National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Pretesting Visual Representations in 4th Grade Writing Tasks

National Center for Education Statistics

National Assessment of Educational Progress

Appendices

Communication Materials

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Pretesting Visual Representations in 4^th Grade Writing Tasks

OMB# 1850-0803 v. 196

May 2017

Table of Contents

Appendix A: Recruitment E-mail/Letter to Youth Organizations 1

Appendix B: EurekaFacts LLC Recruitment Phone Script for Community Centers and Organizations 2

Appendix C: Recruitment Internet/Newspaper Advertisement/Flyer/Information Brochure 4

Appendix D: E-mail/Letter Recruiting Parents or Legal Guardians of Student (under age 18) Participants 5

Appendix E: EurekaFacts LLC Recruitment Phone Script for Parents/Guardians of Student Participants 6

Appendix F: EurekaFacts LLC Recruitment Phone Script for Student Participants 11

Appendix G: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Pretesting on Writing Tasks 14

Appendix H: Consent Form for Parent/Guardian of Student Participants 14

Appendix I: Day of Interview Reminder E-mail 17

Appendix J: EurekaFacts Confirmation of Interview (Email/Letter) to Student Participant 18

Appendix K: EurekaFacts Confirmation of Interview (Email/Letter) to Parent/Guardian of Student Participant 19

Appendix L: Thank You E-mail/Letter to Parent/Guardian of Student Participants 20

Appendix A: Recruitment E-mail/Letter to Youth Organizations

IF SENT AS E-MAIL - Subject: Education Research Opportunity for Students in Grade 4

<DATE>

Dear <NAME>,

My name is <CONTACT NAME> and I am contacting you from EurekaFacts, a local research company carrying out an important study for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Because you are a leader in youth outreach, we are contacting you to ask for your help in spreading the word about this exciting research opportunity.

We are recruiting students who are currently in fourth grade to participate in research interviews supporting the development of new writing questions for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as NAEP, the largest nationally representative​ and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. The research interviews will explore how students work through the sample writing tasks to ensure that the questions are clear and understandable to a broad range of students. All interviews will be scheduled for about <one hour for cognitive interview OR one hour and thirty minutes for small scale tryouts>. Students will receive a <$25 gift card for cognitive interview OR $35 gift card for small scale tryouts> to thank them for participating in the research interview. If a parent or legal guardian brings their student to and from the interview site, they will also receive a $25 gift card as a thank them for their time, effort, and transportation for their child.

Students will be assigned a unique student identifier (ID), and at no time will their names be linked to any of their answers. Students’ responses may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). Audio and video of the interview will be recorded for analysis, but no personally identifying information will be recorded or retained.

We would like to ask for your assistance in letting parents/legal guardians and students know how they can help shape this national assessment. The feedback we receive from students on these questions will help to evaluate the questions and instructions and create the best tests possible.

I have included a brochure with a short description of this research study in the hope that you might pass it along to anyone who may be interested.

Thanks again for your consideration and assistance. We look forward to speaking with you, and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions regarding this project or our company.

ATTACH: Brochure¹

Sincerely,

<CONTACT NAME>

<JOB TITLE>

EurekaFacts <CONTACT PHONE>

Appendix B: EurekaFacts LLC Recruitment Phone Script for Community Centers and Organizations

Hello. May I please speak to <NAME OF CONTACT AT COMMUNITY CENTER>?

Good morning/afternoon/evening. My name is <CALLER NAME>, and I am calling from <EurekaFacts>. We are helping the American Institutes for Research (AIR) recruit students for a study being conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.

We are recruiting students currently in 4^th grade to help us evaluate writing assessment tasks that are part of a test called the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is delivered to students nationwide. [If community center or organization asks what NAEP is: This national assessment is administered to students in elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the United States.]

We would like to ask for your assistance in letting parents and students know how they can get involved and help shape this national assessment. The feedback we receive from students on these test questions will help to improve the questions and instructions and create the best test possible. I also want to assure you that students’ responses may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).

Each student who participates will receive a <$25 gift card for cognitive interview OR $35 gift card for small scale tryouts> to thank them for participating. The student’s parent or guardian will also receive a $25 gift card to thank them for their time if they bring their child to and from the interview site.

