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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13075.
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Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey

Interim Report

Panel on Statistical Methods for Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey

Krisztina Marton and Paul R. Voss, Editors

Committee on National Statistics

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

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OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13075.
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by contract number YA132309CN0089 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Census Bureau. Support for the work of the Committee on National Statistics is provided by a consortium of federal agencies through a grant from the National Science Foundation (award number SES-0453930). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

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Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2011). Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Panel on Statistical Methods for Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey, Krisztina Marton and Paul R. Voss, Editors. Committee on National Statistics, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13075.
×

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13075.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13075.
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PANEL ON STATISTICAL METHODS FOR MEASURING THE GROUP QUARTERS POPULATION IN THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY

PAUL R. VOSS (Chair),

Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina

WILLIAM A.V. CLARK,

Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles

SUSAN COPELLA,

Pennsylvania State Data Center, Pennsylvania State University

DAVID DOLSON,

Statistics Canada, Ottawa

RALPH FOLSOM,

RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

RACHEL HARTER,

National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago

STEVEN HEERINGA,

Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan

JOSEPH SALVO,

New York City Department of City Planning

RICHARD VALLIANT,

Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland and Survey Research Center, University of Michigan

KRISZTINA MARTON, Study Director

AGNES E. GASKIN, Administrative Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13075.
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COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL STATISTICS 2010-2011

LAWRENCE D. BROWN (Chair),

Department of Statistics, University of Pennsylvania

JOHN M. ABOWD,

School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University

ALICA CARRIQUIRY,

Department of Statistics, Iowa State University

WILLIAM DuMOUCHEL,

Phase Forward, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts

V. JOSEPH HOTZ,

Department of Economics, Duke University

MICHAEL HOUT,

Department of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley

KAREN KAFADAR,

Department of Statistics, Indiana University

SALLIE KELLER,

Science and Technology Policy Institute, Washington, DC

LISA LYNCH,

Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University

SALLY C. MORTON,

Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh

JOSEPH NEWHOUSE,

Division of Health Policy Research and Education, Harvard University

SAMUEL H. PRESTON,

Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania

HAL STERN,

Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine

ROGER TOURANGEAU,

Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland, and Survey Research Center, University of Michigan

ALAN ZASLAVSKY,

Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School

CONSTANCE F. CITRO, Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13075.
×

Acknowledgments

I am very pleased to see this interim report of The Panel on Statistical Methods for Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey (ACS) come together so extraordinarily well after just four meetings of a group of talented individuals, many of whom did not know one another just eight busy months ago. I wish to thank the many people who have assisted our work and contributed to the report.

The ACS staff of the U.S. Census Bureau, under the leadership of Daniel Weinberg (assistant director for decennial census and American Community Survey) and Susan Schechter (formerly chief of the ACS Office), have been generous in providing information to the panel and addressing our inquiries. The communication between the panel and the Census Bureau was greatly facilitated by lead technical liaison, Alfredo Navarro, who was a pleasure to work with; Philip Gbur served as contracting officer, and was always accessible. A number of Census Bureau staff made very informative presentations and provided useful materials to the panel, including Mark Asiala, Michael Beaghen, Scott Boggess, Edward Castro, Annetta Smith Clark, Sandy Clark, Steven Hefter, Todd Hughes, Sharon Stern, Amy Symens Smith, Victoria Velkoff, and David Whitford.

We also sought input on data collected about major segments of the group quarters population from experts in other agencies in the federal statistical system. In particular, William Sabol from the Bureau of Justice Statistics gave an overview of that agency’s portfolio of data series on the correctional population. We also benefited from a discussion with Lauren Harris-Kojetin from the National Center for Health Statistics about health care facilities.

At our first meeting in March 2010, the panel formed two working groups to pursue specific tasks between meetings, and our work to date has been accomplished with few disagreements and with a keen sense of remaining within the boundaries of our charge from the Census Bureau and delivering the interim report on schedule. This could not have happened without the steady guidance and excellent writing talents of our study director, Krisztina Marton, and the strong support of other CNSTAT staff. We extend our sincere appreciation to Constance Citro, CNSTAT Director, for her always deeply knowledgeable guidance when questions of procedure arose or when advice was requested. We thank CNSTAT senior program officers Daniel Cork and Michael Cohen for taking time from their own busy schedules to attend the panel’s meetings and provide occasional counsel. We also thank Christine McShane for the expert technical editing of the draft report, and Agnes Gaskin for handling a variety of logistical matters so capably.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Committee of the National Research Council (NRC). The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13075.
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their review of this report: Alicia L. Carriquiry, Department of Statistics, Iowa State University; John L. Czajka, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Washington, DC; David Hubble, Westat, Inc., Rockville, MD; Bruce D. Spencer, Department of Statistics, Northwestern University; and Preston Jay Waite, Consultant, Logan, UT.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Richard A. Kulka, Abt Associates, Inc., Durham, NC and Charles F. Manski, Department of Economics, Northwestern University. Appointed by the National Research Council, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring panel and the institution.

Finally, we recognize the many federal agencies that support the Committee on National Statistics directly and through a grant from the National Science Foundation. Without their support and their commitment to improving the national statistical system, the committee work that is the basis of this report would not have been possible.


Paul R. Voss, Chair

Panel on Statistical Methods for Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13075.
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Following several years of testing and evaluation, the American Community Survey (ACS) was launched in 2005 as a replacement for the census "long form," used to collect detailed social, economic, and housing data from a sample of the U.S. population as part of the decennial census. During the first year of the ACS implementation, the Census Bureau collected data only from households. In 2006 a sample of group quarters (GQs) -- such as correctional facilities, nursing homes, and college dorms -- was added to more closely mirror the design of the census long-form sample.

The design of the ACS relies on monthly samples that are cumulated to produce multiyear estimates based on 1, 3, and 5 years of data. The data published by the Census Bureau for a geographic area depend on the area's size. The multiyear averaging approach enables the Census Bureau to produce estimates that are intended to be robust enough to release for small areas, such as the smallest governmental units and census block groups. However, the sparseness of the GQ representation in the monthly samples affects the quality of the estimates in many small areas that have large GQ populations relative to the total population. The Census Bureau asked the National Research Council to review and evaluate the statistical methods used for measuring the GQ population.

This book presents recommendations addressing improvements in the sample design, sample allocation, weighting, and estimation procedures to assist the Census Bureau's work in the very near term, while further research is conducted to address the underlying question of the relative importance and costs of the GQ data collection in the context of the overall ACS design.

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