PWS_1_13_2014_HSLS09_F2.docx

Second Follow-up of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09)

I. Introduction

A. Purpose of Study

The United States Department of Education has a requirement for a large, complex data collection. This data collection, the Second Follow-up of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), is designed to continue the series of longitudinal data collection efforts that began with the National Longitudinal Study of 1972 (NLS-72) and was followed by High School and Beyond (HS&B), the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002). HSLS:09 began with a ninth grade cohort in 2009 and was followed by the First Follow-up in 2012. A shorter update collection was conducted in 2013. The subject of this performance work statement, the Second Follow-up student survey, will be conducted in the spring of 2016. The Second Follow-up of HSLS:09 will collect data elements concerning family background, secondary school experiences, post-high school experiences including postsecondary education activities, work force activities, and the experiences of high school dropouts. The method of data collection will be internet, telephone, and personal interviews. This study will culminate in a First Look report and documented data files.

The work will be monitored by the Institute of Education Science’s (IES) National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

B. Legislation

The Longitudinal Studies program at NCES is authorized by law under the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) section 406(b), as amended, (20 USC, 122le-1):

'The purpose of the Center shall be to collect, analyze, and disseminate statistics and other data related to education in the United States and in other nations. The Center shall: collect, collate, and from time to time report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports on specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics;

C. Program Overview

The HSLS:09 is the fifth secondary school-based longitudinal study. The earlier studies include: ELS:2002, followed through 2012; NELS:88, followed through 2000; HS&B, followed through 1986 (senior cohort) and 1992 (sophomore cohort); and NLS:72, followed through 1986. Further information concerning previous HSLS:09 reports, as well as those from ELS:2002, NELS:88, HS&B, and NLS-72 are available on NCES’s web page, http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/slsp.

D. Quality Control

NCES is firmly committed to determining how well each project meets 1) the project goals, 2) the quality of data collected, and 3) implications for future projects. Project quality control should be integrated into every Phase of the project. For instance, potential problems should be identified early so that possible solutions are tested as part of the field test. Item reliability and validity tests for questionnaires and student cognitive tests must be built into the data collection efforts, non-response analyses should be conducted as part of the final weighting process, and survey methodology and sample design effects should be presented for use by all data users. Thus, as in other NCES projects, statistical quality control shall be incorporated into each stage of this project as appropriate.

E. NCES Standards

All work conducted under this contract must at minimum meet the standards and guidelines set forth in the 2002 revised statistical standards and guidelines for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and as amended by standards implemented since that time. The NCES Standards are available on the NCES web site: http://nces.ed.gov/

II. Scope of Work

Independently and not as an agent of the United States Government, the Contractor shall provide all personnel, materials, services, and facilities necessary for the project and perform the tasks as described below.

The period of performance for the Second Follow-up of HSLS:09 is 60 months. This study has five major components. The first encompasses all initial management and review tasks, including overall project quality control (Task 1). This component encompasses the entire period of the project. The second shall be panel maintenance beginning in 2014 to locate as many HSLS:09 sample members as possible using Web, CATI, and CAPI methods (Task 2). The third component involves the conduct and reporting of the field test for the second follow-up (Task 3) from data element development through OMB clearance, data collection and file creation, and field test reporting for the second follow-up survey. The fourth component involves the conduct of the full scale survey (Task 4) and includes obtaining cooperation, sample selection, administration of student questionnaires via CATI/CAPI, data file development (including weighting and creation of derived variables), production of an electronic codebook (ECB), a user’s manual, methodology reporting, and a First Look report.

The Scope of Work for the contract also includes two optional tasks:

Optional Task 5: Financial Aid Records. The contractor shall collect financial aid information for all sample members who attended postsecondary institutions from the postsecondary institutions they attended, and, for those who received federal student aid, the federal student financial aid system. This optional task shall include the preparation and analysis of the student financial aid information collected, which includes: 1) contacting the postsecondary institutions to obtain the required student aid data, 2) the electronic encoding or transcription of this data into an encoded form, 3) the development of data files and user documentation, 4) the creation of composite variables and the imputation of missing data, and 5) the creation of restricted-use data files and user documentation. The methods employed to collect and code the financial aid data will be developed and evaluated in a field test with the HSLS:09 field test sample.

