College Scorecard Focus Groups recruitment and screening[1]

Attachment I

Recruitment Procedures and Related Materials

Recruitment Procedures

College Scorecard Recruitment Procedures

Description of Focus Group Recruitment Process

Westat has subcontracted with Shugoll Research, located in Bethesda, MD, to recruit participants for each of the four focus groups: high school seniors planning to attend a 2-year institution in fall 2013, high school seniors planning to attend a 4-year institution in fall 2013, parents of senior high school students, and high school guidance counselors. The Bethesda facility recruits for all Shugoll locations; these four focus groups will be held at their Alexandria, VA, facility. Shugoll, whom Westat has used successfully in the past, has extensive experience in recruiting students of all ages, parents, and high school administrators. Shugoll sends emails and/or makes cold-calls to past focus group participants maintained in their database to identify interested potential participants. Once they speak to or hear from participants, they use the screeners provided by Westat (see Attachment II) to determine their eligibility. Shugoll then sends Westat weekly disposition sheets containing the key screener characteristics. If a potential participant does not meet the exact eligibility criteria described above or if there are too many eligible participants who could attend or are affiliated with the same high school, for example, we would ask Shugoll to place them on hold, and only invite them if we do not have enough eligible participants.

Focus group participants will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Focus Group #1: High school seniors (ages 17-19) from schools in the DC metropolitan area, with the majority being in northern Virginia, who are planning to attend a 2-year college in fall 2013; pursuing an associate’s degree or certificate; have started their college search and are considering at least 2 colleges in their search; low to high income with the majority being low to moderate income, defined as 5 or more participants with an annual household income of $70,000 or below; mixed race/ethnicity and gender.

• Focus Group #2: High school seniors (ages 17-19) from schools in the DC metropolitan area, with the majority being in northern Virginia, who are planning to attend a 4-year college in fall 2013; pursuing a bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or certificate; have started their college search and are considering at least 2 colleges in their search; low to high income with the majority being low to moderate income, defined as 5 or more participants with an annual household income of $70,000 or below; mixed race/ethnicity and gender.

• Focus Group #3: Parents of high school seniors who will attend a 2- or 4-year college leading to a bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or certificate upon graduation (NOTE: participant may be the parent of participating high school senior; however, prefer to recruit groups independently); child has started or will start his/her college search within the next 6 months and is considering at least 2 colleges in search; parent has at least a GED and no higher than a bachelor’s degree (goal is a mix of parents with no college up to a bachelor’s degree); low to high income with the majority being low to moderate income, defined as 5 or more participants with an annual household income of $70,000 or below.

• Focus Group #4: High school guidance counselors working in public or charter schools in the DC metropolitan area, with the majority being in northern Virginia, where at least 15 percent of the students are low income (low income is defined as students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch); have at least 3 years’ experience counseling prospective college students; spend at least ¼ of their time counseling students related to the college search process; have earned a master’s degree. The group will be of mixed gender. NOTE: Guidance counselors do not have to be identified from the schools that participating high school seniors attend. Groups should be recruited independently of each other.

For each of the focus groups, the facility will recruit 12 participants to ensure nine participants show up.

Advertisement:

Simultaneously, Shugoll advertises through their contacts at local schools in the DC metropolitan area by sending them Westat-developed flyers (see next page). The flyers briefly describe the purpose of the research and details of participation, including the time commitment, incentive for participation, and contact information. Individuals who are interested in participating in the focus groups will be asked to contact Shugoll to complete the brief screening interview to determine eligibility as described above.

Sample Recruitment Flyer
for Guidance Counselors

SAMPLE RECRUITMENT FLYER

Are you a high school guidance counselor?

You may be eligible to earn $75 by participating in a focus group to discuss a college information website.

A light meal will be provided.

About the focus group:

Westat, a social science research company, is conducting this 90-minute focus group for the U.S. Department of Education. During the focus group, a researcher will ask for your feedback on a website designed to help families and other consumers in their search for colleges.

