Change Memo

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Center for Education Statistics

January 19, 2022

MEMORANDUM

To: Bob Sivinski, OMB

From: Rachel Hansen, NCES

Through: Carrie Clarady, NCES

Re: School Pulse Panel February 2022 Questionnaire Change Request (OMB# 1850-0963 v. 8)

The School Pulse Panel (SPP) monthly data collection was originally cleared under emergency review under 5 CFR 1320.13(a) (OMB #1850-0963 v1) in June 2021. After a difficult start, a revised package (also cleared under emergency review) was cleared in September 2021 (OMB #1850-0963 v5). NCES requested emergency clearance for those packages to allow us to comply with the January 21, 2021 EO 14000 Executive Order on Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers. Normal clearance procedures would not allow IES to comply with the intent of this EO. In October 2021, the SPP was suspended for the months of October, November, and December due to continued low response rates in September 2021, the first month of the collection (OMB #1850-0963 v6). During that pause, the Institute of Education Sciences redesigned the study to improve response rates.

An additional Emergency Clearance for the collection (OMB# 1850-0963 v.7) was approved by OMB in December 2021. This emergency review under 5 CFR 1320.13(a) was for the SPP to collect voluntary responses throughout the 2022 calendar year from a nationally representative sample of public schools to better understand how schools, students, and educators are responding to the ongoing stressors of the coronavirus pandemic, along with other priority items for the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Education program offices. The SPP study itself is extremely important particularly now that COVID-19 has not waned, and the pulse model is one that the agency will need after the pandemic subsides for other quick-turnaround data needs. In order to extend this research beyond the 6 months allowed for research activities cleared under 5 CFR 1320.13(a), NCES has simultaneously publish a Federal Register Notice soliciting both 60-day and 30-day public comment on this collection concurrent with data collection. Furthermore, we anticipate that new content will be rotated in (and some rotated out) on a monthly basis. Moving forward, we plan to submit requests for new content quarterly to OMB for 30-day public comment.

The purpose of this Change Request is to make modifications to previously approved items and to add new items (within the scope of research domains established and approved in previous packages) to be collected on the February instrument. These modifications and additions reflect school responses to the current COVID-19 surge with the omicron variant. Specifically, we propose asking whether schools had to delay the return to learning after the winter break, if negative tests were a requirement for students to return, if the school is using the Test to Stay (TTS) program to keep students in school, what types of COVID-19 tests are conducted at school (if applicable), and the count of teachers in quarantine. Furthermore, due to the addition of new items for February, the nutrition items will be moved to be collected in March. NCES has reached out to inform the federal partners at the Food Nutrition Service to inform them of this plan. Any requested changes to proposed nutrition items will be submitted in a later change request.

The costs to the government have not changed as a result of this amendment, nor has the projected respondent burden. Planned communication materials and items to be collected in January, February, and March are provided in Appendices A and B, with the changes to Appendix B detailed below.

Changes to Appendices

New Additions to Appendix B

Proposed schedule as of 11/16/21 1/18/22

Modules	Total # of Items*
January
Learning Mode	15
Quarantine	23
Staffing	10
February
Learning Mode [Subset of Learning Mode items]	15 [3]
Subset of Quarantine items	6 [2]
Staffing?	10
Mitigation	39
Food-Related	12
Suggestions for Future Items	1
March
Learning Mode [Subset of Learning Mode items]	15 [3]
Subset of Quarantine items	6 [2]
Foot Related Internet/Technology	12 6
Parent Concerns	11
Suggestions for Future Items	1

Content Domains	Total # of Items*
January
Learning Mode		15
Quarantine		23
Staffing		10
Counts		3
February
Subset of Learning Mode items + Feb Learning Items		13
Subset of Quarantine items		6
Mitigation		46
Suggestions for Future Items		1
March
Subset of Learning Mode items		13
Subset of Quarantine items		6
Food-Related		11
Parent Concerns		4
Suggestions for Future Items		1

*Total number of items DOES NOT include skip pattern logic, so in most cases, the number of items respondents would see for a given section is fewer than the amount listed here. Sizes of subsets of Learning Mode and Quarantine items in February and March will be guided by previous findings and the needs of stakeholders and will be determined at the time. We do not anticipate that decision to affect respondent burden.

Enrollment Items may take the place of any or all modules for a particular month, pending directions from the White House or Office of the Secretary

Questionnaire Items

Learning Mode Items

* indicates item is part of the Subset of Learning Mode Items that may be assessed monthly

FEBLEARNING19. Did your school delay the return to learning (i.e., school was closed, no instruction was offered) after winter break because of COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

FEBLEARNING20. (Display if FEBLEARNING19 = YES) Which of the following reasons was your school delayed in returning from winter break? Select all that apply.

