[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 133 (Thursday, July 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32353-32354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14677]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No.: ED-2017-ICCD-0101]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Middle
Grades Longitudinal Study of 2017-18 (MGLS:2017) Main Study Base Year
(MS1), Operational Field Test First Follow-up (OFT2), and Tracking and
Recruitment for Main Study First Follow-up (MS2)
AGENCY: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Department of
Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is
proposing a revision of an existing information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
September 11, 2017.
ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the
information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2017-ICCD-
0101. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal
mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please note that comments
submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period
will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments
submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the
Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Room 224-84,
Washington, DC 20202-4537.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to
collection activities, please contact NCES Information Collections at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with
an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing
collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact
of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in
the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed
information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The
Department of Education is especially interested in public comment
addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to
the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be
processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden
accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the
Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents,
including through the use of information technology. Please note that
written comments received in response to this notice will be considered
public records.
Title of Collection: Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2017-18
(MGLS:2017) Main Study Base Year (MS1), Operational Field Test First
Follow-up (OFT2), and Tracking and Recruitment for Main Study First
Follow-up (MS2).
OMB Control Number: 1850-0911.
Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 119,799.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 61,253.
Abstract: The Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2017-18
(MGLS:2017) is the first study conducted by the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) to follow a nationally representative
sample of students as they enter and move through the middle grades
(grades 6-8). The data collected through repeated measures of key
constructs will provide a rich descriptive picture of the academic
experiences and development of students during these critical years and
will allow researchers to examine associations between contextual
factors and student outcomes. The study will focus on student
achievement in mathematics and literacy along with measures of student
socioemotional wellbeing and other outcomes. The study will also
include a special sample of students with different types of
disabilities that will provide descriptive information on their
outcomes, educational experiences, and special education services. Main
Study Base Year (MS1) data for the MGLS:2017 will be collected from a
nationally-representative sample of sixth-grade students beginning in
January 2018, with annual follow-ups beginning in January 2019 and in
January 2020 when most of the students in the sample will be in grades
7 and 8, respectively. In preparation for the Main Study (MS), the data
collection instruments and procedures were field tested. An Item
Validation Field Test (IVFT) was conducted in the winter/spring of 2016
to determine the psychometric properties of assessment and survey items
and the predictive potential of items so that valid, reliable, and
useful assessment and survey instruments could be composed for the Main
Study. The MGLS:2017 Operational Field Test (OFT) Base Year (OFT1) data
collection was conducted in the winter/spring of 2017. Tracking of
students and associated recruitment of schools for the OFT First
Follow-up (OFT2) data collection is scheduled to begin in August 2017.
The primary purpose of the OFT is to: (a) Obtain information on
recruiting, particularly for students in three focal IDEA-defined
disability groups: Specific learning disability, autism, and emotional
disturbance; (b) obtain a tracking sample that can be used to study
mobility patterns in subsequent years; and (c) test protocols, items,
and administrative procedures. The MS1 district and school recruitment
began in February 2017. The MS1 and OFT2 data collections will begin in
January 2018. The Main Study First Follow-up (MS2) tracking and
recruitment will begin in September 2018. OMB approved the MGLS:2017
OFT1 data collection, MS1 recruitment, and OFT2 tracking materials and
procedures in December 2016 with the latest change request approved in
June 2017 (OMB# 1850-0911 v.11-15). This request is to conduct: (1) The
MS1 data collection; (2) the OFT2 recruitment and data collection; and
(3) the tracking of Main Study sample students and associated
recruitment of schools in
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preparation for the MS2 data collection. Due to overlap in timing, the
approved MS1 recruitment and OFT2 tracking activities are being carried
over in this submission. Therefore, this submission presents the
procedures, materials, and associated respondent burden for all
activities related to MS1 and OFT2, as well as those related to MS2
tracking and recruitment.
Dated: July 10, 2017.
Kate Mullan,
Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Office of
the Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2017-14677 Filed 7-12-17; 8:45 am]
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