National Household Education Surveys Program 2019 (NHES:2019) Focus Groups with Parents of Students using Virtual Education

Attachments 1-2

Communication Materials and Screener

Attachment 1 – Communication Materials

National Household Education Surveys Program 2019 (NHES:2019) Focus Groups with Parents of Students using Virtual Education

Table of Contents

Email text for personal and professional contacts 2

Text for advertisements on social media and/or Craig’s List 3

Consent to Participate in Focus Group Research 4

Focus Group Research Incentive Acknowledgement Form 6

Dear [contact]:

Sanametrix and Activate Research are assisting with a study for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. In an effort to improve a survey, we are specifically looking for parents of children enrolled in homeschooling or virtual schooling at the equivalent of grades K-12 to participate in a one-time voluntary focus group in <location>.

If you participate, you will receive $50 as a thank you.

What will I be doing in a focus group?

You will be part of a group of about 8 people who will be asked various questions to explore your experience with virtual schooling and homeschooling.

How long is the focus group?

About 90 minutes.

When and where?

The focus group will be held on [DATE]. You will be asked to participate in person at <location>.

Interested in participating?

Please reply to this email with your contact information or call me at <phone>. I’ll give you a call to ask you some questions to help us determine if you qualify for the study.

If someone you know is interested in participating, please contact <contact info>.

Thank you for your time and help with this important study.

Sincerely,

[Recruitment Contact Info]

Education Research Study –Parents of Homeschoolers and Virtual Schoolers Needed

Sanametrix and Activate Research are assisting with a study for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. In an effort to improve a survey, we are specifically looking for parents of children enrolled in homeschooling or virtual schooling at the equivalent of grades K-12 to participate in a one-time voluntary focus group in <location>.

You will be part of a group of about 8 people who will be asked various questions to explore your experience with virtual schooling and homeschooling. We will audio-record your responses and take other notes as necessary. Information collected during this study will be used for research purposes only. The focus group session will last approximately 90 minutes. The focus group will be conducted on <date> and will be held in <location>.

Eligibility to Participate:

If interested, please call <phone> to complete a brief telephone screening to determine if you are eligible. The telephone screening will take approximately 3 minutes to complete. If eligible, we will schedule you for the focus group that fits your schedule. If you participate, you will receive $50 as a thank you.

If you have any questions, please contact <contact info>.

Study Title: National Household Education Surveys (NHES) Program Focus Groups With Parents of Students Using Virtual Education

Persons Responsible for Research:

Dinah Sparks, PhD Stephen Wenck

Activate Research Sanametrix

Funding Agency: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Study Description: The purpose of this research study is to inform the development of measures for the NHES:2019 Parent and Family Involvement in Education survey for enrolled and for homeschooled children (PFI-Enrolled and PFI-Homeschooled). Approximately 16 people will participate in this study. If you agree to participate, you will be asked to participate in a focus group. A focus group is a discussion with a group of people about a certain topic. In this focus group, you will be asked to discuss/share your experiences about your child’s schooling, including whether and how you use virtual schooling. This will take approximately 90 minutes of your time and the focus group discussion will be audio and/or video recorded.

Risks/Benefits: Risks that you may experience from participating are considered minimal. There may be some questions that make you uncomfortable and you can feel free not to answer those questions. With focus groups, there is always the risk that someone in the group will share your responses with others who were not in the group. In order to minimize this risk please do not share anything you do not want others to know. There are no costs for participating. There are no benefits to you other than to further research. At the end of the focus group, you will receive $50 in cash to thank you for your participation.

Confidentiality: In the focus group your first name will be used. If you wish, you are free to use a pseudonym during the focus group. Due to the group nature of the focus group, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Any use of your name and/or identifying information about you or anyone else will be removed by study staff from any summary reports. All study results will be reported without identifying information so that no one viewing the results will ever be able to match you with your responses. Direct quotes may be used in publications or presentations. Data from this study will be saved on a non-networked, password-protected computer in a locked room at Sanametrix’s corporate offices in Washington, DC. Only study staff will have access to your information. However, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) may review this study’s records. Audio/video recordings will be destroyed at the end of the research.

Please be advised that although the researchers will take every precaution to maintain confidentiality of the data, the nature of focus groups prevents the researchers from guaranteeing confidentiality. The researchers would like to remind participants to respect the privacy of your fellow participants and not repeat what is said in the focus group to others.

