HSLS OMB83C Change Memo

Memorandum United States Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

National Center for Education Statistics

DATE: November 16, 2017

TO: Robert Sivinski, OMB

THROUGH: Kashka Kubzdela, OMB Liaison, NCES

FROM: Elise Christopher and Sean Simone, NCES

SUBJECT: High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) Second Follow-up Main Study Transcript Collection Change Request (OMB# 1850-0852 v.27)

The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) is a nationally representative, longitudinal study of more than 20,000 ninth graders in 944 schools in 2009 who are being followed through their secondary and postsecondary years. The study focuses on understanding students’ trajectories from the beginning of high school into postsecondary education or the workforce and beyond. What students decide to pursue when, why, and how are crucial questions for HSLS:09, especially, but not solely, in regards to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses, majors, and careers. To date, HSLS:09 measured math achievement gains in the first 3 years of high school and, like past studies, surveyed students, their parents, school administrators, school counselors, and teachers. After the initial 2009 data collection, the main study students were re-surveyed in 2012 when most were high school 11th-graders, and again in 2013 when most had just graduated from high school. The second follow-up data collection took place in early 2016 and consisted of a survey, postsecondary transcript collection, financial aid records collection, and file matching to extant data sources. The second follow-up focused on postsecondary attendance patterns, field of study selection processes with particular emphasis on STEM, the postsecondary academic and social experience, education financing, employment history including instances of unemployment and underemployment, job characteristics including income and benefits, job values, family formation, and civic engagement. The HSLS:09 data elements were designed to support research that speaks to the underlying dynamics and education processes that influence student achievement, growth, and personal development over time. The HSLS:09 Second Follow-up Main Study and 2018 Panel Maintenance request was approved by OMB in December 2015 with the latest change request in August 2017 (OMB# 1850-0852 v.18-26).

This request is to extend the transcript data collection window and to add transcript request communication materials to account for the deadline extension and for an overlap with BPS:12 transcript collection. This request does not introduce changes to the estimated respondent burden or the costs to the federal government.

Revisions made to the approved HSLS:09 Second Follow-up Main Study clearance documents (OMB# 1850-0852 v. 18-26) are detailed below. Updated Supporting Statement Part A and Appendix F are included with this submission.

We are extending the HSLS:09 transcript data collection from the approved end date of December 29, 2017, to May 31, 2018, because the current institution participation rate of 61% is considerably lower than the rate seen on past postsecondary transcript collections. Past transcript collections include the 2012 collection for the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS), which had a 92% institution participation rate, and the 2004/09 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study collection which had an 87% institution participation rate. The HSLS:09 transcript collection has been combined with NCES’s first multi-year longitudinal student records collection, which has increased respondent burden to institutions compared to a transcript-only collection. We will end the HSLS:09 student records collection on December 29, 2017, as originally planned, but will extend the HSLS:09 transcript collection for five additional months, to May 31, 2018. We hope that without the accompanying student records collection, given the lower burden associated with providing only transcripts, we will get a boost in the transcript response rates.

In the Supporting Statement Part A, section 16 (Publication Plans and Project Schedule; page 21), we changed the end date for transcript collection to May 31, 2018 (see Exhibit A-5 below).

Because the extended HSLS:09 transcript data collection will now overlap with the BPS:12/17 transcript data collection, we added three institution contacting letters to reflect the joint collection of HSLS:09 and BPS:12 transcripts. We have updated the Table of Contents on page i, the bulleted list on page F-9, and added the three letters in Appendix F, on pages 19 – 24 as follows:

• Transcript Collection – NCES Letter to Coordinator – HSLS:09 Transcripts Submitted – Joint Study Collection (page 19);

• Transcript Collection – NCES Letter to Coordinator – HSLS:09 Transcripts Not Received – Joint Study Collection (page 21); and

• Transcript Collection – Request Letter from RTI to Registrar or Designee – No Progress in 2017 Collection – Joint Study Collection (page 23).

Exhibit A-5. Operational schedule for HSLS:09 second follow-up

HSLS:09 activity	Start date	End date
Field Test (FT) Data Collection
FT Instrument Development and System Support	7/1/2014	4/10/2015
FT Cognitive Interviews	11/26/2014	3/6/2015
FT Web/CATI Training	2/28/2014	4/9/2015
Conduct FT Tracing	1/21/2015	7/30/2015
FT Data Collection	4/13/2015	7/17/2015
FT Data Files	4/13/2015	8/28/2015
FT Reporting	5/25/2015	4/13/2016
FT Experiment and Responsive Design	6/1/2015	1/15/2016
Second Follow-up Main Study (MS) Data Collection
Cognitive Interviews 2	5/20/2015	9/28/2015
MS CATI Training	1/18/2016	11/11/2016
MS CAPI Training	6/28/2016	10/14/2016
MS Tracing	4/18/2016	12/15/2016
MS Web/CATI Data Collection	3/28/2016	1/31/2017
MS CAPI Data Collection	8/8/2016	1/31/2017
MS Data File Documentation (DFD)	10/26/2016	11/27/2017
MS Data Files	6/16/2016	12/13/2017
MS First Look Report	11/25/2016	12/13/2017
Student Financial Aid Records Collection
Financial Aid Records Collection	3/7/2017	12/29/2017
Financial Aid Records Training	4/17/2017	4/21/2017
Financial Aid DFD	12/8/2017	12/30/2018
Financial Aid Data Files	9/24/2017	12/30/2018
Financial Aid First Look	11/12/2017	12/30/2018
Postsecondary Transcript Collection
Transcript Collection	3/7/2017	5/31/2018
Transcript Training	4/17/2017	4/21/2017
Transcript DFD	12/8/2017	12/30/2018
Transcript Data Files	4/20/2017	12/30/2018
Transcript First Look	11/12/2017	12/30/2018