Note to Reviewer - Terms of Clearance

Note to Reviewer of 1220-0157

OMB approved the data collection of NLSY97 Round 14 on May 28, 2010, with the following terms of clearance.

“TERMS OF CLEARANCE: This collection is approved with the following terms of clearance: BLS has agreed to notify to OMB prior to collecting college transcripts in the main study (which is contingent on funding), and will provide results for cooperation with this request and the request for birth certificates in the pretest.”

After receiving OMB approval for Round 14, BLS learned in November 2010 that the funding to collect college transcripts was approved. BLS submitted a nonsubstantive change request notifying OMB of the funding and plan to collect college transcripts in Round 14. Of the approximately 4,800 interviews completed through the first nine weeks of Round 14, only about 160 respondents (about 3% of completed cases) refused to grant their permission to obtain college transcripts.

After receiving OMB approval for Round 14, BLS decided to postpone the trial collection of birth certificates in the Round 14 pretest because of the collection of permission forms in Round 14 to obtain college transcripts. We plan to administer the birth certificate trial during the Round 15 pretest.