National Center for Education Statistics

(NCES)

Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 

2016-2017 (MGLS:2017) Field Test 2015

Recruitment

OMB #1850-NEW v. 1

Supporting Statement Part B

March 6, 2014
Table	of	Contents

PART B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS2

B.1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods.....................................................................2

B.1.1. Selecting a Sample of Sites (Areas) ........................................................................2

B.1.2. Selecting Schools.....................................................................................................5

B.1.3. Samples of Students and Their Parents and Teachers ............................................6

B.1.4. Evaluating Mathematics Items, Reading Assessment, and Socioemotional and 

Executive Functions Measures................................................................................8

B.2. Procedures for the Collection of Information......................................................................9

B.3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates..............................................................................10

B.4. Individuals Responsible for Study Design and Performance............................................11

Tables

Table 1. Sample of Sites and Schools for MGLS Field Test...........................................................5

Table 2. Target Observations and Sample Sizes for Various Instruments......................................7

Table 3. Distribution of Sample of Students with Disabilitiesa.......................................................7

Appendices

Appendix A: Recruitment Letter for School Districts/Diocese

Appendix B: Recruitment Letter for School Administrators

Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions

Appendix D: Field Test Summary

Appendix E: Guide for Recruitment Calls

Appendix F: Project Staff Confidentiality Agreement
2

PART	B.	COLLECTION	OF	INFORMATION	EMPLOYING	STATISTICAL	METHODS

The Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2016–2017 (MGLS:2017) aims to obtain an understanding of 

students’ development and learning that occurs during the middle grade years, and the school and nonschool influences associated with better mathematics and reading success, socioemotional health, and 

positive life development during middle school and beyond. The study will follow students as they enter and 

move through the middle grades (grades 6–8), starting with a nationally representative sample of 6th grade 

students in spring 2017, and annual follow-ups in spring 2018 and spring 2019, when most of the students in 

the sample will be in grades 7 and 8, respectively.

B.1. Respondent	Universe	and	Sampling	Methods

The respondent universe for the MGLS:2017 field test includes all students in grades 5–8 attending public 

or private schools in the United States (with sampling restricted to the contiguous United States). The 

national MGLS:2017 will sample grade 6 students at baseline and follow them through grades 7 and 8 (and 

possibly beyond). However, the field test must assess the instruments, measures, and items to be used on 

students in each grade (6–8) simultaneously. In addition, because of the anticipated range of mathematics 

knowledge and skills of sixth graders, we will use a sample of grade 5 students to help guard against floor 

effects. The field test also includes an oversample of students in grades 6–8 with specific types of 

disabilities: (1) specific learning disabilities, (2) attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity

disorder (ADD/ADHD), 1(3) speech or language impairment, (4) emotional disturbance, and (5) autism, 

with a target of 450 mathematics and reading assessments from students with these disabilities, including 

those that would occur in the course of sampling all 6-8 grade students plus additional sample to meet the 

target of 450.

2 We estimate that the additional sample will include 242 assessments beyond those that would 

occur without oversampling.

In addition to students, the respondent universe for the field test, and ultimately the main study, includes 

parents and teachers of students, and school administrators. These other groups of respondents will be 

linked to students selected for the MGLS:2017 field test.

We will select the sample for the field test in three stages (discussed in detail below). The stages will include

purposively selected “sites” (geographic areas, usually comprising one or two counties or county 

equivalents), schools sampled with known probability within the sites, and students sampled randomly 

within the selected schools. We will collect data from teachers and parents linked to the sampled students. 

As discussed below, we expect to conduct the field test in 50 schools in five sites and collect data from 

4,192 students (3,842 from those in grades 6–8, including an oversample of students with specific 

disabilities to allow us to meet the target of 450 for that group, 3and 350 in grade 5), 600 teachers, 819

parents, and 50 school administrators. The initial samples of sites, schools, parents, and teachers selected to 

participate will be larger than the number of observations needed, to allow for replacement of sites that do 

not meet criteria (specified below) and nonresponding or ineligible units at other levels.

