MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE PARTNERSHIPS
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION
INTRODUCTION
The Mathematics and Science Partnerships program (MSP), a formula grant program to the States, makes competitive awards to partnerships consisting of high-need LEAs and an engineering, mathematics, or science department of an institution of higher education. The purpose of this professional development program, that supports intensive, sustained training, is to increase subject matter knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers; thus, affecting the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science by enhancing and promoting research-based teaching methods. The program allows funds to be spent on recruiting mathematics, engineering and science teachers into the field; and other activities designed to improve teachers’ exposure to quality mathematics and science training, and their uses of such training in the classroom.
Current legislation requires the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to collect impact information annually on each of the projects funded by the States. In the past year, 575 projects documented their progress in meeting their MSP goals and objectives demonstrating partnership impact increasing teacher learning and student achievement (Appendix A: Title II, Part B, Section 2202 (f) of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 as amended).
In March 2004, MSP implemented the generic OMB-approved data collection instrument (1890-0004). The form was used to systematically collect student impact data and document projects’ progress in meeting the goals and objectives outlined in their original proposals. In 2006 OMB approved MSP’s program specific online APR (1810-0669) system to collect data and report the Mathematics and Science Partnerships project’s goals.
The 2006 OMB-approved online data collection tool provides funded projects with the opportunity to describe partnerships, teacher impact, share student achievement information, and share professional development models. It also provides a streamlined process to collect program information, and allows better analysis of the program activities across all of the projects.
This revised submission for the OMB-approved online data collection tool better provides funded projects with the opportunity to describe partnerships, share student impact data, share professional development models being employed, and send reports directly to their State coordinator for review and assist ED’s program office with examining outcomes across funded projects.
JUSTIFICATION
Each funded MSP is required to develop an evaluation and accountability plan that includes objectives that measure the impact of funded activities. Plans must include measurable objectives to increase teacher content knowledge and student achievement. Other measurable objectives may include increasing the number of mathematics and science teachers who participate in content-based professional development and to increase student participation in advanced mathematics and science courses. Partnerships must report annually to ED on the progress they are making in reaching their stated objectives.
This data collection is designed to help the MSPs meet their reporting requirements. By structuring the reporting so that all MSPs are required to provide standardized data, the program office is better able to examine outcomes across funded partnerships.
Department’s response to the terms of clearance on this ICR:
Approved for three years. Upon resubmission for OMB approval, ED/OESE will report on whether it is appropriate for EDFacts to begin collecting this data. Additionally, ED/OESE will investigate and report to OMB on whether incorporating the separate Excel worksheet on teacher gains in content knowledge into the online system is appropriate and reduces respondent burden.
“Is it appropriate for EDFacts to begin collecting Mathematics and Science Partnership data?”
It is not appropriate for EDFacts to collect Mathematics and Science Partnership data. The EDFacts system collects data on contextual information, adequate yearly progress, State annual measurable objective targets, State student performance data and National assessment of Education Progress and Student outcomes. EDFacts is not designed to collect the type of descriptive and impact student and teacher evaluation data required by statute for the Mathematics and Science Partnerships Grant program. Furthermore, OMB directed Mathematics and Science Partnerships Grant program to collect pre/post data on teachers learning.
Section 2202(f) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended requires each eligible partnership receiving a grant or sub grant to report annually on their progress in meeting the objectives as described in the accountability plan of the partnership under subsection (e). Subsection e requires each partnership to develop an evaluation and accountability plan for activities including rigorous objectives that measure the impact of activities funder under the grant for teachers and students gains.
The Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) Grants program is a formula grant that requires the states to hold competitions and fund partnerships for up to three years. Partnerships are comprised of a member of a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) department at an institution of higher education and a high-need local education agency. The MSP reporting system was developed in collaboration with states to comply with statutory requirements. The Excel worksheet on teacher gains was instituted after OMB required the Mathematics and Science Partnerships Grant program, as a part of the data collection of GPRA indicators, to collect pre and post test data on teachers taking part in professional development to determine gains in teacher content knowledge as a result of their participation in the project.
The 2006 OMB-approved online data collection tool provides funded projects with the opportunity to describe partnerships, teacher impact, share student achievement information, and share professional development models. It also provides a streamlined process to collect program information, and allows better analysis of the program activities across all of the projects.
Through careful analysis of submitted APRs from funded projects and in consultation with State MSP Coordinators and grantees, it has been determined that the current OMB-approved online APR instrument adequately measures partnerships’ impact on teacher knowledge.
This information will be collected annually from approximately 600 MSPs in the third year of data collection. If a MSP is funded for multiple years (up to three), they will provide data for each year they receive funding.
We use a variety of advanced information technologies to maximize the efficiency and completeness of the information gathered for this evaluation and to minimize the burden the data collection places on the MSPs. First, we use an Internet-based data collection system to collect all data elements. This system will allow the MSPs to complete the forms at a time that is convenient to them. It will also help project staff and State MSP coordinators track the data submissions as the MSPs fill in the forms. Second, we pre-populate the Internet-based forms with any available information from the winning partnership proposals. For example, all of the contact information is available from this source. When the users log onto the system, they will be allowed to update this information but will not need to provide it as part of their submission.