Optional Task 6: Postsecondary Transcripts. The contractor shall collect, code, and analyze, postsecondary transcripts for all HSLS:09 respondents who have attended a postsecondary institution. Transcripts for all postsecondary institutions attended between the end of high school and the interview date of the sample member survey shall be collected, including both the undergraduate and graduate education of the sample members. This optional task shall include: 1) contacting the postsecondary institutions to obtain the transcripts, 2) electronically coding the transcripts received, 3) creating transcript weights to adjust for transcript nonresponse, 4) creating composite variables for public-use, 5) the development of data files and user documentation, and 6) preparation of a First Look report. The methods employed to collect and code the postsecondary transcripts will be developed and evaluated in a field test with the HSLS:09 field test sample.

A. Requirements

Task 1. Management (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall manage the collection of HSLS:09 Second Follow-up data in an efficient manner that fosters communications with staff, the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and potential users of the data.

Subtask 1.1 Post Award Meeting (Fixed Price)

Within the first week after contract award, the contractors, project director, and other key project staff as identified in the proposal shall hold a meeting with the (COR) and other appropriate NCES staff to review the overall contract tasks, to identify potential problems and possible solutions, and to discuss areas of concern related to the proposed project staffing plan and other management requirements. The primary purpose of this meeting is to refine the management, staffing, and scheduling plans. These refinements are not to alter the specifications of the contract, but to provide management information for use by both the contractor and the government in monitoring the work to be performed. This conference is also to help the contractor to make use of the experience and materials that NCES staff have gained over the years.

Deliverable: Minutes and Attendee List from Kickoff Meeting

Subtask 1.2 Schedules (Fixed Price)

Due to the uncertainties of large data collection projects, the contractor shall develop and maintain a detailed schedule for all activities of the project. The schedule shall be updated monthly.

Deliverable: Schedules

Subtask 1.3 Technical Review Panel (Fixed Price)

To obtain peer review of project plans and products, and to foster communications with potential users of the data, the contractor shall establish a Technical Review Panel (TRP) of 10 consultants and conduct 2 meetings. The 2-day meetings shall be held in Washington, DC. The contractor shall prepare packets, ship packets to TRP members, prepare and provide meeting materials, and prepare minutes of TRP meetings. The TRP shall work with the contractor to improve plans, products, and user friendliness; however, the TRP does NOT report to or advise NCES.

Subtask 1.4 Monthly Reports (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall report monthly on the progress made in accomplishing the project tasks, the consumption of funds, problems encountered, and plans for the next month.

Deliverable: Monthly Reports

Subtask 1.5 Integrated Monitoring System (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall develop and maintain an Integrated Monitoring System (IMS) to foster communications with staff and the COR. The contractor shall design the IMS to routinely produce information about the project and provide access to this information to the COR.

Task 2. Panel Maintenance for HSLS:09 Second Follow-up (Fixed Price)

The sample for the Second Follow-up of HSLS:09 shall include all those who have participated in the HSLS:09 Base Year or First Follow-up who have not subsequently permanently withdrawn from the study, or are deceased.

The most recent effort to contact HSLS:09 sample members will be passive updating in the spring of 2014 (through the first follow-up contract), when addresses currently on file will be used to contact sample members. Sample members were asked to confirm or update their information, and were incentivized with $10 for completing this address update.

To assist in achieving the target response rate goal for the Second Follow-up, the contractor shall conduct panel maintenance activities to find current members of the HSLS sample. Panel maintenance entails using batch tracing, CATI locating, and CAPI locating to find sample member’s current location and get a positive response from them.

The size of the current HSLS:09 sample is about 23,000.

