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### OMB 1205-0426: Supporting Statements for PRA Data Collection

A. JUSTIFICATION

The Office of Job Corps is revising the data collec tion system for post enrollment student
outcomes to comply with the reporting provisions of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (WIOA). This submission requests th e approval for instruments used to
collect follow-up data from Job Corps program parti cipants who have exited the program. The
data collection instruments used for these particip ants is called the Post Enrollment Data
Collection (PEDC). Administration of the PEDC will occur during the second and fourth
quarters after exit from the Job Corps program for all participants according to WIOA. The

collection instruments are used to collect follow-u p data about individuals who are no longer
actively participating in Job Corps. These individu als either graduated from Job Corps, or
either completed the Career Preparation Period or p articipated in the program for at least 60
days and exited without graduating. (These students are referred to as former enrollees).

Job Corps has been using the PEDC to collect data o n participants who exit the program since
2000, under the requirements of the Workforce Inves tment Act of 1998. In December 2015,
Job Corps submitted a request to extend the data co llection without change, because the
approval of that data collection expires in January 2016. While Job Corps still requires that
collection to be extended, this Supporting Statemen t is for a revised Information Collection
Request, seeking to revise that previous collection so it will conform with the changes to the
performance indicators made under WIOA. (These per formance indicators become effective
on July 1, 2016. Sec. 506(b)(1) of WIOA.) The rev ised collection will continue collecting the
performance information that has been collected und er the previous ICR, which Job Corps uses
in its Outcome Measurement System (OMS), and it wil l also collect information necessary to
satisfy the performance reporting under WIOA.

The rationale for conducting the PEDC is explained in further detail in Section A6
(Consequences of Less Frequent Data Collection). T his collection is necessary in order to
collect the data required under Sections 159(c) and (d) of WIOA. Section 159(c) requires the
Secretary to collect information on performance of Job Corps participants, centers, recruiters,
and career transition service providers, and it req uires the information to be consistent with the
WIOA performance indicators as amended by Section 1 16(b)(2)(A)(ii) of WIOA. Section
159(d) also adds additional metrics that Job Corps is required to track. Job Corps has been
operating under the authorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which was replaced
by Title I, Subtitle C of WIOA. Section 159(c)(1) of WIOA amends the WIA required
performance indicators for Job Corps centers and pr ograms by replacing some of them with the
same primary indicators of performance that are app licable to the youth formula programs,
which are found at section 116(b)(2)(A)(ii).

The questions in this collection are designed to ob tain information needed to report on five ofPage 2 of 14

the six WIOA required primary performance measures. These are:

• the percentage of program participants who are in e ducation or training activities, or in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter a fter exit from the program;

• the percentage of program participants who are in e ducation or training activities, or in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter a fter exit from the program;

• the median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program;

• the percentage of program participants who obtain a recognized postsecondary credential, or a secondary school diploma or its recognized equ ivalent (and, for those who obtain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivale nt, have also obtained or retained employment or are in an education or training progr am leading to a recognized postsecondary credential), during participation in or within one year after exit from the

program;

• the indicator(s) of effectiveness in serving employ ers.

An overview of the modules included in the two prim ary data collection instruments is provided in Appendix A

. Additionally, scripts used in the administration o f all survey modules are provided in Appendix B.

Al. Circumstances Necessitating the Data Collecti on

Job Corps is the nation's largest and most comprehe nsive residential education and job training program for at-risk youths, ages 16 through 24. Job Corps was originally established by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. The program was t ransferred from the Office of Economic Opportunity to the Department of Labor in 1969. Jo b Corps was later authorized as part of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (1978) un der Title IV-B, and this authorization continued as part of the Job Training Partnership A ct (JTPA) of 1982 and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. Now authorized by th e Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Job Corps is administered federally thr ough the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of J ob Corps. The Job Corps program comprises 6 regional offices and 126 Job Corps cent ers nationwide.

