ED Response to OMB Questions

1. If the sampling methodology is calling for 10 projects per center, is there a reason why the burden estimate used 8 per center?

Response: Our sampling strategy, as discussed in Part B, Section 1, calls for a total of 6 to 10 projects per center to be sampled. Our final annual sample size of projects per center will be guided by the range of annual appropriations levels per center. The table below provides further details, and shows total number of projects sampled is 169 across the 21 centers, resulting in an average of 8 projects per center.

Center Funding Level	Total Projects Selected for Review, per Center	Number of Projects Nominated by Centers, per Center	Number of Projects Selected Purposively, per Center	Number of Centers in Each Sampling Category	Number of Projects Selected Across Centers
Less than $1 million	6	2	4	2	12
$1 to 1.9 million	7	2	5	5	35
$2 to 2.9 million	8	3	5	6	48
$3 to 3.9 million	9	3	6	6	54
$4 million or more	10	3	7	2	20
Total				21	169

2. Please provide clarification on the purpose of the pilot test with the 6 centers.  For example, was it for operational feasibility?  Was a test of the methodology implemented?  If so, were the centers required to submit documents?  Will they be able to resuse any of the information from the pilot for the actual study?

Response: The pilot test with the 6 centers served several purposes. First, we used the pilot to test whether the questions in the Site Visit Protocol were clear and would result in materials being provided by the centers that would be reasonable to submit to an expert panel for the purposes of this evaluation. Second, the pilot helped us to determine whether center staff would be able to complete the project inventory form in a meaningful way. Revisions to both the site visit protocols and the project inventory form were made based on the information gathered during the pilot and are reflected in the protocols in this submission.

The operational feasibility of requesting centers to compile and submit documents was tested at a sub-set of the 6 centers. Three centers were asked to compile and submit documents for two projects listed on their project inventory form. These materials gave us confidence that the process would work, albeit with modest refinements that we incorporated into this submission.

The data collected in the pilot project inventory form test phase will not be able to be used for the actual study because they would be incomplete, given that we refined some elements between the time of the pilot phase and this submission.

3. On the Regional Center Staff and Content Staff Visit Interview Protocols, in the letters for the Center Director, it would be helpful to refer to the Department of Education.  Perhaps the first sentence could be revised to something like, “As part of the Department of Educations’ evaluation of the …”

Response: We will revise the letter of introduction to reflect this change.

4. On the Regional Center Staff and Content Staff Visit Interview Protocols, Question 18, is this question supposed to be specific to the organization of the Center, the parent organization, or both?  

Response: Question 18 of the Regional Center Staff Protocol form is supposed to be specific to the Regional Comprehensive Center. We will revise the question to make this clear.

5. In the instructions for “Completing an Inventory of Projects” there is a reference to more details being available on the sampling in the evaluation’s sampling plan.  Is this the same information as appears in Part B or supplemental information?  If different, would you be able to provide us with a copy?

Response: The information that appears in Part B is complete as written. The reference to further details being available was a mis-statement on our part. There is no further set of instructions forthcoming about the sampling for center projects.