B.1.1. Selecting	a	Sample	of	Sites	(Areas)

We will conduct the MGLS:2017 field test in 5 sites within the contiguous United States, a number that will 

allow for diversity in the sample but ensure the cost-effective collection of data. Given that we will not use 

the field test to make statistical estimates about a larger population, we can limit the number of sites and 

eliminate the need to adopt probability selection methods. Thus, we will select sites purposively rather than 

 

1 Disability terms used are aligned with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) categories. In that scheme, 

ADD/ADHD is included under “Other Health Impairment”;MGLS:2017 is most interested in the 80% or more students in the 

Other Health Impairment category with attention difficulties. Therefore, we use ADD/ADHD throughout.

2 The target number of observations is at least 100 for all groups except for emotional disturbance; the target for this group is 50.

3 The number 3,842 includes 3,600 from the basic sample, plus 242 additional students needed to meet targets for four of the

groups of students with disabilities (all except those in the specific learning disability group).
3

with probability sampling methods. We will select an initial group of 15 sites, of which 5 will be used for 

the field test. As discussed below, 10 of the sites will serve as potential replacement sites. Although we will 

use purposive selection, the definition of the sites will resemble that of the primary sampling units (PSUs) 

that could be used for the national study.

4The 15 sites will be selected so that if any site does not participate, 

it can be replaced by one with similar characteristics. 

We next describe the characteristics required of the five sites that will be used in the study. Each site will 

comprise one or more counties within the contiguous United States and the District of Columbia. Each site 

must include at least one regular public school district and a private school serving grades 6–8, and must 

have 10 or more schools serving grades 6–8.5 To be counted toward site requirements, districts and schools 

must not be operated by the state or federal government or serve correctional facilities or other 

institutionalized populations, as these schools will not be included in the sample. Schools where at least 80%

of the students enrolled in the school have special education individual education programs (IEPs 6also are 

excluded (the oversampling of students with disabilities will be implemented in regular schools). In forming 

sites, we will rely on the CCD classification of whether schools are special education schools7in 

determining whether the site has enough schools to meet minimum criteria.

In addition to the minimal requirements for each site, other requirements affect the sampled sites in the 

aggregate, including their geographic distribution, their characteristics related to the oversampling of 

students with disabilities, and other characteristics of the sites, and the schools and students located within 

them. The final set of sites will include one each from the west, midwest, and northeast census regions; 

one from the south region, excluding the Washington, DC metropolitan area; and one from the 

Washington, DC metropolitan area (the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 

Metropolitan Division). Each of the sites with the exception of the Washington DC area site will be 

contained within a single state.

To facilitate the oversampling of students with disabilities, we will require that the sites as a whole contain 

enough eligible schools with a higher than average prevalence of students with the specific disabilities.8 The 

reason for this restriction is that to meet the oversample targets, without increasing the number of schools in 

the field test sample, the schools in the sample must contain more students with these disabilities than would 

average size schools with average prevalence rates for these groups. Our determination of whether this 

criteria is met will be based on both the number of students in grades 6-8 and prevalence rates for the 

specific disabilities. In our discussion of the student sample, below, we assume prevalence rates are the 

same as national estimated averages and an average school size of 600 students in grades 6-8, but different 

combinations of school size and prevalence rates could also allow us to meet the oversample targets.

 

4

If the MGLS:2017 uses a multistage design, with sampled schools clustered within geographic areas, the field test experience can 

inform the main study. Even if MGLS:2017 does not cluster schools geographically, the field test methods of defining sites will 

not add to costs or detract from data quality. The sample will include schools with different grade configurations, but we will not 

require the sites to include specific configurations.

5 We expect that two or more of the five final sites will include charter schools. Given that we do not plan to oversample charter 

schools, we will not require potential sites to include them. We will obtain counts of public districts and schools from the 

Common Core of Data (CCD) and use the Private School Survey (PSS) for private schools. For each file, we will use the version

that is the most up to date at the time of sample selection.

6 This definition is derived from the CCD definition of a special education school.

7

See Keaton, P. (2012). Documentation to the NCES Common Core of Data Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe 

Survey: School Year 2010–11 (NCES 2012-338rev). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for 

Education Statistics. Retrieved [date] from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012338rev.

8 The LEA-level (CCD) file has a variable SPECED that gives the district-level count of students with an IEP. The school-level 

CCD file has a variable TYPEXX (“XX” is the year); TYPEXX=2 designates a special education school. We will use these 

variables to estimate the numbers of students with disabilities not in special education schools. When we contact districts, we will 

ask them for school-level information on students with disabilities.
4

Other aggregate requirements concern characteristics (not related to the disability oversample) of the sites, 

their schools, and their students. Specifically, at least three of the sites will include one or more science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (particularly mathematics magnet) public school or

private school in order to have high-achieving students to test for ceiling problems with the mathematics and 

reading assessment items. Additionally, two of the sites will include a public district serving a rural area to 

be sure that different locales are represented in the field test.