We would like your help in distributing and posting informational flyers. We will follow up directly with those who contact us. We will hold some sessions at <LOCATION>, <ADDRESS>; however, if the parents/guardians of students cannot provide transportation to <LOCATION>, <ADDRESS> we would like to set up sessions at your <community center or organization>, if possible.

Would your <community center or organization> be interested in participating in or helping us to recruit students for this research study?

If NO: Thank you for your time. Have a wonderful day/evening. [END CALL]

If YES: Good, thank you very much. To ensure that we interview a broad mix of students and determine the best interview location, I have a few brief screening questions to ask you. It should take only a few minutes.

Screener

[Recruiter: Determine recruitment needs in advance. Look in public documents and the website to find what grades a community center or organization includes, as well as the size, socio-economic status (SES), and racial/ethnic makeup of the student population.Record all responses to Screener questions. End Screener at whatever point the staff member gives a response that confirms that their group has already been sampled adequately. End Screener Script: “Based on the requirements of this study, we are not able to include your students in the interviews at this time. Thank you for your time. Have a good day/evening.” [Interviewer: End call]]

1. Do you have 4^th graders who might be available to participate in the study?

If NO: Thank you for your time. Have a wonderful day/evening. [END CALL]

If YES: Great.

Would you be able to distribute and post flyers regarding this study? After receiving a contact of interest, a EurekaFacts staff member would follow up with the parent/legal guardian by phone and ask them some screening questions to ensure that a diverse sample of students is included in this study.

If NO: Thank you for your time. Have a good day/evening. [Interviewer: End call]

If YES: Would you be able to make a room at your <community center or organization> where EurekaFacts could conduct some research sessions?

If YES: That’s great, we will contact you to schedule some sessions at your <community center or organization> after we have some students signed up. (Interviewer: go to Closing]

If NO: (Interviewer: go to Closing] That’s fine, if you are able to distribute and post flyers regarding the study, EurekaFacts staff can follow up with interested parent/legal guardian by phone to make interview arrangements.

Thank you for taking the time to answer the screening questions. Your <community center or organization> is generally eligible to participate in the research interviews.

(Closing)

Thank you for agreeing to disseminate information about this important research study. We will send you an email with the informational flyers attached.

We may need to reach you by telephone. Is the number I called the best number to use?

Do you have any questions at this time? [Recruiter: Answer any questions.]

If you have any (additional) questions, please call <PHONE NUMBER>.

Thank you again for agreeing to be part of this important research project.

Appendix C: Recruitment Internet/Newspaper Advertisement/Flyer/Information Brochure

EurekaFacts, a local research company, is carrying out an important study for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). If your child is currently in grade 4, we need their help to evaluate writing tasks that will be used for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Students’ input will help ensure that the tasks are clear and understandable to a broad range of students.

EurekaFacts will provide a <$25 gift card for cognitive interview OR $35 gift card for small scale tryouts> to each student who participates in the study, plus a $25 gift card to the parent/legal guardian who brings their child to and from the study session location (one session per student). Sessions will begin this <SPECIFY SEASON OR MONTH> and may be scheduled at your convenience after school and on weekends. The session will last no more than <1 hour for cognitive interviews OR 90 minutes for small scale tryouts>. Please call, text, or e-mail us now for more information about this opportunity!

Call or text: <CONTACT PHONE> or

E-mail: <E-MAIL ADDRESS> or

Visit our website for more information about EurekaFacts: http://www.eurekafacts.com

Appendix D: E-mail/Letter Recruiting Parents or Legal Guardians of Student (under age 18) Participants

IF SENT AS E-MAIL - Subject: Education Research Study Opportunity for Students in Grade 4

Dear <NAME>:

My name is <CONTACT NAME> and I am contacting you from EurekaFacts (http://www.eurekafacts.com), a local research company. We are carrying out an important study for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education.

NCES is conducting a research study with students currently in grade 4 about writing tasks that will be used for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Students’ input will help ensure that the tasks are clear and understandable to a broad range of students.

Your child will be provided a brief introduction at the beginning of their session. They will learn about the study session process and the writing task(s) he or she will be completing. Your child will complete <one writing task involving talking with a researcher about what he/she thought about while reading the assignment OR two writing tasks>.

