OMB Addendum

September 2, 2008

MEMORANDUM

To: Shelly Wilkie Martinez

From: Chris Chapman

Subject: Addendum to CPS High School Completion Verification Study

The purpose of this memo is to serve as an addendum to the request for clearance for the CPS High School Completion Verification study (ICR #200806-1850-003). Census Bureau field staff evaluated the instruments while developing training and other study related materials. They had a few recommendations that, while not substantively changing the study, would improve wording or otherwise clarify items in the instruments. The issues and proposed changes are noted below.

1. Interviewers commented on the length of the PRESUP item, which introduces the supplement.

>PRESUP<

We are currently conducting a study to determine if school information can be studied along with information provided by household members. One important area of research is whether information kept by a school about high school completion can be obtained from schools. Because of this research, we have a few additional questions to ask.

** We would recommend changing this to, “We would now like to collect some additional information about high school completion.”

There would be a Help Screen that Interviewers/Field Representatives could access should a respondent ask why we are collecting this information.

2. Interviewers commented on the length of item Q2COA. They felt that the question would be less confusing if we removed the reference to the high school diploma.

>Q2COA< (same comment for Q4COA)

Instead of a high school diploma, some students might receive a certificate for attending classes without meeting all the requirements for graduating. Instead of a high school diploma, did (you/Name) receive a

certificate of some kind from (school name)?

When the respondent does not report any credentials in Q2ANYTYPE (No diploma, No GED, No equivalent, Other, Don't know, or Refused), Q2COA is straightforward. However, when the respondent reports a GED at Q2ANYTYPE, Interviewers felt that the question wording in Q2COA was confusing because the respondent at that point might be considering the GED as the "certificate" they received instead of a high school diploma. They suggested not mentioning the high school diploma at all if the respondent has already reported the GED. So the question text would read:

** We would modify this to

>Proposed Q2COA<

“Some students might receive a certificate for attending classes without meeting all the requirements for graduating. Did (you/Name) (/also) receive a certificate of some kind from (school name)?”

Where we would only fill "also" if they have reported a GED.

3. There were questions about fielding Q9 when the last school attended was not high school.

Q9 – “Sometimes people change their names, for instance, if they get married, or for other reasons. In school, did YOU ever go by any name other than (current name)?”

Q9SP – “What was your full name in high school?

** In Q9SP, to accommodate the circumstance where the individual’s last school wasn’t a high school. The word ‘high’ would be inserted only if the last school attended was a high school.

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