9 The five sites will also be required to contain 

at least 20 schools that serve grade 5 (we anticipate having a larger number, but this is the minimum), along 

with one or more of grades 6–8.10 We will also select sites that in the aggregate include low-income areas 

and areas with concentrations of African American students, Hispanic students, and English-language 

learners (ELLs).11

To define sites, we will start with the CCD Census of Local Education Authorities (LEA) or school districts. 

We will supplement the LEA data as needed with information extracted from the school-level CCD (e.g., 

number of schools serving some combination of grades 5–8, broken down by specific grades served). We 

then will use the augmented LEA data file to construct a county file.12 Next, we will supplement the county

file with information on private schools from the Private School Survey (PSS), resulting in a count of the 

number of private schools with some combination of grades 6–8 in a county. We will rely on school district

websites as well as other websites to identify STEM schools.13

Sites generally will include one or two counties. We will form sites by first determining which counties 

would meet the minimum criteria on their own (one public LEA, one private school serving grades 6–8, and 

a total of 10 schools serving grades 6–8). If possible, counties that do not meet the minimum criteria will be 

linked to a contiguous county, so the two counties together meet the minimum criteria. To contain costs, as 

a general rule, no site will contain more than two counties; however, if needed, we will make an exception 

to ensure rural representation. We will exclude from the sampling frame counties that neither meet 

minimum criteria nor lend themselves to linkage to a contiguous county to form a site that meets the site 

criteria.

To account for possible refusals, especially by school districts within the sites, we will select 15 sites, 3 each 

from the west, midwest, and northeast Census regions; 3 from the south region, excluding the Washington, 

DC metropolitan area; and three from this metropolitan area, so that any group of 5 then will meet the 

aggregate criteria discussed above (STEM; private school; schools serving 5th grade; urbanicity; ethnic 

composition; and presence of low-income households, students with disabilities, and ELL students). These 

sets of sites each will comprise a “triplet” of eligible sites. We will designate one site within each triplet as 

the primary selection and the other two as potential replacement sites if the level of initial cooperation with 

the site is so low that (after excluding noncooperative districts or private schools) the site cannot meet 

minimum site requirements specified above (i.e., having at least one regular public school district and a 

private school serving grades 6–8, and having 10 or more schools serving grades 6–8). Our approach to 

recruiting and assessing the level of cooperation within sites for those with multiple public districts will 

depend on the size of the districts. If there are multiple districts—each of sufficient size to ensure that the 

site would be large and diverse enough without the others (i.e., the site would meet minimum requirements), 

we will randomly select one district (the “main” district) to recruit and use the others as replacements if the 

 

9 The variable “ULOCAL” on the CCD defines 12 levels of urbanicity for each district, ranging from large cities to remote rural

areas.

10 To allow for replacements, as discussed below, we would prefer to have 30 such schools, but placing such a restriction may 

limit the available sites too greatly.

11 We can obtain ELL status for public districts from the CCD, poverty status from district estimates made by the Census (SAIPE), 

and other characteristics from county estimates based on data from the American Community Survey.

12 Using the variables CONUM and CONAME on the CCD, we can link each district to a county, based on the location of its 

administrative offices.

13 Lists of STEM schools in each of the 50 states are available at www.stemschool.com.
5

main district in the site declines to participate. On the other hand, if all districts within a multiple district site 

are needed to meet minimum requirements, then the site would be replaced if any declined to participate.

B.1.2. Selecting	Schools

Schools for the field test will be sampled within the final set of five sites. We will recruit 50 schools for the 

final sample. To allow for nonparticipation at the school level,14 we will select an initial sample of up to 150 

schools, at least 20 of which will serve grade 5 (the number may vary from site to site, as discussed below). 

All schools in the initial sample will serve grade 6. Not all will serve grade 5 or grades 7-8. This sample will 

be large and diverse enough so that from this larger initial sample we can recruit 50 schools, of which 10–12 

will have 5th grade students and which are spread as evenly as possible over the five sites. Table 1 

summarizes the sample selection of sites and schools. The number of recruited schools will be large enough 

to support the desired student sample size while ensuring representation of many groups of students. 