The study session for your child will take place at <LOCATION> and will last <one hour for cognitive interview OR one hour and thirty minutes for small scale tryouts>. The study session can be scheduled at the convenience of you and your child. Your child will be assigned a unique student identifier (ID), and at no time will his/her name be linked to any of his/her answers. Your child’s responses may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). Audio and video of the session will be recorded for analysis, but no personal identifying information will be recorded or retained.

Your child will receive a <$25 gift card for cognitive interview OR $35 gift card for small scale tryouts> at the conclusion of the session as a thank you for his or her participation. If a parent or legal guardian brings their student to and from the interview site, they will also receive a $25 gift card as a thank you for their time and effort.

If your child is interested in participating in this voluntary research study, please call <CONTACT PHONE> or e-mail <CONTACT E-MAIL>. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

Thank you,

<NAME>

<JOB TITLE>

EurekaFacts

<CONTACT PHONE>

Appendix E: EurekaFacts LLC Recruitment Phone Script for Parents/Guardians of Student Participants

(Script when calling parents/guardians from a previously compiled list)

Good morning/afternoon/evening. Is this the <NAME FROM CALL LIST> household? My name is <CALLER NAME>, and I am calling from <EurekaFacts>. We are helping the American Institutes for Research (AIR) recruit students for a study being conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. This study is strictly for research purposes. Your participation is voluntary, and you will receive no sales pitch or follow-up calls based on your participation. I’d like to tell you a little bit about the study first; is now a good time? (YES or NO and call back later)

We are recruiting students currently in 4^th grade to help us evaluate writing assessment tasks that are part of a test called the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is delivered to students nationwide. [If parent/guardians asks what NAEP is: This national assessment is administered to students in elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the United States.]

1. Are there any 4th grade students in your household?

	SELECT ONE
Yes	1	(CONTINUE)
No	2	(THANK AND TERMINATE)

We are conducting a research study to explore how students work through these writing tasks. Our goal is to ensure that the tasks are clear and understandable to a broad range of students. If selected to participate, your child will receive a <$25 gift card for cognitive interview OR $35 gift card for small scale tryout> to thank <him OR her> for <his OR her> time. In addition, if a parent or legal guardian brings your child to and from the study session site, he or she will also receive $25 as a thank you for their time and effort.

The study session will take place at <NAME OF INTERVIEW SITE AND LOCATION>. It can be scheduled at your convenience and will last about <one hour for cognitive interview OR 90 minutes for small scale tryout>. During the study session, <your child will be asked to write a response to one writing task and then talk to the interviewer about his or her experience completing the task for cognitive interview OR will be asked to write responses to two writing tasks and answer a short survey on theit experience using computers for school work for small scale tryout.><For cognitive interviews only: The session will be video and audio recorded so that they can be reviewed by researchers on the study, but the recordings will be destroyed at the end of the study and the information may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).>

2. If your child qualifies, do you give your permission for us to invite your child to participate?

	SELECT ONE
Yes	1	(CONTINUE)
No	2	(THANK AND TERMINATE)

3. What is your child’s sex?  (READ THE QUESTION AND RESPONSE OPTIONS)

	SELECT ONE
Male	1
Female	2

4. From your perspective, on a scale from 1 to 4 where 1 means “not at all comfortable,” and 4 means “very comfortable,” how comfortable would your child be expressing his/her thoughts to a researcher he/she has never met before? (READ LIST)

	SELECT ONE
Very Comfortable	4	(CONTINUE)
Somewhat Comfortable	3
Not Too Comfortable	2	(THANK AND TERMINATE)
Not At All Comfortable	1

If your child participates in the research study, you must sign and return a parental consent form. Your child can either bring the signed form to the study session or you can scan it and email it back. Without a signed form your child cannot participate in the study session and receive the <$25 for cognitive interview OR $35 for small scale tryouts> payment. If your child chooses to participate, I will send you a consent form.

5. Would you like me to send the consent form by e-mail or by FedEx mail?

SELECT ONE
e-mail	(CONTINUE TO 5A)
postal mail	(CONTINUE TO 5B)

5A. What is your e-mail address?

RECORD PARENT’S/GUARDIAN’S EMAIL ADDRESS:

____________________________________________________________________________________

5B. For sending the consent form via FedEx, we need your mailing address and a telephone number. What mailing address and phone number should we use?

[IF PARENT/GUARDIAN PROVIDES A PO BOX, NOTE THAT FEDEX DOESN’T DELIVER TO PO BOXES SO WE NEED A STREET ADDRESS]

RECORD PARENT’S/GUARDIAN’S MAILING ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER:

____________________________________________________________________________________

The next few questions are for classification purposes only.

