2700-0135 KEEP Supporting Statement.....1

the kennedy educational experiences program (keep)

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

OMB Control number 2700-0135

INFORMATION COLLECTION TYPE: Reinstatement, with change, of a currently approved information collection.

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. NECESSITY FOR INFOMRATION COLLECTION

In 2013, the Executive Office of the President released the 5-Year Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Strategic Plan in response to the requirements of the America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2010¹. The major areas of priority for this plan include: 1) improving pre-kindergarten-through-grade-twelve (pre-K-12) STEM instruction; 2) increasing and sustaining youth and public engagement in STEM; 3) enhancing the STEM experience of undergraduate students; 4) better serving groups historically underrepresented in STEM; and 5) designing graduate education for tomorrow’s STEM workforce.

The Space Act of 1958, directs the Agency to expand human knowledge of Earth and space phenomena and to preserve the role of the United States as a leader in aeronautics, space science, and technology. High achievement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is essential to the accomplishment of NASA’s mission.

The NASA-Kennedy Space Center (KSC) implemented the Kennedy Educational Experiences Program (KEEP). The program targets high school and undergraduate students and offers a unique job shadowing opportunity to observe the practical application of STEM through various career paths at Kennedy Space Flight Center. Under the guidance of a KSC subject matter expert working in a STEM related field, and within an actual workplace setting, students are given an opportunity to explore/witness future career possibilities.

2. USES OF INFORMATION

The information will be collected via an electronic process and reviewed by the NASA KSC KEEP Program Specialist who will:

• confirm the number of eligible participants for the annual program, typically on average 20 participants or less,

• determine the number of NASA KSC mentors needed to accommodate the number of eligible students,

• initiate a temporary badge request for each student through the KSC Security Office,

• submit an annual report to the NASA Office of Education, and

• retain applicant information in accordance with the NASA Records Retention Schedule 1441.1, 3330/24 Recruitment, Selection, and Placement; Applications, resumes, vacancy announcements and related correspondence. DESTROY 2 YEARS AFTER REGISTRATION <DA: N1-255-89-4> (N 15-47).

The applicable System of Records Notice can be found at http://www.nasa.gov/privacy/nasa_sorn_10EDUA.html.

3. CONSIDERATIONS OF USING IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY

In the past, applicants submitted information by paper, with most respondents using an overnight delivery service at their own cost.

In 2014, NASA implemented an electronic process to enable respondents to submit information electronically/via email.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

Student contact information will be maintained in the NASA Office of Education Performance Management system.

5. Efforts to Minimize Burden on Small Business

Not applicable. There is no collection of information from any small business or other small entities. Hence, there is no impact on small business or other small entities.

6. Consequences of Less Frequent Data Collection

If the information is not collected, NASA cannot:

- validate student eligibility

- provide interested students with an opportunity to participate in this job shadowing experience

and align the student to a STEM subject matter expert in the student’s stated area of interest

- coordinate student access through the KSC security perimeter

7. Special Circumstances

Not applicable. There are no special circumstances as identified above, associated with this information collection.

8. Federal Register Announcement and Consultation Outside the Agency

60-day Federal Register Notice: The original notice was published on February 19, 2014, Vol 79, No 33, page 9485. No comments from the public were received.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-04-22/html/2014-09046.htm

An updated 60-day Federal Register Notice was published on April 22, 2014, Vol 79, No 77, pages 22554-22555, to alert the public that NASA transitioned the information collection to an electronic submission process. No comments were received from the public. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-04-22/html/2014-09046.htm

The 30-day Federal Register Notice was published on August 8, 2014, Vol 79, No 153, pages 46464-46465. No comments were received from the public.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-08-08/html/2014-18790.htm

9. Payment or Gifts to Respondents

Respondents will not receive payment or gifts.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality

The information collection instruments were reviewed by the Kennedy Space Center Privacy Manager. A privacy statement is included on applicable forms.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

Questions associated with the KEEP student application/teacher reference processes are not consistent with those of a sensitive nature as described above.

12. Estimate of Respondent Burden

RESPONDENT CATEGORY	NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS	ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME	ANNUAL BURDEN
Individual (student)	20	10 minutes	3.3
Individual (teacher)	40	10 minutes	6.6
TOTAL	60		9.9

13. Cost Burden to Respondents

The primary burden to the applicants is the time needed to complete the application as there are no other costs associated. We estimate it will take teachers 10 minutes to complete the Teacher Recommendation form, or $4.40 for the entire task per teacher. This hourly cost is based on the average annual salary of a full time (2087 hours) teacher paid $55,050 per year, $26.38 per hour. For ten minutes of time, at that rate, the cost burden is $4.40 per teacher. The total annual cost burden for 40 respondents will be $4.40 x 40 = $174.40, since the minute or less for a parent or guardian to sign the Parent Consent and Authorization form is negligible.

14. Cost Burden to Federal Government

The estimated annualized cost burden to the government is approximately $528.87. This is based on approximately $55,091,000 in salary costs for the efforts of a program specialist needed to process participant applications/references and record keeping.²

15. Reason for Change in Burden

There have been no program changes. Reported adjustments correspond to changes in occupational pay scales as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics only.

16. Schedule for Information Collection and Publication

Information collected will be used to plan and conduct the KEEP Program. Information gathered is not collected for external publication and will not be tabulated. Student participant data is entered into NASA’s Office of Education Performance Management system at NASA Headquarters. HQ staff may pull that data for various reports to the agency for internal performance monitoring, to OMB, to Congress, or to others as directed by NASA. Complex analytical techniques will not be used.

17. Display of OMB Expiration Date

The OMB Expiration Date will be displayed on every data collection instrument, once approval is obtained.

18. Exception to the Certificate Statement

NASA does not take exception to the certification statements below:

The proposed collection of information –

(a) is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of NASA, including that the information to be collected will have practical utility;

(b) is not unnecessarily duplicative of information that is reasonably accessible to the agency;

(c) reduces to the extent practicable and appropriate the burden on persons who shall provide information to or for the agency, including with respect to small entities, as defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601(6)), the use of such techniques as:

(1) establishing differing compliance or reporting requirements or timelines that take into account the resources available to those who are to respond;

(2) the clarification, consolidation, or simplification of compliance and reporting requirements; or

(3) an exemption from coverage of the collection of information, or any part thereof;

(d) is written using plain, coherent, and unambiguous terminology and is understandable to those who are targeted to respond;

(e) indicates for each recordkeeping requirement the length of time persons are required to maintain the records specified;

(f) has been developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected, including the processing of the information in a manner which shall enhance, where appropriate, the utility of the information to agencies and the public;

(g) when applicable, uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology appropriate to the purpose for which the information is to be collected; and

(h) to the maximum extent practicable, uses appropriate information technology to reduce burden and improve data quality, agency efficiency and responsiveness to the public; and

(i) will display the required PRA statement with the active OMB control number, as validated on www.reginfo.gov

Name, title, and organization of NASA Information Collection Sponsor certifying statements above:

NAME: Patricia Moore Shaffer, Ph.D.

TITLE: Acting Director, Office of Education Infrastructure Division and Evaluation Manager

ORG: Office of Education

1More information can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/stem_stratplan_2013.pdf

2 This pay scale corresponds to a GS-7 step 8 locality pay scale. More information can be found at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2014/MFL.pdf

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