Table 1. Sample of Schools for MGLS Field Test

School Type and Grades Served Initial Sample Contact Recruited 

(desired yield)

Schools Typea

Private 6 4 2

STEM 9 4 3

Other Public 135 64 45

Total 150 72 50

Grades Served

Grades 5 and 6,but not grades 7–8 18 9 6

Grades 5–8 18 9 6

Total with grade 5 36 18 12

Grades 6-8, but no grade 5 114 54 38

Total 150 72 50

a

Private and STEM can be exchanged for sampling purposes.

With a few exceptions, all schools in the selected sites serving grade 6 students will have a chance of being 

sampled. Schools with fewer than 24 students in each of grades 6–8 may be excluded. Also any schools will 

be excluded if they are operated by the federal government, serve correctional facilities or other 

institutionalized groups only, or are schools where at least 80% of the students enrolled in the school have

special education individualized education programs (IEPs).

The final sample will include an average of 10 schools (8–12) per site. To select the samples of schools 

within sites, we first will construct a sampling frame for public schools (from the CCD supplemented with 

information provided by districts) and private schools (from the PSS). We will add information from other 

sources as needed to identify STEM schools. We will define strata before sample selection to ensure that the 

samples of schools have the characteristics needed to meet the field test requirements. Stratification 

variables will include status as a STEM public or private school, grade levels served, ethnic composition 

(e.g., percentage of minority enrollment), a poverty indicator (percentage receiving free or reduced-priced 

meals), and language use among the student body (e.g., percentage of students who are ELLs). The number 

of strata and their definitions will depend on the characteristics of the five sites.

We will use probability selection methods to select the samples of schools. We will use explicit strata (with 

oversampling where needed) to ensure representation of key groups of schools (e.g., schools with a grade 5, 

STEM schools and schools with large numbers of students with disabilities). Depending on site 

 

14 Schools will be recruited within sites where at least one public school district (the largest) is participating. We expect that better 

than 75% of schools will participate once districts have agreed to be part of the field test. However, there will be some variation in 

participation from site to site. Also, there may be different levels of participation between public and private schools. The initial 

sample size needs to be large enough to allow for this variability.
6

characteristics, we may use other variables to serve as explicit stratifiers or form implicit strata.

15 Within the 

explicit strata, we will select schools by using probability proportional-to-size (PPS) methods. To 

implement PPS selection, we will assign each school a measure of size (MOS) that will be its estimated 

number of students in grades 5–8. Sample selection will rely on probability minimum replacement methods 

(PMR, also known as the Chromy Method). The use of PMR will allow us to implement implicit 

stratification by using as sorting variables those school characteristics not already used to form explicit 

strata.

We expect the proposed design to yield a sample in which 4-5 schools out of 50 have a grade 6 but not 

grades 7 or 8.16 Thus, in the full field test sample, the 7th and 8th grade student samples will be spread over 

45-46 schools, resulting in a small increase (a projected two assessments per grade) in the number of 

completed 7th and 8th grade student assessments in each school that has these grades, compared to the 

number we would have obtained if all 50 schools in the sample served all three grades. (The sampling of 

students within schools is discussed in the following section.) We will give some types of schools (e.g., 

STEM schools) a higher probability of selection within a site to ensure their presence in the sample. Since 

the initial sample will include more schools in each site than we need to recruit, we will randomly assign 

some sampled schools to the main sample (to be contacted first) and others to the replacement sample in 

case of ineligibility or noncooperation. The plan will allow for replacement by schools with similar 

characteristics (e.g., where possible, a private school would be replaced by another private school, and a 

school with a 5th grade would be replaced by another with a 5th grade). We will attempt to replace noncooperative schools within sites, but this may not always be possible (for example if the only private or 

STEM school in a site refused to participate.)