6. Does your child participate in the National School Lunch program?

	SELECT ONE
Yes	1
No	2
Prefer not to answer	3

7. Do you speak a language other than English at home?

	SELECT ONE
Yes	1	(CONTINUE TO 7A)
No	2
Prefer not to answer	3

7A. What is this language? (For example: Korean, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese)

8. Is your child Hispanic or Latino? (DO NOT READ)

	SELECT ONE
Yes	1
No	2
Prefer not to answer	3

9. Which of the following categories best describes your child’s ethnic or racial background? (READ LIST)

	SELECT ALL THAT APPLY
American Indian or Alaska Native		1
Asian		2
Black or African American		3
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander		4
White		5
Prefer not to answer		6

10. In the last school year, did your child have an IEP, also called an individualized education plan? (DO NOT READ LIST)

SELECT ONE
Yes	(CONTINUE TO 11)
No or Prefer not to answer	(CONTINUE TO 12)
If DK or the parent asks what the IEP is	(PROVIDE THE EXPLANATION AS BELOW, CONTINUE TO 11 OR 12.)

IEP: When a student receives special education services, the school creates IEPs to specify the goals for the student and the specific services that he or she will receive. The IEP is written by a team that includes the student’s parents as well as people from the school.

11.   What disability does your child have that is the basis for the IEP?

(DON’T READ ALOUD THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES, JUST CHECK THE ONE(s) THAT MATCH WITH WHAT THE PARENT DESCRIBES)

               --Specific learning disability

               --Hearing impairment/deafness

               --Visual impairment/blindness

               --Speech or language impairment

--Mental retardation

--Emotional disturbance

--Orthopedic impairment

--Traumatic brain injury

--Autism

--Developmental delay

--Speech or language impairment

--Other health impairment

--Decline to Answer

12. We are conducting study sessions between <DATE> and <DATE>. If your child chooses to participate, what day and time would work best for you to take [HIM/HER] to the study session?

[CHECK SCHEDULE FOR RESPONDENT’S LOCATION FOR AVAILABLE TIMES. IF NECESSARY, SUGGEST A DIFFERENT PLACE OR TIME.]

RECORD DATE AND TIME:

____________________________________________________________________________________

13. Now that you have agreed for your child to participate in the study if he/she is selected, I would like to be able to ask your child a few questions, during which you are welcome to stay on the line. Is he/she available to speak with me at this time? (If not, get a call back time and call back) What is your child’s name?

RECORD NAME:

_________________________________________________________________________________

Again, you are welcome to stay on the line, but please allow your child to speak for him/herself. Thank you.

Appendix F: EurekaFacts LLC Recruitment Phone Script for Student Participants

RECRUITER: Please determine how talkative and articulate the student is. It is critical that we speak with students who are comfortable expressing themselves with someone they are meeting for the first time. Please use your best judgment and recruit only students that are thoughtful and freely express themselves in a manner that is relevant to the topic being discussed.

All recruits MUST be articulate students who can answer open ended questions, and can provide support or explanation for their responses (e.g., “I like it because...,” “I don’t like it because...”)

DO NOT recruit any who have difficulty answering these questions, whose parent/guardian answers FOR them, who seem hesitant or shy speaking with you (as an adult they do not know), who answer “I don’t know,” or who CANNOT provide an explanation supporting their responses.

Hi, <STUDENT’S NAME>. My name is and I have been speaking with your parent/guardian for a few minutes.

As I explained to your parent/guardian, I work for a research company and we are conducting an important study to help us evaluate writing tasks for a nationwide student assessment, the National Assessment of EducationProgress, or NAEP. For the study session, if you agreed to participate, you would be asked to visit <LOCATION> and respond to <a sample writing task for cognitive interview OR two writing tasks for small scale tryout>. Your response would not be graded. The National Center for Education Statistics (or NCES) simply wants to know how you would do the <task for cognitive interview OR tasks for small scale tryout> if it were to be included in the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

<For cognitive interview: In the task, you would be asked to write a letter giving your opinion about an interesting question such as whether playing video games can help you do well in school. After you finished writing, you would talk to the interviewer about what you thought about while you read your assignment and wrote your letter. To thank you for participating, you would receive $25. The interview would last about one hour. Your letter and responses would be used to improve the national test so that it will work well for all students. OR for small scale tryout: In the tasks, you would be asked to write letters giving your opinion about interesting questions such as whether playing video games can help you do well in school. To thank you for participating, you would receive $35. The interview would last about one and a half hours. Your participation is totally voluntary. Your letters would be used to improve the national test so that it will work well for all students.> We would not use your name to identify you in any of our records.