A database of contact information for each HSLS:09 sample member, including sample member names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mails, SSNs (if provided) as well as contact information for parents/relatives/others associated with each sample member, shall be available from the government at the time of this tracing task. Information in this database will include response status, mode of data collection for respondents, incentive amount provided (if applicable), status and source of the contact information as of the 2013 Update round and 2014 round of panel maintenance.

Subtask 2.1 Panel Maintenance Plan (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall develop a plan for tracing, locating, and contacting all of the current HSLS:09 sample members. The goal of the plan shall be to reach 95 percent of all HSLS:09 current sample members.

Deliverable: Panel Maintenance Plan

Subtask 2.2 Panel Maintenance (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall conduct intensive sample tracing using batch tracing (a tracing service), and Web, CATI, and then CAPI methods to locate all those in the HSLS:09 sample not found by tracing.

Deliverable: Panel Maintenance Report

Task 3. Field Test (FT) (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall develop all systems for data collection, prepare materials for IMCD/OMB forms clearance, train staff in the methods of data collection, test all data collection systems, and report on the quality of the data collection systems as a field test prior to the full-scale collection of second follow-up data.

Subtask 3.1 FT Sample (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall survey the first follow-up field test sample (assume 1,000 sample members) for the HSLS:09 Second Follow-up field test sample.

Deliverable: FT Sampling Specifications

Subtask 3.2 FT IMCD/OMB Forms Clearance (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall prepare the IMCD/OMB Forms Clearance package for submission. The package shall request clearance for both the field test and the full-scale collections.

Subtask 3.3 FT Data Collection (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall collect the field test data from the FT sample with a target response rate of 90 percent. In addition, the contractor shall determine the amount of response times associated with each data element collected via CATI/CAPI. Finally, the contractor shall re-collect data from a small (50) number of FT sample respondents to determine the quality of the data.

Subtask 3.4 FT Reporting (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall prepare a report documenting all activities, methods, and outcomes of the field test.

Deliverable: FT Methodology Report

Subtask 3.5 Responsive Design Experiment (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall design and conduct an experiment, using the field test sample, to investigate ways to improve Responsive Design procedures in NCES sample surveys. The ultimate goal of responsive design is to improve data quality. Areas of investigation may include but are not limited to: incentives (monetary and non-monetary), bias reduction methods, different functions for estimating bias and nonresponse propensity, and sample member tracing and locating. The contractor shall prepare a report documenting the design, procedure, and results of the experiment.

Deliverable: Responsive Design Experiment Report

Task 4. Full-scale Data Collection (Fixed Price and Cost-Reimbursable Tasks)

The contractor shall modify all sampling and data collection systems as needed depending upon the results of the field test. The contractor shall prepare materials for IMCD/OMB forms clearance and shall plan to collect data from the HSLS:09 2013 Update full-scale sample members.

Subtask 4.1 Sample (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall develop a sample frame for the HSLS:09 Second Follow-up full-scale sample.

Deliverable: Student and dropout Sampling Specifications

Subtask 4.2 Data Elements and Justifications (Cost-Reimbursable)

The contractor shall prepare the data elements and justifications for questionnaire items, following input from NCES staff and technical review panel members.

Deliverable: Data Elements and Justifications

Subtask 4.3 IMCD/OMB Forms Clearance (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall prepare the IMCD/OMB Forms Clearance package for submission. The package shall request clearance for the full-scale collection.

Subtask 4.4 Final Item Wording List (Cost-Reimbursable)

The contractor shall prepare the final item wording list following OMB approval of the package.

Deliverable: Final Item Wording List

Subtask 4.5 Training Materials (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall prepare training materials for data collection staff.

Deliverable: Training Materials

Subtask 4.6 CATI/CAPI Executables (Cost-Reimbursable)

The contractor shall develop executable files for CATI/CAPI collection of data.

Deliverable: CATI/CAPI Executables

Subtask 4.7 Locating/Tracing Plan

The contractor shall prepare a locating/tracing plan based on the results of the FT.