B.1.3. Samples	of	Students	and	Their	Parents	and	Teachers

The MGLS:2017 field test student population includes students in grades 5–8 as well as teachers and parents 

of those students. Normally we will sample students from rosters provided by the individual schools, linking 

teachers and parents to the students chosen. Table 2 presents the anticipated sample sizes of students, 

parents, and teachers needed to obtain the target numbers of assessments and questionnaires. We will select 

samples large enough to obtain mathematics and reading assessments for 4,192 students (a basic sample 

large enough to yield assessments with 1,200 students in grades 6, 7, and 8; 350 students in grade 5; and an 

additional 242 students with disabilities in grades 6–8 so that our target of 450 assessments of students with 

the specific disabilities can be reached). We anticipate a completion rate of 80% for non-disabled students

and 62-63% among students in the disability groups, thus our initial sample will include 5,365 students. 

The overall sample to be selected (6,600 students) allows for lower than expected participation – either 

overall or in specific schools.

To insure a large enough sample of students with disabilities in our field test, we will have to add to the 

basic sample in some but not all disability categories. We expect the sample yield of 3,600 students in 

grades 6–8 to naturally include an adequate number of students with specific learning disabilities and not 

require an oversample of students with this disability. However, based on current prevalence estimates for 

the other four disability groups of interest, we do not expect a large enough number to naturally occur in our 

sample yield of 3,600 students from grades 6–8 for sound psychometric analyses. As a result, we will use 

school and/or district records to identify and sample additional students with disabilities. Table 3 presents 

the sample sizes for the five groups of students with disabilities, and information about the expected number 

of students that will need to be oversampled.

 

15 Explicit stratification involves defining groups (strata) within which samples of a specified size are selected. Implicit 

stratification, by which the frame is sorted on the stratifying variables before sampling, is used when systematic or sequential 

sampling methods are used to help ensure that the sample is proportionately distributed on certain characteristics.

16 These schools also are likely to have 5th grade students, as schools with only a 6th grade are rare.
7

Finally, in addition to the direct-assessments that will be administered during the field test, we will also 

administer several survey instruments or parts of these instruments (e.g., student questionnaire, parent 

questionnaire, teacher questionnaire). To avoid excessive costs and respondent burden, the full student 

questionnaire will not be administered to every student; instead, a subsample of students (in grades 6–8) will 

complete sections of it. The goal is to administer sections of the student questionnaire to 819 students, 

including students with disabilties.

17

. The parent questionnaire will be given to the parents of the same 

sample of students who complete the student questionnaire in order to allow us to examine the correlations 

between sets of items in the parent and student survey (e.g., associations between different student and 

parent measures of student socioemotional well-being). The goal will be to complete 819 parent interviews, 

including the parents of students with disabilities. In selecting the subsample we assume 90% response 

among non-disabled students and 80% in the disability oversample groups. As with the mathematics

assessment sample, the total size of the subsample selected will allow for lower than expected levels of 

response. There are two dimensions of the teacher questionnaire: a teacher-level and student-level 

dimension. We will obtain student-level teacher questionnaires from up to 450 mathematics teachers for 819 

students, including students with disabilities, and from 150 special education teachers for a total of 300 

students across the five disability groups.

18 The teachers who complete the student-level survey will also 

complete a teacher-level questionnaire (either Mathematics or Special Education Teacher Questionnaire).

Table 2. Target Observations and Sample Sizes for Various Instruments

Number Instrument Initial Sample First Release Target

(desired yield)

1 Math assessment 6,600 5,365 4,192

2 Reading assessments(a)6,600 5,365 4,192

3 Executive functioning measuresb1,142 952 819

4 Student questionnaireb1,142 952 819

5 Parent questionnaire(b)1,142 952 819

6 Math teacher survey 600 500 450

7 Math teacher-student report(b,c)1,142 952 819

8 Special education teacher survey 200 167 150

9 Special education teacher report(c)400 333 300

10 School administrator questionnaire 150 64 50

(a) Same sample as math assessments.

(b) Will include 300 with disabled students (or their parents).

(c) Number of students reported about two per teacher.

