NonSub Change Memo - ECE ICHQ Updates for Field Test

To: Josh Brammer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA); Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Meryl Barofsky, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE); Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: February 20, 2020

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request: Assessing the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education: Comparative Multi-Case Study, Phase 2 (OMB #: 0970-0499)

We are requesting a nonsubstantive change to materials and instruments for the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation project: Assessing the Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) (OMB #: 0970-0499).

In preparing for the field test scheduled to begin this March, the study team consulted with external experts about the construction and alignment of the cost and implementation measures. The study protocols and materials, including informed consent language, have also undergone review by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). We revised the study materials and instruments based on these steps. We are writing to request approval of these nonsubstantive changes. Updated versions of study materials and instruments accompany this request.

We revised consent language in the following materials and instruments:

• Attachment B: Advance Materials

• Attachment C: Email and Letter to Selected Centers

• Attachment D: Implementation Interview Email

• Attachment E: Cost Workbook Email

• Attachment F: Time Use Survey Outreach

• Instrument 1: Center Recruitment Call Scripts

• Instrument 3: Implementation Interview Protocol

• Instrument 4: Cost Workbook

• Instrument 5: Time-Use Survey Roster

• Instrument 6: Time-Use Survey

• Instrument 7: Classroom Roster for Observations

We also added specific gift card amounts and contact information in the recruitment materials (in Attachments B and C).

We made the following additional revisions to Instrument 3, the Implementation Interview Protocol:

Type of revision	Items
Revised question wording for clarity	A5f; C4; C5; C9; D3; H1; K4; O1; O1a; O1b; R2a; R2b; R2c; R2d; T4; U8; V1; V4; W4; X2_SP; X2-QI; X3a.1; X3b.1; X3c.1; X3d.1; Y2a; AD15; AD31ab; AD29, AD30, AD32
Revised question specificity or flow to improve quality of data and efficiency in collection	B1b; B1d-h; B1d; B1i; M2a; M2; M1a; M1: N2cd; R1; R2; T2_1; U1; V5; Y2; AA2; AA6; AD14; AD17ab; AD17c; AD28; AD31c
Added or improved probes or definitions for questions	B1b; B2a2; B2b2; M6; N2a1; N2b1; O1; V1; X3a.1; AD4c; AD10c; AD24c; AD28; AD31c
Added, removed, or revised a response category	B1b; C8; E4_1; E4_2; H6; T4; V5; X2_SP; X2-QI; X2_PE; Z3; AD2; AD14; AD21; AD24ab; AD24c; AD28; AD31ab; AD31c
Added question to improve alignment between cost and implementation measures	T5; T5a; T6; T7; V3; V3a; AC6; AE1; AE2; AE3

We made three revisions to Instrument 2, the Center Engagement Call Script (pages 4-5), to support center selection and timing of data collection activities:

• Added a follow-up question to capture the length the center has had its current quality rating

• Added language to clarify whether a center is only open part-day. The study is focused on centers that are open full-day.

• Added language to ask about the end date of spring programming and start date of fall programming.