SSA (Project description and burden estimation)

Supporting Statement A

Youth Outreach Generic Clearance for the

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)

Generic IC:

The National Center for Health Statistics

(NCHS) Data Detectives Camp 2023-2025

OMB No. 0920-1185
(Exp. Date 03/31/2026)

Contact Information

Ryne Paulose

National Center for Health Statistics

3311 Toledo Rd

Hyattsville MD 20782

301-458-4484

[email protected]

March 9, 2023

A. Justification

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has an approved Generic Information Collection entitled “Youth Outreach Generic Clearance for the National Center for Health Statistics” (OMB No. 0920-1185, Exp. Date 03/31/2026) to facilitate outreach efforts to young people (K through college) and those who support them, such as parents, teachers, and counselors.

The specific generic IC project for this clearance is to:

• Conduct the 2023-2025 NCHS Data Detectives Camp for enrolled middle school-aged students.  Information will be collected through application and registration forms, teacher recommendation forms, and evaluation forms.

• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 - 2022 NCHS Data Detectives Camps were held virtually but in 2023 - 2025 the camp will be in-person, if possible, and have an option for virtual as that was a successful option for the last 3 years.

2. Purpose and Use of Information Collection

NCHS places the highest priority on providing outreach and quality products and services to its customers. The proposed NCHS Data Detectives Camp is a summer STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) camp focusing on statistics for rising 6th and 7th grade students. This camp was initially launched in 2016 and has been offered annually since that time. As noted on the Camp Website (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data-detectives-camp/index.htm), this one-week camp is an exciting opportunity for boys and girls to learn about statistics through a variety of fun, hands-on activities.

Statistics and probability concepts are included in K-12 curriculum standards, in particular the Common Core State Standards (http://www.corestandards.org/). This camp offers children an opportunity to learn new statistical concepts and reinforce concepts they have already learned through fun, hands-on activities.

NCHS Data Detectives Camp activities specifically cover statistical concepts developed during grades 6th through 7th and will teach kids to think like a Data Detective – asking the right question, collecting the needed information, analyzing the data, and determining the answer.

The information from Application and Recommendation Forms (Attachments A, B, and C) will be used to identify the Camp attendees. The information from the Registration Form (Attachments D (in-person camp) or E (virtual camp)) will be used to more clearly define and better serve the needs of the Camp attendees. The information from the Evaluation Forms (Attachments F (parent) and G (child)) will guide NCHS management in future program planning and implementation.

The 2020-2022 NCHS Data Detectives Camps were held virtually; 2023-2025 and subsequent years are planned to be in-person, if possible, with an additional virtual option.

3. Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction

The NCHS Data Detective Camp Forms will employ information technology to collect and analyze information needed to determine those applicants who will be offered acceptance into the Camp. Applicants will submit their responses electronically; and these responses will be tallied electronically. Electronic collection will minimize the burden on camp applicants and facilitate the most rapid processing of application results. Paper forms will be made available upon request.

For in-person camps, NCHS provides the necessary technologies such as laptops with a stable internet connection. The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) provides about 10-12 laptop loaners for campers to use as they need computers to do the group exercises and projects during the week of Camp.

For the virtual camp, there are specific requirements which include the following: an online accessible electronic device (e.g., Mac or Windows PC, or Tablet), a webcam, and a stable internet connection with access to Zoom video conference.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information

We have no knowledge of any other statistics-focused camps available that would be similar to the NCHS Data Detectives Camp for middle school children. There is a CDC Disease Detective Camp offered to high school-aged children which differs in subject matter and target audience.

5. Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities

Small businesses will not be among the applicants to this Camp.

6. Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently

The planned NCHS Data Detectives Camp is currently proposed as an annual activity, to be determined by available resources.

The Data Detectives Camp is a unique opportunity for young people in our region.  There is no other camp in our area, sponsored by a CDC Agency, focused on helping young people obtain hands on practical experience with statistical concepts in a fun interactive manner. Reducing the frequency of data collection may weaken our agency’s efforts to encourage young people to be more interested in statistics in earlier stages of their education.

7. Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5

This request fully complies with the regulation 5 CFR 1320.5

8. Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice and Efforts to Consult Outside Agency

1. Federal Register Notice

The 60-day notice for the ICR was published in the Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 184, September 23, 2022, p. 58094. No additional comment period is required for GENICs submitted under this generic.

2. Consultation

Internal and external consultation will be involved in this project. This project will involve consultation and partnership with the following outside agencies: American Statistical Association (ASA), The Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM), CDC Museum Disease Detective Camp, University of Maryland (UMD) School of Public Health, UMD Social Data Science Center (SoDa), the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Other new partners may also be considered.

9. Explanation of Any Payment or Gift to Respondents

This collection of information on the Camp-related forms does not involve any payment to the applicants. Each camp participant will receive a free t-shirt to wear during the camp.

10. Protection of the Privacy and Confidentiality of Information Provided by Respondents

The NCHS Privacy Act Coordinator and the NCHS Confidentiality Officer have reviewed this package and have determined that the Privacy Act is applicable. This study is covered under Privacy Act System of Records Notice 09-20-0169, Users of Health Statistics.

The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) “requires the safeguarding of individuals”, and Section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m) requires the safeguarding of both individuals and establishments against invasion of privacy. Contractors who collect information identifying individuals and/or establishments must stipulate the appropriate safeguards to be taken regarding such information. The Privacy Act also provides for the confidential treatment of records of individuals, which are maintained by a Federal agency according to either individual’s name or some other identifier. This law also requires that such records in NCHS are to be protected from “uses other than those purposes for which they were collected.”

The confidentiality of individuals participating in any NCHS Youth Outreach activities, including the NCHS Data Detectives Camp is protected by section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 242m), which states:

"No information, if an establishment or person supplying the information or described in it is identifiable, obtained in the course of activities undertaken or supported under section...306,...may be used for any purpose other than the purpose for which it was supplied unless such establishment or person has consented (as determined under regulations of the Secretary) to its use for such other purpose and (1) in the case of information obtained in the course of health statistical or epidemiological activities under section...306, such information may not be published or released in other form if the particular establishment or person supplying the information or described in it is identifiable unless such establishment or person has consented (as determined under regulations of the Secretary) to its publication or release in other form..."

In addition, legislation covering confidentiality is provided according to section 513 of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA) (PL-107-347), which states:

“Whoever, being an officer, employee, or agent of an agency acquiring information for exclusively statistical purposes, having taken and subscribed the oath of office, or having sworn to observe the limitations imposed by section 512, comes into possession of such information by reason of his or her being an officer, employee, or agent and, knowing that the disclosure of the specific information is prohibited under the provisions of this title, willfully discloses the information in any manner to a person or agency not entitled to receive it, shall be guilty of a class E felony and imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or fined not more than $250,000, or both.”

Also, NCHS makes the following Assurance of Confidentiality Pledge:

Assurance of Confidentiality: We take your privacy very seriously. All information that relates to or describes identifiable characteristics of individuals, a practice, or an establishment will be used only for statistical purposes. NCHS staff, contractors, and agents will not disclose or release responses in identifiable form without the consent of the individual or establishment in accordance with section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m(d)) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2018 (CIPSEA Pub. L. No. 115-435, 132 Stat. 5529 § 302).  In accordance with CIPSEA, every NCHS employee, contractor, and agent has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term of up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both if he or she willfully discloses ANY identifiable information about you.  In addition to the above cited laws, NCHS complies with the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 (6 U.S.C. §§ 151 and 151 note) which protects Federal information systems from cybersecurity risks by screening their networks.

Consequently, all information collected by NCHS will be kept confidential, with an exception for suspected child abuse.

In keeping with NCHS policy, all staff, including contractors, who have access to confidential information are given instruction by NCHS staff on the requirement to protect confidentiality, and are required to sign a pledge to maintain confidentiality; only such authorized personnel are allowed access to confidential records, and only when their work requires it. When confidential information is not in use, it is stored in secure conditions. Once the NCHS Data Detectives Camp is over the information in identifiable form captured on the application and evaluation forms will be destroyed.

11. Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Justification for Sensitive Questions

The NCHS Human Subjects Contact has determined that the NCHS Data Detectives Camp forms do not require their IRB review and approval (Attachment H).