Job Corps participants are typically high school dr opouts in need of further education and technical training. Most Job Corps participants liv e on campus, but in some centers, youth from local areas can commute to centers for training. As an open-entry, open-exit program, Job Corps admits and graduates students throughout the year. Generally, these students are economically disadvantaged ethnic minorities who come from commu nities that do not foster favorable education or employment outcomes. Job Corps offers these youths academic and career technical training, social skills training, persona l and career counseling, health care, and other supportive services.

During their Job Corps tenure, students can obtain a secondary school credential, learn a business or trade through the career technical trai ning program, earn an industry recognized credential and participate in work-related training that is intended to make them marketable in jobs that pay a living wage. Students who obtain th eir high school diploma (or its equivalent) orPage 3 of 14

complete their career technical training are consid ered to be program graduates.

Upon graduation from Job Corps, youth are prepared to pursue employment opportunities, additional educational and training experiences, or enter the Armed Forces. Job Corps career development specialists are responsible for assisti ng graduates and former enrollees with finding a job or enrolling in a school or training program. Career development specialists also help students create resumes and prepare for interv iews. WIOA authorizes Job Corps to provide placement services to graduates for up to 12 months after they exit the program and 3 months of placement services for former enrollees after exit.

The revised PEDC will collect information to report on five of the six WIOA required primary performance measures. These are:

• the percentage of program participants who are in e ducation or training activities, or in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter a fter exit from the program;

• the percentage of program participants who are in e ducation or training activities, or in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter a fter exit from the program;

• the median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program;

• the percentage of program participants who obtain a recognized postsecondary credential, or a secondary school diploma or its recognized equ ivalent (and, for those who obtain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivale nt, have also obtained or retained employment or are in an education or training progr am leading to a recognized postsecondary credential), during participation in or within one year after exit from the program; and

• the indicator(s) of effectiveness in serving employ ers.

Information relevant to the sixth WIOA primary indi cator, measurable skill gains (sec. 116(b)(2)(A)(i)(V)), is not collected through this information collection. It will be collected using an existing data collection conducted before a participant exits the program, which does not require change.

Job Corps will also use the information collected f rom the proposed PEDCS to measure and
report participant performance under the following metrics mandated by Section 159(d) of

WIOA:

• the number of graduates who entered the Armed Force s;

• the number of graduates who entered apprenticeship programs;

• the number of graduates who received a regular seco ndary school diploma;

• the number of graduates who received a State recogn ized equivalent of a secondary school diploma;

• the number of graduates who entered unsubsidized em ployment related to the career and technical education and training received through t he Job Corps program;

• the number of graduates who entered unsubsidized em ployment not related to the education and training received;

• the percentage and number of graduates who enter po stsecondary education;Page 4 of 14

• the average wage of graduates who enter unsubsidize d employment— 1) on the first day of such employment; and 2) on the day 6 months after such first day

This data collection effort also provides for selec ted re-verification of initial work and school placements of graduates and former enrollees. The e ffort to re-verify initial work and school placements is consistent with recommendations by th e Office of the Inspector General (in Adopting Best Practices Can Improve Placement Servi ces to Students Terminating From the Job Corps Program report, 1988) that the Job Corps "monitor the serv ices provided by placement contractors to ensure that contract requi rements are being met and students are receiving quality placement services."

To fulfill these information collection objectives, Job Corps will use the two primary

instruments identified in Appendix C and the three secondary instruments identified in Appendix D to collect data. Online and telephone surveys will be conducted with graduates and former enrollees or their employers and educati onal institutions at specified times (see Appendix A, ) . The Job Corps Data Center (JCDC) will provide ide ntifying information about graduates and former enrollees for the survey which will be used to provide contact information and identify the initial work or school placement s tatus of graduates and former enrollees after they leave Job Corps. The revised instruments will be submitted after development and prior to implementation of the WIOA performance metrics.

A2. How, by whom and for what Purposes is the Inf ormation to be used.

