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The Frequently Asked Questions section is maintained and updated by IMPAQ International on behalf of the National Office of Job Corps. The purpose of this section is to aid the Job Corps community in understanding the Job Corps Follow-Up Survey. The section provides answers to questions that members of the community might have regarding the process and methodology of the Follow-Up Survey. The questions in the section are sorted by topic area to allow easy navigation.

MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE JOB CORPS FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS

  1. When will my graduate or former enrollee be surveyed?
  2. Why wasn't a placement credit given for my graduate?
  3. How quickly are military employment credits or wages reflected in OMS reports and initial placement reverifications?
  4. My graduate or former enrollee wasn't employed when he or she took the survey (or was a college student on summer break) but is employed now (or the semester has begun), and the 8-week eligibility window hasn't lapsed yet; can he or she retake the survey?
  5. How can I tell when one of my terminees has entered the survey queue and his or her 8-week eligibility window has commenced?
  6. Why don't my OMS-20 and POMS-20 reports agree with the survey results showing in CTS?
GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE JOB CORPS FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS
  1. Why conduct post-program surveys?
  2. Who is being surveyed?
  3. What post-program surveys are being conducted?
  4. What information is being collected?
  5. Who is collecting the data?
  6. Is the survey mandatory?
  7. How long is the survey?
  8. When did data collection begin?
  9. Are samples of students used for the surveys?
  10. Can survey feedback be shared with contractors to assess and improve services provided?
QUESTIONS ABOUT CONTACT INFORMATION AND RESPONSE RATES
  1. What information do survey interviewers have about former enrollees and graduates?
  2. What role can the Job Corps community play in the survey process?
  3. What are the best types of alternate contacts?
  4. When can alternate contact information be updated?

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SURVEY DATA COLLECTION PROCESS

  1. When does interviewing staff get records for the survey?
  2. How are graduates and former enrollees contacted to participate in the survey?
  3. When can former participants call the toll-free number to complete a survey?
  4. When calling the toll-free number, should participants leave a message?
  5. Should I have former students from my center call to volunteer for the survey?
  6. How many times do interviewers attempt to call former enrollees and graduates?
  7. What happens if former enrollees or graduates cannot be found to complete a 90-to-120 day interview?
  8. What happens when 6- and 12-month surveys of placed graduates are not completed by the end of the 8-week eligibility window?
  9. May a family member answer the survey for a former enrollee or graduate?
  10. As a concerned Job Corps or CTS staff member, may I monitor a former student's survey?
  11. How are transfers and readmitted students handled in the survey process?
QUESTIONS ABOUT INITIAL PLACEMENT VERIFICATION
  1. Does the follow-up survey system also play a role in the verification process for initial placement?
  2. If the initial placement is questionable, does the rest of the interview continue?
QUESTIONS CONCERNING WHAT IS CREDITED AS PLACEMENT
  1. If former enrollees or graduates have changed jobs, does that job count in the follow-up outcome measures?
  2. If former enrollees or graduates are on paid leave (for example, sick leave or vacation) at the time of the survey, does that count as working during the survey period?
  3. If former enrollees or graduates are on unpaid leave due to a temporary work shortage, bad weather, or other reasons, does that count as working during the survey period?
  4. If former enrollees or graduates are on a school break during the week before being contacted to complete a survey, does that count as a school placement credit?
  5. What happens with military placements?
QUESTIONS ABOUT PAYMENTS FOR COMPLETING THE SURVEY
  1. What payments are offered to former participants for completing the survey, and who makes the payment?
  2. What if one of my graduates does not receive his or her survey payment?
  3. May Job Corps contractors withhold items such as class rings and other recognition of accomplishment to graduates who do not participate in the survey?
  4. May Job Corps contractors offer rewards, gifts, or prizes for survey participation?
  5. What specific activities are forbidden for Job Corps contractors attempting to encourage survey participation?
QUESTIONS ABOUT SURVEY RESULTS AND WHOM TO CONTACT
  1. What reports will centers, CTS providers, and vocational training programs receive?
  2. What can I do if I believe the survey data are not accurate?
  3. Whom should I call with questions about how the follow-up survey data are used in the Outcome Measurement System (OMS)?
  4. Whom do I contact if I have questions about the post-program surveys?

MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE JOB CORPS FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS

1.  When will my graduate or former enrollee be surveyed?

For graduates, the survey window commences 12 weeks (90-120 survey), 24 weeks (6-month survey), or 50 weeks (12-month survey) after the "date reported" which is the first day that the graduate reports to work, school, training, or the military. For placed former enrollees, the survey window commences 12 weeks after the separation date which is the last day they are enrolled on-center. There is an 8-week window of eligibility where the student will be attempted to be contacted multiple times on different days and different times of the day. In order to reach this highly mobile population to complete the survey, it is imperative that center and CTS staff collect good contact information.

NOTE: Re-enrolled students ("readmits") are not surveyed.

2.  Why wasn't a placement credit given for my graduate?

The most common reasons for credit not being given when expected are: (a) the respondent wasn't working during the survey week--the week immediately preceding the week in which the survey was completed (weeks run from Sunday to Saturday); (b) the respondent didn't work enough hours during the survey week; or (c) the respondent didn't earn enough during the survey week. Note that students who do not complete a survey cannot be given a placement credit except as a result of a military verification for which there is often a lag in reporting (see next question).

3.  How quickly are military employment credits or wages reflected in OMS reports and initial placement reverifications?

The time required to confirm military placements can vary widely:

  • If the respondent confirms that he or she is enlisted in the military by completing a survey, credits should be reflected within 6 weeks after they complete the survey.
  • If a family member confirms that the Job Corps participant is enlisted in the military, credits should be reflected within 6 weeks after the 8-week survey window closes. We continue our efforts to contact the participant throughout the 8-week window.
  • If the military confirms that the Job Corps participant was enlisted in the military during the twenty-sixth or fifty-second week after the "date reported," credits should be reflected 6 to 9 months after the 8-week survey window closes. In rare cases, that delay can be as long as 12 months or more.

4.  My graduate or former enrollee wasn't employed when he took the survey (or was a college student on summer break) but is employed now (or the semester has begun) and the 8-week eligibility window hasn't lapsed yet; can he or she retake the survey?

No. Survey results are final, and surveys cannot be "retaken."

5.  How can I tell when one of my terminees has entered the survey queue and his or her 8-week eligibility window has commenced?

Whenever a participant is queued for a follow-up survey, a Case Note that includes the dates of the 8-week window is posted. For graduates, the window is calculated from the "date reported"; for former enrollees it is calculated from the "separation date." [See FAQ#1 above.]

6.  Why don't my OMS-20 and POMS-20 reports agree with the survey results showing in CTS?

The most likely reason for such discrepancies is timing of the survey; if a survey is completed near the end of the month, the results may not be reflected until the following month's reports.

GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE JOB CORPS FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS

7.  Why conduct post-program surveys?

Follow-up surveys are conducted to:

  • Provide annual information to Congress and the Secretary of Labor on the employment and education outcomes of Job Corps graduates and former enrollees, as required by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
  • Reverify initial placement reports
  • Report post-program outcomes about the Center, Career Transition Services (CTS) and Vocational Training (VES) Report Cards
  • Assess graduates' and former enrollees' satisfaction with their Job Corps experiences, identify program elements that were useful to participants, and identify factors that contributed to decisions to withdraw before graduation
  • Support continuous improvement of program quality for the Job Corps system
  • Verify contact information for the respondent and for alternate contacts who may know how to reach students after the students relocate

8.  Who is being surveyed?

  • Former enrollees placed in a job, school, military or qualifying training programs
  • Graduates placed in a job, school, military or qualifying training programs
  • The military (for enlistment verification)
  • Employers and schools (when participants cannot be surveyed)

9.  What post-program surveys are being conducted?

The following post-program surveys are being conducted:

  • 90-120 day survey of placed former enrollees--Former Enrollee Survey (FES)
  • 90-120 day checkpoint of placed graduates--Interim Checkpoint For Eligibility (ICFE)
  • 6-month survey of placed graduates
  • 12-month survey of placed graduates
  • Employer or school reverification (when placed graduates and placed former enrollees cannot be reached to complete the 90-120-day checkpoint or the 90-day former enrollee survey)

