[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31418-31419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-13375]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Comment Request for Information Collection for the Impact 
Evaluation of the YouthBuild Program, Extension With Revisions

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL or Department), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the public and Federal 
agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)] (PRA). The PRA helps ensure that 
respondents can provide requested data in the desired format with 
minimal reporting burden (time and financial resources), collection 
instruments are clearly understood and the impact of collection 
requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
    Currently, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the information 
collection request (ICR) to collect data about the YouthBuild 
evaluation study participants' educational attainment, employment and 
earnings, involvement with the criminal justice system, and social and 
emotional development. This information collection request (ICR) is to 
obtain extended clearance for MDRC, under contract to ETA, to 
administer a follow-up survey 48 months after youth were randomly 
assigned by MDRC to the YouthBuild Evaluation's treatment or control 
group.

DATES: Submit written comments to the office listed in the addresses 
section below on or before August 3, 2015.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained free by 
contacting Eileen Pederson, Office of Policy Development and Research, 
Room N-5641, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210. Telephone 
number: 202-693-3647 (this is not a toll-free number). Individuals with 
hearing or speech impairments may access the telephone number above via 
TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at 1-
877-889-5627 (TTY/TDD). Fax: 202-693-2766. Email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eileen Pederson, 202-693-3647, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Impact Evaluation of the YouthBuild program is a seven-year 
experimental design impact evaluation funded by ETA. YouthBuild is a 
youth and community development program that addresses several core 
issues facing low-income communities: available housing, youth 
education, youth employment and youth criminal behavior. The program 
primarily serves high school dropouts and focuses on helping them 
attain a high school diploma or general educational development 
certificate, and teaching them construction skills geared toward career 
placement. The Impact Evaluation will measure core program outcomes 
including educational attainment, postsecondary planning, employment, 
earnings, delinquency and involvement with the criminal justice system, 
and youth social and emotional development. The evaluation represents 
an important opportunity for DOL to add to the growing body of 
knowledge about the impacts of ``second chance'' programs for youth who 
have dropped out of high school. Compared to peers who remain in 
school, high school dropouts are more likely to be disconnected from 
school and work, be incarcerated, be unmarried, and have children 
outside of marriage.
    The evaluation of the YouthBuild program will address the following 
research questions:
     Operation: How is YouthBuild designed in each 
participating site? What are the key implementation practices that 
affect how the program operates? How does the local context affect 
program implementation and the services available to members of the 
control group?
     Participation: What are the characteristics of youth who 
enroll in the study? How are these characteristics shaped by YouthBuild 
recruitment and screening practices?
     Impacts: What are YouthBuild's impacts on educational 
attainment, planning, and aspirations? What are YouthBuild's impacts on 
employment, earnings, and job characteristics? What are YouthBuild's 
impacts on crime and delinquency? What are the program's impacts on 
social-emotional development, identity development, and self-
regulation?
     Costs: How does the net cost per participant compare with 
the impacts the program generates?
    The evaluation study started in June 2010 and is scheduled to 
continue until July 2017. The study includes a baseline information 
collection, a web-based survey of YouthBuild grantees, site-specific 
qualitative and cost data, and three mixed-mode (web and computer-
assisted telephone interviewing) surveys of youth that will take place 
12, 30, and 48 months after random assignment. The target population 
for the study is out-of-school youth aged 16-24, who are from low-
income families; in foster care; offenders; migrants; disabled; or are 
children of incarcerated parents.
    Members of both the treatment and control groups will complete the 
48-month follow-up survey. The survey requests information about the 
services that participants have received through YouthBuild and other 
community service providers, as well as information about their 
educational attainment, postsecondary planning and engagement, 
employment, earnings, delinquency and involvement with the criminal 
justice system, and social and emotional development.

[[Page 31419]]

    On December 18, 2012, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approved DOL's request to administer the three follow-up surveys (see 
ICR Reference #201208-1205-007). That clearance expires on December 31, 
2015. This request is to extend OMB clearance of the final survey 
administration, with minor revisions.

II. Review Focus

    The Department is particularly interested in comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

    [ssquf] Agency: DOL-ETA.
    [ssquf] Type of Review: Extension with changes.
    [ssquf] Title of Collection: The Impact Evaluation of the 
YouthBuild Program.
    [ssquf] Form: 48-Month participant follow-up survey.
    [ssquf] OMB Control Number: 1205-0503.
    [ssquf] Affected Public: Low-income, disadvantaged youth.
    [ssquf] Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,749 youth.
    [ssquf] Frequency: Once.
    [ssquf] Total Estimated Annual Responses: 2,749 (2,749 respondents 
x 1 survey).
    [ssquf] Estimated Average Time per Response: 35 minutes.
    [ssquf] Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,604 hours for the 
48-month survey (2,749 responses x 35 minutes per response / 60 minutes 
= 1,604 burden hours).
    [ssquf] Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $11,629 (2,749 
responses x 35 minutes per response x $7.25 per hour = $11,629).
    We will summarize and/or include in the request for OMB approval of 
the ICR, the comments received in response to this comment request; 
they will also become a matter of public record.

Portia Wu,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2015-13375 Filed 6-1-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-FT-P