Building Capacity to Use Linked Early Childhood Administrative Data for Program Improvement and Broader Research Initiatives(BCU

Building Capacity to Use Linked Early Childhood Administrative Data for Program Improvement and Broader Research Initiatives (BCULD)

ASPE Generic Information Collection Request

OMB No. 0990-0421

Supporting Statement – Section B

Submitted: February 25, 2015

Program Official/Project Officer

Lindsey Hutchison, Ph.D.

Social Science Analyst

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC 20201

(202) 260-6610

(202) 690-6562

Lindsey.Hutchison@hhs.gov

Section B – Data Collection Procedures

1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

The large group discussion held at the NHSA conference in March will constitute a sample of convenience. Participants will include whichever conference attendees decide to participate in the conference session during their time at the conference. Possible participants include Head Start and other ECE program directors and staff, other educators, technical assistance providers, and other relevant partners (such as NHSA staff). We selected this as the mechanism for data collection in order to capitalize on the fact that several ECE program staff would be in the same location at the same time for the annual NHSA conference. We anticipate no more than 100 participants in the session.

2. Procedures for the Collection of Information

The data collection will be conducted through a large group discussion during a session at a research conference. The large group discussion will be held at the National Head Start Association’s (NHSA) 42^nd Annual Head Start Conference and Expo taking place in Washington DC on March 31, 2015. The session will be structured in a way where the session facilitator will pose open-ended questions to the session attendees, and session attendees will be invited to respond. Session attendees may also be broken up into smaller groups to brainstorm on their responses, and then report out to the larger group later in the session. Attendance at the session (and subsequent voicing of response from attendees) will be completely voluntary. The questions to be posed by the facilitator during the large group discussion have been developed and revised prior to the session (see Attachment A). The discussion questions were developed by ASPE’s contractor for this work, Child Trends, in consultation with the ASPE federal project officers. Child Trends staff will also facilitate the large group discussion, with the two ASPE federal project officers attending to take notes and assist as needed. Hard copies of the questions will also be distributed in person at the session, so that attendees can jot down their thoughts in writing, if this is preferable over voicing their thoughts out loud during the session. The hard copies will not request any personally identifiable information. The data will be collected qualitatively in written note form by session scribes (the federal project offices will serve as the session scribes). After the conference session, Child Trends staff will analyze the data qualitatively by reviewing the session notes and pulling out the main themes from the discussion. Child Trends staff will note if particular issues (for example, concerns with understanding privacy laws for sharing administrative data) seemed to be raised more often, or of greater importance, to the session participants.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates Deal with Nonresponse

Specific reminder emails about the large group discussion will not be sent out to potential respondents in advance of the NHSA conference session. However, the session will be listed in the conference handbook, so that potential respondents will be aware of the opportunity to participate in the session (see Attachment B). The method of data collection also optimizes response rates (because participants are all gathered in person at the same location at the same time). Given that this will be a sample of convenience, we will not deal with nonresponse. The main themes (i.e. results) that emerge from the large group discussion will not be generalizable to all ECE or Head Start programs and this will be acknowledged in any project materials.

4. Test of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken

Over the past few years, ASPE staff engaged in preliminary exploration of the issues that will be discussed in the conference session. The conference session discussion will build on knowledge of the field that was built by ASPE staff through research and one-on-one conversations with experts. The specific discussion questions to be used for the large group discussion at the conference have not been specifically piloted before (see Attachment A).

5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data

ASPE subject matter experts with statistical and technical expertise were consulted on the development of this exploratory data collection. This includes: (1) Lindsey Hutchison, Social Science Analyst at HHS/ASPE, email: Lindsey.Hutchison@hhs.gov, phone: 202-260-6610; and (2) Kim Burgess, Social Science Analyst at HHS/ASPE, email: Kimberly.Burgess@hhs.gov, phone: 202-260-6623.

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS – Section B

Note: Attachments are included as separate files as instructed.

2. Description of Conference Session in NHSA Program Book