10.  What information is being collected?

The surveys collect:

  • Data to reverify the initial job, school, or other training program placements of placed graduates and former enrollees (only in the 90-Day Former Enrollee and the 90-120-day Interim Checkpoint for Eligibility surveys)
  • Information about employment experiences last week
  • Information about educational experiences last week
  • Summary information about the work, school, and job search activities of those who were neither working nor in school last week
  • Information about satisfaction with Job Corps services
  • Updated contact information
Modules Included in Each Survey Instrument Based on Student Type and Timing of Interview

 

Placed
Former Enrollees
at 90 Days

Placed
Graduates
at 90-120 Days

Placed
Graduates
at 6 and 12 Months

Modules Included in Each Survey Instrument

1. Placement Reverification

1. Placement Reverification

 

2. Employment Last Week

2. Employment Last Week

2. Employment Last Week

3. Education Last Week

3. Education Last Week

3. Education Last Week

4. Neither Working Nor in School Last Week: Search Activities

4. Neither Working Nor in School Last Week: Search Activities

4. Neither Working Nor in School Last Week: Search Activities

5. Satisfaction with Job Corps

5. Satisfaction with Job Corps

5. Satisfaction with Job Corps
(Subset of Questions)

 

6. Contact Information

6. Contact Information
(6-Month Survey Only)

11.  Who is collecting the data?

Interviewers employed by IMPAQ International, LLC and Battelle Memorial Institute are conducting the post-program surveys. If you are a student who needs to determine who is collecting your data, contact your Job Corps Center. If you are a Job Corps Operator, Center Staff, or CTS provider, please review the case notes to determine which survey center is conducting a particular student's survey.

12.  Is the survey mandatory?

No. All former participants selected for the survey have the right to refuse to participate in the survey and the right to be free of coercion or undue influence to participate. Former enrollees and graduates are informed of these rights before the start of the questionnaire. Specifically, interviewers are required to read the following informed consent statement to all potential survey participants:

"Before we begin the survey, we must be sure that you clearly understand a few points. Your participation in the survey is completely voluntary. Job Corps has obtained approval to conduct the survey from the federal government's Office of Management and Budget. All the information that you provide will be held in the strictest confidence and used only to assess how young people are doing since they left Job Corps. Your answers will not be shared with anyone outside of Job Corps in any manner that would enable someone to identify you. You may refuse to answer any questions that you do not want to answer. However, we hope that you will choose to answer as many questions as you can."

13.  How long is the survey?

On average, the survey takes 10-15 minutes.

14.  When did data collection begin?

The 6- and 12-month surveys of placed graduates began on September 14, 2001. The data collection started with graduates who were initially placed approximately 6 months and 12 months before September 14, 2001. The 90-120 day Interim Checkpoint for Eligibility surveys also began on September 14, 2001. The 90-120 day Former Enrollee Surveys began on September 21, 2001.

15.  Are samples of students used for the surveys?

No. Surveyors attempt to interview every placed graduate and former enrollee, multiple times during various times of the day and evening.

16.  Can survey feedback be shared with contractors to assess and improve services provided?

IMPAQ is working to make this information available to contractors in the future.


QUESTIONS ABOUT CONTACT INFORMATION AND RESPONSE RATES

17.  What information do survey interviewers have about former enrollees and graduates?

Interviewers use the SPAMIS database and the Survey Support System (S3) to access participant names, addresses, telephone numbers, placement information, and alternate contacts. Interviewers also have the name of the Job Corps center attended, date separated, and initial placement information.

18.  What role can the Job Corps community play in the survey process?

Admissions counselors, center personnel, records department personnel, CTS providers, National Training Contractors, and others can play a key role in helping Job Corps achieve high response rates to the post-program surveys, and thus improve the overall quality of the data. Response rates can be improved by:

  • Ensuring that contact information is accurate and up-to-date.
  • Providing accurate information about the survey process and payments for completing the survey, and encouraging graduates and former enrollees to complete the survey when survey interviewers contact them.
  • Encouraging students to provide information for several alternate contacts.
  • Adding a casenote in the student's record with the Subject: "Email Address" and entering the student's email address.
  • Assisting IMPAQ and Battelle when they request contact information for participants.

