Letter to OMB_NSC for Current Population Survey, School Enrollment Supplement

July 29, 2020
TO:

Desk Officer for the U.S. Census Bureau
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)
LISA CLEMENT

Digitally signed by LISA
CLEMENT
Date: 2020.07.30 08:15:45
-04'00'

FROM:

Lisa A. Clement
Survey Director, Current Population and American Time Use
Surveys
Associate Directorate Demographic Programs

SUBJECT:

Request for Approval of Non-Substantive Change: Current
Population Survey, School Enrollment Supplement

The Census Bureau is writing to request approval of a Non-Substantive Change to the questions
administered on the Current Population Survey, School Enrollment Supplement questionnaire
approved on August 21, 2019 (OMB No. 0607- 0464). Refer to the 60-day notice in the Federal
Register, (84 FR 13628), published April 5, 2019. This request is in keeping with the Census
Bureau’s commitment to foster transparency in its efforts to produce new, relevant and timely
data on the social and economic experiences individuals are having during this period of the
Covid-19 pandemic.
The requested change consists of an additional seven questions to the School Enrollment
Supplement, and are designed to collect new relevant information. The National Center for
Education Statistics has been an active partner in the design and development of these questions.
The added questions will assist researchers to understand how the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic affected schooling at an individual child level, such as:
•

how children received instruction in a distance-format, if at all;

•

how much digital and internet access children had, if at all;

•

how much live interaction children had with teachers, if at all; and

•

how much time was spent on distance learning.

Please see Attachment NSC-1 for documentation of these proposed changes. Thank you for your
consideration. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Attachment NSC-1 OMB Approval 0607-0464: Non-Substantive Change Request re: Current
Population Survey, School Enrollment Supplement Questionnaire
PROPOSED (July 15, 2020)

Now I am going to ask you some questions about how the coronavirus pandemic affected how
[CHILD] received education during the spring of 2020. [Read all and mark Yes/No]
1
a.
b.

Were his/her classes that are normally taught in person at the school cancelled?
Yes
No

2

Were his/her classes that are normally taught in person moved to a distance-learning
format using online resources, either self-paced or in real time?
Yes
No

a.
b.

3

Were his/her classes that are normally taught in person moved to a distance-learning
format using paper materials sent home with [CHILD]?
Yes
No

a.
b.

These next questions ask about [CHILD]’s education after changes were made in response to the
coronavirus pandemic in spring 2020.
4.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

5.

1
2
3
4
5
6.

During the spring of 2020, how often was a computer or other digital device available to
[CHILD] for educational purposes? Would you say it was always available, usually
available, sometimes available, rarely available, or never available?
Always available;
Usually available;
Sometimes available;
Rarely available;
Never available

During the spring of 2020 how often was the Internet available to [CHILD] for
educational purposes? Would you say it was always available, usually available,
sometimes available, rarely available, or never available?
Always available;
Usually available;
Sometimes available;
Rarely available;
Never available
After changes were made in response to the coronavirus pandemic in spring 2020, about
how much time did [CHILD] typically spend on all learning activities relative to a

1
2
3
4
5

normal school day before the coronavirus pandemic? Would you say much less than a
normal school day, a little bit less, as much as a normal school day, a little bit more, or
much more than a normal school day?
Much less than a normal school day
A little bit less [than a normal school day]
As much [as a normal school day]
A little bit more [than a normal school day]
Much more [than a normal school day]

1
2
3
4
5

During the spring of 2020, about how frequently did [CHILD] have live contact either
by phone or video with his/her teachers in a typical week? Would you say never, less
than once a week, once a week, a few days a week, daily (or almost daily)?
Never
Less than once a week
Once a week
A few days a week
Daily or almost daily

7.