The purpose of the Study of School Turnaround is to document over time the intervention models, approaches, and strategies adopted and implemented by a subset of 60 schools receiving federal School Improvement Grants (SIG), Title I Section 1003(g), provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To this end, the evaluation will employ multiple data collection strategies, including telephone interviews with school principals, district administrators and state officials; site visits to case study schools; teacher surveys; and collection of fiscal data. Specifically, the study will conduct telephone interviews with building principals and will administer teacher surveys in 60 schools, over three years. This set of 60 SIG-awarded schools will include three nested subsamples: one set of 25 schools in which the study team will conduct in-depth case studies over three years, and two sets of 10 "special topics" schools in which the study team will collect interview, focus group, and survey data on topics of policy interest over a period of two years. The study will produce annual reports, accompanied by more focused research briefs on special topics related to the change process in the nation's lowest-performing schools.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.