19.  What are the best types of alternate contacts?

Relatives and close friends generally are the best alternate contacts. Female relatives tend to be better informed than male relatives. Good alternate contacts include persons who do not live with the participant, but who are likely to know where the participant is living at all times. Names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses can greatly assist our interviewers. In general, the more alternate contacts, the better.

NOTE: Center personnel should not be listed as alternate contacts.

20.  When can alternate contact information be updated?

Updates and additions to the alternate contacts table in OASIS, CIS, and CTS can be made as students proceed through the Job Corps system.

  • Outreach and Admissions (OA) contractors may update the alternate contact data until students arrive on center.
  • Centers may update this information indefinitely, unless students transfer to another center, at which time the ability to update alternate contact information shifts to the new center.
  • CTS providers and those authorized with CTS access may update alternate contacts indefinitely, unless students' records are transferred to another CTS provider.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SURVEY DATA COLLECTION PROCESS

21.  When do interviewers receive records for the survey?

New records are added to the survey databases once a week and remain in the databases up to eight weeks ("the 8-week window") while the interviewers attempt to complete surveys. Records are added to the survey databases according to the following schedule:

Name of Survey

When Records Added to Survey Database

90-Day Placed Former Enrollees

12 Weeks After Separation

90-120 Day Interim Checkpoint for Placed Graduates

12 Weeks After Initial Placement

6-Month Placed Graduates

24 Weeks After Initial Placement

12-Month Placed Graduates

50 Weeks After Initial Placement


Records are added to the survey databases so that survey results can be measured on average for the desired period. For example, records for 6-month placed graduates are added 24 weeks after the “date reported” so that the survey responses will correspond to about 6 months (26 weeks) after the initial placement. Therefore, participants can be interviewed as early as 24 weeks (5.5 months) and as late as 32 weeks (7.5 months) after placement. Similarly, the 8-week window schedules the ICFE survey between 12 and 20 weeks after initial placement, and the 12-month placed graduate survey between 11.5 and 13.5 months after initial placement.

22.  How are graduates and former enrollees contacted to participate in the survey?

Interviewers attempt to contact all eligible graduates and former enrollees by telephone. As needed, interviewers make multiple call attempts at different times of the day and on weekends, to complete a survey or schedule an appointment for survey completion. If interviewers do not reach participants directly, they leave messages for students to call a toll-free number to complete the survey.

Postcards are sent to graduates and former enrollees by the Survey Center responsible for their interview two weeks after they are added to the survey database. The postcard informs them of the survey and invites them to call the toll-free number at their earliest convenience.

23.  When can former participants call the toll-free number to complete a survey?

IMPAQ's call center is in the Eastern time zone and conducts surveys seven days a week. No calls are made after 9 p.m. participant's local time unless the participant has scheduled a late appointment

The IMPAQ toll-free number is 866.554.6727 (866.55IMPAQ). Their call center is open for call-ins as follows:

  • Monday and Wednesday:  9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Tuesday and Thursday:  9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time
  • Friday:  9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Saturday:  4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Sunday:  12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Battelle's call center is in the Pacific time zone and conducts surveys seven days a week. No calls are made after 9 p.m. participant's local time unless the participant has scheduled a late appointment.

The Battelle toll-free number is 800.438.5862. Their call center is open for call-ins as follows:

  • Monday through Thursday:  7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time
  • Friday:  7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time
  • Sunday:  10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time

24.  When calling the toll-free number, should participants leave a message?

Yes. Participants who have been previously contacted by survey interviewers and who call the toll-free survey number at a time the call centers are closed should leave a message stating that they are calling about the Job Corps survey and leave their name, telephone number (including the area code), and a best time to call back. It is important that participants speak clearly, and helpful if they spell their last name.

