DoDEA Sure Start Supporting Statement

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

DoDEA Sure Start Parent Questionnaire

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Need for Information Collection.

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is a DoD Field Activity operating under the authority, direction, and control of the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. DoDEA provides education to eligible Department of Defense military and civilian dependents from preschool through grade 12 at sites both in the United States and overseas. During the 2007-2008 school year, the Department of Defense Education Activity served an estimated 85,000 students in 199 schools.

The DoDEA Sure Start Parent Questionnaire is administered biannually and is used to measure the satisfaction level of parents/sponsors of students enrolled in DoDEA Sure Start programs. This data collection is necessary to allow mid-and end-of-year measurement of Sure Start’s effectiveness in meeting the needs of DoDEA students and families. Mid-year collection allows for immediate programmatic changes to occur. Sure Start is a program for military-sponsored children (see #2 for sponsorship definition). It is primarily a program for qualified four year olds. Children qualify for Sure Start based on the following family dynamics which may put the child “at risk”:

• Based on rank of sponsor (E-1 - E-4 or civilian rank equivalent, first priority);

• Single parent household;

• Parent(s) not a high school graduate;

• Parent a teenager when first child was born;

• One or both parents speak a language other than English as their primary language;

• Low birth weight;

• Parent is on remote assignment (TDY) three months or more;

• Four or more children close in age, living in the home;

• Child has older sibling with a severe disability.

2. Uses of the Information.

The DoDEA Sure Start Parent Questionnaire will be administered to parents/sponsors of students enrolled only in DoDEA Sure Start programs to include active duty Service members, DoD civilians, U.S. civilians, foreign nationals, and contractors with the Federal Government. In accordance with section 1782 of title 10 United States Code (USC), “Surveys of Military Families,” this information collection covers only those respondents not covered under this title.

Individual schools are charged with administering the survey to the parents of students in the Sure Start program. Parent questionnaires will be handed out during mid-year parent meetings and at the end of the year as part of the on-going program evaluation. If a student withdraws prior to the end of the school year, the family will be given the survey. In addition to being informed in writing, all eligible respondents will be verbally informed that their participation is voluntary and no benefit/punishment is attached to response or non-response. Parents will be given the option to place the survey in a pre-addressed envelope and mail it back to the school or to drop the survey in a box in the teacher’s classroom upon leaving.

The information derived from this questionnaire will be used to determine the effectiveness of Sure Start services at the school level.

3. Improved Information Technology.

No electronic information technologies will be used for administration. DoDEA does not posses an electronic survey delivery system that allows for individualized school level reports. The parent questionnaire will be administered via a hard-copy pencil and paper format. The questionnaire is intended for immediate feedback at each individual school. Furthermore since sample sizes will be very small at each individual school, a paper version of the questionnaire allows for the quickest dissemination.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication.

DoDEA does not have existing data that is sufficiently comprehensive in terms of substance or population to meet this need.

5. Methods Used to Minimize Burden on Small Entities.

The collection of this information does not involve small businesses.

6. Consequences of Not Collecting the Information.

If the information cannot be collected, DoDEA would lack critical data that are necessary to monitor DoDEA Sure Start program services that support students’ developmental needs.

7. Special Circumstances.

There are no special circumstances. This collection will be conducted in a manner consistent with guidelines contained in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2).

8. Agency 60-Day Federal Register Notice and Consultations Outside the Agency.

1. The 60-day Federal Register Notice announcing this information collection (as required by 5 CFR 1320.5(d)) was published on March 6, 2008, 73 FR 12139-12140. No comments were received in response to this collection notice.

A copy of the Notice is attached.

(2) The following individuals have reviewed this information collection:

Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC)

Timothy W. Elig

Survey & Program Evaluation Division

Tel: 703-696-5858

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Union Representatives:

Michael Prisner

FEA President

202-822-7857

Marie Sainz-Funaro

OFT President

39-0586-503418

Caroline Myers

FEA-Stateside region – President

706-494-3881

Francine R. Jones, CIP

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Contractor to Force Health Protection and Readiness Programs TRICARE Management Activity Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs)

703-575-3536

Cindy Allard
Chief, OSD/JS Privacy Office
Office of Freedom of Information
1155 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1155

703-588-2386

9. Payments to Respondents.

The respondents will not receive any monetary payments or gifts associated with completing this survey.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality.

This information collection does not ask the respondent to submit proprietary, trade secret, or confidential information to the Department.

11. Personal Identifying Information, Sensitive Questions, and Protection of the

Information.

The data collected are totally anonymous in that no demographic or otherwise identifying information (i.e., student or parent names) from respondents will be collected. Only Sure Start staff at the individual school will have access to data in raw form. The DoDEA Sure Start Parent Questionnaire does not contain questions that could be considered sensitive.