Deliverable: Locating/Tracing Plan

Subtask 4.8 Data Collection Products (Cost-Reimbursable)

The contractor shall collect the full-scale sample data with a target response rate of 90 percent. The contractor shall develop specifications for derived variables and prepare a report documenting all activities, methods, and outcomes of the full-scale data collection including frequencies for all variables. The contractor shall create derived variables for the estimation of table values and two ECBs (Public-use and Restricted-use).

The contractor shall prepare the specifications for descriptive survey report (with table shells) based on the Second Follow-up data and upon approval from NCES, prepare a First Look report.

B. Options

Optional Task 5. Student Financial Aid Records Collection (Fixed Price and Cost-Reimbursable)

The contractor shall collect and code data from the administrative records of postsecondary institutions and the federal student aid system on the institutional, state, and federal aid that all HSLS:09 sample members who enrolled in any type of postsecondary education (4-year, 2-year, or less-than-2-year, and public, nonprofit, or for-profit) have received during all the years that they have been enrolled in postsecondary education that is not already included in HSLS:09, using procedures developed in the field test for this task.

Subtask 5.1 Student Financial Aid FT Sample (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall field test data collection procedures for obtaining data on the institutional, state and federal aid received from the institutions attended and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) for the same HSLS:09 field test sample or subsample selected for field testing the transcript data collection during all of their years of postsecondary attendance.

Included also shall be relevant data from the Free Applications for Federal Student Loan (FAFSA), from the Central Processing System (CPS).

The field test of procedures for collecting student aid data shall begin simultaneously with the transcript field test (Optional Task 6), if funded, after the end of field-test data collection. Once a postsecondary institution is contacted to obtain a student’s transcript, both the transcript and the student’s student aid information shall be obtained, to minimize burden on the institution. All efforts to minimize burden and improve data quality shall be taken during this field test.

Deliverable: Student Financial Aid Field Test Sampling Plan

Subtask 5.2 Student Financial Aid CADE System (Cost-Reimbursable)

The purposes of the Student Financial Aid Field Test are to develop web-based CADE (computer-aided-data-entry) strategies and procedures for contacting institutions and collecting information about a) the institutional, state, and federal student aid that the HSLS:09 sample members have received during their years of undergraduate postsecondary enrollment from all the institutions that they attended, b) the extent to which such information is available from institutions of different types, and c) how closely the data on the federal financial aid that sample members received while in postsecondary education agree with the data obtained from the NSLDS for all those in the field test sample who attended postsecondary institutions.

The CADE system may include: 1) the direct entry of data by institutional staff into a web-based interface to the CADE system (referred to as self-CADE); 2) the submission by institutions of student record information in data files according to specifications (data-CADE); and 3) trained field data collectors who abstract the student record data into the web-based CADE system (field-CADE).

The contractor shall use student aid data and other information gained in the financial aid field test to determine the most efficient strategies for contacting postsecondary institutions to obtain the different types of financial aid data; the extent of variation in grant and loan information that postsecondary institutions have, the formats in which these data are stored and how it could be coded for the purposes of HSLS:09, how flexible the CADE system developed for the purposes of the field test needs to be because of differences in the forms in which postsecondary institutions store historical financial aid data on their students, and the nature and extent of release permissions.

Because a large number of postsecondary institutions will have to be contacted to obtain data for in many cases a small number of former students (two or three), the contractor shall use a receipt control system in the field test, and in the full-scale data collection.

The contractor shall use data and information gained in the field test to compare the accuracy and completeness of data on the federal student aid received by HSLS:09 sample members with data from the NSLDS for the same students from the time they entered postsecondary education to the time they graduated or left postsecondary education.

The field test should also be used to determine the level of detail with which institutional forms of student aid can be collected. These detailed types of institutional aid include scholarships of various kinds, merit- versus need-based grants, tuition and fee waivers, tuition and fee waivers for staff, institutional work-study, and other types, as identified.