25.  Should I have former students from my center call to volunteer to do the survey?

To minimize confusion and to avoid overloading the data collection process, it is important that former students not call the toll-free numbers before they have entered the survey window. Receipt of a Case Note for each student will verify that he or she is in the survey window. If you receive a Case Note announcing that a student has entered the queue and the 8-week survey window has commenced, you may encourage the student to call the appropriate toll-free number. But be sure that the student has not already completed the survey, and remind the student that there is a limited time to complete the survey before the 8-week window lapses.

26.  How many times do interviewers attempt to call former enrollees and graduates?

When former enrollees and placed graduates become eligible for a survey, records are active for eight weeks. Interviewers make repeated attempts to contact survey respondents during the eight weeks. Interviewers make a minimum of two attempts in the first week. If interviewers do not reach participants during this period, they make additional attempts throughout the remaining weeks of the "survey window." Interviewers ask respondents to complete the survey on the first call, explaining that the survey is short and will take only a few minutes. They also leave the toll-free number on answering machines or with other members of the household. Interviewers schedule appointments with respondents if necessary.

When a phone number is unreliable, interviewers use alternate contact information. If that information does not lead to the respondent, interviewers make further efforts to locate respondents before the 8-week period ends. Generally, problems in reaching a participant result from poor contact information, not from the number of calls attempted.

27.  What happens if former enrollees/graduates cannot be found to complete a 90-to-120 day FES/ICFE interview?

For placed graduates who cannot be contacted for the 90-120-day checkpoint and for placed former enrollees who cannot be contacted for the 90-day former enrollee survey, interviewers attempt to conduct a brief placement reverification survey with their employer or school. This process begins at the end of the 8-week window. At that point, records are scheduled for employer or school reverification surveys. Interviewers have four additional weeks to complete surveys with employers and educational institutions. Surveys conducted with employers or school officials include only questions that are designed to reverify initial placements.

Note: Graduates and former enrollees whose initial placement was in the military may have their placement reverified by family members; however, family members may furnish only contact data and not respond to any other portion of the FES/ICFE survey.

Note: Placed graduates not contacted for the 90-120-day survey (or the 6-month survey) are still attempted to be contacted for subsequent surveys. The Job Corps community should continue to update OASIS, CIS, and CTS records with recent contact data for the survey interviewers to use.

28.  What happens when 6- and 12-month surveys of placed graduates are not completed by the end of the 8-week eligibility window?

Surveys not completed by the end of the eight weeks are coded as "not completed before expiration date," and those records are not included in the pool for calculating the 6- and 12-month post-placement measures. Once the eligibility window is closed, interviewers can no longer access the record. This limitation demonstrates the importance of having the best contact (and alternate contact) information available early in the data collection process.

29.  May a family member complete the survey for a former enrollee or graduate?

No. All surveys must be conducted with former enrollees or graduates, with two exceptions for family members:

(1) Family members may complete the survey for respondents who are deaf or mute or both.

(2) Family members may confirm military placement reverification in the FES/ICFE surveys and may confirm employment in the military for purposes of the 6- and 12-month surveys. Note, however, that they may not actually complete the survey but may only confirm employment and the implicit wage level as defined by the National Office of Job Corps.

When family members offer to complete the survey, interviewers stress the need to speak with respondents directly.

NOTE: The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) MilPay is used to verify initial placements in the military, and the U.S. Military Processing Entrance Command (USMPEC) is used to verify employment within the military for the 6- and 12-month surveys.

30.  As a concerned Job Corps or CTS staff member, may I monitor a former student's survey?

No. The survey is confidential, and the interviewer will conduct the survey only if the participant is the only person on the telephone line. If Job Corps or CTS staff arrange for a participant to come into a Job Corps center or CTS office to call the survey line, arrangements must be made to allow the participant to answer the survey in private without Job Corps or CTS personnel in the room.

31.  How are transfers and readmitted students handled in the survey process?

Transfers should be surveyed normally.

Readmitted students--former enrollees or graduates who previously attended another Job Corps center or the same Job Corps center more than once--are only surveyed following their first participation in Job Corps.