12. Estimates of Annual Response Burden and Labor Cost for Hour Burden to

the Respondent for Collection of Information.

The questionnaire is administered twice a year.

Respondent hours and burden in A.(1) through C. are based on two survey

administrations. Approximately 3% of sponsor population is civilian.

A. Response Burden.

(1) Parent/Sponsor Questionnaire:

Total respondents: 33

Frequency of Response: 2

Total Annual Responses: 66

Burden per response: 10 minutes **

Total burden hours: 11

**Minutes to complete a survey were estimated based on pilot study of the survey instruments, DoDEA staff completing the survey instruments.

B. Explanation of How Burden was Estimated.

The estimated burden hours were calculated using estimated average completion time. Current school population counts are subject to change due to possible BRAC closures.

Parents: (1084 parents, minimum one parent per Sure Start child) x (anticipated

response rate = 100%) x (applicable percentage of population=.03) = 33

respondents.

33 respondents x 2 administrations = 66 total respondences

Estimated Total Annual Respondences: 66

C. Labor Cost to the Respondents.

Estimated labor costs to the respondents based on an average of 10 minutes and 2 administrations are:

	Low (students only)*		Medium (All sponsors)**		High (Ineligible sponsors)***		Total
	N	Dollar Amount	N	Dollar Amount	N	Dollar Amount	N	Dollar Amount
Sponsors (Sure Start only)	0	$0.00	33	$113.52	0	$0.00	33	$113.52
							Total	$227.04
*$5.85 per hour (minimum wage) **$20.66 per hour ($20.66 x .10) = $3.44 per respondent ***$32.72 per hour ($32.72 x .10) = $5.45. per respondent

Rank of sponsor determines eligibility (E-1 - E-4); therefore there are no respondents in the High category.

13. Estimates of Other Cost Burden for the Respondent for Collection of Information.

a. Total Capital and Start-up Cost. There are no capital or start-up costs associated with this information collection.

b. Operation and Maintenance Cost. There are no operational or maintenance costs associated with this collection.

14. Annualized Cost to the Federal Government.

Administrative costs to copy, administer, and tally the results of the DoDEA Sure Start Parent Questionnaire are reflected for Sure Start teachers only. The table below reflects the time spent to administer and tally the questionnaire.

Estimated Cost to DoD for Staff to Administer and Tally the DoDEA Sure Start Parent Questionnaire
	Mid-Year			End of Year
	Projected Hours	Cost Per Hour	Total Cost	Projected Hours	Cost Per Hour	Total Cost
Teaching Staff	50	$41.45	$2,072.50	50	$41.45	$2,072.50
Copying1			$2.50			$2.50
Total Cost for Mid Year			$2,075.00	Total Cost for End of Year		$2,075.00
Overall Total Cost: $4,150

¹Includes cost of paper and toner, 50 copies x’s $.05 page= $2.50

15. Changes in Burden.

This is a new data collection.

16. Publication Plans/Time Schedule.

Reports of the results of this instrument surveys are for internal DoDEA use only and are not for publication. Further analysis can be conducted based on needs at the school level.

17. Approval Not to Display Expiration Date.

Approval not to display the expiration date is not being sought.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement.

No exemptions/exceptions to the Certification Statement are being sought.

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHOD

1. Universe and Respondent Selection

a. All DoDEA sponsors of Sure Start are the target population for the questionnaire. Statistical methodology for selection of a sample does not apply for DoDEA as the survey administration is a census of the DoDEA sponsors of students in Sure Start. Sure Start enrollment for School Year 2007-08 was approximately 1,084.

b. Data are not disaggregated by any demographic or organizational variables.

2. Procedures for Collecting Information

Questionnaires are to be disseminated to parents at parent conferences during the middle of the school year and the end of the school year. Questionnaires will be collected via a locked box in the school entrance accessible to Sure Start teachers only.

3. Methods to Maximize Response

Full sponsor participation is expected. A core component to the DoDEA Sure Start program is mandatory parental involvement in various activities. Parents must sign an agreement to participate in a minimum number of Sure Start activities prior to their child’s enrollment. Although questionnaire participation is voluntary, this expectation is being extended to the Parent Questionnaire.

A response rate for each school is not calculated as full participation is expected.

4. Tests of Procedures

The questionnaire items have been reviewed internally by DoDEA Research and Evaluation, district, area, and headquarters staff, as well as by the Defense Manpower and Data Center Survey and Program Evaluation Division.

5. Contacts for Statistical Aspects and Data Collection

a. Questionnaire analyses are to be conducted by the DoDEA Sure Start teachers. Analyses include:

• Frequency of the responses for each question

b. Data are collected by individual schools only. Results are analyzed at the item level only.

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