• Provide additional time for students and staff to get tested for COVID-19

• Concerns from district leaders or administrators over the ability to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at your school

• Concerns from school leaders or administrators over the ability to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at your school

• Concerns from school staff over the ability to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at your school

• High transmission rates of COVID-19 in the community

• High transmission rates of COVID-19 among students, staff, and/or their families

• Staffing shortages

• Other, please specify: ________________

FEBLEARNING21. Did your school require that students test negative for COVID-19 before returning to in-person learning after winter break?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

• Not applicable – school has not returned to in-person learning

FEBLEARNING22. Did your school provide COVID-19 tests to each student prior to returning to school after winter break?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

• Not applicable – school has not returned to in-person learning

FEBLEARNING23. At any time since returning from winter break, did your school switched from in-person learning to remote or hybrid learning?

• Yes, switched to remote learning

• Yes, switched to hybrid learning

• No, remained in-person

• Don’t Know

Quarantine Items

* indicates item is part of the Subset of Quarantine Items assessed monthly.

** indicates item is part of [smaller] Subset of Quarantine items assessed monthly.

If QUAR1 = No, no other Quarantine items are displayed

QuarNEWa. Today (or the most recent day you have information), are any teachers and/or non-teaching staff members currently at home and not allowed to be in the school building because they have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, displayed COVID-19 like symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

• Not Applicable – we are only providing full-time remote learning at this time

QuarNEWb. Today (or the most recent day you have information), how many teachers and non-teaching staff members are currently at home and not allowed to be in the school building because they have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, displayed COVID-19 like symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID-19? {Display if Quar19a = Yes}

teachers and non-teaching staff members

Mitigation Items

The next questions are about whether your school uses the Test to Stay (TTS) program. TTS is a COVID-19 testing program that allows unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals who are identified as a close contact to a case of COVID-19 in certain school settings to continue to come to school if they are asymptomatic and serially test negative for COVID-19.

NEWMITIGATION1. Does your school use the Test to Stay (TTS) program in order to keep individuals in school?

• Yes {Display NEWMITIGATION2-6 if “Yes” selected}

• No

• Don’t Know

NEWMITIGATION2. Who is eligible to participate in the TTS program? Select all that apply.

• Students

• Staff

• Other, please specify: _____________

NEWMITIGATION3. Which of the following criteria are required for close contact individuals to begin participating in TTS? Select all that apply.

• Their COVID-19 exposure occurred in school

• The close contact individual was masked during the entire exposure event

• The close contact individual is asymptomatic

• The close contact individual must test negative for COVID-19

• Other, please specify: ____________________

NEWMITIGATION4. Which of the following criteria are necessary for close contact individuals to remain participating in TTS? Select all that apply.

• Close contact individuals must continue to test negative for COVID-19

• Close contact individuals must remain masked in school

• Close contact individuals must remain asymptomatic

• Close contact individuals must adhere to applicable quarantine guidance (e.g., city, state, or federal guidance) outside of school

• Close contact individuals must physically distance in school, when feasible

• Other, please specify: __________________

NEWMITIGATION5. Which of the following best describes how often individuals participating in TTS are tested for COVID-19?

• Daily

• Four times per week

• Three times per week

• Two times per week

• Once per week

• Other, please specify: _____________

NEWMITIGATION6. If an individual remains asymptomatic and continues to test negative for COVID-19, how long are they required to participate in TTS?

• Less than one week after initial exposure

• One week after initial exposure

• Two weeks after initial exposure

• More than two weeks after initial exposure

MITIGATION22 4-16. Does your school have on-site COVID-19 testing for STAFF when they have symptoms or possible COVID-19 exposure?
  
Testing includes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid COVID-19 testing (antigen testing). Do not include antibody testing. 

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION23 4-17. Does your school have on-site COVID-19 testing for STUDENTS when they have symptoms or possible COVID-19 exposure?
  
Testing includes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid COVID-19 testing (antigen testing). Do not include antibody testing. 

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION24 4-18. Does your school have on-site COVID-19 testing for STAFF even if they have no symptoms or known exposure?

Testing includes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid COVID-19 testing (antigen testing). Do not include antibody testing.   

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION25 4-19. Does your school have on-site COVID-19 testing for STUDENTS even if they have no symptoms or known exposure? 

Testing includes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid COVID-19 testing (antigen testing). Do not include antibody testing.  

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

NEWMITGATION6. (Display if any MITIGATION22 – 25 = YES) What type(s) of COVID-19 testing does your school conduct? Select all that apply.

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing

• Rapid (antigen) testing

• Pooled sample testing

• Antibody testing

• Don’t know

NEWMITIGATION7. Who is primarily responsible for administering COVID-19 tests at your school?

• School medical professional(s) (e.g., school nurse, nurse’s aide)

• An outside vendor (e.g., a contracted COVID-19 testing service)

• School administrator(s) (e.g., principal, vice principal)

• School staff (e.g., teacher, secretary)

• Other, please specify: _________________________

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