The Middle Grades Longitudinal Study
of 2017-18 (MGLS:2017) is the first study conducted by the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to follow a
nationally-representative sample of students as they enter and move
through the middle grades (grades 6-8). The data collected through
repeated measures of key constructs will provide a rich descriptive
picture of the academic experiences and development of students
during these critical years and will allow researchers to examine
associations between contextual factors and student outcomes. The
study will focus on student achievement in mathematics and literacy
along with measures of student socioemotional wellbeing and other
outcomes. The study will also include a special sample of students
with different types of disabilities that will provide descriptive
information on their outcomes, educational experiences, and special
education services. Main Study Base-year data for the MGLS:2017
will be collected from a nationally-representative sample of 6th
grade students beginning in January 2018, with annual follow-ups
beginning in January 2019 and in January 2020 when most of the
students in the sample will be in grades 7 and 8, respectively. In
preparation for the national data collection, referred to as the
Main Study, the data collection instruments and procedures must be
field tested. This request is to conduct three components of the
study: (1) the MGLS:2017 Operational Field Test (OFT) data
collection from January to June 2017; (2) the recruitment of
schools for the Main Study Base-year beginning in January 2017; and
(3) the tracking of OFT students and associated recruitment of
schools beginning in summer 2017 in preparation for the first
follow-up OFT data collection. An Item Validation Field Test (IVFT)
was conducted in the winter/spring of 2016 to determine the
psychometric properties of assessment and survey items and the
predictive potential of items so that valid, reliable, and useful
assessment and survey instruments can be composed for the Main
Study. The primary purpose of the OFT is to: obtain information on
recruiting, particularly for students in three focal IDEA-defined
disability groups; obtain a tracking sample that can be used to
study mobility patterns in subsequent years; and test protocols and
administrative procedures. The OFT will inform the materials and
procedures for the main study base year and follow-up data
collections. Because the OFT recruitment will still be ongoing at
the time this request is approved, the burden and materials from
the MGLS:2017 Recruitment for the 2017 OFT request (OMB# 1850-0911
v. 6,9,10) are being carried over in this submission.
US Code:
20
USC 9573 Name of Law: Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA) of
2002
The increase in burden from the
last approved package is due to the fact that the total burden
requested in this submission is a sum of burden estimates for OFT
recruitment, OFT data collection, OFT tracking, and Main Study
recruitment. The last approved burden was for OFT recruitment and
the IVFT only.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Appendix OFT1-W MGLS 2017 OFT & Recruitment for MS Base-year Respondent Materials.docx
Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2017-18 (MGLS:2017) Operational Field Test (OFT) and Recruitment for Main Study Base-year