Impact Evaluation of
Departmentalized Instruction in Elementary Schools
Extension without change of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
06/07/2021
Requested
Previously Approved
12/31/2022
06/30/2021
4
8,531
80
3,202
0
0
This study is authorized by Section
8601 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which tasks the U.S.
Department of Education with conducting evaluations to build the
evidence base in education. Finding creative ways to redeploy
existing teachers in the classroom may yield academic benefits to
students at little cost. One such strategy is departmentalized
instruction, where each teacher specializes in teaching certain
subjects to multiple classes of students instead of teaching all
subjects to a single class of students (self-contained
instruction). While nearly ubiquitous in secondary schools,
departmentalization has only recently become more popular in upper
elementary grades. This evaluation is examining the implementation
and outcomes of teachers and students as they departmentalize in
fourth and fifth grades. In doing so, it will generate valuable
evidence on an improvement strategy that low-performing elementary
schools identified under ESSA may consider adopting.
PL:
Pub.L. 114 - 95 8601 Name of Law: Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (as amended by ESSA)
This evaluation's information
collection was originally approved in 2018 (OMB 1850-0942) and
included several activities (principal interviews, a teacher
survey, district administrative records (e.g., teacher retention,
student attendance/test scores)). Most of these activities are
complete. About 100 schools from 12 districts across the nation
were initially recruited for the evaluation, with half agreeing to
implement departmentalization for two years while the others
maintain self-contained instruction. Comparing the data between
departmentalized and self-contained study schools will provide
policy-relevant evidence on departmentalization as a potential
school improvement strategy. However, due to delays and uncertainty
from the coronavirus pandemic, it is infeasible to finish
collecting the district data on students and teachers by the OMB
expiration date. This package requests an extension to the original
expiration date to finish collecting just that district data.
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.