MEMORANDUM OMB # 1850-0911 v.18
DATE: January 16, 2018
TO: Robert Sivinski
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
FROM: Carolyn Fidelman
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
THROUGH: Kashka Kubzdela
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
SUBJECT: Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2017-18 (MGLS:2017) Main Study Base Year (MS1) Change Request
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 students with disabilities for whom descriptive information on their outcomes, educational experiences, and special education services will be collected. Base-year data for MGLS:2017 will be collected from a nationally representative sample of sixth-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 year two of the national data collection, referred to as the Main Study, the data collection instruments and procedures must be further field tested. An Item Validation Field Test (IVFT) was conducted in the winter/spring 2016 to determine the psychometric properties of items and the predictive potential of assessment and survey items so that valid, reliable, and useful assessment and survey instruments could be developed for the Main Study. An Operational Field Test (OFT) was conducted between January and May 2017 to test the near-final instruments and the recruitment and data collection processes and procedures in preparation for year one of the Main Study. District and school recruitment for the Main Study began in April 2017. OMB approved the Main Study Base Year (MS1), Operational Field Test First Follow-up (OFT2), and Tracking and Recruitment for Main Study First Follow-up (MS2) in October 2017 and a change request in December 2017 (OMB# 1850-0911 v.16-17).
This request is to (1) clarify legal guardian terminology used in the parent survey and make minor corrections and alignments in questionnaire items and the associated help text, and (2) add Spanish translations of all parent surveys (full, abbreviated, and mini) and of parent recruitment/contact materials. The requested changes do not affect the approved estimated respondent burden nor the total cost to the federal government.
(1) Clarified legal guardian terminology used in the parent survey and made minor corrections and alignments in questionnaire items and the associated help text (Appendices T-V). The parent instruments will be updated to refer to “legal guardian” as opposed to just “guardian” for the household roster items where we want to specifically identify respondents or household members who have the legal status of guardian. We have also made additional revisions as detailed below, in Edits Made to the Last Approved MGLS Package Documents: Appendices T-V. Changes did not impact content or burden.
(2) Translated the parent survey into Spanish. The full, abbreviated, and mini parent questionnaires as well as most of the parent communication materials are now available in both English and Spanish, in all administration modes, and instrument lengths. The ability to provide recruitment, communication, and questionnaire materials in Spanish to Spanish speaking parents will reduce parent burden by making the survey available in Spanish-speaking respondents’ native language and may improve response rates among the Spanish-speaking portion of the sample.
Edits Made to the Last Approved MGLS Package Documents
On page 16, in a description of MS1 data collection, an indication that the parent survey will be available in Spanish was added. Edits are shown in track changes:
Added the following paragraph at the end of the Parent Recruitment, under MS1 School Recruitment Approach, in section B.2 of Part B (page 10).
All printed parent communication materials will be provided to all parents in both English and Spanish (printed front/back), including parent permission letters (requesting approval or disapproval of the student’s participation in the study), data collection letters (asking parents to take part in the parent survey), and Quick Facts sheet about MGLS:2017 (Appendices MS1-F2, MS1-F4, MS1-G1a, MS1-G2a, MS1-G3a, and MS1-H1). Additionally, when a parent logs in to respond to the survey, they will be shown a button allowing them to switch to the Spanish version of the questionnaire. This ability will be available in all three versions of the parent survey (full, abbreviated, and mini; Appendices MS1-U2b and MS1-U2d). With regards to emails asking parents to take part in the parent survey, any parent who is marked as needing Spanish in CATI or who returned the permission form in Spanish will be sent the initial invitation email (Appendix W.3.a) in Spanish. The reminder emails and the thank you for participation email will be sent to all parents in English only.
On page 12, one phrase that was in error was removed, and indication that the parent survey will be available in Spanish was added. Edits are shown in track changes:
English Language Learners whose
primary language is not Spanish and
who do not participate in state assessments will be excluded
from the sixth-grade student session, however data will be collected
from their parents, teachers, and school administrators.
Parent Questionnaire. The parent questionnaire is expected to take an average of 40 minutes to complete and will feature a multi-mode approach, with self-administered internet-based questionnaires and a telephone interview follow-up for respondents not completing the questionnaire online. The instrument will be available in both English and Spanish.
On page 23, the following bullet point was added:
A Spanish translation of the parent surveys will be available to facilitate participation for those respondents who prefer to respond in Spanish.