<For cognitive interviews only: During the interview we would use a video recorder and an audio recorder so that, later on, researchers who are part of the study could review what you talked about with the researcher. We would destroy the tape recordings ater the study is over, and, as I said before, your responses would be used to improve the national test so that it works well for all students.>

1. Do you think you would be interested in participating if selected?

	SELECT ONE
Yes	1	(CONTINUE)
No	2	(READ THE FOLLOWING)

Thank you for your time. I will need to let your parent/guardian know that you would not like to participate. Is he or she available?

TO PARENT/GUARDIAN: Your child has decided not to participate, but I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us about this opportunity.

2. What grade are you in?

RECORD GRADE

(MUST BE IN 4^TH GRADE, OTHERWISE THANK AND TERMINATE)

3. What type of school do you currently attend? (READ LIST)

	SELECT ONE
Public school	1	(CONTINUE)
Private school	2
Don’t know	3	(THANK AND TERMINATE)

4. <For cognitive interviews only: How comfortable do you think you would feel talking with a researcher you haven’t met before? The things you would be talking about are whther it was easy to understand what you were supposed to do in your writing assignment and what you thought about while you were writing your response.>

	SELECT ONE
Very Comfortable	4	(CONTINUE)
Somewhat Comfortable	3
Not Too Comfortable	2	(THANK AND TERMINATE)
Not At All Comfortable	1

5. Please tell me what your favorite subject is in school and why. (WRITE VERBATIM)

NOTE TO INTERVIEWERS: IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS IN THIS STUDY BE ARTICULATE. IF STUDENT CANNOT OR WILL NOT EASILY GIVE A ONE TO TWO SENTENCE UNPROMPTED ANSWER IN WELL UNDERSTOOD ENGLISH, PLEASE TERMINATE.

(Invitation)

6. You qualify to participate in an study session with a researcher in < LOCATION> to respond to a sample writing task. Your mother/father is available to bring you to the interview on <DAY/DATE AND TIME>. The session will last one hour. You will receive <$25 for cognitive interview OR $35 for small scale tryouts> for participating. Your parent/guardian gave permission for you to attend if you are available. Will you be able to attend the interview?

	SELECT ONE
Yes	1	(CONTINUE)
No	2	(THANK AND TERMINATE)

7. To attend the session and receive your payment we must receive the parental consent form that we will [e-mail OR send by FedEx] to your parent/guardian. Your parent/guardian can scan and e-mail the consent form to us, or you can bring it with you and give it to the interviewer. Do you understand that you must have a completed and signed parental consent form to participate?

	SELECT ONE
Yes	1
No	2

Thank you. We look forward to seeing you at the interview.

[END OF SCREENER]

Appendix G: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Pretesting on Writing Tasks

Frequently Asked Questions

(From Consent Form)

1. What is this study about?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education, is conducting study with students currently in grade 4 about writing tasks that will be used for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Students’ input will help ensure that the tasks are clear and understandable to a broad range of students.

2. Where will the research interviews take place?

The study session will take place at <NAME OF INTERVIEW LOCATION>, located at <LOCATION>. There will not be more than one adult present in the room.

3. What will happen during the research interview?

At the start of a session, your child will be given a brief introduction to the interview process and to the writing task(s) he or she will be asked to complete. Following this introduction, your child will complete <one writing task and talk with the researcher about what he/she thought about while reading the assignment and writing the response OR two writing tasks>.

4. How long will the research interview last?

The session will last <one hour for cognitive interview OR one hour and thirty minutes for small scale tryouts>. The session requires only one visit to the site.

5. Will you keep information private and confidential?

Your child will be assigned a unique student identifier (ID), and at no time will his/her name be linked to any of his/her answers. Your child’s responses may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). <For cognitive nterviwes only: Audio and video of the session will be recorded for analysis, but no personal identifying information will be recorded or retained.>

6. Will the results go to my child’s school?

Your child’s answers will not be disclosed to his/her school, and will not be linked to any personally identifiable information such as the school’s name.

