1) NPSAS:12 Cognitive Testing 2010; and 2) Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 Participation Improvement Focus Groups

Attachment I

Recruitment Procedures

Description of Cognitive Interview Participant Recruitment Process

Advertisement:

The cognitive interviews will be advertised at a variety of locations and through a variety of media in the Research Triangle Park and Washington, D.C. areas to maximize exposure to diverse postsecondary student populations, such as:

• Central locations at colleges, universities and other postsecondary institutions;

• Community locations such as coffee shops;

• College/university and city newspapers; and

• Online resources such as the RTI Intranet classifieds and Craigslist.org.

The advertisements will describe the purpose of the cognitive interviews and details of participation, including the time commitment, incentive for participation, and RTI-PRISM contact information. A sample flyer is presented below.

Recruitment:

Students who are interested in participating in a focus group will be asked to call RTI to complete a brief screening interview to determine eligibility. Eligible participants will be those determined to be first-time beginning students (FTB) in the desired institution types with a range of demographic characteristics and education experiences.

The cognitive interview participants will be selected to reflect the following characteristics:

Institution type:

4‑year,

2‑year, and

Less-than-2‑year.

Participants within each group will be selected to provide a range of FTB student types across the following demographic variables:

• Age;

• Sex; and

• Degree program.

For each institution level, approximately 20 students will be recruited to ensure the desired number of participants (approximately 16 participants per type.)

Sample Recruitment Flyer

Are you currently enrolled in your first year of college or trade school?

You may be eligible to receive $50 by helping to review a survey! Participation will involve answering questions and reviewing a survey for an upcoming study that will be used to learn about students’ paths through postsecondary education.

About the interview:

RTI International is conducting this study for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. The interviews will be conducted in Fall 2010 and will be held at central locations in Research Triangle Park and Washington DC. The interview will last approximately 2 hours.

Eligibility to Participate:

First-year students enrolled in a trade school, college, or university are eligible to participate. Please call RTI to complete a brief telephone screening in order to determine if you are eligible. The telephone screening will take approximately 3-5 minutes to complete. Interviews will be conducted between September and December of 2010; you must be in the Research Triangle Park or Washington DC area to participate.  We have flexible appointment openings, including weekends and evenings and can accommodate your scheduling needs.

Contact:

If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact {fill recruiter} at {fill recruiter phone}, or by e-mail ([recruiter}@rti.org) to schedule an appointment.

Attachment II

Eligibility Screening Questions

Thank you for inquiring about this study. Forty-eight total interviews are planned. The screening is expected to take approximately 3-5 minutes. Each full interview is expected to last approximately 2 hours. The interviews will be recorded so that we can review your ideas and comments. We will prepare a report that does not single out any one person, but reports what we heard from the group as a whole. We will keep the recording only until our report is finished. No names will be mentioned in the report.

Participation will involve answering questions and reviewing a survey for an upcoming study that will be used to learn about students’ paths through postsecondary education. During the interview, we will ask you to complete a web survey and give us your thoughts on the questions you are being asked. In addition, we will ask you questions as you go in order to measure your understanding and interpretation of the questions in the survey. But, I will first need to ask you a few questions to determine if you are eligible to participate in the study.

1. Did you attend college or trade school for the first time since July 1, 2009?

• Yes – go to question 3

• No – go to question 2

2. When did you previously attend, and for how long? [Open-Ended Response]

________________________________________

3. Was this previous attendance before you completed high school?

• Yes – go to question 4

• No– Thank you for inquiring about this study, but you are not eligible to participate

• Both before and after – Thank you for inquiring about this study, but you are not eligible to participate

4. What is the name of the school you are currently attending?

________________________________________

5. What is your age? Are you…

• Under 18 -- Thank you for inquiring about this study, but you are not eligible to participate.

• 18-20

• 21-24

• 25-29

• 30 or older

6. What is your sex?

• Male

• Female

7. Do you [or your spouse] have any children whom you support financially?

• Yes

• No

8. Are you working full-time?

• Yes

• No

9. What is your name?__________________________________________________

10. What is the best telephone number to reach you?___________________________

11. What is your email address?____________________________________________

12. What days of the week and times of day would you be available to attend an interview?

_______________________________________________________________________

Thank you for answering our questions. Once the interviews have been scheduled, you will be contacted by phone and e-mail to notify you of the date, time, and location. At that point, you must RSVP to the invitation to guarantee an interview time. Upon completion of the interview you will receive $50.

Attachment III

Sample Consent Form

Consent to Participate in Research

Title of Research: National Postsecondary Student Aid Study – Cognitive Interviews 2010

Introduction

You are being asked to participate in a cognitive interview which is part of a larger research study sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. The study is designed to examine the decisions and experiences of students throughout their postsecondary education and the factors that influence their decisions. Before you decide if you want to take part in this study, you need to read this Informed Consent form so that you understand what the interview is about and what you will be asked to do. This form also tells you who can participate in the interviews, the risks and benefits of participating, how we will protect your information, and who you can call if you have questions. Please ask the researcher to explain anything you don’t understand before you make your decision.

Purpose

The interview is being conducted by RTI International, a research organization located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Participation will involve answering questions and reviewing a survey for an upcoming study that will be used to learn about students’ paths through postsecondary education. During the interview, we will ask you to complete a web survey and give us your thoughts on the questions you are being asked. In addition, we will ask you questions as you go in order to measure your understanding and interpretation of the questions in the survey. The information from the interviews will help us finalize development of the questions for the larger study that will be conducted early next year.

Procedures

You are one of approximately 48 individuals participating in these cognitive interviews.

The interview will be audio recorded to make sure we don’t miss anything that you say and to help us write a report summarizing the results of the interviews. Upon completion of the written report, the recording will be destroyed. Your name will never be used in the report that we write.

Study Duration

Your participation in the cognitive interview will take about 2 hours.

Possible Risks or Discomforts

We do not anticipate that any of the discussion topics will make you uncomfortable or upset. However you may refuse to answer any question or take a break at any time.

Benefits

Your Benefits You will be paid $50.00 for your participation in this study.

Benefits for Other People We hope that these interviews will help us develop and improve questions for a national survey that will help us understand students’ college experiences and how they pay for college or trade school.

Confidentiality

RTI International is conducting this study for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. This study is authorized by law under the Education Sciences Reform Act (Public Law 107-279). Your participation is voluntary. Your responses are protected by federal statute (P.L. 107-279, Title I, Part E, Sec. 183) and may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law.

Future Contacts

We will not contact you in the future.

Your Rights

Your decision to take part in this research study is completely voluntary. You can refuse any part of the study and you can stop participating at any time. You can refuse to answer any question.

Your Questions

If you have any questions about the study, you may call John Riccobono at RTI International (919-541-7006). If you have any questions about your rights as a study participant, you may call RTI’s Office of Research Protection at 1-866-214-2043 (a toll-free number).

YOU WILL BE GIVEN A COPY OF THIS CONSENT FORM TO KEEP.

Your signature below indicates that you have read the information provided above, have received answers to your questions, and have freely decided to participate in this research. By agreeing to participate in this research, you are not giving up any of your legal rights.

________________ ___________________________________ _ Date Signature of Participant

____________________________________ __

Printed Name of Participant

I certify that the nature and purpose, the potential benefits, and possible risks associated with participating in this research have been explained to the above-named individual.

______________ ___________________________________ _ Date Signature of Person Obtaining Consent

____________________________________ __

Printed Name of Person Obtaining Consent

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