Table 3. Distribution of Sample of Students with Disabilitiesa

Group # Group Schools

Target

Students,

Including

Oversample

Prevalence

Rate in

Schoolsb

Average

Population

per School

Total

Expected

Populationc

Initial

Sample

Expected

Completion

Rate

Initial 

Sample 

Yield

Additional

Students

Needed for

Oversample

1 Specific learning disability 50 100 0.066 39.6 1,980 339 65% 220 0

2

ADD/ADHD (80 % of other 

health impairment) 50 100 0.0136 8.2 410 70 65% 46 54

3

Speech or language 

impairment 50 100 0.011 6.6 330 57 65% 37 63

4 Emotional disturbance 50 50 0.006 3.6 180 31 40% 12 38

5 Autism 50 100 0.005 3.0 150 26 50% 13 87

Total 50 450 61 3,050 523 63% 328 242

a

Assumes that sample will include schools with an average of 600 students in grades 6–8.

b Data Source: Roberta Woods, NAEP, NCES, U.S. Department of Education, email document, 8/5/2013 in “Background on MGLS 

Disability Augmentation to Design Contract” e-mailed by Joseph Gibbs, U.S. Department of Education, Contracts & Acquisitions 

Management, December 11, 2013.

c

For 50 schools.

 

17 This subsample will include 300 students with disabilities and 519 students without disabilities.

18 The actual number of teachers completing these instruments is difficult to estimate and will depend on how the student sample is 

distributed across the mathematics classes in the sampled schools.
8

For schools that agree to participate in the field test, we will select enough students to yield 24 completed 

student assessments in grade 6, and 26–2719 completed student assessments in grades 7 and 8, respectively. 

A total of 1,200 assessments per grade will be completed, plus assessments for an additional 242 students 

with disabilities spread across these three grades, for a total of 3,842 assessments in grades 6-8. We plan to 

sample students from school rosters rather than selecting classrooms and taking all or a sample of students 

from each sampled class. In schools with a grade 5, we will select enough grade 5 students to obtain a total

of 350 completed student assessments (an average of 29-30 assessments in the expected 12 schools with 5th

graders). Thus we expect to administer 4,192assessments in the field test. From among the 3,842 students in 

grades 6–8, we will randomly select a subsample large enough to yield a total of 819 completed student 

surveys, executive functioning measurements, and parent surveys (table 2).

The actual method for sampling students will depend on whether records are available through the 

individual school or through, for example, a school district office, and whether students with the specified 

disabilities are identified and their disability status indicated on a list containing all students. For example, if 

all 6th grade students in a school are identified on one list but disability status is on another, we would select 

the initial random sample of 6

th grade students (enough to yield 24 assessments at an 80% response rate plus 

have a reserve sample to account for a lower response among students with disabilities and perhaps a lower 

than average response at this school) from the full list of students. The initial sample would be checked 

against the list of students having disabilities and we would then randomly sample additional students in the 

specific disability categories to allow us to meet our targets for those groups.

Between 300–500 observations will be adequate to estimate the item characteristics (using one- or twoparameter models) for scales within the questionnaires (de la Torre and Hong 2010; Linacre 1994; Hulin et 

al. 1982). Therefore, of the 819 completed student surveys, executive functioning measurements, and parent 

surveys, 300 will be students with disabilities (and their parents), and the remaining 519 will be students 

without disabilities (and their parents).

We will select a sample large enough to collect (online or by paper) mathematics teacher-reported 

information for 819 students. We will ask these teachers to complete the teacher-level and student-level 

parts of the Mathematics Teacher Questionnaire. With one exception, teachers will be asked to complete 

only three (3) student-level teacher questionnaires regardless of the number of field test children they have 

in their class, in order to limit the respondent burden these individuals have from the field test. As the 

exception to this rule, approximately 15 grade 6 teachers across five sampled schools will be asked to 

complete the student-level teacher questionnaire for all sampled students in their class, allowing us to test 

the timing and teacher burden tolerance that could be expected in the national study.

In order to examine the associations between items and scales in the student, parent, and teacher surveys, 

and their associations with student performance on the executive functioning measures, and the mathematics 

and reading assessments, a single subsample of 819 students (and their parents and teachers) will be chosen 

to complete this set of instruments. Thus, for this sample of students we will have full information about 

their performance on the different assessments and measures, and the responses of their parents and 

teachers. The sample will include both students with and without disabilities.

B.1.4. Evaluating	Mathematics	Items,	Reading	Assessment,	and	Socioemotional	and	

Executive	Functions	Measures

We will use the field test to identify mathematics items with the strongest psychometric properties and those 

covering the range of difficulties we expect to encounter in the national study. Based on the findings from 

the field test, we will construct a two-stage adaptive mathematics assessment for the national MGLS:2017. 