Part C reflects all the edits that were made to the MS1 instruments, as detailed in this document under Appendix T-V section.
Spanish translations of approved parent communication materials were added (permission letters, data collection letters, and Quick Facts sheet).
In addition to the correction of typos, the following edits were made:
Page Number |
Description of Change |
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p.31 (parent survey) |
Added text of the “Welcome back” screen seen when respondents return to the survey after they have previously logged in and logged off.
Welcome Back
Welcome back! Thanks for participating in the Middle Grades Longitudinal Study. Here are a few things to remember before you begin: Please don’t click your back buttons during the survey. Please use the navigation buttons at the bottom of the survey. * You can stop the survey at any time by clicking the "LOG OUT" button at the upper left corner of the screen. When you log in again, you can resume where you left off. Need more help? If you have any questions about logging in or about the survey questions, please use the "Help" button at the top of your screen or call our help desk at 1-855-500-1432. Click the arrow button below to get started. |
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p.32-34 (parent survey) |
Added text of the parental permission screens.
PERM1 Thank you for being a part of the Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2017–18 (MGLS:2017). This will help us learn about children’s development during an important time in their lives.
PERM2 Your child’s school has accepted an invitation from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education, to participate in MGLS:2017. A sample of students from your child’s school will take part. Your child is one of approximately 20,000 students selected from across the United States to participate. To have an accurate picture of what U.S. students in grade 6 can do in reading, math, and other (noncognitive) skills important to learning, it is important that each student selected take part in the study. In addition to answering reading and math questions, students will be asked to complete a brief questionnaire about themselves and provide height and weight measurements, which is important to understanding the growth and development of adolescents. I urge you to support this effort by encouraging your child to take part.
PERM3
Completing the
survey is voluntary for you and your child and there are no
penalties for not participating. Your child may also skip any
question he or she does not want to answer. All of the information
collected is protected, as required by law. NCES is authorized to
conduct MGLS:2017 by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002
(ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543) and to collect students’
education records from education agencies or institutions for the
purposes of evaluating federally supported education programs
under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA, 34 CFR
§§ 99.31(a)(3)(iii) and 99.35). The data are being
collected for NCES by RTI International, a U.S.-based nonprofit
research organization. All of the information your child provides
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 collected information will be combined across
respondents to produce statistical reports.
PERM4
Your child has
been asked to participate in a study of student learning called
the Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2017-18 (MGLS:2017).
Student data will be collected in a 90-minute session during the
school day. The student assessment will be administered by a team
of researchers from RTI International, on behalf of the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Yes, I give permission for my child to participate in MGLS:2017.…………………………………………………………….1 No, I do not give permission for my child to participate, but I will complete the parent survey.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 No, I do not give permission for my child to participate in MGLS:2017.………………………………………….2
a First Name: [___________________](STRING 20)
b Middle Name: [_________________ ] (STRING 20)
c Last Name: [___________________ ] (STRING 20)
d Suffix: [___________________ ] (STRING 20)
e Phone Number: [___________________](STRING 20)
f Email: [_________________ ] (STRING 20) . |
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Throughout the parent surveys
|
Response options that referred to “guardian” were changed to “legal guardian” where we want to identify the respondents or household members who are the formal legal guardian. |
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Throughout the parent, teacher, and administrator surveys |
Corrected wording of ethnicity item to match other MGLS Surveys, as well as Census and other federal studies (from “Are you Hispanic or Latino/Latina?” to “Are you of Hispanic or Latino/Latina origin?”) |
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Throughout the parent, teacher, and administrator surveys |