In addition, if Optional Task 5 is funded, the contractor shall include brief questions in the field test of the questionnaire to determine the feasibility of collecting data from the sample members on total amounts of employer aid received and private grants or loans, and identifying it separately from aid data obtained from the institutions. In addition, if Optional Task 5 is funded, the contractor shall include brief questions in the field test of the questionnaire for the full-scale study to determine the feasibility of collecting data from the sample members about the financial aid they received from their parents or other persons.

Finally, the contractor shall use the field test results to make recommendations on whether student aid policies of the institution can be collected for inclusion in the final data files.

Based on the data collected in the field test, the contractor shall make recommendations concerning the data on different types of student aid that should be collected from postsecondary institutions in the full-scale student aid data collection versus those that should be collected from the federal student aid system, and how much of data can be obtained with the CADE system. The contractor shall summarize this information in a framework of the types of aid that will be distinguished in the data collection and the sources from which each type will be obtained.

The contractor shall develop detailed procedures in the student financial aid field test for contacting postsecondary institutions to obtain student aid data; and monitoring the quality and consistency of the coded data, including a selective audit process, if warranted. The contractor shall prepare instructional materials for training the staff responsible for monitoring the quality of data received from institutions and the federal government.

Instructional materials shall be prepared for training the staff responsible for monitoring the quality of data received from institutions and the federal government.

The data collected in the pilot test shall be provided in a flat file with a separate file of data dictionary information.

The contractor shall submit a report on procedures developed during the student aid field test, including recommendations for student aid full-scale data collection.

Using a CADE system, the contractor shall collect data on the institutional, state, and federal aid received by HSLS:09 sample members who enrolled in postsecondary education for all years of postsecondary attendance from the institutions attended and the federal student aid system. The contractor will report on the methodologies employed to collect this data, create composite variables, produce source data files for a restricted-use data file and electronic codebook (ECB), produce data file documentation, and produce a First Look report for the HSLS:09 Student Aid Study.

The response rate goal for full-scale student aid data collection shall be confirmation that aid of some form (institutional, state, or federal) was or was not received in 90 percent of the instances where an HSLS:09 sample members attended a postsecondary institution for at least one month.

Considering important aid and postsecondary access and persistence issues, the contractor shall develop specifications for 25 or more student aid composite variables based on variables in the student financial aid data file.

Data file documentation shall be prepared for users of the student financial aid data that describes the activities, methods, and outcomes of the student financial aid data collection process, including frequencies for all composite variables. The document should describe the methods of quality control employed in coding the data, the coding process, and any information about the types of information about the student financial aid policies of the institution that are included in the data or were used in coding the data received from institutions.

Depending upon the comments of reviewers, multiple revisions of drafts of the Student Aid Data File Documentation may be required.

The contractor shall also create the source data and metadata files that will serve as input for an HSLS:09 Restricted-use ECB applications

Deliverables: Student Aid Composite Specifications;

Student Aid Composite Imputations;

Student Aid Data File Documentation;

Restricted-use ECB Source Input Files

Subtask 5.8 First Look Financial Aid Report (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall develop an analytical structure and 10 table shells for a First Look Report on the student financial aid received by the HSLS:09 cohort. This report is needed for the initial data release.

Depending upon the comments of reviewers, multiple revisions of drafts of the First Look Student Financial Aid Report may be required. If Optional Task 6 is also funded, this report may be combined with a First Look Transcript Report.

Deliverables: First Look Report Outline and Table shells;

First Look Student Aid Report

Optional Task 6. Postsecondary Transcript Collection (Fixed Price and Cost-Reimbursable)

The contractor shall collect postsecondary transcripts for the HSLS:09 sample from the institutions they attended, report on the methodology employed, create analysis weights and composite variables, produce a restricted data file, a source data file for EDAT, data file documentation, and a First Look report for the HSLS:09 Second Follow-up Postsecondary Transcript Study.

