[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11609-11610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4578]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


2006 American Community Survey Content Test

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
proposed an/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506 
(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 9, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Wendy D. Hicks, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 2027, 
SFC 2, Washington, DC 20233, (301) 763-2431 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    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 for the mandated or required data traditionally 
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 
provides 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 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 
significant changes to the ACS content since the 2001. 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 data will produce. 2008 will mark the beginning 
of a period during which both three- and five-year aggregated data 
estimates will be based on new or revised ACS content, and will also 
include data collection in the year that coincides with the next 
decennial census (2010). 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 includes four stages: (1) Identification 
of content eligible for testing, (2) content determination, (3) content 
test implementation, and (4) recommendations for final content in 2008. 
The first stage involves the joint efforts of multiple Federal agencies 
that either sponsor or use data from the ACS, as well as subject matter 
experts from within the Census Bureau. Together, they have demonstrated 
problems with

[[Page 11610]]

existing questions or content on the ACS, such as out-of-date response 
categories, or more consequential problems such as questions resulting 
in estimates that seem systematically lower or higher than expected, 
based on comparisons to other sources. Additionally, recent or 
anticipated legislative action may result in identification of new 
content, not currently included on the ACS, for testing. In this phase, 
11 of 25 existing housing questions, 15 of 43 existing socio-economic 
questions, and three new socio-economic questions were identified for 
inclusion in the second stage of the content test.
    The second stage of the content test, content determination, 
includes cognitive laboratory pretesting, expert reviews and other 
pretesting methods for the purpose of developing alternate versions of 
question content identified as eligible for testing. As with the 
previous stage, representatives from numerous federal agencies, as well 
as other data users, have contributed to these early pretesting efforts 
by providing their subject matter expertise in the development of 
alternatives.
    Content test implementation, the third stage, will include a 
national sample field test with approximately 50,000 residential 
addresses. About half of the sample will serve as the test panel for 
the content, and the other half will serve as the control panel, 
receiving the current content of the 2005 ACS. The ACS Content Test 
will reflect almost all of the same data collection methodology as used 
with the current ACS, starting with mailing a prenotice letter and then 
an initial mailing package with an ACS questionnaire to residential 
addresses selected for participation. As with the current ACS, Census 
Bureau will mail a second questionnaire to the sampled address if no 
response is received after three weeks. Census Bureau staff will then 
follow-up households that do not respond by using computer-assisted 
telephone interviewing (CATI) and computer-assisted personal 
interviewing (CAPI).
    Operations for the 2006 ACS Content Test and the current ACS will 
differ in that the content test will not provide Telephone 
Questionnaire Assistance (TQA), nor will it include a Telephone Edit 
Follow-Up (TEFU) operation for mail respondents. The TQA operation 
provides direct assistance to respondents while answering the mail 
form, potentially influencing how they interpret and respond to 
questions. The TEFU operation follows-up with households that return a 
mail form to collect more complete data. The 2006 ACS Content Test 
excludes these two operations so that we can analyze data that most 
directly reflects the household's response to the questions.
    Additionally, the 2006 ACS Content Test will differ from the 
current ACS in that the content test will include a CATI Content 
Follow-up as a method to measure simple response variance and response 
bias. Both response variance and response bias will serve as critical 
indicators of the quality of the test questions relative to the current 
versions of the ACS questions. Both English and Spanish languages will 
be available in the automated instruments used for this content test.
    In the fourth and final stage, final content recommendations, an 
analysis of the data collected, including content follow-up data, will 
guide the selection of the versions 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. These recommendations are 
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.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau will mail prenotice letters and then paper 
questionnaires to households selected for the 2006 ACS Content Test. A 
reminder card is delivered to all sampled households that have not 
responded to the survey two weeks after the initial questionnaire was 
mailed. For households that do not return a questionnaire after three 
weeks, a second questionnaire is mailed to the non-responding 
household. After four weeks, Census Bureau staff will attempt to 
conduct interviews via CATI.
    Census Bureau staff will conduct a CAPI for remaining non-response 
households after eight weeks. All responding households that include a 
telephone number on their returned questionnaire will be eligible for 
Content Follow-Up. The Content Follow-up reinterviews will start 
approximately two weeks after receipt of the first mail returns and 
continue for approximately two weeks after the closeout of CAPI 
operations.

III. Data

    OMB Number: Not available.
    Form Number(s): ACS-1(2006), ACS-1(2006)T, and a subset of 
questions from ACS-1(2006)T for Content Follow-up.
    Type of Review: Regular.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: During the period of January 2-
March 31, 2006, we plan to contact a maximum of 50,000 residential 
addresses and approximately 30,000 responding households will be 
contacted for Content Follow-up.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 38 minutes per residential address, 30 
minutes per residential address for Content Follow-up.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 46,667.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: Except for their time, there is no 
cost to respondents.
    Respondent Obligation: Mandatory.
    Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141 and 193.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collections techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for the OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 4, 2005.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-4578 Filed 3-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P