This focus group has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB# 1850-0803). Your answers 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 [Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, 20 U.S.C. § 9573].

Voluntary Participation: Your participation in this study is voluntary. You may choose not to take part in this study, or if you decide to take part, you can change your mind later and withdraw from the study. You are free to not answer any questions or withdraw at any time. Your decision will not change any present or future relationships with Sanametrix, Activate Research, or the National Center for Education Statistics.

Questions about the study: For more information about the study or study procedures, contact Stephen Wenck at swenck@sanametrix.com or (202) 600-8346.

Research Subject’s Consent to Participate in Research:

By signing this form I am agreeing to voluntarily enter this study. I have had a chance to read this consent form, and it was explained to me in a language which I use and understand. I have had the opportunity to ask questions and have received satisfactory answers. I understand that I can withdraw at any time.

 I agree to maintain the confidentiality of the information discussed by all participants and researchers during the focus group session.

Printed Name of Subject/Legally Authorized Representative

Signature of Subject/Legally Authorized Representative Date

I, __________________________________, certify that I have received the following incentive.

(Participant Name)

Type	Amount
Cash	$50

________________________________

Participant Signature

Facilitator Signature ________________________________

Date ________________________

Attachment 2 – Recruitment Screener

National Household Education Surveys Program 2019 (NHES:2019) Focus Groups with Parents of Students using Virtual Education

Hello. My name is <name> and I work for <Sanametrix/Activate Research>. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), with the U.S. Department of Education, is conducting a brief but important study about children’s educational experiences, especially with respect to virtual or online schooling. <Sanametrix/Activate Research> is assisting with the research. Your participation is voluntary, and you will receive no sales pitches or follow-up calls based on your participation.

We are looking for adults to participate in a focus group to help us learn more about their children’s virtual or online schooling experiences. The information gained from the study will be used for potential revisions to questionnaires about families’ experiences, especially with respect to how their children use virtual or online schooling. I’d like to ask you a few questions to see if you qualify for the study.

The next few questions are for classification purposes only.

1. What is your name? <write in>

_________________________________________________

2. What is your phone number? <write in>

_________________________________________________

3. What is your email address? <write in>

_________________________________________________

To determine whether this focus group will be a good fit for you, we’d like to ask you a few questions about your household.

4. Are you a parent or guardian of any children who are in Kindergarten to 12^th grade, or who are ages 5 to 17?

1. Yes <Continue>

2. No <Thank and terminate>

Name or Initials	Grade <K-12 or no grade>	How old is this child?	Is this child male or female?	Is this child attending a public school? <Y or N>	Is this child attending a private school? <Y or N>	Is this child homeschooled for grades equivalent to K to 12th. <Y or N>

5. Do any of your children take courses online?

   1. Yes <Continue>

   2. No <Thank and terminate>

6. <For parents who indicated that their children were in public or private school> <Is this course/Are these courses> for credit or part of requirements toward a degree?

   1. Yes <Continue>

   2. No <Thank and terminate>

7. <For parents who indicated that their children were homeschooled> <Is this course/Are these courses> part of your homeschool curriculum?

   1. Yes <continue>

   2. No <Thank and terminate>

8. Is your child taking all of his/her courses online, or just some courses?

   1. All courses (full-time virtual)

   2. Some courses (part-time virtual)

9. Have you participated in a research study or focus group in the past 6 months?

1. Yes <Thank and terminate.>

2. No <Continue>

10. Do you work for Sanametrix, Activate Research, or the U. S. Department of Education?

1. Yes <Thank and terminate>

2. No <Continue>

Based on your answers, we would like to invite you to participate in a focus group to help us learn more about virtual or online schooling. You will receive $50 as a thank you for participating in the focus group. The focus group should last about is about 90 minutes in length and will be conducted <at location>.

We are conducting interviews on <date>. Are you available to participate in this research study?

a. Yes <Continue and give directions >

b. No <Thank and terminate>

RECRUITER: Check off all the criteria this adult meets in order to categorize respondent. All recruits MUST be articulate, able to answer open ended questions, and able to provide explanations for their responses.

Interview Criteria:

Parent of K-12 equivalent child with virtual supplement	Parent of public/private K-12 school child with virtual supplement	Parent of full-time virtual K-12 school student	Not eligible for focus group <no eligible children>

2