suppstatptb

SUPPORTING STATEMENT PART B

FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION

B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods

The agency should be prepared to justify its decision not to use statistical methods in any case where such methods might reduce burden or improve accuracy of results. The following documentation should be provided with the Supporting Statement Part A to the extent that it applies to the methods proposed. For further information, please consult OMB’s Standards and Guidelines for Statistical Surveys.

1. Describe the potential respondent universe (including a numerical estimate) and any sampling or other respondent selection method to be used. Data on the number of entities (e.g., establishments, state and local government units, households, or persons) in the universe covered by the collection and in the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular form for the universe as a whole and for each of the strata in the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates for the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the collection had been conducted previously, include the actual response rate achieved during the last collection.

The potential respondent universe represents the project directors of awards in the BIE, NRC, and UISFL programs made between 2000 and 2008. The number of unduplicated grantees (i.e., only including each grantee once in the population despite repeated awards), from which the sample will be drawn includes 324 NRC grantees, 237 UISFL grantees, and 206 BIE grantees. A sampling of 15 grantees of each program will be selected. A response rate of 80% (or higher) are predicted for each program and for the project as a whole. No prior survey of this universe has been conducted.

To achieve at least an 80% response rate, weekly reminders will be sent to invited participants who have not yet responded to inquiries about scheduling the phone interview. EPI researchers will follow up with non-respondents who have not opted out of the phone interview to inquire about obstacles to completion that can be removed. As all invited participants have a history with the programs, high levels of participation are expected. As evidence of this, response to the phone interview pilot has been high and, within one week of the invitation to participate, one third of the pilot interviews were in the process of being scheduled with participants. Should the response rate not be on target to meet 80%, EPI will work with the IFLE program officers to identify additional strategies to encourage participation, or select other similar grantees to participate.

2. Describe the procedures for the collection of information, including:

• Statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection.

• Estimation procedure.

• Degree of accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification.

• Unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures, and

• Any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.

A representative sample of 45 grantees will be requested to participate in the phone interviews (15 grantees from each program). The 15 grantees per program will consist of both public and private institutions, large and small institutions, etc. in order to get a representative sample. Based on the number of unduplicated grantees (i.e., only including each grantee once in the population despite multiple awards), the sample will represent 5% of NRC grantees, 6% of UISFL grantees, and 7% of BIE grantees. The samples will be stratified and randomly drawn such each proportion of grantees are drawn across the timing of award year (early, middle, or recent); size (the majority of NRC grantees are very large, while the majority of UISFL and BIE grantees are small- to mid-sized); and, control (approximately 2/3 of grantees are public and 1/3 private). The data being collected is qualitative, so no weighting or statistical manipulation is appropriate for generalizing to the population. Based on the pilot data, it is predicted that common themes will be apparent before achieving the 15 interviews per program and that we will achieve data saturation within this sampling frame.

3. Describe methods to maximize response and to deal with issues of non-response. The accuracy and reliability of information collected must be shown to be adequate for intended uses. For collections based on sampling, a special justification must be provided for any collection that will not yield “reliable” data that can be generalized to the universe studied.

EPI will contact prospective phone interviewees to request a time best suited for them to participate. Additionally, the recruitment message will provide information on the reasons for the survey and the intended use of the data to encourage high participation from the project directors. EPI will search for alternative contact information for any prospective phone interviewees unreachable at the contact information provided by IFLE. While qualitative studies are not as generalizable as quantitative studies are, we predict that the randomly selected sample across the strata detailed above will yield a reliable understanding of the population.

4. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Testing is encouraged as an effective means of refining collections of information to minimize burden and improve utility. Tests must be approved if they call for answers to identical questions from 10 or more respondents. A proposed test or set of tests may be submitted for approval separately or in combination with the main collection of information.

The types of qualitative data being collected are not conducive to statistical tests. Each project is predicted to use different language in responding to the open-ended questions in the interview protocol. While we predict themes in the responses (i.e., in the kinds of challenges faced in sustainability, for example), there are many factors that influence the specific experiences and perspectives by campus, which will result in no two answers being the same across projects.

5. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on statistical aspects of the design and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or other persons who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.

KimOanh Nguyen-Lam, International and Foreign Language Education, U.S. Department of Education consulted on the design. Phone: 202-219-7020; email:KimOanh.Nguyen-Lam@ed.gov/

Kate Quinn, PhD of Educational Policy Institute will be collecting and analyzing the data for the agency. Phone: 703-945-6514; email: kquinn@educationalpolicy.org

Technical Advisory Groups and IFLE Program Officers assisted in the finalization off the survey instrument for each program.

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