60-day Notice Public Comment Response Summary

Comment	Response
Jean Public No email provided Public comment 1jz-8hp8-s3ba
	The comment did not address issues with the data collection for which this request seeks approval.
Joyce Smith, National Association for College Admission Counseling Michael Rose [email protected] Public comment 1jz-8it5-fj3d
All participants in the EdPolicyWorks study had the ability to respond to a text message and be connected with a school counselor, and some of the participants in the IES study could do so. NACAC encourages the Department to incorporate this ability into its new study, or to clarify that this is intended. Doing so will allow the results to be more easily compared with the previous two studies’ results, and will provide additional data and insight into the ways in which counselors can most effectively impact a student’s college enrollment trajectory.	We thank NACAC for their comments, which they grounded in related professional experience and research. The demonstration description has been elaborated to clarify that the Student Messaging program will connect students with access to additional supports. Specifically, the messages will direct students to where they can receive additional support, including from their GEAR UP advisors.
A final suggestion for the Department would be to expand the scope of the Demonstration to include GEAR UP students in all high school years. Substantial research speaks to the positive effects of early college planning in first-generation, low-income, and other under-represented populations. NACAC encourages the Department to work with school counselors and college access experts to develop a multi-year Demonstration project that will use text messaging to interface with students in the 9th grade and continue communication throughout the post-graduation summer. If the Department begins this campaign with each grade cohort, the results could yield compelling data on what communications at which juncture make the most difference for helping ensure students complete key tasks throughout their high school careers, such as scheduling a meeting with their counselor to discuss advanced coursework options or creating an account to register for standardized admission tests.	The U.S. Department of Education recognizes the importance of testing promising strategies to enhance federal college access programs. Future demonstration efforts may focus on promising strategies that focus on college planning and advising in earlier grades.