7. What are the possible risks of being in the study?

There are no known risks to participating in this study.

8. Whom can I contact with questions or for further information?

<CONTACT NAME> is coordinating this session at EurekaFacts on behalf of NCES. If you have any questions, please call <CONTACT PHONE> or e-mail <CONTACT E-MAIL>.

9. Is participation required?

Participation in this study is completely voluntary. Your child has the right to refuse to answer particular questions. Your child may elect to withdraw from this study at any time and can end early if he/she wishes.

Appendix H: Consent Form for Parent/Guardian of Student Participants

PARENTAL CONSENT FORM

FOR PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH

American Institutes for Research (AIR)

Thank you for your interest in participating in the research study described below. This consent form explains the research study. Please read it carefully, and feel free to ask questions about anything you do not understand. If you do not have questions now, you may ask them later as they occur to you.

1. What is this study about?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education, is conducting a study with students currently in grade 4 about writing tasks that will be used for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Students’ input will help ensure that the tasks are clear and understandable to a broad range of students.

2. Where will the study sessions take place?

The study sessions will take place at <NAME OF INTERVIEW LOCATION>, located at <LOCATION>. There will not be more than one adult present in the room.

3. What will happen during the research interview?

At the start of a session, your child will be given a brief introduction to the interview process and to the writing task(s) he or she will be asked to complete. Following this introduction, your child will complete <one writing task and talk with the researcher about what he/she thought about while reading the assignment and writing the response OR two writing tasks>.

4. How long will the research interview last?

The interview will last <one hour for cognitive interview OR one hour and thirty minutes for small scale tryouts>. The interview requires only one visit to the site.

5. Will you keep information private and confidential? Your child will be assigned a unique student identifier (ID), and at no time will his/her name be linked to any of his/her answers. Your child’s responses may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). <For cognitive interviews only: Audio and video of the session will be recorded for analysis, but no personal identifying information will be recorded or retained.>

6. Will the results go to my child’s school?

Your child’s answers will not be disclosed to his/her school, and will not be linked to any personally identifiable information such as the school’s name.

7. What are the possible risks of being in the study?

There are no known risks to participating in this study.

8. Whom can I contact with questions or for further information?

<CONTACT NAME> is coordinating this session at EurekaFacts on behalf of NCES. If you have any questions, please call <CONTACT PHONE> or e-mail <CONTACT E-MAIL>.

9. Is participation required?

Participation in this study is completely voluntary. Your child has the right to refuse to answer particular questions. Your child may elect to withdraw from this study at any time and can end early if he/she wishes.

By signing below, you agree that your child, _______________________________, may participate in this study <For cognitive interviews only: and that we may record your child’s conversation with the researcher.> Your child will receive <$25 for cognitive interview OR $35 for small scale tryouts> at the conclusion of the interview.

In addition, if transportation to the site is involved, you will receive $25 to thank you for bringing your child to and from the interview site.

Your signature below will indicate that your questions have been answered satisfactorily, and that you have read and understood the information provided above.

Print Name: ___________________________________________________________________________

Signature: ____________________________________________________Date: __________________

E-mail address: _________________________________________________________________________

Appendix I: Day of Interview Reminder E-mail

Dear <NAME>:

Thank you for agreeing to help us try out writing tasks from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This is a friendly reminder that your child has been scheduled to participate in a study at the following location and date/time:

LOCATION: Location Address

DATE: Day of Week, Month Day, Year

TIME: XX:XX AM/PM

GIFT CARD: Your child will receive a <$25 gift card for cognitive interview OR $35 gift card for small scale tryouts> to thank them for their participation. If you bring your child to and from the interview, you will also receive $25 as thanks for your time.

PLEASE BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS TO THE RESEARCH INTERVIEW:

• Your parent/guardian valid picture ID – this is required for participation.

• Signed parent/guardian consent form (attached), if not we have copies available in person when you arrive.

• If your child uses eyeglasses for reading or watching TV, they should wear them during the study session.

Thank you for volunteering in this very important research for NAEP. We look forward to seeing you. If you have any questions about the study, please contact <EurekaFacts CONTACT NAME> at <CONTACT INFORMATION>.