The current OMB-approved form adequately measures project outcomes. In addition, the monitoring tools that were incorporated into the APR reduce the burden on the projects. A tool has been developed to take further reduce the burden placed on projects by eliminating redundant questions in the reporting instrument currently being implemented.
This collection of information does not impact small businesses. Under EDGAR regulations, requirements for small entities are minimized.
This data collection is designed with a twofold purpose. First, in providing this information, the MSPs satisfy most of the reporting requirements they accepted as part of their project requirements. Second, this data collection standardizes the required reporting across all MSPs. This greatly enhances the quality and comparability of the resulting data.
None of the special circumstances listed apply to this data collection.
MSP program staff worked closely with state coordinators of the Mathematics and Science Partnerships program to develop the revised data collection instrument to meet the needs of the Department; while not increasing undue burden on the MSPs. To this end, we convened three Webinars with state coordinators of the Math and Science Partnerships program in June 2009. The purpose of these meetings was to go over the proposed revisions for the data collection instrument and get feedback from the state coordinators. Revisions to the OMB-approved data collection instrument were based, in part, on the discussions in these meetings.
The Program Office held several regional meetings with project directors and evaluators. At each of these meetings we circulated the current document to determine if (1) MSPs projects had questions or concerns on the data being requested and (2) if it adequately measures program and GPRA impact.
Project directors overwhelmingly concurred that the OMB-approved online data collection instrument reduced their reporting burden based on using the general 524-B Grant Performance Report forms.
The appropriate Federal Register Notices were published for 60-day FRN on 12/2/2009 and a 30-day published on 2/8/2010.
No payment or gifts to respondents will be made.
There is no assurance of confidentiality.
There are no questions of a sensitive nature.
Annually, all funded MSPs are asked to complete the OMB-approved, online data collection instrument. We estimate that the form takes an average of 14 hours for the project directors and/or evaluators to complete. The average burden for completing the annual performance report for the approximately 600 partnerships is 8,400 hours. The cost to respondents is estimated to be $30 per hour for a total cost to respondents of approximately $252,000 for each year of data collection. (This hourly rate estimate was based on previous experience with the OMB-approved, online data collection form.)
Approximately 600 respondents x 14 hours x $30/hour = $252,000
There are no additional respondent costs associated with this data collection.
The annualized cost to the federal government is estimated to be $285,651.
|
Total |
Collect Online APR Data |
Web-based System Maintenance |
Analyze APR data and Prepare Reports |
Labor Hours |
5,043 |
2,561 |
607 |
1,875 |
Labor costs |
$135,858 |
$34,547 |
$10,732 |
$90,579 |
ODCs |
$149,793 |
$111,999 |
$29,405 |
$8,389 |
Total Direct Costs |
$285,651 |
$146,546 |
$40,137 |
$98,968 |
This request is for a revised OMB-approved, online data collection. The current OMB-approved APR adequately measures the programs’ impact on student achievement. In addition, monitoring tools that were incorporated into the OMB-approved, online APR has reduced the burden of reporting on the MSP projects. Minor updates were made to the original OMB-approved MSP Annual Performance Report. Redundant questions were removed and questions were realigned to make the respondents inputting process flow more smoothly. Where questions were removed, questions were expanded for the purpose of extrapolating more specific data on the implementation of the MSP professional development. The OMB-approved online reporting tool provides projects an opportunity to describe partnerships, report on the impact of the projects, share effective professional development strategies, and help ED program officials examine outcomes across multiple projects. The annual performance report reflects program expansion and the consolidation of several monitoring tools.
There are no plans to formally publish the results of this data collection. Rather, the data obtained through this data collection will be used by the program office to monitor the funded MSPs and inform the Department’s GPRA indicators.
Submissions of the APR via the data collection site has been taking place since 2006 and will continue to occur between October 30 and November 30 of each year. If APR data submitted during this time frame are incomplete or inaccurate or if re-submission of data is requested by state education agencies (SEAs), additional data collection may occur at other times throughout the year.
In section eight of the online APR the government Performance Results Act (GPRA) data is collected by MSP. The information collected includes the percentage of MSP teachers who significantly increase their content knowledge, as reflected in project-level pre- and post-assessments; and the percentage of students in classrooms of MSP teachers who score at the proficient level or above in State assessments of mathematics or science.
The MSP Annual Performance Report submitted to the Secretary is completed annually in late September.
All data collection instruments will include the OMB expiration date.
No exceptions are requested.
This data collection applies to the universe of MSPs and therefore does not employ any statistical methods.
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | Authorised User |
| Last Modified By | Authorised User |
| File Modified | 2010-03-25 |
| File Created | 2009-11-25 |