Eligibility to Participate:

• You must work in a public or charter high school in the DC metropolitan area

• You must spend part of your time working with high school students on the college search process

Date: Wednesday, January 30, at 6:00 p.m.

Location: Shugoll Research (Alexandria, Virginia)

**If interested, call 301-215-7248 and reference Wendy**

Sample Confirmation Emails

Confirmation Email to High School Students

SAMPLE CONFIRMATION E-MAIL FROM FOCUS GROUP FACILITY TO CONFIRMED STUDENT GROUPS

Shugoll Research

1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 300
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Thank you for your commitment to participate in this focus group discussion. Please reply to confirm receipt of this e-mail and your attendance.

Participants must arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. If you are late we cannot guarantee that you will be used.

It is important that you keep this commitment as each individual attending a group has been selected specifically for this focus group. If you have any hesitation about your availability please call (301) 215-7248.

This focus group has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB# 1880-0542).

Participants will be required to:

1. Bring a photo ID with a birth date to the group.

2. If participant is under age 18, participant must bring the parental permission form that was sent prior to the group and that the parent has signed, granting permission for the child to participate in the group and to have the discussion audio recorded.

3. Read and sign a consent form agreeing to participate in the group and granting permission for it to be audio recorded.

4. Please note: The information obtained during the focus group will be combined with the responses of others in a summary report that does not identify you as an individual. After the summary report is finalized and the project is over, the audio recordings will be destroyed.

• We look forward to seeing you Tuesday, January 15, 2013 [or Wednesday, January 16, 2013, if focus group is with students planning to attend a 2-year school]

• The discussion will begin at 6:00 p.m.

• The discussion will last approximately 1½ hours

• The topic of the discussion is Education  

• As a token of our appreciation, you will receive a gift of $50

Directions [to be provided by facility]

Confirmation Email to Parents

SAMPLE CONFIRMATION E-MAIL FROM FOCUS GROUP FACILITY TO CONFIRMED PARENT GROUP

Shugoll Research

1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 300
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Thank you for your commitment to participate in this focus group discussion. Please reply to confirm receipt of this e-mail and your attendance.

Participants must arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. If you are late we cannot guarantee that you will be used.

It is important that you keep this commitment as each individual attending a group has been selected specifically for this focus group. If you have any hesitation about your availability please call (301) 215-7248.

This focus group has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB# 1880-0542).

Participants will be required to:

1. Bring a photo ID with a birth date to the group.

2. Read and sign a consent form agreeing to participate in the group and granting permission for it to be audio recorded.

3. Please note: The information obtained during the focus group will be combined with the responses of others in a summary report that does not identify you as an individual. After the summary report is finalized and the project is over, the audio recordings will be destroyed.

• We look forward to seeing you Tuesday, January 29, 2013

• The discussion will begin at 6:00 p.m.

• The discussion will last approximately 1½ hours

• The topic of the discussion is Education  

• As a token of our appreciation, you will receive a gift of $50

Directions [to be provided by facility]

Confirmation Email to Guidance Counselors

SAMPLE CONFIRMATION E-MAIL FROM FOCUS GROUP FACILITY TO CONFIRMED GUIDANCE COUNSELOR GROUP

Shugoll Research

1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 300
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Thank you for your commitment to participate in this focus group discussion. Please reply to confirm receipt of this e-mail and your attendance.

Participants must arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. If you are late we cannot guarantee that you will be used.

It is important that you keep this commitment as each individual attending a group has been selected specifically for this focus group. If you have any hesitation about your availability please call (301) 215-7248.

This focus group has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB# 1880-0542).

Participants will be required to:

1. Bring a photo ID with a birth date to the group.

2. Read and sign a consent form agreeing to participate in the group and granting permission for it to be audio recorded.

3. Please note: The information obtained during the focus group will be combined with the responses of others in a summary report that does not identify you as an individual. After the summary report is finalized and the project is over, the audio recordings will be destroyed.

• We look forward to seeing you Wednesday, January 30, 2013

• The discussion will begin at 6:00 p.m.