Sincerely,

<NAME>

<EurekaFacts>

<CONTACT INFORMATION>

Appendix J: EurekaFacts Confirmation of Interview (Email/Letter) to Student Participant

<DATE>

IF SENT AS E-MAIL - Subject: Confirmation of Your Interview

Dear <NAME>:

Thank you for agreeing to help us try out writing tasks from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Your comments, along with the comments of other students, will help us improve the writing tasks so students like you are better able to understand them. You will not be graded on your work.

Your participation is totally voluntary. All of your answers may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).

The interview will last about <one hour for cognitive interview OR one hour and thirty minutes for small scale tryouts>. We will begin promptly at <TIME> and it is important that you arrive 15 minutes early to check in. If you are late, we cannot guarantee that you will be interviewed and receive the payment.

LOCATION: <ADDRESS>

DATE: <DATE>

TIME: <TIME>

GIFT CARD: You will receive <$25 for cognitive interview OR $35 for small scale tryouts> to thank you for your participation. If your parent brings you to and from the interview, he or she will receive $25 for their time.

PLEASE BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS TO THE STUDY SESSION:

• Signed parent/guardian consent form, if not previously provided by e-mail.

• If you use eyeglasses for reading or watching TV, you should wear them during the study session.

If for any reason you cannot fulfill your commitment, DO NOT invite anyone else to take your place. Instead, please call us at <PHONE NUMBER> so we can find a replacement for you.

Thank you for volunteering in this very important research for NAEP. We look forward to seeing you. If you have any questions about the study, please contact <EurekaFacts CONTACT NAME> at <CONTACT INFORMATION>.

Sincerely,

<NAME>

<EurekaFacts>

<CONTACT INFORMATION>

Appendix K: EurekaFacts Confirmation of Interview (Email/Letter) to Parent/Guardian of Student Participant

<DATE>

IF SENT AS E-MAIL - Subject: Confirmation of Your Child’s Interview

Dear <NAME>,

Thank you for your support so that your child can participate in this important study about the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing assessment. Your <son OR daughter> is scheduled for <his OR her> interview on <DAY AND DATE> at <NAME OF INTERVIEW LOCATION>, located at <LOCATION>, near <NEARBY LANDMARK OR METRO STATION>.

Your child’s participation is totally voluntary. All of <his OR her> answers may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).

We will begin promptly at <TIME> and it is important that you arrive 15 minutes early to check in. If you are late, we cannot guarantee that your child will be interviewed and that you and your child will receive payment. The interview will last about <one hour for cognitive interview OR one hour and thirty minutes for small scale tryouts>.

Please read and sign the attached consent form. Your child can either bring the signed form to the interview or you can scan it and e-mail it back. Without a signed form, your child cannot participate in the interview and receive the payment.

PLEASE BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS TO THE RESEARCH INTERVIEW:

• Your valid picture ID is required for participation.

• Signed parent/guardian consent form, if not previously provided by e-mail (attached).

• If your child uses eyeglasses for reading or watching TV, he/she should wear them during the study session.

If for any reason you cannot fulfill your child’s commitment, DO NOT invite anyone else to take your child’s place. Instead, please call us at <PHONE NUMBER> so we can find a replacement for participating in the study.

Thank you for allowing your child to volunteer in this very important research for NAEP. We look forward to seeing you. If you have any questions about the study, please contact <EurekaFacts CONTACT NAME> at <CONTACT INFORMATION>.

Sincerely,

<NAME>

<EurekaFacts>

<CONTACT INFORMATION>

Attachment: Consent Form for Parent/Guardian of Student Participants <Appendix E>

Appendix L: Thank You E-mail/Letter to Parent/Guardian of Student Participants

<DATE>

IF SENT AS E-MAIL - Subject: Thank you for your child’s participation in the NAEP Research Study

Dear <Name>,

On behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education, thank you for allowing <CHILD’S NAME> to participate in the study of writing tasks for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). <CHILD’S NAME>’s input helped us better understand how students approach these types of tasks. The assistance <he/she> provided, combined with input from other students, was incredibly useful and informative. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to bring <CHILD’S NAME> to and from the interview location to participate.

For more information on NAEP, please visit the NCES NAEP website at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.

Again, thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

<NAME>

EurekaFacts

<CONTACT INFORMATION >

1 Note: Text for the brochure can be found in Appendix B.