 

19 The slightly higher targeted number of 7th and 8th grade students in each school reflects the expectation that not all sampled 

schools will have a 7th and 8th grade (see Table 1), therefore in schools that do serve these grades, there will need to be a slightly 

larger sample of students taken to insure sufficient coverage on the aggregate across all schools.
9

We will also use the field test to evaluate an assessment of students’ reading achievement, several different 

executive functions measures, and items and scales found in the student questionnaire, including a number 

of scales that measure different aspects of students’ socioemotional well-being (e.g. internalizing problems,

conscientiousness, theories of intelligence, hope, and motivation).

20 The goal is to use the field test to 

identify the assessments, measures, and items that will be fielded in the national study and guide any needed 

adjustments prior to the launching of that study. With about only 60-90 minutes of a student’s time 

available, we will use a spiral design to accomplish our several goals.

For a final two-stage adaptive mathematics assessment with a routing test and three to four second-stage 

forms, we will need roughly 60–75 items. We will test at least twice as many items as we will need for the 

full scale collection (approximately 150). We will group items into multiple forms, with some overlap, so 

that we have at least 400 observations per item, and can place the items on a single scale. 

For the executive function tasks, we are targeting a yield of 819 cases (table 2). Each student will receive 

two of the four executive function measures.

B.2. Procedures	for	the	Collection

Recruitment in preparation for the spring 2015 field test will begin with the sample of up to 15 sites, a 

roughly equal number of school districts, and 150 schools. We will assemble an experienced recruitment 

team; recruiters will participate in a day-long training covering the specific goals, requirements, and 

timeline of the MGLS:2017 field test, and review all instruments (types of questions being asked, of whom, 

and how they are asked), planned data requirements and incentives, and planned procedures. Training 

scenarios developed for in-class practice will prepare recruiters for additional questions they may encounter, 

detecting areas of confusion and reasons for hesitancy on the part of districts, schools, and gatekeepers and

developing strategies for addressing reluctance and keeping the door open. Only recruiters experienced in

recruiting districts and schools will be used. Before contacting districts, they will sit in on a call placed by

the recruitment lead who directs the training and will initiate the first district recruitment call. The 

recruitment lead will in turn sit in on each recruiter’s initial conversation with a district. This process will be 

repeated for school recruitment calls. A post-call debrief will provide an opportunity to discuss the contact, 

issues that arose, next steps, and strategies to strengthen future contact attempts.

District recruitment. Once training has been held, district recruitment will begin. The first contact to 

districts (and with private school administrative bodies, if required) will be in the form of a recruitment 

packet containing a letter from NCES requesting permission to recruit schools in the district to participate in 

the field test (see Appendix A). The packet also will include a summary of the field test and a set of 

frequently asked questions (Appendices C and D, respectively). The letter will indicate that a study

representative will follow up in a few days to confirm permission to contact schools directly (Appendix E is 

a guide for the follow-up call to districts).

A few days after districts receive the recruitment packet, recruiters will make the initial personal contact to 

districts by telephone. During the call, the recruiter will respond to questions and offer solutions for 

challenges the district might pose (e.g., concern about conflicts with existing district testing schedule). The 

recruiter will also use this time to confirm that selected schools are operational and contain the grade levels 

required for the field test (grades 6–8), and will ask the superintendent or someone in the district office to 

confirm the email address for the school administrator in each sampled school. Members of the recruiting 

team will also initiate any formal applications for clearance to conduct research in the district, where

required. Once permission to contact schools has been obtained, the recruiter will ask the district for a letter 

of permission and support that can be shared with school administrators.

 

20 The field test will evaluate an assessment of students’ reading achievement that is being developed specifically for use in the 

MGLS:2017. We will examine how the items individually and as a set work for grade 6-8 students in general and for students with 

different types of disabilities. A subsequent data collection OMB package will address these other uses of the field test.
10

School recruitment. Once district approval has been obtained, an information packet will be mailed to 

school administrators. The information packet will contain a letter from NCES requesting participation in 

the field test (Appendix B) along with frequently asked questions and a study summary (Appendices C and 

D), and where available, a letter of support from the school district (or from a diocese or other 

administrative unit for parochial and charter schools where applicable). A recruiter will follow up with a 

personal telephone call to discuss the data collection requirements, school and respondent incentives, and 

general time line. The recruiter will work with the school to encourage participation.