• The discussion will last approximately 1½ hours

• The topic of the discussion is Education  

• As a token of our appreciation, you will receive a gift of $75

Directions [to be provided by facility]

Attachment II

Screeners for Focus Groups

WESTAT

COLLEGE SCORECARD WEBSITE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

SCREENER FOR FOCUS GROUPS WITH STUDENTS PLANNING TO ATTEND

2-YEAR OR 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS IN FALL 2013

LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AND ABOVE (NORTHERN VIRGINIA OR DC METROPOLITAN AREA)

January 15-16, 2013

(Screener revised November 15, 2012)

INTRODUCTION: Westat, a social science research company in Rockville, MD, is working on a research project for the U.S. Department of Education. We want to talk to students to discuss a website used to help them and their families identify colleges they might want to search for and/or apply to. If eligible, students will be invited to participate in a focus group to be held in Alexandria, Virginia, on December 4 or December 5, 2012.

[January 15—date for 4-year students]

[January 16—date for 2-year students]

Screening Criteria:

• Age 17-19

• Graduating high school seniors from schools in the DC metro area, especially northern Virginia, who are planning to attend any 2-year or 4-year college in fall 2013 (this includes students who have started conducting their college search)

• Low to high income with the majority being low to moderate income, defined as 5 or more participants with an annual household income below $70,000

• Considered 2 or more colleges in their search

• Mixed race/ethnicity and gender

1. How old are you? _______________

Under 17 years old……………………………1 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

17 – 19 years old……………………………....2 [ALL STUDENTS MUST SIGN THE CONSENT FORM AND BRING A PHOTO ID TO DISCUSSION GROUP TO VERIFY AGE. IF THEY DO NOT BRING A PHOTO ID, THEY CANNOT PARTICIPATE. STUDENTS 17 YEARS OLD MUST ALSO HAVE THEIR PARENT SIGN THE PERMISSION FORM.]

Older than 19 ………………………………….3 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

2. What grade are you currently in?

12^th grade (graduating senior)……………….........................1 [CONTINUE]

11^th grade or below.................................................................2 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

3. What high school will you be graduating from and where is it located (city and state)?

Name of high school _________________________________________________

City/State _______________________________________

4. Are you planning to attend college in fall 2013?

Yes, planning to attend……………... 1 [CONTINUE]

No, NOT planning to attend.............. 2 [TERMINATE]

5. Have you started your college search? conducted your c

Yes....................................................................1 [CONTINUE]

No.....................................................................2 [TERMINATE]

6. What type of college are you planning to attend (i.e., 2-year, 4-year)?
2-year college.................................................................................. 1 [CONTINUE]

4-year college.................................................................................. 2 [CONTINUE]

Both.................................................................................................3 [CONTINUE]

Neither (e.g., student is pursuing a less-than-2-year program)........4 [TERMINATE]

7. What type of degree do you plan to pursue?

Bachelor’s degree……………………………...1 [CONTINUE]

Associate’s degree…………………………......2 [CONTINUE]

Certificate…………………………................... 3 [CONTINUE]

Don’t know............................................................. 4 [TERMINATE]

8. How many colleges are you searching for or planning to look up information for?

One…………………………………………….1 TERMINATE SCREENER]

Two or more………………..………………….2 [CONTINUE]

9. Will you pursue a vocational program (e.g., medical assisting, automotive repair, cosmetology, computer technician) or an academic program?

Vocational program ……………………………..1 [CONTINUE]

Academic program…………………………….... 2 [CONTINUE]]

10. How many people currently live in your household and contribute to the household income? Include yourself, your parents, siblings who may not live at home year-round, extended family—anyone contributing to the household income.

Number of people _____________________________

10. Thinking about the number of people living in your household and contributing to the household income, what is your annual household income?

11a. Is it above or below $40,000?

BELOW..............1 [SKIP TO QUESTION 12]

ABOVE..............2 [GO TO 11b]

11b. Is it above or below $70,000?

BELOW..............1 [SKIP TO QUESTION 12]

ABOVE...............2 [GO TO 11c]

11c. Is it above or below $100,000?

