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OMB Comments & ED RESPONSES
Evaluation of Math Curricula 1850-0813
September 19, 2008
Why is an additional year of data collection needed?
The additional year of data collection has two purposes. First, an additional year of data collection will permit the study to look at the relative effects of the curricula on third grade student achievement, which would provide valuable information to policy makers and educators since third grade is the point at which Title I Adequate Yearly Progress accountability begins. The study’s Technical Working Group has advised that curricula may have different relative effects in different grades as progressively higher-order skills are taught.
An additional year of data collection is also needed to examine the sustained effects of the curricula on student achievement for students who have had a consistent curriculum in the first, second, and third grades.
When did the study team decide that this additional year of data collection would be needed?
The additional year of data collection was an option in the contract and was included in the original submission of 1850-0813 version 2 (data collection) to OMB in June 2006. During the first meeting with the study’s Technical Working Group (TWG), which was held in February 2006, the TWG recommended phasing in the study beginning in the first grade in the 2006-07 school year, including the second grade in the 2007-08 school year, and moving into the third grade in the 2008-09 school year. A final decision was made earlier this year when the study team was able to confirm that a sufficient number of districts and schools would to continue to participate in the study in the 2008-09 school year and the curriculum publishers were willing to continue supporting implementation.
In oral discussions with OMB on responses to questions on 1850-0813 version 2 for data collection, OMB requested that the third year of data collection not be included since the contract option had not yet been exercised. OMB only approved data collection for two years through September 30, 2008. The contract option for the third year of data collection has now been exercised.
What are the substantive results of the first several years of the study?
A draft report based on the first cohort of study participants is currently in the IES peer review process and will be released as soon as possible. It is IES policy that results of evaluations are not shared outside IES until cleared by the peer review office.
When (if yet) were the schools and teachers notified of the desire to add a year of data collection?
Districts were notified during the original recruitment process of the possibility of an additional year of data collection. Districts were told that the study was interested in collecting data during the 2008-09 school year when third graders would be included in the study for the first time, and that the study team would discuss with each district their interest in continuing to participate in the study at a later date.
After the decision was made to collect an additional year of data, the study team spoke to the publishers to determine their willingness to continue supporting the study. Once the publishers agreed to continue supporting the study, the study team held discussions with each participating district to assess their interest in continued study participation and additional data collection in Spring of 2008. The district administrators spoke to each participating school to assess principal and teacher interest in continued study participation. After discussions between the district administrators and participating schools, 5 districts with a total of 45 schools notified the study team of their willingness to continue participating in the study in the 2008-09 school year.
Have the schools and teachers all agreed to continue to use the current curriculum and remain in the study for an additional year?
All schools and teachers that are participating in the study during the additional school year agreed to continue using their assigned curriculum and remain in the study throughout the year. In addition, all curriculum publishers agreed to continue supporting implementation during the additional year.
September 25, 2008
QUESTION: How much additional time do we need on this ICR?
RESPONSE: We only need one year through September 2009.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | MEMORANDUM |
| Author | Donna Smith |
| Last Modified By | Bridget Dooling |
| File Modified | 2008-09-25 |
| File Created | 2008-09-25 |