Congress and the Secretary of Labor will use the da ta collected with these instruments to assess the effectiveness of the Job Corps program in meeti ng its objectives under WIOA. The data collected will be used to fulfill the reporting req uirements under sec. 159(c)(4) of WIOA. The Office of Job Corps will also incorporate these dat a into the Outcome Measurement System to evaluate the post-center outcomes of graduates and former enrollees. The Job Corps program

will use the information about student outcomes and customer feedback about satisfaction with specific services to develop or refine policies to improve the delivery of educational and job training services to at-risk youth.

A3. Use of Technology to Reduce Burden

The data collection instruments will be programmed into a computer generated online system for ongoing survey administration augmented by a Co mputer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system. This automated system performs a ra nge of response checks and complex skip patterns, and it also checks for internal consisten cy. Additionally, CATI provides automated scheduling, callback, and on-line data storage, whi ch make it easier to control the sample, monitor the study, and reduce data entry costs. Aut omated online interviewing reduces the burden by speeding up the collection and analysis o f the results and reduces the number of

interviews under CATI.

A4. Efforts to Identify DuplicationPage 5 of 14

No other existing source of data can meet the speci fic data reporting requirements of WIOA. Although Sections 159 and 116 of WIOA note that the Secretary of Labor may collect information on former Job Corps students by using q uarterly wage records, such records do not include information sufficient to support reporting on all the different indicators. For example, the records do not include information about wage r ates, hours worked, and jobs that are not covered by unemployment insurance (UI). In addition , UI wage records do not provide any information about enrollment in school or training programs, which is a key program outcome.

All of the information referred to in this collecti on is required to fully measure participant performance under the WIOA performance measures, as required by section 159 of WIOA. The instruments presented in this application have been designed to collect this information.

A5. Methods to Minimize Burden on Small Businesse s

This data collection will place minimal burden on s mall businesses. Businesses will only be contacted through online methods and participation will be voluntary. Job Corps will follow a similar practice for individuals who are placed in a school or training program. The brief employment verification survey instruments for empl oyers and educational institutions are

included in Appendix D

.

A6. Consequences of Less Frequent Data Collection

Since the information from former enrollees and gra duates will be obtained according to the requirements of WIOA, less frequent data collection will not allow the Office of Job Corps to track participant performance under the performance measures specified by WIOA. WIOA mandates contacts with participants during two peri ods; within the second and fourth quarters after exit from the program.

The PEDC contact with graduates and former enrollee s during the two periods will collect additional information as required under the law.

A7. Special Circumstances for Data Collection

These data collection efforts do not involve any sp ecial circumstances.

A8. Federal Register Notice and Consultation outside the Agency

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1 995, the public will be given 60 days to

review the Federal Register Notice.

A9. Payment or Gifts to Respondents

Consistent with the Workforce Innovation and Opport unity Act, the Job Corps program provides ongoing services to graduates for one year and former enrollees for 90 days after exit. A key element of this system involves regular conta cts between the student and his or her career transition specialist. To encourage students to mai ntain contact with Job Corps, the program provides graduates with a transitional allowance an d graduates and former enrollees with post-Page 6 of 14

separation incentives for taking the PEDC survey: $ 10 after completion of the 2 nd quarter surveys and $20 after completing the 4 th quarter surveys.

A10. Confidentiality Assurances

This survey is conducted in accordance with all rel evant regulations and requirements, including the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC 552a), the Privacy A ct Regulations (34 CFR Part 5b), the Freedom of Information Act (5 CFR 552) and its rela ted regulations (41 CFR Part 1-1, 45 CFR Part 5b, and 40 CFR 44502).

In May 2007, in an effort to proactively support Jo b Corps’ commitment to securing Personal Identifiable Information (PII), all aspects of the data collection process were consolidated under the secure network environment provided and maintai ned by the JCDC. The application is accessible via Citrix, JCDC's preferred secure meth od.

The JCDC takes several steps to insure the safety a nd integrity of the student data housed at its facilities in Austin, Texas and Limestone, Maine. A ll student data is housed on a central server, in a secured computer room in a locked building on the fenced and guarded facility. There are several layers of system security. First, the serve r network is a private network. The network is protected from the Internet by a series of layered firewalls, access control lists, and intrusion detection systems.