No sensitive questions will be collected.

12. Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours and Costs

Based on similar educational camps offered to middle school-aged children in the Maryland/DC area, approximately 400 parents, children, and teachers are expected to submit the Summer Camp Application Forms. Parents will be invited to complete the parent portion of the web-based Application Form (Attachment B). Children will be invited to complete the camper portion of the web-based Camper Application Form (Attachment A). Teachers may be invited to complete a Teacher Recommendation Form (Attachment C) which will have an electronic and a paper version options. The electronic version will be downloaded and teachers will be asked to email it back to us using their official school email address. The paper version will be available for printing and teachers will be able to mail them in.

Up to sixty (60) parents of the accepted applicants will be further invited to complete the Registration Form (Attachment D or E).

The camp attendees (students) and their parents will be invited to complete their respective Evaluation Forms (Attachments F and G) after the end of the camp.

The burden table below represents each type of respondent for one cycle of data collection; 550 annualized burden hours. NCHS is requesting 3 years of approval; 1,650 total burden hours.

Table 1. Estimate of Annualized Burden Hours

Type of Respondent	Form Name	Number of Respondents	Number of responses/ respondent	Average Burden/ response (in hours)	Response Burden (in hours)
Interested Applicant - Parent	Parent Application Form	400	1	15/60	100
Interested Applicant - Child	Student Application Form	400	1	30/60	200
Applicants Teacher	Teacher Recommendation Form	400	1	30/60	200
Accepted Participant's Parent	Registration Form	60	1	30/60	30
Accepted Participant's Parent	Parent Evaluation Form	60	1	10/60	10
Accepted Participant	Student Evaluation Form	60	1	10/60	10
Total			.........	........	550

Annualized Cost to Respondents

The hourly wage rate of $28.01 is based on income from the wages and salary table from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000 (last accessed 12/07/2022). This wage rate for the category “all occupations” was used since respondents do not fall into a single economic or occupational category.

Table 2. Estimate of Annualized Burden Cost

Type of Respondent	Form Name	Number of Respondents	Number of responses/ respondent	Total Response Burden (in hours)	Average Hourly Wage	Total Burden Cost
Interested Applicant - Parent	Parent Application Form	400	1	100	$28.01	$2,801
Interested Applicant - Child	Student Application Form	400	1	200	n/a	$0
Applicants Teacher	Teacher Recommen-dation Form	400	1	200	$28.01	$5,602
Accepted Participant's Parent	Registration Form	60	1	30	$28.01	$840.30
Accepted Participant's Parent	Parent Evaluation Form	60	1	10	$28.01	$280.10
Accepted Participant	Student Evaluation Form	60	1	10	n/a	$0
Total						$9,523.40

13. Estimates of Other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents or Record Keepers

There are no additional costs to the respondents.

14. Annualized Cost to the Federal Government

It is expected that the costs related to staff salaries for planning and conducting the Camp will cost NCHS about $42,500.

15. Explanation for Program Changes or Adjustments

This is a generic IC. There are no program changes or adjustments.

16. Plans for Tabulation and Publication and Project Time Schedule

The information from the Summer Camp Application Form will be used to identify the Camp attendees. The information from the Summer Camp Registration Form will be used to more clearly define and better serve the needs of the Camp attendees. The information from the Summer Camp Evaluation Form will guide NCHS management in future program planning and implementation. All data collected from these forms will be for internal use only. No publications are planned.

The Summer Camp Application Form will be made available as soon as OMB clearance is received. The Summer Camp Registration Form will be made available before the start of the Camp. The Summer Camp Evaluation Forms will be made available after the end of the Camp.

17. Reason(s) Display of the OMB Expiration Date is Inappropriate

The display of the OMB expiration date is appropriate.

18. Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

There are no exceptions to the certification.

Attachments

Attachment A. Camper Application Form

Attachment B. Parent Application Form

Attachment C. Teacher Recommendation Form

Attachment D. In-Person Camp Registration Form

Attachment E. Virtual Camp Registration Form

Attachment F. Parent Evaluation Form

Attachment G. Student Evaluation Form

Attachment H. NCHS Human Subject Research Determination

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