The response rate goal for the transcript study shall be the collection of a complete transcript for 90 percent of all transcript instances in the HSLS:09 sample, where a transcript instance is the collection of a transcript containing at least one course in 90 percent of the cases where a sample member was enrolled in an institution for more than one month.

Subtask 6.1 Postsecondary Transcript Field Test Sample (Fixed Price)

A sample shall be selected for the Postsecondary Transcript Field Test, which may be a subsample from the field test sample if that is all that is necessary to develop the needed data collection procedures. The process for selecting these sample members may need to be two stage, including first a selection of field test sample members and then a selection of the postsecondary institutions they attended in order to have sufficient numbers of sample members per postsecondary institution for the pilot test. The full range of postsecondary sectors (public, non-profit, and for-profit institutions) and levels (four year, two-year, and less-than-two year institutions) shall be included among the postsecondary institutions attended by the subsample members, and also institutions with and without computerized transcripts to be able to develop procedures that are compatible and efficient for both situations.

Deliverable: Postsecondary Transcript Field Test Sample Specification

Subtask 6.2 Postsecondary Transcript Field Test Data Collection (Cost-Reimbursable)

The contractor shall field test procedures for collecting postsecondary transcripts from the postsecondary institutions attended by the entire sample or a subsample of the field test sample. The field test for the postsecondary transcript data collection cannot begin until after field test data collection has concluded.

In the Postsecondary Transcript Field Test, the contractor shall determine the frequency with which transcripts can be provided by these institutions, the extent of variation among them in how courses and credits are recorded, the most efficient strategies for contacting the institutions and obtaining the transcripts, and the extent of variation in required release permissions.

In addition, course catalogs shall be collected from the postsecondary institutions that the sample members attended for use in coding the transcripts collected. In some cases, multiple course catalogs may need to be collected.

The data collected shall be prepared and stored in a prototype of the transcript data files to be provided in the final data collection. These files shall include a course level file, and an institution level file, but others may be needed. For some of those in the selected sample who have attended more than one institution, attempts shall be made to collect a transcript from one other institution attended.

The institutions in the Postsecondary Transcript Field Test sample (and in the full-scale data collection) shall be asked about the extent of online courses that are available to students, and about means of inter-institution enrollment, and how, if at all, such enrollment is shown on student’s transcripts.

The transcripts and course catalogs (and other data) collected in the pilot test shall also be used to assess the adequacy of current course content classification schemes for coding postsecondary transcripts, needs for improving the schemes, the completeness of the transcripts obtained, and response rates.

In addition, institutional level information shall be collected from the institutions about course credit and grading policies. A separate institution level file should be constructed containing these institution level data. This information shall be used in the full-scale data collection to provide standardized values of earned credits and grade point averages for each sample member.

Institutional level information should also be obtained about each institution’s policies in granting credit towards degrees from courses taken at other institutions (or online), how these courses are identified on student’s transcripts, and how these other institutions can be identified to use in the coding process.

Deliverable: Guidelines for Postsecondary Transcript Collection and Coding

Subtask 6.3 Postsecondary Transcript Keying/Coding Training Materials (Fixed Price)

Training materials based on the results of the field test and the experience gained in coding the postsecondary transcripts collected shall be developed for use in training keyers/coders in the full-scale transcript data collection.

Deliverable: Keyer/coder and Collection Staff Training Materials and Manuals

Subtask 6.4 Transcript Quality Control Plan with an Audit Process (Fixed Price)

Using the transcripts collected in the field test, procedures shall be developed for a) contacting institutions to obtain transcripts and course catalogs, b) keeping track of contacts and results, c) consistently and accurately coding the transcripts collected; contacting institutions for the clarification of ambiguities; and monitoring the quality and consistency of the coded data, including selective audit procedures. Because of the large number of institutions that will necessarily have to be contacted for in many cases a small number of students, the use of receipt control system as one aspect of the IMS, or some other method, shall be considered and tested in the field test.