BELOW..............1 [GO TO QUESTION 12]

ABOVE...............2 [GO TO QUESTION 12]

12. Thinking about your parent with the most education, what is the highest education level obtained by him/her: (Tell respondent to only respond for the parent who has the most education.):

GED…………………………………………………….1[[CONTINUE]]

High school graduate……………………………………2[[CONTINUE]]

Up to one year of college………………………………..3][CONTINUE]

More than 1 year but less than 2 years ………………….4[[CONTINUE]]

Associate’s degree……………………………………….5[[CONTINUE]]

Bachelor’s degree………………………………………..6[[CONTINUE]]

Master’s degree……………………………………….....7[[CONTINUE]]

Ph.D. …………………………………………………...8 [TERMINATE]

Professional degree (law degree, medical degree) ……….9 [TERMINATE]

Other (Specify: ________________________________________________________

13. Which of the following best describes your ethnicity? Are you Hispanic or non-Hispanic? (Circle one response)

Hispanic or Latino………………….………………………………. 1 [CONTINUE]

Non-Hispanic or Latino ………………….………………………....2 [CONTINUE]

13. How would you describe your race?

(Circle all categories mentioned. Respondents may choose multiple categories.)

White ………………….…………………………………………… 1 [CONTINUE]

Black or African American ………………….…………………..… 2 [CONTINUE]

Asian ………………….…………………………………………… 3 [CONTINUE]

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander………………………… 4 [CONTINUE]

American Indian or Alaska Native ………………………………... 5 [CONTINUE]

IF GENDER NOT APPARENT BY NAME OR VOICE OF RESPONDENT, ASK THIS QUESTION:

13. Please confirm your gender as:

Female……………………………………………………………… 1

Male………………………………………………………………… 2

WESTAT

COLLEGE SCORECARD WEBSITE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

SCREENER FOR FOCUS GROUP WITH PARENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS PLANNING TO ATTEND A 4- OR 2-YEAR COLLEGE

[UPON GRADUATION] IN FALL 2013 WITH

LOW TO HIGH ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME (ALEXANDRIA, VA)

January 29, 2013

(Screener revised November 15, 2012)

INTRODUCTION: Westat, a social science research company in Rockville, MD, is working on a research project for the U.S. Department of Education. We want to talk to parents to discuss a website used to help them and their teenager identify colleges they might want to search for and/or apply to. If eligible, parents will be invited to participate in a focus group to be held in Alexandria, Virginia, on December 6.

Screening Criteria:

• Must be a parent of a senior public high school student who will attend college upon graduation

• Parent of student planning to attend a 4- or 2-year college leading to a bachelor’s, associate’s degree, or certificate

• Parent of a child planning to conduct a search for at least two colleges

• Parent of a child who has started conducting their search for colleges

• Low to high income with the majority being low to moderate income, defined as 5 or more participants with an annual household income of below $70,000

• Mix of participants that have not attended college and those that have up to a B.A.

2. Are you the parent of a high school student who is a graduating senior?

Yes.………………………………………...…..…1 [CONTINUE TO QUESTION 2]

No……………………………. …………………2 [TERMINATE]

3. What high school does your child currently attend?

Name__________________________________________________________

City/State_______________________________________________________

4. Does your child plan on attending college upon high school graduation with the intention of obtaining a bachelor’s, associate’s degree, or certificate?

Yes…………………………………………………...1 [CONTINUE]

No……………………………….. ………………….2 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

Don’t know...........................................................................

