Small Populations, Large Effects Improving the Measurement of the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey (2012) / Chapter Skim
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4 Sampling Frame Development and Maintenance
4 Sampling Frame Development and Maintenance
Pages 45-62
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From page 45... ...
, which is the Census Bureau's inventory of known housing units, group quarters (GQ) , transitory locations, and selected nonresidential units in the United States, along with associated information, such as address, location, and additional attributes.
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From page 46... ...
The GQ sample is selected during the main sampling operation, occurring during the year preceding the sample year. Because the updating of the GQ addresses between censuses is operationally difficult and lags behind proce dures for updating housing unit addresses, the inventory of group quarters in the MAF extract contains information primarily from the most recent census, including the identification of group quarters closed on Census Day, which is checked again during the ACS fieldwork.
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From page 47... ...
A major reason for the inefficiency in the address update operations seems to be the inadequate collaboration among the Census Bureau divisions to inte grate address updates and corrections resulting from work related to individual programs carried out by the bureau. Although the MAF was envisioned as a resource not only for the decennial censuses but also for the Census Bureau's other major survey programs, to date, the integration of the MAF with pro grams beyond the census has been limited, despite the obvious potential bene fits of integration.
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From page 48... ...
, which is the Census Bureau's digital system that automates mapping and related geographic activities. This is the right time to consider a more integrated, agency-wide approach toward the MAF as a complete inven tory of living quarters, both housing units and group quarters.
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From page 49... ...
Several national surveys, including the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, include residents of at least some noninstitutional group quarters in the sample, although it is important to note that the residence rules used by such surveys as the CPS often differ from the ACS residence rules.
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From page 50... ...
Closer collaboration with the Census Bureau would also be beneficial to other agencies that have to invest significant resources in maintaining the sampling frames for their surveys. Given that many group quarters operate as licensed establishments, often with a maximum number of beds approved, increased collaboration with the Census Bureau's economic statistics directorate and the possible use of the North American Industry Classification System (which classifies business establishments)
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From page 51... ...
SCOPE OF COVERAGE Because of the difficulties associated with maintaining the sampling frame, the GQ sample contains a relatively high percentage of ineligible cases, which are identified only during the facility-level data collection phase. This includes cases that are determined to be housing units instead of group quarters and group quarters that no longer exist -- for example, because the facility has been closed.
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From page 52... ...
as auxiliary estimates to adjust the ACS sample estimates. However, similar to the MAF, the population estimates are also less accurate for group quarters than for housing units, because the PEP procedures for group quarters are less thorough than those developed for housing units.
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From page 53... ...
(≤15) Correctional facilities for adults 3,482 19.4 3,373 109 1.1 5.5 Juvenile facilities 330 1.8 241 89 7.5 6.7 Nursing facilities/skilled nursing facilities 4,256 23.8 4,075 181 0.5 1.7 Other institutional facilities 474 2.6 348 126 9.5 22.2 College/university student housing 4,872 27.2 4,672 200 25.2 17.0 Military group quarters 790 4.4 697 93 16.9 15.1 Emergency and transitional shelters 557 3.1 390 167 4.1 13.8 Group homes intended for adults 2,279 12.7 955 1,324 1.9 2.6 Other noninstitutional facilities 872 4.9 356 516 14.3 11.8 Total 17,912 100.0 15,107 2,805 9.8 7.5 SOURCE: Based on tabulations provided by the Census Bureau, August 11, 2010.
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From page 54... ...
(≤15) Correctional facilities for adults 3,482 19.4 3,373 109 2.8 13.8 Juvenile facilities 330 1.8 241 89 14.5 22.5 Nursing facilities/skilled nursing facilities 4,256 23.8 4,075 181 10.3 48.6 Other institutional facilities 474 2.6 348 126 20.1 28.6 College/university student housing 4,872 27.2 4,672 200 5.1 30.5 Military group quarters 790 4.4 697 93 16.5 55.9 Emergency and transitional shelters 557 3.1 390 167 28.2 52.1 Group homes intended for adults 2,279 12.7 955 1,324 34.3 35.3 Other noninstitutional facilities 872 4.9 356 516 20.5 39.1 Total 17,912 100.0 15,107 2,805 8.3 36.6 SOURCE: Based on tabulations provided by the Census Bureau, August 11, 2010.
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From page 55... ...
. To reduce the percentages of group quarters that no longer exist or have been converted to housing units in the sample, this lag time should be examined to identify possible opportunities for increased efficiency.
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From page 56... ...
A recently implemented change enables field representatives assigned to the housing unit sample to administer a brief questionnaire if they encounter a GQ facility, with the goal of determining the GQ type and size (maximum number of people who can stay at the facility at a particular time)
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From page 57... ...
INTEGRATING THE SAMPLE FOR SOME GQ FACILITIES WITH THE HOUSING UNIT SAMPLE Although a major reconceptualization of the GQ classifications may not be feasible at this time, it is still important to consider the question of whether the sampling design -- which relies on two separate samples, one for housing units and one for group quarters -- is equally efficient for every GQ type. As discussed, the sampling frame performs particularly poorly for some GQ types, and keeping the list current will always be more challenging for some types of group quarters, which tend to go in and out of business or change profile frequently.
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From page 58... ...
Within these categories, if there are large, stable subcategories, those could be kept in the original GQ sample frame. The recent change implemented that allows field representatives working the housing unit sample to collect basic information about group quarters encountered should be especially useful as part of this research.
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From page 59... ...
In addition, in the case of large dormitories that may be closed in the summer, the efficiency of the data col lection could be increased by determining the schedule of dormitories based on information that may be available online or via phone instead of through a visit by a field representative. Regardless of which group quarters are moved to the housing unit sam ple, the ACS will still be based on two sampling frames after the redesign: (1)
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From page 60... ...
In this case, the difference from the current procedures would be that the identification of sampling frames for the strata of group quarters that are moved to the housing unit sample will be based on the MAF extracts or ACS records from the previous data collection and on a more integrated, real-time updating system as part of the ongoing ACS data collection. No additional resources would be invested into keeping the sampling frames for these categories of group quarters up to date between data collections.
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From page 61... ...
To produce estimates below the state level, data from the group quarters interviewed as part of the housing unit sample could be combined with the household sample for weighting and tabulation purposes, with the appropri ate PEP controls at the county level. Depending on which group quarters are moved to the housing unit sample, the Census Bureau could publish total population numbers for three groups––noninstitutional group quarters, insti tutional group quarters, and housing units––and provide characteristics for the total noninstitutional population, which will make the ACS more comparable to other major household surveys.
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From page 62... ...
with the housing unit sampling frame and, in tandem, modifying its data collection procedures to enable field representatives to collect data from all cases -- housing unit and group quarters -- in the com bined sample. Additional research will be needed to determine which GQ types are best suited for integration with the housing unit sample, but the GQ types that are especially difficult to update and that are most similar to housing units may be the best candidates.
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