IMMEDIATE RELEASE MONDAY, JULY 29, 1996 Public Information Office CB96-O.15 Marketing Team 301-457-2000 301-457-4067 (TDD) A. Edward Pike III 301-457-4001 CA, WI, SC SELECTED FOR CENSUS 2000 DRESS REHEARSAL In 1998 three sites will serve as the final testing ground for the one event that will touch every person residing in America--Census 2000. The sites are: Sacramento, Calif.; 11 counties in the Columbia, South Carolina area; and the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin. The Census Bureau anticipates formal approval of the Menominee site by the Menominee Tribal Council later this month. Census Bureau Director Martha Farnsworth Riche said, "This is a unique opportunity for the residents of these sites to participate in and have influence on Census 2000--the census that will take us into the next millennium. The residents of these areas will help define and shape a census that is faster, less costly and more accurate." The key to any dress rehearsal is making it as much like the real thing as possible. Sacramento, Calif., Columbia, S.C., and the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin were chosen for just that reason. These sites will allow for a thorough testing of our procedures for Census 2000. New procedures being considered for Census 2000 such as user-friendly forms easily available in many locations, multiple contacts with each household, digital capture of forms, and sampling and statistical estimation techniques have all been tested individually. The 1998 Dress Rehearsal will provide a census-like environment to simultaneously test those procedures planned for use in Census 2000. The Census Bureau also plans to have an unprecedented partnership effort for Census 2000. The Bureau plans to work closely with state, local and tribal governments, community organizations, and others to conduct a wide range of census activities. For example, for the first time, the Census Bureau will ask local and tribal governments to review the census address list to ensure its completeness and accuracy. Census also will work in partnership with local and tribal governments in implementing its promotion and outreach program, and to facilitate the availability of census questionnaires. The Census 2000 Dress Rehearsal communities will work with the Bureau as exclusive partners in the final evaluation of Census 2000 operations. The dress rehearsal also will bring temporary jobs, valuable data, and an updated population count for each test site. While the dress rehearsal in 1998 is an important step in the overall planning of Census 2000, it is contingent upon adequate funding.
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