OMB83C HSLS Change Memo

Memorandum United States Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

National Center for Education Statistics

DATE: August 22, 2017

TO: Robert Sivinski, OMB

THROUGH: Kashka Kubzdela, OMB Liaison, NCES

FROM: Elise Christopher, HSLS:09 Project Officer, NCES

c/o Sean Simone, HSLS:09 Acting Project Officer, NCES

SUBJECT: High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) Second Follow-up Main Study Institutional Collection Change Request (OMB# 1850-0852 v.26)

The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) is a nationally representative, longitudinal study of more than 20,000 9th graders in 944 schools in 2009 who are being followed through their secondary and postsecondary years. The study focuses on understanding students’ trajectories from the beginning of high school into postsecondary education or the workforce and beyond. What students decide to pursue when, why, and how are crucial questions for HSLS:09, especially, but not solely, in regards to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses, majors, and careers. To date, HSLS:09 measured math achievement gains in the first 3 years of high school and, like past studies, surveyed students, their parents, school administrators, school counselors, and teachers. After the initial 2009 data collection, the main study students were re-surveyed in 2012 when most were high school 11th-graders, and again in 2013 when most had just graduated from high school. The second follow-up data collection took place in early 2016 and consisted of a survey, postsecondary transcript collection, financial aid records collection, and file matching to extant data sources. The second follow-up focused on postsecondary attendance patterns, field of study selection processes with particular emphasis on STEM, the postsecondary academic and social experience, education financing, employment history including instances of unemployment and underemployment, job characteristics including income and benefits, job values, family formation, and civic engagement. The HSLS:09 data elements were designed to support research that speaks to the underlying dynamics and education processes that influence student achievement, growth, and personal development over time.

The HSLS:09 Second Follow-up Main Study and 2018 Panel Maintenance request was approved by OMB in December 2015 with the latest change request approved in August 2017 (OMB# 1850-0852 v.17-25). This request is to (1) update the confidentiality pledge cited in the HSLS:09 student records and transcript collection materials to account for the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 and to provide the most up-to-date description of data security and confidentiality requirements; (2) reflect the recently approved for the 2012 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12) revisions to the Postsecondary Data Portal (PDP), which HSLS:09 fully shares with BPS:12 and to a certain extent with other NCES postsecondary studies (e.g., NPSAS:18-AC); and (3) add to the approved communication plan a reminder postcard to be used in the HSLS:09 panel maintenance activity in 2018.

Section A.10 of the revised Supporting Statement Part A has been modified to reflect the revisions to Appendixes F and G. Text in blue font in the following statement reflects these revisions:

“The confidentiality pledge was updated for the panel maintenance activity as well as student records and transcript collection activities, subsequent to the HSLS:09 second follow-up data collection, and thus is reflected only in the panel maintenance materials in the revised Appendix D as well as the transcript materials in the revised Appendix F and the student records materials in the revised Appendix G to reflect the addition of the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 provision. The revised pledge reads: “All of the information you provide 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 (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).” The HSLS:09 second follow-up materials were not updated because they have already been used, given that these materials became operational prior to the implementation of the revised pledge. All panel maintenance materials (included in Appendix D), transcript materials (Appendix F), and student records materials (Appendix G) now include the revised pledge.”

The panel maintenance reminder postcard, for which clearance is also being sought in this submission, will be used near the end of the panel maintenance activity in 2018. The panel maintenance activity requests updated contact information for sample members from the sample members themselves or from their parents. The postcard will be used to remind sample members and their parents to complete the update process. The reminder postcard is included in the revised Appendix D pages 37-39.

These revisions to the approved HSLS:09 Second Follow-up Main Study student records, transcripts, and panel maintenance materials do not affect the approved estimated burden to respondents or the total cost to the federal government.