This Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) package requests clearance for data collection activities to
support a rigorous Impact Study of Federally-Funded Magnet Schools.
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of
Education (ED) has contracted with Mathematica Policy Research and
its subcontractor, Social Policy Research Associates (SPR), to
conduct this evaluation (ED-IES-17-C-0066). The evaluation includes
an initial feasibility assessment, to determine whether an impact
study can be conducted appropriately. First, the study team will
interview fiscal year (FY) 2016 and 2017 Magnet Schools Assistance
Program (MSAP) grantee districts and schools to gather detailed
information on student recruitment and admissions policies and
practices, paying particular attention to the use of randomized
lotteries for student admissions. The feasibility phase will result
in a brief describing how MSAP-funded schools recruit and select
students for admission, a topic of interest to the program office.
Second, if a sufficient number of students are being admitted to
these schools through lotteries, the impact study will collect
survey data from principals and district administrative records on
admissions lotteries and student progress. The study would use
these data to estimate the impacts of magnet schools on student
achievement and diversity and to describe whether particular
features of magnet schools are associated with greater
success.
PL:
Pub.L. 115 - 64 8601 Name of Law: Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended by ESSA
This is a new information
collection request. Therefore all burden is new. This is a program
change that results in an increase in burden and responses of 53
hours and 101 responses respectively.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.