Transition to Teaching (TTT) Program Evaluation and Assistance page 1

**PART B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS B1. Respondent Universe**  The study population for this data collection is the universe of TTT projects that will be submitting interim and final performance and evaluation reports during the approval period (anticipated to be approximately April 20 12 through April 201 7 ). This universe consists of 93 current projects funded from three funding cycles: FY 2007 (42 projects ), FY 2009 ( 21 projects) and FY 20 11 ( 30 projects ). FY 2007 projects woul d complete the survey only once. FY 200 9 and FY 2011 projects would complete the survey twice because both their interim and final performance reporting dates would fall within the three

- ye ar approval period. The total number of respondents for the f

ive survey

administrations would be 1 44

. A contractor determined by using the Department’s contract process administer s the survey to the entire population so that we can aggregate data across projects and accuratel y describe to the Secretary

and Congress the e xtent of program implementation. Because the total population of projects from each funding cycle is small (between 2 1 and 42 projects) selecting a sample of projects from each cycle would eliminate categories of participants and projects of interest to th e evaluation and the TTT program. Further, the estimated sample size that would be needed to accuratel y describe such a relativel y small popualtion of projects is close to the size of the population itself, meaning any proposed sampling strategies would only minimally

reduce the cost and burden associated with this data collection. **B2. Procedures for Data Collection** The Project Director or designee , will serve as the primary contact person for each project and will be responsible for submitting the projec t’s performance report, and completing the survey . The survey

will be administered during the interim year (third ye ar) and in the final year of the project. The survey will complement the annual performance report and the project evaluation. Project Dire ctors /designee will complete the electronic survey . Once the contractor is selected, they

will be responsible for securing a web

- based site and securing a secure server for the survey

. Additionally , the contractor will be required to provide direction to the website and explain the procedures for completing and submitting the survey . These support and notification materials will be provided to projects well in advance of the reporting period, to allow respondents to prepare for data collection and to reque st additional information or assistance.Transition to Teaching (TTT) Program Evaluation and Assistance page 2

During the data collection and reporting period, the TTT program staff will be available to assist respondents. We will also designate an email address, TTT@ed.gov , to allow resp ondents to ask questions, report problems, or request assistance. The telephone number of staff and e

mail address will be featured on all pages of the survey and in any related correspondence to grantees. **B3. Methods to Maximize Response Rate** We expect a response rate of 100% for the data collection, and will provide information and support before and during the data collection process to facilitate project participation. TTT staff will provide advance notice of the survey prior to data collection to allow respondents to gather the necessary

information. The supporting documents that accompany this advance notice will also explain the purpose and importance of the survey for the program evaluation. Presentations planned for TTT Project Directors Meeting s wi ll further highlight the program evaluation and the contribution projects will make to the program evaluation report. The electronic administration of the survey allows for instant access to the data and also allows for instant identification of non

- respo ndents. TTT staff will send reminder emails to all respondents ten day s after the initial survey administration, and send targeted emails to non

respondents three weeks after initial administration. At the end of the fourth week of data collection . TTT st aff will also contact the Project Director for those projects that have been identified as non

- respondent to determine the reason for nonparticipation and to offer additional technical assistance as necessary

. In cases where the response rate is unexpecte dl y l ow, or where issues are identified regarding the validity

of the initial responses, TTT staff will discuss the matter with the contractor to make any

necessary

amendments to the data collection plan. **B4. Tests of Procedures or Methods** The TTT survey instrument has gone through a series of reviews before being used in the field. WestEd was the original contractor that developed the survey worked very closel y with TTT staff throughout the design and revision process to ensure that survey items adhere t o the components of the TTT program and provide the necessary information to accurately describe the extent of program implementation. Please note, that three of the TTT funded cohorts have completed the survey

as part of their interim and/or final evalu ation.Transition to Teaching (TTT) Program Evaluation and Assistance page 3

**B5. Contractor Information and Use of Consultants** The TTT program evaluation, using this data collection instrument was led by Ross Lemke , at Applied Engineering Management Corporation (AEM). Lemke and his team of AEM staff
were responsible for d eveloping the data collection instruments, collecting and anal yz ing the survey data, and reporting the results to TTT program and project staff for T TT FY 2007, 2009 and 2011

. Our expectation is to have a contractor in place by the time we need to collec t the data, please note that at this time no specific contractor has been determined.