, Assistant Director, Teaching and Learning Team, at (608)267-1054 or at Janice.Mertes@dpi.wi.gov.

Sincerely,

Carl J. Bryan

Administrative Rules Coordinator

RESPONSE:

Thank you for your feedback posted on November 18, 2021, responding to a 60-day request for comments on the proposed ICILS 2023 package.

We appreciate your support and interest in ICILS. The ICILS 2023 data will shed light on 8^th-grade students’ skills and experience using technology, as well as 8^th-grade teachers’ access to and use of technology, in comparison with data from ICILS 2018 that were collected prior to the COVID pandemic. These trend results will also be compared internationally among participating countries. Please be aware that ICILS provides results at the national level, not at the state, school, or student level, because its sampling design is required to yield a nationally representative sample in each country. For more information on the ICILS sampling design, please visit our website at: https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/icils/technotes.asp#sampling.

As this is an ongoing survey, we encourage you to look for future OMB requests for comments on this collection. Thank you again for your comment and please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or for help.

Sincerely,

Linda Hamilton
ICILS Project Officer

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

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