All Job Corps employees enter data into the system through the private network. All users must have a valid user ID and password (which is changed every 90 days) to enter the system. Additional security is obtained through the use of application level user IDs and passwords and specific permission applied at the database level. The integrity of the data is insured by running daily validation programs that submit the data to a set of pre-approved business rules established by the Office of Job Corps. In order to secure the integrity of the data during transmission to the data collection contractors, th e JCDC has established 128 bit encrypted Citrix sessions from the data collection center ope rators to the JCDC. All of survey contractor’s staff have completed security awareness training an d have access to the Citrix environment and the CDSS suite of applications.

Additionally, the contractor survey sites are maint ained in accordance with the Guide for Developing Security Plans for Information Technolog y Systems (NIST Special Pub 800-18) posted by The National Institute of Standards and T echnology's Computer Security Resource

Center. Internal access to individual records withi n the database and the ability to access data transmissions between the Job Corps Data Center and the data collection contractor are controlled by all appropriate security measures, in cluding controlled user names, passwords, profile name, host name, firewall security IDs, and crypto cards. Transfer of data occurs only via Citrix, ensuring a secure means of communicatio n for the data collection contractors and

JCDC.

Additionally, the personal computers (PCs) in staff offices that are wired to the network are located within the same building as the network dri ve. The PCs are accessible only after providing individual user passwords that must be ch anged on a regular basis. Screensavers arePage 7 of 14

installed on all PCs, set to activate after ten min utes, and can only be released through the individual user's password. PC passwords are not ph ysically documented; therefore, loss of access may be recouped only by the reassignment of a password by the information systems

staff.

All respondents are told that completing the interv iew is voluntary and that the information they provide will not be shared with anyone outside of t he Job Corps community. Answers to some questions in the instrument will be provided to app ropriate agency staff (for example, information that results in questioning the validit y of the initial placement will be reported to Job Corps Regional Office staff for follow-up). Ans wers to other questions will be reported at the individual level in the Job Corps Outcome Measu rement System (for example, placement and wage status during the second and fourth quarte rs after exit). Therefore, it is not possible to guarantee to respondents that their answers will no t be released to anyone. However, respondents will be assured that Job Corps will use the collected data only for program evaluation purposes and that their answers will not be shared with anyone outside of Job Corps without their written approval.

The policies and procedures maintained at any facil ity operated by service providers under contract are designed to protect the confidentialit y of data. All contract staff sign pledges to protect respondents' confidentiality. Additionally, the issues of confidentiality will be addressed in training sessions for all staff involved with th e administration of the data collection instruments. Access to sample selection data will b e limited to those who have direct responsibility for sample selection. Individual ide ntifying information will be maintained separately from hardcopy collection forms and from computerized data files prepared for conducting the analysis.

To keep the data private, it is important not to re lease data into public use files or to present results in reports so that individuals can be ident ified. Data collected through the instruments presented here will not be made publicly available. Job Corps staff or contractors will analyze data for purposes of program management and quality improvement. Nonetheless, reports that

use these data will be handled in a manner that eli minates the possibility of compromising confidentiality. Job Corps staff and contractors wi ll follow commonly accepted guidelines (what the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology ca lls the Threshold Rule) and display only aggregated data when there are more than three case s in a cell table. When there are three or fewer cases in a cell table, tabular data will be p resented by combining categories or suppressing cells to ensure the elimination of poss ible individual identities. Given the size of Job Corps centers and the monthly year-to-date aggr egation of data, the data presented in any cell table will most likely represent information f rom at least four observations.