5. Is your child more likely to attend a 2-year or a 4-year college?

2-year…………………………………………………1 [CONTINUE]

4-year…………………………………………………2 [CONTINUE]

6. Have you and/or your child started conducting a college search?

Yes ……………………………………………………..1 [SKIP TO QUESTION 7]

No ……………………………………………………...2 [CONTINUE]

7. When are you and/or your child planning to begin looking for colleges?

If within the next 6 months………………………………1 [CONTINUE]

If longer than a 6 months………………………………....2 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

8. How many colleges have you and/or your child searched for or are planning to search for?

One college…………………………………………….1[TERMINATE SCREENER]

Two - three colleges…………………………………….2 [CONTINUE]

More than three colleges……………………………….3 [CONTINUE]

9. What colleges are you or will you conduct a search for? [Name only two]

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

10. What is the highest education level you have obtained: (Select one response only)

Less than GED……………………………………… ..1 [TERMINATE] ATE

GED……………………………………………………2[[CONTINUE]]

High school graduate……………………………………3[[CONTINUE]

Up to one year of college………………………………..4] [CONTINUE]

More than 1 year but less than 2 years …………………..5[[CONTINUE]]

Associate’s degree……………………………………….6[[CONTINUE]]

Bachelor’s degree………………………………………..7[[CONTINUE]]

Master’s degree………………………………………......8[[TERMINATE]]

Ph.D. …………………………………………………...9 [TERMINATE] CREENER]

Professional degree (law degree, medical degree) ……….10[[TERMINATE] ERMI

Other (Specify: ___________________________________________________

11. How many people currently live in your household, including children who may not live at home year-round, extended family, and others living in or contributing to the household?

________

12. Thinking about the number of people living in your household and contributing to the household income, what is your annual household income? Choose from the following.

(Circle one response)

Annual Household Income	Action
Less than $40,000 annually	1 [CONTINUE]
$40,000 to $69,999 annually	2 [CONTINUE]
$70,000 to $99,999 annually	3 [CONTINUE]
$100,000 or more annually	4 [CONTINUE]

13. Which of the following best describes your ethnicity? Are you Hispanic or non-Hispanic? (Circle one response)

Hispanic or Latino…………………1 [CONTINUE]

Non-Hispanic or Latino……………2[CONTINUE]

14. How would you describe your race?

(Circle all categories mentioned. Respondents may choose multiple categories.)

White………………………………………….1[[CONTINUE]]

Black or African-American……………………2 [CONTINUE]

Asian………………………………………….3 [CONTINUE]]

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander……4 [CONTINUE]]

American Indian or Alaska Native……………5 [CONTINUE]

IF GENDER NOT APPARENT BY NAME OR VOICE OF RESPONDENT, ASK THIS QUESTION:

15. Please confirm your gender as:

Female…………………………………………………………………1

Male……………………………………………………………………2

WESTAT

COLLEGE SCORECARD WEBSITE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

SCREENER FOR focus group with high school guidance counselors with at least 3 years of experience counseling prospective college students and who spend at least 1/4 of their time helping students with the college search and

application process IN THE

DC/VA METROPOLITAN AREA

(ALEXANDRIA, VA)

January 30, 2013

(Screener revised November 6, 2012)

INTRODUCTION: Westat, a social science research company in Rockville, MD, is working on a research project for the U.S. Department of Education. We want to talk to high school counselors to discuss a website designed to help consumers identify colleges they might want to search for and/or apply to. If eligible, counselors will be invited to participate in a focus group to be held in Alexandria, Virginia, on December 11.

Screening Criteria:

• High school guidance counselor working in public or charter school in the DC metropolitan area, especially northern Virginia, with at least 3 years’ experience counseling prospective college students

• Has an MA in counseling or related field. NOTE: We will not terminate anyone who has an MA in a field unrelated to counseling, but we’d like to put them on a HOLD list.

• At least one-fourth of counselor’s time spent working with high school students on college choice, search, and application process

• Counselors who work in schools where at least 15 percent of the students are considered low income (low income being defined as students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch)

• Goal: a mix of counselors from different high schools in DC and VA counties (Arlington, Fairfax)

• Goal: a mix of males and females

1. Are you a high school guidance counselor?

Yes…………….……………………..........................1 [CONTINUE]

No…………….……………………………...............2 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

2. At what type of high school do you work as a counselor (public, charter, private)?

Public…………….……………………......................1 [CONTINUE]

Charter…………….……………………………........2 [CONTINUE]

Private…………….…………………………….........3 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

3. Do you counsel students at your school who are planning to attend college?

Yes……………………………………………….1 [CONTINUE]

No………………………………………………..2 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

3. Including this school year, how long have you been counseling prospective college students?

Less than 3 years…………….…………………….1 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

3-6 years…………….……………………………..2 [CONTINUE]

7-9 years…………….……………………………..3 [CONTINUE]

10 years or more…………………………………..4 [CONTINUE]

3. About what percentage of your time is spent counseling prospective college students (i.e., working with high school students on conducting college searches, college choice, and the application process)?