QUESTIONS ABOUT INITIAL PLACEMENT VERIFICATION

32.  Does the follow-up survey system also play a role in the initial placement verification process?

Yes. Responses to the questions in the Employment and School Reverification sections of the Former Enrollee Survey (FES) and the Interim Checkpoint for Eligibility (ICFE) are used to determine whether the initial placements are reverified or found questionable. Specifically, for former participants placed in jobs, school, or college, the questions first confirm that the respondents worked for the employer or were enrolled in the educational institution. If so, then questions verify the number of hours spent working (or attending classes) as reported on the form ETA 678. Respondents placed in jobs must earn at least the federal minimum wage to be considered as having a valid job placement.

If placed former participants do not complete the FES or the ICFE within the 8-week window for data collection, interviewers shift their efforts and attempt to contact employers or educational institutions to reverify former participants' initial placements. Interviewers have four additional weeks to complete surveys with employers and educational institutions.

33.  If the initial placement is questionable, does the rest of the interview continue?

Yes. Even when initial placements are found to be questionable, the entire interview is completed. If the regional office later determines that initial placements are invalid, data from these surveys are subsequently excluded from Center, CTS, and Vocational Training (VES) Report Card reports.


QUESTIONS CONCERNING WHAT IS CREDITED AS PLACEMENT

34.  If former enrollees or graduates have changed jobs, does that job count in the follow-up outcome measures?

Yes. If former enrollees or graduates were working or were on paid leave the week before being contacted by interviewers, were paid for enough hours in that week for their jobs to qualify as Job Corps placements (minimum of 20 hours for part time, and 32 hours for full time), and earned at least the federal minimum wage, they will be considered as placed in a job for that particular survey (6- or 12-month).

35.  If former enrollees or graduates are on paid leave (for example, sick leave or vacation) at the time of the survey, does that count as working during the survey period?

Yes. Former enrollees or graduates who were on paid leave are counted as working.

36.  If former enrollees or graduates are on unpaid leave due to a temporary work shortage, bad weather, or other reasons, does that count as working during the survey period?

No. If former enrollees or graduates were not working for pay or were not on paid leave during the week before completing the survey, they are not considered as having a job that meets the Job Corps definition of placement.

37.  If former enrollees or graduates are on a school break during the week before being contacted to complete a survey, does that count as a school placement credit?

Yes. If former enrollees or graduates are on a short school break of up to four weeks (for example, spring or winter break) and intend to continue when school resumes, they are counted as enrolled or attending school. However, former enrollees or graduates on summer vacation during the time of the survey are not counted as enrolled in a school program.

38.  What happens with military placements?

All military placements are entered into the survey database.

Participants who complete the survey and indicate that they are in the military are considered to be placed in a job during the survey week at the standard weekly earnings rate established for all Job Corps military placements. If the participant is not available, the survey interviewers will attempt to verify that the participant is in the military by conducting a military verification with an alternate contact.

If the participant reports a job but does not indicate that it is in the military, then the weekly earnings are determined by the participant's answers to the survey questions.

Military placements are verified through interviews with respondents or family members, through the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) MilPay, and through the U.S. Military Processing Entrance Command (USMPEC).

Job Corps graduates in the military who complete a follow-up survey are paid the same incentive as other graduate respondents. Persons for whom only a military verification is completed are not eligible to receive the incentive payments, because the full survey has not been completed.


QUESTIONS ABOUT PAYMENTS FOR COMPLETING THE SURVEY

39.  What payments are offered to former participants for completing the survey, and who makes the payment?

Placed graduates receive $10 for the 90-120-day checkpoint, $15 for the 6-month survey, and $20 for the 12-month survey. The Job Corps Data Center (JCDC) distributes payments approximately four to six weeks after former participants complete the survey. Former enrollees are not paid for completing the survey.

40.  What if one of my graduates does not receive his or her survey payment?

It typically takes four to six weeks after the survey is completed before the incentive payment is sent to the student. Students who have completed a survey and not received the payment within six weeks should notify their Job Corps Center or CTS Agency that they haven't received payment. Center or CTS staff should verify the student's address, and contact the Data Center for assistance. It is critical to determine that the system has the correct address for the student.