A11. Additional Justification for Sensitive Questio ns

These data collection instruments submitted for app roval do not include questions of a sensitive or personal nature. All respondents are assured tha t their responses will be kept private at the outset of the survey or phone interview unless they wish to specifically authorize its release in writing. In addition, they will be informed that t hey do not have to answer questions with which they are uncomfortable.Page 8 of 14

All of the questions concerning wages and income ha ve been successfully pretested, and similar questions have been used extensively in previous in struments with no evidence of adverse consequences. Additionally, the survey instrument i s equipped to accommodate respondents who are uncomfortable providing a specific wage by allowing their answers to be coded in ranges. Specifically, similar questions about wages and income from employment were used in the "Evaluation of the Impact of the Job Corps Prog ram on Participants' Post-Program Labor Market and Related Behavior" study (CMB 1205-0351, expiration date 10/96).

A12. Estimates of the Burden of Data Collection

This data collection is an annual process that supp orts the administration of approximately 93,400 Job Corps online surveys and telephone inter views. The surveys are estimated to require an average of 12 minutes to complete and the teleph one interviews 15 minutes. These administration times are based on past experience i n using these instruments.

The combined reporting burden for respondents assoc iated with this data collection effort is estimated at approximately 21,700 hours, as shown i n Table 1.

Table1: Estimates of Respondent Burden Average Time

Respondent Category

Online survey of graduates and former enrollees during the second and fourth quarter after exit

Telephone interview of graduates and former enrollees during the second and fourth quarter after exit

Employer/Institution Employment Verification Survey

Total Total Hours per Estimated Responses Respondent Hours

28,000 0.20 5,600

60,400 0.25 15,100

5,000 0.20 1,000

93,400 21,700

Costs to respondents are limited to the time they w ill spend answering the online survey and being interviewed by telephone.

Table 2 shows the estimated costs to respondents, b ased on the Job Corps national average wage of placed graduates and former enrollees for Progra m Year 2014. A standard hourly rate of $25.00 per hour is used for estimating the costs of responses for employers and educational

institutions.Page 9 of 14

The total estimated cost of the burden for responde nts is approximately $232,267 per year. This burden is offset by the incentive payments totaling approximately $1,326,000 (See section A14 for calculation) that will be provided to many of t he respondents for remaining in contact with the follow-up system for services and tracking.

Table 2: Estimated Cost to Respondents

Estimated Data Total Estimated Data Collection

Respondent Total Number Hourly Collection

Cost to Cost per

Category Responses of Hours Rate Respondents Respondent

Online survey of Former 6,000 1,200 $9.93 $11,916 $1.99
Enrollees during the second
and fourth quarter after exit

Online survey of Graduates 22,000 4,400 $10.05 $44,220 $2.01
during the second and fourth
quarters after exit

Telephone interview of Former Enrollees during the second 20,800 5,200 $9.93 $51 ,636 $2.48
and fourth quarter after exit

Telephone interview of

Graduates 39,600 9,900 $10.05 $99,495 $2.51

during the second and
fourth quarter after exit

Employer/Institution employment verification

survey 5,000 1,000 $25.00 $25,000 $5.00

Total 93,400 Total Respondent Burden

Cost: $232,267

Total Burden Hours: 21,700

A13. Estimated Cost of the SurveyPage 10 of 14

There are no additional costs to the respondents fo r participating in this survey. All telephone or postage costs for contacting the respondents are bo rne by the federal government through the

data collection contractors.

A14. Estimates of Annual Costs to the Federal Gover nment

The estimated cost of funding this data collection effort in 2014 was $3,500,000 dollars. This estimate includes the ongoing maintenance of the in frastructure needed to administer the CATI system, ongoing data communication to and from the Job Corps Data Center, data collection using online surveys and telephone interviews from trained staff who are not Job Corps employees, data processing including coding of occu pational and industry information, and preparation of summary data tabulations. Supervisio n of this total system is also included here. This cost does not include onetime expenditures tha t will not recur in the future.

The estimated cost of funding this data collection effort will be determined after the survey revisions are complete as required by the increased reporting requirements of WIOA.

Approximately 40% of the cost is budgeted for labor . Approximately 5% of the cost is budgeted for long distance phone service, and approximately 55% of the cost is budgeted for software and equipment including the CATI facilities.