Corrected level of education response options to be consistent with each other, as well as Census, specifically aligning the wording and providing examples of response options related to High School Diploma and to Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate, and Professional degrees. The finalized response options are shown below: Parent survey: What is the highest level of education {you have/HH#NAME IDP1 has} completed? Select one only. 8th grade or lower 1 9th to 11th grade 2 12th grade but no diploma 3 High school diploma or equivalent (for example: GED) 4 Vocational/technical program after high school but no vocational/technical diploma 5 Vocational/technical diploma after high school 6 Some college but no degree 7 Associate’s degree (for example: AA, AS) 8 Bachelor’s degree (for example: BA, BS) 9 Graduate or professional school but no degree 10 Master’s degree (for example: MA, MS, MEng, MEd, MSW, MBA) 11 Doctorate degree (for example: Ph.D, Ed.D) 12 Professional degree beyond a bachelor’s degree (for example: MD, DDS, DVM, JD) 13 Do not know 14 Mini Parent survey:
1- Less than high school 2- High school diploma or equivalent/GED 3- Vocational/technical diploma after high school 4- Associate’s degree (for example: AA, AS) 5- Bachelor’s degree (for example: BA, BS) 6- Master’s degree (for example: MA, MS, MBA) 7- Doctorate or other high level professional degree (for example: Ph.D, Ed.D, MD, DDS, DVM, JD) Teacher survey: What is the highest level of education you have completed? Did not complete high school 1 High school diploma or equivalent (for example: GED) 2 Some college or technical or vocational school 3 Associate’s degree (for example: AA, AS) 4 Bachelor’s degree (for example: BA, BS) 5 Master’s degree (for example: MA, MS, MEng, MEd, MSW, MBA) 6 Doctorate or an advanced professional degree beyond a Master's degree (for example: Ph.D, Ed.D, MD, DDS, DVM, JD) 7 NO RESPONSE M Administrator survey: G15 (G04). What is the highest degree you have earned? Associate's degree (for example: AA, AS) 1 G20 (G05) Bachelor’s degree (for example: BA, BS) 2 G20 (G05) Master’s degree (for example: MA, MS, MEng, MEd, MSW, MBA) 3 G20 (G05) Educational Specialist or professional diploma based on at least one year of coursework past a Master's degree level 4 G20 (G05) Doctorate or an advanced professional degree beyond a Master's degree (for example: Ph.D, Ed.D, MD, DDS, DVM, JD) 5 G20 (G05) I do not have a degree 6 G20 (G06) |
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p.84 (parent survey) |
Help text related to “emotional disturbance” was changed so the definition does not include “bipolar disorder” as the latter is its own response category. Help text related to “anxiety disorder” was changed so the definition does not include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as the latter has its own response category. |
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p.110 (parent survey) |
Soft check text was added for messages seen when respondents do not provide full contact information needed for distribution of incentives. INCENTIVE_ADDRESS PROGRAMMER BOX
If at least one of field 1-6 has an entry and box is checked: “You have indicated that you do not wish to receive any money for completing the survey. If you wish to receive money for completing the survey, please select “Edit.” Then, uncheck “I do not want to receive any money for completing this survey” and provide complete contact information”
If zip code is false: “Please enter a valid zip code. Zip code entered is “[zip entered]”.
If all fields 1-6 are missing: “We need your address information to send you your incentive”.
If field 1 is missing: “Please provide your full name. We need this information to send you your incentive.”
If field 2 and 3 is missing: “You did not provide a street address.”
If field 2 is missing and field 3 is not missing: “You provided an address for line 2, but did not provide a street address.”
If field 4 is missing: “You did not provide a city.”
If field 5 is missing: “You did not provide a state.”
If field 6 is missing: “you did not provide a zip code.”
If any of field 1-6 is missing, display message(s) above and also: “Without a complete address, we may not be able to send your incentive check to you. If this information is available, please select ‘Edit.’” |
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pp. 39, 44-45, 51, 61, 63-64, 66 (parent survey) |
Added text of the parental permission screens. PROGRAMMER BOX A030
if ([FP0A05b_FNAME] == "" && [FP0A05b_LNAME] == "") Please provide the name of the person living in this household who knows the most about [CFNAME]’s development, schooling, and home life so you may continue. PROGRAMMER: IF B001=1, Loop through b005a and b005b until b005b=2 (No OR MISSING) Validation: if
([FP0B01] == "2") return SoftCheck “Is this
everyone in the household?”) return "";
CONFIRMATION
SCREEN:
PROGRAMMER: Display a table with column headings “Name”, “Age”, “Sex”, “Relation to [CFNAME]” and “Edit?”. Display household member information with each household member as their own row. Under the “Edit?” column display clickable buttons labeled “Edit this person”. Upon clicking those buttons, display a pop-up of B010 for that household member of which the respondent can make edits. Title the pop up with “Household member:” and have the buttons “Close” and “Save” at the bottom returning the user to the confirmation screen.
Programmer Box C026C, C027C, and C028C The words “Hispanic or Latino/Latina origin” should have a hyperlink to the following help text: Hispanic or Latino origin: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish cultures or origin (or descent), regardless of race. |
Spanish translation of the approved parent invitation to survey e-mail was added.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-21 |