Request for Approval

Request for Approval under the “DOI Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery”

(OMB Control Number: 1090-0011)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION:

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Survey

PURPOSE:

To focus on identifying the causes of the low rate of American Indian/Alaska Native students pursuing STEM fields, and any lack of adequate preparation that may exist in Bureau of Education (BIE)-funded schools (excluding dormitories).

Science Post Graduate Scholarship Funds (SPGSF) program provides funding and awards specifically for post-secondary and post-graduate-level fellowships and training opportunities in the STEM fields such as agricultural, geological, biological and life sciences, computing, communications, networking, information technology, and biomedical programs. Advanced education in the STEM fields is in greater demand than ever before, particularly in Indian communities. Many Tribal lands are rich in natural resource potential that requires individuals with education, skills, and expertise to sustainably develop Tribal land resources. Native students in STEM fields often recognize the importance of reinvesting their knowledge and utilizing their skills in Tribal communities.

A portion of the SPGSF program was directed towards graduate level research to understand the barriers that result in Native students at Bureau-funded schools not pursuing STEM disciplines. BIE has partnered with C2 Technologies of Vienna, Virginia to survey educators in BIE-funded schools to identify possible causes for the low rates of American Indian students that elect to not pursue studies in STEM fields. C2 will perform the study and write the report to be delivered to the BIE Director during the first quarter of FY2018.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

Educators and Administrators at BIE-funded schools and Tribal Colleges and Universities.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[X] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[ ] Focus Group [ ] Other:

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name: Tom Moomaw, Program Analyst, Bureau of Indian Education

To assist review, please provide answers to the following questions:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No

2. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ X] No

3. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No [X] N/A

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Yes [X] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time	Burden Hours
State Local or Tribal Government	500	20 Minutes	167
Federal Government	200	20 Minutes	67
Totals	700		234

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $14,040.00

(234 hours @ $60/hour).

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [X] Yes [ ] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan). If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them.

BIE has 183 elementary and secondary schools located on 64 reservations in 23 states, along with 35 Tribal Colleges and Universities. We plan to target educators at these institutions through a mass email campaign.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[X] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [X] Yes [ ] No

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