Additionally, the incentive system used to help ens ure that graduates and former enrollees remain in contact with the Job Corps system will co st approximately $1,326,000 annually (Table 3). The incentive system allots $10 payments to graduates and former enrollees completing the second quarter survey and $20 paymen ts for those completing the fourth quarter survey after exit.

Table 3: Incentive Payments

Surveys Respondents Incentive Amount

Graduates and former enrollees at second quarter after exit 44,200 $10 $ 442,000

Graduates and former enrollees at 44,200 $20 $ 884,000 fourth quarter after exit

Total 88,400 $ 1,326,000

Altogether, the total cost per completed survey for this data collection is estimated at approximately $55.00 for the Job Corps Post Enrollm ent Data Collection System.

A15. Changes in BurdenPage 11 of 14

The most recent ICR, submitted in December 2015, es timated 48,300 total respondents to the survey, with a corresponding burden of 10,240 hours . For this ICR, Job Corps estimates it will have 49,200 total respondents, with 93,400 total re sponses. This results in a burden of 21,700 hours, an increase of 11,460 hours. This increase i n burden under WIOA is attributable to the requirement to survey all program participants, whi ch produces a much larger pool than was produced under the WIA requirement to survey only p laced graduates and former enrollees.

A16. Tabulation and Publication Plans and Time Sche dules for the Project

The data collected serves three primary purposes. F irst, the data is used to fulfill part of the performance measurement and reporting requirements for the Job Corps program specified in WIOA. Second, data is used for independent verifica tion of contractor reported outcomes regarding placement and wages. Such information is used in determining incentive and award fees as part of the performance-based service contr acts through which Job Corps operates centers and post-center services. Finally, the inf ormation supports the continuous program improvement activities regularly conducted by the O ffice of Job Corps and program operators. Although the same data collection instruments suppo rt all these purposes, the analysis plan, reporting plan and time schedule for each does diff er.

Performance measurement results are calculated and published on a monthly basis at the center, regional, and national levels.

As part of each contractor's performance measuremen t, data from the surveys of former enrollees and graduates who were identified as plac ed in a job or school program are used by the Office of Job Corps to verify the reports provi ded by those contractors. Reports of questionable placements (QPs), i.e., those that fai l to meet Job Corps' criteria for hours employed or enrolled in school and/or minimum wages , are produced either from the survey data or from employer/school verification mechanism s. QP reports are provided to the Job Corps Regional Offices for follow up with the repor ting contractor to determine whether the reported placement will be disallowed for the perfo rmance report for that contractor. These QP reports are for internal contractor monitoring and management purposes only and are not published or made public.

A17. Approval Not to Display OMB Expiration Date

The instruments will be administered as computer-as sisted online and telephone interviews. OMB expirations dates will be displayed on the surv ey screens for the online survey; however, no hardcopy instruments will contain the printed ex piration date for telephone interviews. In conducting follow-up activities with employers and schools it is anticipated that respondents will sometimes prefer to complete a hardcopy versio n of the instrument rather than an online survey or telephone interview. In such cases, the q uestionnaire, including the OMB control number and expiration date, is mailed or sent via f acsimile to the contact at the employing organization or school for completion.

A18. Exceptions to OMB Form 83-I

No exceptions are requested in the "Certification o f Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions."Page 12 of 14

B. EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS TO COLLECT INFORMA TION

B1. Description of the Population and Sampling to Be Used

Goals of the Data Collection

No statistical methods leading to inferences of lar ger populations are used. In all reports and other publications and statements resulting from th is work, no attempt is made to draw inferences to any population other than the set of participants responding to the data collection

effort.

There are three primary goals of the data collected through the instruments and methods described in this request:

• to fulfill performance measurement and reportin g requirements for the Job Corps program as specified in the WIOA regarding reporting on the em ployment and education outcomes of program participants to determine the performance o f each center and the larger program; • to independently verify, as specified by the Of fice of the Inspector General, the placement and wage reports made for individual participants r eportedly placed by contractors in order to ensure the integrity and quality of placement servi ces provided by Job Corps centers and career transition service (CTS) agencies; and • to enhance the quality of the Job Corps program through collection of information on customer satisfaction of former participants, emplo yers and educational institutions.

