LIST 6-1-A: KEY STEPS IN THE REVIEW AND ADJUDICATION PROCESS
NCES reports that include data or the analysis of data undergo both
internal and external peer review.
PROGRAM REVIEW PROCESS
Decision: NCES Author submits draft report to Program
Director for review.
Sign-off: Program Director
DIVISION REVIEW PROCESS
Decision: NCES Author submits draft report to Senior Technical
Advisor for review. The Senior Technical Advisor sends signed-off draft
to the Associate Commissioner for clearance and to the Chief Statistician
for a pre-review.
Sign-off: Senior Technical Advisor, Associate Commissioner,
and Chief Statistician
APPROVAL OF PROPOSED REVIEWERS
Decision: NCES Author submits reviewer memo through the
Associate Commissioner to the Office of the Commissioner (OC) 3 weeks
before the report due to OC date. The reviewers must include two relevant
specialists from other NCES programs, and one or more external reviewers
for additional subject matter or technical expertise.
Sign-off: Associate Commissioner and Commissioner
SUBMIT REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER
Decision: NCES Author submits approved peer review list
and the publication to the Office of the Commissioner for clearance
for distribution for review.
Sign-off: Commissioner
REVIEW BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Decision: Five (5) working days for review by the Office
for Educational Research and Improvement (OERI).
Sign-off: Assistant Secretary
INTERIM REVISION PERIOD
Decision: Ten (10) working days for author to make revisions
requested from OERI.
Sign-off: Associate Commissioner, in consultation with
the Chief Statistician and the Commissioner
SCHEDULE ADJUDICATION MEETING
Decision: NCES Author requests a Statistical Standards
Program (SSP) chair for an adjudication meeting. After a chair is selected,
an adjudication meeting is scheduled.
Sign-off: Chief Statistician
DISTRIBUTION FOR REVIEW
Process: NCES Author sends peer review draft to internal
and external reviewers. This draft should include supporting documentation
for statistical testing. At the same time, the Office of the Commissioner
sends the peer review draft for Principal Operating Component (POC)
review allowing 2 days for distribution. All reviewers also receive
notification of the time and place for the adjudication meeting, and
an invitation to attend (see Letter A).
Review period: Eighteen (18) or more working days for
all reports. NCES Authors are to allow 15 days for peer review, with
a request for written comments from reviewers no later than 3 days prior
to the scheduled adjudication meeting.
PREPARATION OF REVIEWERS COMMENTS
Process: NCES Author delivers one copy of all POC and
peer reviewer comments to the Chief Statistician and one copy to the
adjudicator two working days before the scheduled adjudication meeting.
To concentrate the adjudication meeting on areas needing resolution;
when possible, a pre-adjudication memo should be provided at the adjudication
with author agreement and suggested responses to comments.
ADJUDICATION MEETING DECISION
Decision: If, and only if, comments from all reviewers
are received and are minimal, the author may recommend not holding the
adjudication meeting.
Sign-off: Chief Statistician
ADJUDICATION MEETING
Process: The Adjudicator chairs a meeting of the author
and reviewers. The Author presents major points from the written comments
of reviewers; these are discussed and resolved by the participants.
The Adjudicator makes decisions if no consensus is reached. Prior to
the end of the meeting, the author is responsible for summarizing the
description of all revisions agreed upon during the meeting. The Author
obtains assurance from the Adjudicator that the publication with proposed
changes will meet NCES standards. Any appeals to decisions may be made
to the Chief Statistician. In cases where the revisions result in new
analysis and/or extensive rewriting, a second adjudication meeting may
be held.
POST-ADJUDICATION REVISIONS AND CLEARANCE
Decision: Within fifteen (15) working days, the NCES author
submits the revised publication, along with a post-adjudication memo
that describes all changes, to the adjudicator for review.
Sign-off: Chief Statistician, based on recommendation
of the Adjudicator.
NOTE: The Commissioner of NCES is the final judge of the content of
NCES publications. If the Commissioner delegates this authority, decisions
may be appealed to the Commissioner.