Deliverable: Transcript Quality Control Plan with an Audit Process

Subtask 6.5 Recommended Postsecondary Transcript Course Classification Structure (Fixed Price)

A course classification structure based on the structure used in collecting postsecondary transcripts for NELS:88 and ELS:2002 shall be recommended for use in the full-scale data collection. This recommended structure shall include any revisions to the classification resulting from the field test. In the full-scale transcript collection, additional courses may need to be added to or deleted from the recommended course classification structure.

Deliverable: Recommended Postsecondary Transcript Course Classification Structure

Subtask 6.6 Postsecondary Transcript FT Data File (Cost-Reimbursable)

The data collected in the transcript field test shall be delivered as prototypes of the files to be produced in the full-scale transcript data collection, including the data and metadata (source information).

Deliverable: Postsecondary Transcript Field Test Data File

Subtask 6.7 Postsecondary Transcript FT Report (Fixed Price)

A working report shall be written summarizing conclusions reached in the Postsecondary Transcript Field Test concerning: (1) the extent of variation in access to student’s postsecondary transcripts depending upon the collection strategies employed, (2) the resulting response rates as well as resource requirements; (3) the feasibility and possibilities of obtaining course records electronically; (4) the completeness of student transcripts obtained; and (5) transcript coding issues; as well as (6) protocols for coding transcripts.

Deliverables: Postsecondary Transcript Field Test Report

Subtask 6.8 Postsecondary Transcript FS Data Collection Quality Control Reports (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall collect and code postsecondary transcripts for all those in the full-scale sample who participated in the Second Follow-up and attended postsecondary education.

Initially, the keyers/coders and transcript collection staff shall be trained in procedures for collecting transcripts, the course classification structure, and procedures for coding courses accurately, using the training materials prepared.

For each course taken, the student level transcript data file shall include but not be limited to the course classification code, the term when the course was taken, the credits earned, the grade earned in the course, the course title from the transcript, and codes for the institution where the course was taken and the institution that provided the transcript. Also included shall be all degrees or credentials earned that are shown on the students’ transcripts, and any honors received. Both literal degree and credential names and a classification code for these degrees, credentials, and honors shall be recorded.

Particular attention should be paid to identifying remedial courses, as well as any indications of projects or other activities undertaken by the student where credits were earned (or not). Courses attempted but not completed should be recorded. Consistent rules shall be developed for coding lump sum credits found on transcripts and decomposing them in relation to apparently similar credits found on other transcripts obtained for the same student from other parts of the same institution or other institution. If college major and minor(s) are consistently present on transcripts, they should be recorded, too, by date.

Course catalogs shall be obtained from the institutions where transcripts are collected, as an aid in coding the transcripts.

In addition, information shall be collected from the institutions about course credit and grading policies to use in standardizing credits and grade point averages. Information should also be obtained about each institution’s policies in granting credit towards degrees from courses taken at other institutions (or online), how these courses are identified on student’s transcripts, and how these other institutions can be identified. A separate institution level file should be constructed containing these institution level data. This information shall be used to provide standardized values of earned credits and grade point averages for each sample member in the final data delivered.

The final response rate for the transcript study shall be the collection of a complete transcript for 90 percent of all transcript instances in the HSLS:09 sample.

Deliverable: Transcript Quality Control Reports

Subtask 6.9 Augmentation of College Entrance Examination Scores (Cost-Reimbursable)

Depending upon the number of additional match IDs obtained in the full-scale data collection, the contractor shall include the college entrance examination scores from the Educational Testing Service and American College Testing in the HSLS:09 Second Follow-up data files.

Deliverable: Augmentation of College Entrance Exam Scores

Subtask 6.10 Postsecondary Transcript Analysis Data Collection Products (Cost-Reimbursable)

The contractor shall develop weights for use in analyzing the transcript data to correct for transcript non-response. Non-response bias analyses and other analyses of the weights shall be conducted and included in the data file documentation. Both Taylor Series and BRR weights shall be included.

The contractor shall develop specifications for at least 50 composite variables for the transcript data files.