Populations to be Surveyed

In addition to the employers and educational instit utions taking the employment verification survey, two Job Corps populations are contacted in this data collection effort: graduates and

former enrollees. Former enrollees are defined in S ection 142 of the WIOA an individual who has voluntarily applied for, been selected for, and enrolled in the Job Corps program, but left the program prior to becoming a graduate. A graduate is defined as an individual who has voluntarily applied for, been selected for, and enr olled in the Job Corps program and who, as a result of participation in the Job Corps program, h as received a secondary school diploma or recognized equivalent, or completed the requirement s of a career and technical education and training program that prepares individuals for empl oyment leading to economic self-sufficiency or entrance into postsecondary education or trainin g.

Uses of the Collected Data

The first two goals for this data collection sugges t very strongly that survey results need to be precise at the level of the individual Job Corps ce nter and CTS agency (the contractors responsible for participant placement). Job Corps' performance-based contracting methodology uses these survey-reported outcomes to determine in centive and award fees for the private contractors that operate the individual centers and the CTS (placement) agencies. Further, Job Corps' ranking of center and CTS contractor perform ance uses data collected from the surveys.Page 13 of 14

The relative ranking of centers and CTS agencies pr ovides one of the major criteria used by Job Corps to determine whether a contract option is ren ewed and in evaluating contractor past performance for new contracts, and the ranking repo rts are very sensitive to small changes in measured performance.

B2. Statistical Methodology for Stratification an d Sample Selection

As indicated above, all groups are a census of the population. No sample selection or stratification is applicable.

B3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Addres s Non response

The following strategies are used to maximize respo nse rates:

• The data collection instrument consists primarily o f well-tested items.

• The contractors work closely with Job Corps staff t o obtain adequate tracking and locating information about all Job Corps gradua tes and former enrollees.

• The online survey instrument maximizes the opportun ity for collection by utilizing electronic contact information like e-mail, text and smart pho ne applications. Maintaining contact during the first three months after exit will impro ve response rates during the data collection periods.

• Regular contact between students and career transit ion specialists following termination, and the enhancements to the Career Inf ormation System significantly improve the quality of available student locating informati on.

• Job Corps employs sample-locating and refusal-avoid ance techniques that have been proven to maximize locating and enlisting the cooperation of youth populations.

• Graduates receive monetary incentives from Job Corp s during the 12-month service eligibility period that will likely enhance cooperation with the data collection effort.

Research suggests that reminders can be the single most important technique for producing high response rates. Providing periodic reminders via el ectronic means helps track graduates and former enrollees who have moved since their separat ion from Job Corps or for whom traditional contact information such as phone numbers and maili ng addresses is inadequate. Job Corps employs additional searching techniques that have b een proven to maximize the location of respondents and the elicitation of their cooperatio n, including:

• contacting parents, relatives, and neighbors; • sending address-correction letters; • searching on-line nationwide databases (for exa mple, Accurint, White Pages, Directory Assistance, Lexis/Nexis, reverse loo kups, among others); • requesting, where possible, information from pu blic agencies (for example, motor vehicle departments and corrections departments); and, • providing a toll-free line for respondents to c all.

Job Corps uses online survey techniques and telepho ne procedures through a support contract that maximize response rates after respondents have been located. Telephone interviewers arePage 14 of 14

trained to carefully follow these procedures. The c ontractors carefully monitor and retrain interviewers to correct any weaknesses in their con tact and interviewing techniques. Two to three weeks after the first contact with a responde nt who initially refused to participate; a senior interviewer will contact the respondent and address the respondent's concerns about completing

the interview. The data collection contractors will maintain databases to track survey data, will generate regular reports to identify non responders , and will support follow-up efforts. These procedures have been used successfully in Job Corps ’ data collection efforts to achieve response rates consistent with those projected for these fol low-up surveys.