[Federal Register: July 12, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 132)]
[Notices]
[Page 39989-39990]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jy05-36]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: The American Community Survey Content Test.
Form Number(s): ACS-1(X)C6.
Agency Approval Number: None.
Type of Request: New collection.
Burden: 56,933 hours.
Number of Respondents: 62,900.
Avg Hours Per Response: Questionnaire--40 min.; Content
Reinterview--30 min.
Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau requests authorization from
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct the American
Community Survey Content Test. Given the rapid demographic changes
experienced in recent years and the strong expectation that such
changes will continue and accelerate, the once-a-decade data collection
approach of a decennial census is no longer acceptable as a source for
the housing and socio-economic data collected on the Census Long-Form.
To meet the needs and expectations of the country, the Census Bureau
developed the American Community Survey (ACS). This survey collects
long-form data every month and provide tabulations of these data on a
yearly basis. In the past, the long-form data were collected only at
the time of each decennial census. The ACS allows the Census Bureau to
remove the long form from the 2010 Census, thus reducing operational
risks, improving accuracy, and providing more relevant data.
Full implementation of the ACS in 2005 includes an annual sample of
approximately three million residential addresses a year in the 50
states and District of Columbia and another 36,000 residential
addresses in Puerto Rico each year. While this large sample of
addresses permits production of single year estimates for areas with a
population of 65,000 or more, estimates at lower levels of geography
require aggregates of three and five years' worth of data. The year
2008 is the first year for changes to the ACS content since the 2003
data collection year. From 2008 through 2012, it is important that the
content of the ACS questions remain consistent for the three and five
year aggregated data estimates that the ACS will be able to produce.
Data from year 2008 mark the first year of three year aggregated data
including the year of the next decennial census in 2010. Similarly,
2008 will serve as the starting year for the five year aggregated data
that includes 2010 (2008-2012). Given the significance of the year
2008, the ACS has committed to a research program during 2006 that will
result in final content determination in time for the 2008 ACS. This
research is the 2006 ACS Content Test. The 2006 ACS Content Test will
address three primary research questions:
1. Per specific content areas, can changes to question wording,
response categories, and redefinition of underlying constructs improve
the quality of the collected data?
2. Do changes in the layout of the mail form necessary to
accommodate the modified content impact response at a unit or item
level?
3. What are the cost implications of a change in form design due to
census short form questions in conjunction with ACS question changes?
The Content Test will include a national sample field test with
62,900 residential addresses. About half of the sample will serve as
the test panel for the content; the other half will serve as the
control panel and contain the current content of the 2005 ACS, plus
three new content items included for the first time as part of the ACS
Content Test. The three new topics are:
Marital history (up to 3 new questions per person,
depending on skip patterns)
Health insurance (up to 2 new questions per person,
depending on skip patterns)
Service connected disability (up to 2 new questions,
depending on skip patterns) Both the control and test versions will
include these new items to keep context and questionnaire length
consistent between the two versions.
These topics are included for testing on the Content Test, but the
2008 ACS may or may not include them. Only those topics for which
Congress approves the legislation will be eligible for the 2008 ACS.
The ACS Content Test will include a Content Reinterview, conducted
via CATI, as a method to measure response error. Along with other data
quality measures, such as item non-response rates, measures of
distributional changes and so on, simple response variance and gross
difference rates will serve as indicators of the quality of the test
questions relative to the current versions of the ACS questions.
Final content recommendations, an analysis of the data collected as
part of the content test, including the Content Reinterview data, will
guide the selection of the version of the questions that yield the
highest quality data. Census Bureau analysts, subject matter experts,
and experts from the other participating federal agencies will work
together to determine the final question content based on the results
of the test. The end product will reflect final content recommendation
based on input from all participants. The final approval of these
recommendations is expected in the early part of January 2007, so that
the Census Bureau can implement all the necessary changes to the
existing ACS data collection materials (e.g., questionnaires, CATI/CAPI
instruments, questionnaire instruction booklet, interviewer training
materials, etc.) to reflect the final recommended questions/content in
time for implementation of the 2008 ACS.
The American Community Survey itself provides data comparable to
the decennial census long form, at a census tract level. Federal
agencies use ACS to determine appropriate funding for states and local
governments through block grants. State and local governments use ACS
data for program planning, administration and evaluation. Thus the
quality of the ACS data directly impact the success of federal, state
and local government programs.
The objective of the 2006 ACS Content Test is to improve the
quality of ACS data. Every step we take to improve the quality of the
data further improves planning, administration and evaluation of the
government programs that rely on ACS data. The Content Test provides
the vehicle for improving the quality of the ACS data.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Frequency: One-time.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 141, 193, and 221.
OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, room 6625, 14th and
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at
dhynek@doc.gov).
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) or e-
mail (susan_schechter@omb.eop.gov).
[[Page 39990]]
Dated: July 6, 2005.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-13598 Filed 7-11-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P