OMB83C Change Memo

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Center for Education Statistics

MEMORANDUM

Date: March 2, 2018

To: Robert Sivinski, OMB

From: Chris Chapman, NCES

Through: Kashka Kubzdela, NCES

Re: Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 109: Teachers’ Use of Technology for School and Homework Assignments – Preliminary Activities Response to Public Comment Change Request (OMB# 1850-0857 v.3)

In March 2018, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) received OMB approval to conduct teacher list collection and district recruitment for the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 109 survey on teachers’ use of technology for school and homework assignments in public schools. NCES is conducting this FRSS survey as part of the IES response to the request in the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA, 20 U.S.C. §6301 et seq.) to provide information about the educational impact of access to digital learning resources (DLRs) outside of the classroom. The expanding use of technology affects the lives of students both inside and outside the classroom. For this reason, the role of technology in education is an increasingly important area of research. While access to technology can provide valuable learning opportunities to students, technology by itself does not guarantee successful outcomes. Schools and teachers play an important role in successfully integrating technology into teaching and learning. Findings from the FRSS 109 study will provide insight on the types and availability of DLRs outside of the classroom, and will contribute to IES legislatively mandated report on the educational impact of access to DLRs outside the classroom. To provide the needed data, FRSS 109 will collect nationally representative data from public school teachers about their use of DLRs for teaching, and how their knowledge and beliefs about their students’ access to DLRs outside the classroom affect the assignments they give. The survey will focus on information that can best be provided by teachers from their perspective and direct interaction with students. FRSS 109 will provide national statistics on: (1) Teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about students’ access to technology for doing school assignments outside of school; (2) Barriers and challenges teachers believe their students face in using technology for class assignments outside of school; and (3) Computers that the district or school may make available to students for use outside of class time.

This request is to amend the FRSS 109 preliminary activities record with the “FRSS 109 Response to 30-day Public Comment” document.

This request does not introduce changes to respondent burden or the cost to the federal government.

Our mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the Nation.