_____________ percent [IF UNDER 25 PERCENT, TERMINATE SCREENER]

3. What is the highest degree you have earned?

Bachelor’s degree or lower………………………….1 [TERMINATE SCREENER]

Master’s degree or higher…………………….............2 [CONTINUE]

7. In what field did you earn a master’s degree?

__________________________________________________

[IF SCHOOL COUNSELING OR RELATED, CONTINUE TO Q8]

[IF OTHER THAN COUNSELING, CONTINUE TO Q8 BUT MAKE A SPECIAL NOTE OF THIS IN TRACKING SHEET AND PUT ON A HOLD LIST]

8. Where did you earn your highest degree?

___________________________________________________

9. What, if any, type of certifications do you hold (e.g., National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) certificate or Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP) certificate)?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

10. About what percentage of students in your school are considered low income? Low income is defined as students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch.

____________ percent [IF LESS THAN 15%, TERMINATE SCREENER]

11. What is the name of your high school and in what county is it located?

Name_____________________________________________________

County ___________________________________________________

IF GENDER NOT APPARENT BY NAME OR VOICE OF RESPONDENT, ASK THIS QUESTION:

12. Please confirm your gender as:

Female………………………………………………………………. 1

Male…………………………………………………………………..2

Attachment III

Consent Forms

College Scorecard Focus Group

Participant Informed Consent – High School Students

Westat, a social science research company in Rockville, Maryland, is working with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on a review of a website, College Scorecard, designed to help families search for colleges they might want to apply to and/or attend. Westat is conducting focus groups to obtain feedback on this website.

Participation in the focus group is important but voluntary. There are no risks for you to participate in this focus group. The information shared in this group will be used to help ED enhance the College Scorecard website so that it is more helpful and useful to consumers.

This focus group has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB# 1880-0542). The focus group will last about 90 minutes and will be conducted by a trained moderator from Westat. During this time, the moderator will lead a discussion about the design, content, and functionality of the website. The discussion will be audio recorded. After the focus group is over, you will receive $50 in appreciation for your time.

The information obtained during the focus group, including audio recordings, will only be used by Westat staff working on this project. Additionally, ED staff will observe the focus group. The information obtained during the focus group will be combined with the responses of others in a summary report that will not identify you as an individual. Your answers may be used only for illustrative purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose. After the report is finalized and the project is over, the audio recordings will be destroyed.

If you have any questions about this project, you can contact Denise Glover at Westat at 301-251-2269 or [email protected], or Alli Bell at ED, [email protected].

I have read the above document describing the voluntary nature, response confidentiality, and procedures for this research study.

I, __________________________ [print name], agree to participate in the ED College Scorecard focus group and consent to the audio recordings of the discussion.

___________________________________________

Signature of Student

________/________/________

Date

College Scorecard Focus Group

Participant Informed Consent – Parents of Student Participants

Westat, a social science research company in Rockville, Maryland, is working with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on a review of a website, College Scorecard, designed to help families search for colleges they might want to apply to and/or attend. Westat is conducting focus groups to obtain feedback on this website.

Participation in the focus group is important but voluntary. There are no risks for your child to participate in this focus group. The information shared in this group will be used to help ED enhance the College Scorecard website so that it is more helpful and useful to consumers.

This focus group has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB# 1880-0542). The focus group will last about 90 minutes and will be conducted by a trained moderator from Westat. During this time, the moderator will lead a discussion about the design, content, and functionality of the website. The discussion will be audio recorded. After the focus group is over, your child will receive $50 in appreciation for their time.

