Adult Literacy in America - National Center for Education Statistics ...

Response Rates
screener was conducted, the interviewer returned to administer the
background questionnaire and exercise booklet, which were administered on
the same visit.
The background questionnaire took approximately 20 minutes to administer
and could be conducted in English or Spanish (using the Spanish printed version)
only. In the introduction to the background questionnaire, the respondent was
told that he or she would be given a check for $20 in appreciation of the time and
effort involved in completing the interview, questionnaires, and assessment. The
background questionnaire was divided into six sections and collected
demographic data as well as data on literacy-related behaviors. Respondents from
each of the 11 participating states were asked five state-specific questions, which
appeared at the end of the questionnaire.
When the background questionnaire was completed, the interviewer
administered the exercise booklet, which took approximately 45 minutes. There
were 26 different versions of the exercise booklet, and each version had a
corresponding interview guide, which the interviewer used to facilitate the
respondent’s completion of tasks in the booklet.
For the prison population, the interviewer informed the selected inmate
about the study using an introduction printed in the background questionnaire
since there was no screener. As part of the introduction, the interviewer indicated
that the inmate would receive a certificate of participation if he or she completed
the survey. Because of varying prison regulations, it was not possible to pay
inmates $20 for their participation and so they received the certificate. The
background questionnaire and exercise booklet were administered using the same
procedures as for the household population.
Since there were three instruments — screener, background questionnaire,
and exercise booklet — required for the administration of the survey, it was
possible for a household or respondent to refuse to participate at the time of
the administration of any one of these instruments. Thus, response rates were
calculated for each of the three instruments. For the prison sample there were
only two points at which a respondent could refuse — at the administration of
either the background questionnaire or exercise booklet. The response rates
presented below reflect the percentage of those who had the opportunity to
participate at each stage of the survey. The response rates for the national
household and prison samples are as follows.
Appendix A ......123