A Postsecondary Transcript Data File Documentation manual shall be produced that describes the activities, methods, and data collection outcomes of the data postsecondary transcript data collection and provides guidance to users of the data. The documentation should describe the transcript collection process, data preparation steps, the transcript coding process, methods of quality control employed in coding process, and the framework of supplementary information on the grading, credit, degree requirement and other policies collected from the institutions. This institution-level information shall be collected for purposes of preparing the transcript data but shall also be included in the data file prepared for users. Depending upon the comments of reviewers, multiple revisions of drafts of the Transcript Data File Documentation may be required.

The contractor shall create the source data files to serve as input for an HSLS:09 EDAT application as well as a restricted-use ECB application.

Deliverables: Postsecondary Transcript Weights;

Postsecondary Transcript Composite Specifications;

Transcript Data File Documentation;

Postsecondary Transcript Source Data Files for Restricted-use ECB Applications

Subtask 6.11 First Look Postsecondary Transcript Report (Fixed Price)

The contractor shall develop an analytical structure and tables shells for a First Look report based on the ELS:2002/12 transcript data. This report is needed for the initial data release. (See Optional Task 5, above, for a description of how this report may be combined with a Student Financial Aid First Look report if both options are exercised.)

Depending upon the comments of reviewers, multiple revisions of drafts of the First Look Postsecondary Transcript Report may be required.

Deliverables: First Look Postsecondary Transcript Report Outline with Table Shells;

First Look Transcript Report

III. Deliverable Specifications

A. Inspection and Acceptance Procedures

The specifications for all deliverables to be generated by the tasks described in section II are presented below. Several components of the Integrated Monitoring System (IMS) are included, but the IMS cannot be considered as the sum of its parts-it is more comprehensive. The IMS shall link the COR with project information, of all types.

Unless otherwise specified, deliverables shall not be physically delivered to the COR. Instead, the COR shall be notified of the deliverable's placement within the IMS. An important function of the IMS from the COR's viewpoint is the IMS capability to retrieve deliverables.

The contractor shall consult with the COR before making any major decisions or developing the required deliverables. To facilitate this communication, the contractor shall make frequent phone calls to NCES to discuss potential project problems and progress. The contractor shall set up an electronic system for transferring information via electronic mail and microcomputers. In addition, the contractor shall provide the COR access to files and systems within the Integrated Monitoring System and remote access for monitoring CATI operations.

The contractor shall prepare all reports following the guidelines referenced by NCES's standards. The NCES review process may take 2-6 months, depending on the report. It is paramount that schedules for publication releases be kept and that NCES standards for all phases of report production be followed. All materials must be approved before release. The contractor shall not release any data in raw or derived form to anyone without COR's review and approval.

B. Schedule of Deliverables

1. FT data instruments and sample

2. Second Follow-up full-scale data instruments and sample design Two (2) days prior to each TRP meeting

The development of screens for these procedures shall be controlled and documented by a Relational Instrumentation Interface (RII). The main function of the RII is to relationally develop CATI/CAPI screens from the data elements. The essential linkages are as follows:

The CATI/CAPI system shall accept translated text from the RII for [3], [4], [5], [6], and [7]-thus, it shall be scripted. Project staff, not programmer support staff, shall develop the text for the RII that shall be translated into the CATI/CAPI instructions.

Look-up table software for IPEDS codes, industry and occupation codes, major field of study codes, and a key word glossary shall be available within the CATI/CAPI system-thus, it shall be windowed.

Within four (4) weeks of contract award. The RII shall be updated on a flow basis through FT IMCD/OMB forms clearance and following examination of the results of the field test.

Web/CATI/CAPI Administrations

The quality of CAPI, from a monitoring point of view, is more difficult to assess. The use of recordings, supervisory actions, and other methods shall be evaluated as methods of gauging the quality of CAPI.

One day before the beginning of data collection operations; during data collection appended daily.

Two (2) weeks prior to the first TRP meeting for 1st draft, one (1) week after the first TRP meeting for 2nd draft, and one (1)…