The information obtained during the focus group, including audio recordings, will only be used by Westat staff working on this project. Additionally, ED staff will observe the focus group. The information obtained during the focus group will be combined with the responses of others in a summary report that will not identify your child by name or by the name of his or her school. Their answers may be used only for illustrative purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose. After the report is finalized and the project is over, the audio recordings will be destroyed.

If you have any questions about this project, you can contact Denise Glover at Westat at 301-251-2269 or [email protected], or Alli Bell at ED, [email protected].

I have read the above document describing the voluntary nature, response confidentiality, and procedures for this research study.

My son/daughter, __________________________, has my permission to participate in the ED College Scorecard focus group and my consent to the audio recording of the discussion. I realize, due to space limitations, I will not be able to accompany my child or observe the discussion group in progress. I also understand that my child will be participating on a voluntary basis and that his or her participation will be kept strictly confidential.

___________________________________________

Signature of Parent/Guardian

________/________/________

Date

College Scorecard Focus Group

Participant Informed Consent – Parents

Westat, a social science research company in Rockville, Maryland, is working with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on a review of a website, College Scorecard, designed to help families search for colleges they might want to apply to and/or attend. Westat is conducting focus groups to obtain feedback on this website.

Participation in the focus group is important but voluntary. There are no risks for you to participate in this focus group. The information shared in this group will be used to help ED enhance the College Scorecard website so that it is more helpful and useful to consumers.

This focus group has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB# 1880-0542). The focus group will last about 90 minutes and will be conducted by a trained moderator from Westat. During this time, the moderator will lead a discussion about the design, content, and functionality of the website. The discussion will be audio recorded. After the focus group is over, you will receive $50 in appreciation for your time.

The information obtained during the focus group, including audio recordings, will only be used by Westat staff working on this project. Additionally, ED staff will observe the focus group. The information obtained during the focus group will be combined with the responses of others in a summary report that will not identify you as an individual. Your answers may be used only for illustrative purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose. After the report is finalized and the project is over, the audio recordings will be destroyed.

If you have any questions about this project, you can contact Denise Glover at Westat at 301-251-2269 or [email protected], or Alli Bell at ED, [email protected].

I have read the above document describing the voluntary nature, response confidentiality, and procedures for this research study.

I, __________________________ [print name], agree to participate in the ED College Scorecard focus group and consent to the audio recordings of the discussion.

___________________________________________

Participant’s Signature

________/________/________

Date

College Scorecard Focus Group

Participant Informed Consent – Guidance Counselors

Westat, a social science research company in Rockville, Maryland, is working with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on a review of a website, College Scorecard, designed to help families search for colleges they might want to apply to and/or attend. Westat is conducting focus groups to obtain feedback on this website.

Participation in the focus group is important but voluntary. There are no risks for participating in this focus group. The information shared in this group will be used to help ED enhance the College Scorecard website so that it is more helpful and useful to consumers.

This focus group has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB# 1880-0542). The focus group will last about 90 minutes and will be conducted by a trained moderator from Westat. During this time, the moderator will lead a discussion about the design, content, and functionality of the website. The discussion will be audio recorded. After the focus group is over, you will receive $75 in appreciation for your time.

The information obtained during the focus group, including audio recordings, will only be used by Westat staff working on this project. Additionally, ED staff will observe the focus group. The information obtained during the focus group will be combined with the responses of others in a summary report that will not identify you as an individual. Your answers may be used only for illustrative purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose. After the report is finalized and the project is over, the audio recordings will be destroyed.

If you have any questions about this project, contact Denise Glover at Westat at 301-251-2269 or [email protected], or Alli Bell at ED, [email protected].

I have read the above document describing the voluntary nature, response confidentiality, and procedures for this research study.

I, __________________________ [print name], agree to participate in the ED College Scorecard focus group and consent to the audio recordings of the discussion.

___________________________________________

Participant’s Signature

________/________/________

Date

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