Please do not have students contact the JCDC Help Desk directly.

41.  May Job Corps contractors withhold items such as class rings and other recognition of accomplishment to graduates who do not participate in the survey?

No. Ethical treatment of all participants is required for all survey research conducted with federal funding. A fundamental element in the ethical treatment of survey participants is that their agreement to participate is valid only if they give it voluntarily and free of coercion or undue influence. Withholding earned items from participants until they complete the survey constitutes coercion and violates the principle of voluntary participation.

42.  May Job Corps contractors offer rewards, gifts, or prizes for survey participation?

It is not recommended. Job Corps pays graduates $10 - $20 for completing each survey. [See FAQ #39] Incentives may constitute undue influence, which is defined as excessive, unwarranted, inappropriate, or improper rewards or inducements. If, however, contractors offer small additional incentives, it is important that survey participants understand that the incentive is from the contractor, to avoid participants phoning the Call Centers to inquire about additional incentives.

43.  What specific activities are forbidden for Job Corps contractors attempting to encourage survey participation?

Job Corps staff should observe the following restrictions:

(1) Do not link the receipt of any payments, awards, or benefits to the conduct or result of the survey. Students must not be denied any payments, awards, or benefits for which they are otherwise eligible through actions by others intended to dissuade them from completing the survey.

(2) Do not inform students that they should not participate in the survey unless they are employed or in school. This is professionally unethical, and leads to invalid measures of program performance.

(3) Do not coach students how they should respond or tell students what to say so that they will be considered to have a qualified job placement or educational placement.

(4) Do not listen in on the phone while the student takes a confidential survey. If participants call the survey line from an office of a Job Corps service provider (e.g., Center, CTS contractor), all staff should leave the room so that the participant can answer the survey in private.

(5) Do not ask or otherwise encourage students whose responses to the survey result in no credit to call the survey line to take the survey again. Once a student has completed the survey, the Interviewer will not administer it again. If a student's survey results in no credit, and the center or agency believes that the student was in a qualified placement during the week preceding the survey, the appropriate step is to file an appeal.

(6) Do not withhold known contact information for students who do not currently have a valid job or school placement according to Job Corps standards. This also leads to invalid outcome measures.


QUESTIONS ABOUT SURVEY RESULTS AND WHOM TO CONTACT

44.  What reports will centers, CTS providers, and vocational training programs receive?

Summary information will be reported in the Center Report Card (OMS-10), CTS Report Card (POMS-10), and Vocational Training Report Card (VES-10) for 6- and 12-month outcomes. Supporting details (at the student level) will be provided in the OMS-20, POMS-20, and VES-20 reports. Other specialized reports are being designed to provide information to the field.

Reports Available on 6- and 12-Month Outcomes

Centers

CTS Agencies

Vocational

Summary information

OMS-10

POMS-10

VES-10

Student-level Details

OMS-20

POMS-20

VES-20

45.  What can I do if I believe the survey data are not accurate?

If you believe that the data for a student from the 6-month and 12-month surveys are incorrect and you can provide supporting documentation, you may file an appeal with the Job Corps National Office. See the Policy and Requirements Handbook (PRH) Chapter 5, Appendix 501, which provides guidelines for filing appeals. And, if you have any additional questions concerning the appeal process, please contact Aquila Branch at branch.aquila@dol.gov.

46.  Whom should I call with questions about how the follow-up survey data are used in the Outcome Measurement System (OMS)?

Questions about how the follow-up survey data are used in various Job Corps Outcome Measurement System Report Cards can be directed to Terry Johnson at Battelle (Johnsont@Battelle.org or 206-528-3113), Lisa Lin at IMPAQ (llin@impaqint.com or 443-539-1396), or Aquila Branch at the National Office of Job Corps (branch.aquila@dol.gov or 202-693-3211).

47.  Whom do I contact if I have questions about the post-program surveys?

If you have additional questions about the surveys or the data collection process, please contact Lisa Lin at IMPAQ International (llin@impaqint.com or 443-539-1396).

Note: When following up on a particular student, please never leave a student's social security number on a voicemail box.