OMB83C Incentives Change Memo

DATE: April 19, 2017

TO: Robert Sivinski & E. Ann Carson, OMB

THROUGH: Kashka Kubzdela, NCES

FROM: Lydia Malley, NCES

Re: International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS 2018) Field Test Incentives Change Request (OMB# 1850-0929 v.5)

The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) is a computer-based international assessment of eighth-grade students’ computer and information literacy (CIL) skills that will provide a comparison of U.S. student performance and technology access and use with those of their international peers. ICILS is coordinated by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), an international collective of research organizations and government agencies that creates the assessment framework, assessment, and background questionnaires and provides procedures and technical standards which all countries must follow. In the U.S., the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducts ICILS. In preparation for the ICILS 2018 main study, in 2017, NCES will conduct a field test to evaluate new assessment items and background questions, to ensure practices that promote low exclusion rates, and to ensure that classroom and student sampling procedures proposed for the main study are successful. The U.S. ICILS main study will be conducted from February through May 2018.

The request for the field test and the main study recruitment activities and the field test data collection was approved in August 2016 (OMB# 1850-0929 v.1), with the final versions of the field test questionnaires approved through a change request in December 2016 (OMB# 1850-0929 v.2), a main study sample size increase approved in February 2017 (OMB# 1850-0929 v.3), and a field test timeline and confidentiality pledge revision approved in April 2017 (OMB# 1850-0929 v.4).

This request is to further specify how the approved incentives will be delivered to teachers, schools, and school personnel, including use of Amazon cash cards for the $20 incentive for teachers.

Incentives for Schools, School Coordinators, and Teachers

Supporting Statement Part A, Section A.9, Payment or Gifts to Respondents, has been expanded to include details about how payments to respondents will be delivered. A check will be mailed to each school in the amount of $200, and to each school coordinator in the amount of $100, once the ICILS assessment has been conducted in their schools. About 20 teachers will participate in the ICILS teacher survey at each school. Teachers will be offered $20 for completing the ICILS teacher questionnaire to encourage their participation. In order to avoid sending up to 20 checks to the school for the school coordinator to distribute to teachers who complete the questionnaire, electronic Amazon gift cards in the amount of $20 will be used. Teacher email addresses are not collected prior to the assessment. Teacher invitation cards that provide information about how to access the online teacher questionnaire are distributed to selected teachers by the school coordinator. This card will include instructions for the teacher to email the ICILS Staff Help Desk upon completion of the questionnaire and provide his or her email address. Once completion of the questionnaire will be confirmed, the code to access the Amazon electronic gift card will be emailed to the teacher. In this way, teachers will see the direct link between completing the questionnaire and receiving the $20 thank you token, and will receive the incentive very quickly after survey completion. Amazon gift cards will be used because they have no associated fees, unlike other cash card programs.

Appendix A has been updated to reflect that the $20 incentive for teachers will be provided as an Amazon gift card.

Appendix B, teacher questionnaire, has been revised to add text at the bottom of the teacher questionnaire stating: “Now please email the ICILShelpdesk@westat.com and provide an email address where we can send your $20 Amazon gift card code as a token of appreciation for your participation”.

These revisions do not affect the estimated burden to respondents or the total cost to the federal government for ICILS 2018.