During school recruitment, recruiters will ask principals to designate a school coordinator. The school 

coordinator will work with the study staff to help gather current class rosters and other key information 

needed for sampling and assessment administration; identifying students with an IEP and the corresponding 

type of disability; distributing and collecting parent consent forms; and working with the data collection 

team to schedule testing, and assisting the study team in encouraging teachers and administrators to 

complete their survey instruments.

B.3. Methods	to	Maximize	Response	Rates

We will likely face many challenges in obtaining the cooperation of districts and schools. Loss of 

instructional time; competing demands, such as district and state testing requirements; spring break 

schedules; lack of teacher and parent support; and increased demands on principals all can seriously impede

gaining permission to conduct research in schools. Our recruitment teams will be trained to communicate 

clearly to districts, dioceses, private school organizations, and schools the benefits of participating in the 

field test, and what participation will require in terms of student and staff time. Recruiters will be trained to 

address concerns that districts and schools may have about participation, while simultaneously 

communicating the value of the study and its key role in developing instruments that ensure high quality

data focusing on middle grade students. Early engagement of districts and school administrators will be key. 

The study will also offer monetary incentives to schools (as discussed in Part A), which have proven 

effective in increasing response rates. In summary, along with offering monetary incentives, our plan for 

maximizing district and school administrator engagement includes the following:

 Experienced recruiters. The recruiting team will include staff with established records of successfully

recruiting school districts and schools. To maximize district approval, senior staff will make the initial 

district telephone contacts. Their familiarity with the study and its future impact, as well as their 

experience in working with districts to overcome challenges to participation, will be crucial to obtaining 

district approval. Recruiters contacting schools will be equally adept at working with school 

administrators and providing solutions to many challenges associated with student assessments, 

including scheduling and space conflicts, minimizing interruption of instructional time, and obtaining 

teacher and parent buy-in.

 Persuasive materials. Key to the plan for maximizing response are developing and sharing informative 

materials, and making requests to participate both professional and persuasive. The importance of the 

study will be reflected in the initial invitations from NCES (Appendices A and B) sent with a 

comprehensive set of frequently asked questions (Appendix C) and a study description (Appendix D).

Beginning recruitment as soon as OMB clearance is obtained will allow districts and school 

administrators enough time to review study materials, giving them a full understanding of the study’s

value, the importance of the field test, and the data collection activities required by the field test. A full 

understanding of these factors will be important, both to obtain cooperation and ensure that schools and 

districts expect the data collection requests that will follow.

 Buy-in and support at each level. During district recruitment, the study team will seek not just 

permission to contact the schools but, ideally, support from the district. This may take the form of 
11

approval of a research application or a letter from the district superintendent encouraging schools to 

participate. Active district support encourages school cooperation. The same is true when private school 

organizations are involved. Similarly, when principals are interested in the research activity, they are 

more likely to encourage teacher participation and put forward an effective school coordinator.

 Avoiding refusals. Recruiters will work to avoid direct refusals by placing the focus on strategies to 

solve problems or meet the challenges faced by the district or school administrator. They will endeavor 

to keep the door open while providing additional information or seeking other sources of persuasion.

B.4. Individuals	Responsible	for	Study	Design	and	Performance

The following individuals are responsible for the study design, district and school recruitment, and the 

collection and analysis of all field test data. Carolyn Fidelman is the Federal Contracting Officer’s 

Representative (COR) leading the MGLS:2017 design effort. Carol Pistorino (Decision Information 

Resources) and Jerry West (Mathematica Policy Research) are co-project directors, leading a study design 

and field test team that includes John Hall (senior statistician); Sally Atkins-Burnett (mathematics, executive 

functions, and socioemotional assessment); Liza Malone (survey instruments); John Sabatini (reading 

assessment); Michelle Najarian and Donald Rock (psychometric analyses); and Sylvia Epps and Sheila 

Heaviside (survey operations).

REFERENCES

de la Torre, J., & Hong, Y. (2010). Parameter Estimation With Small Sample Size A Higher-Order IRT 

Model Approach. Applied Psychological Measurement, 34(4), 267–285.

Hulin, C. L., Lissak, R. I., & Drasgow, F. (1982). Recovery of two-and three-parameter logistic item 

characteristic curves: A Monte Carlo study. Applied Psychological Measurement, 6(3), 249–260.

Linacre, J.M., (1994). Sample Size and Item Calibration Stability.” Rasch Measurement Transactions, 7(4), 

328.