Program Provider Letter

Appendix B-7
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
WASHINGTON, D.C, 20202-______

Date __, 2009
Dear Program Provider:
We are writing to request your participation in the U.S. Department of Education’s Study of the
Implementation of the Safe and Drug-free Schools and Communities Act Program State Grants.
The purpose of the study is to describe school-based prevention programs, including those funded
through the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) Program. The U.S.
Department of Education will use information from the study to improve the SDFSCA Program
and meet the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) reporting requirements. Once
the study is completed, we will share the findings with your state, your district, and all
participating schools.
As part of the study, we are currently conducting a nationally representative survey of staff who
implement prevention programs in schools. Your principal indicated that you would be the best
person to respond to our questions. You now have access to our web-based questionnaire. As you
answer questions, please think about how the portion of the program named in the questionnaire
was actually implemented during the 2008-09 school year.
The questionnaire is available at www.sdfs-evaluation.org. The username and password for your
school appear on the label affixed at the bottom of this letter and on the enclosed yellow-colored
Web Survey Information Sheet. If you do not have access to the web, or you prefer to respond by
mail or fax, please complete and return the enclosed paper and pencil version of the
questionnaire.
Your participation is important because only a small number of all prevention programs around
the nation were selected to participate in the study. Since your program represents many other
programs, we depend on your participation to help us get accurate information about prevention
activities. All responses will be kept confidential. Responses to this data collection will be

used only for statistical purposes. Reports prepared for this study will summarize findings
across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district, school, or individual.
Information that identifies the district, school, or respondent will not be provided to
anyone, except as required by law. Federal law states that “a grantee shall cooperate in any
evaluation of the program by the Secretary [of Education]” (Authority: 20 U.S.C.1221e-3, 1226c,
1231a, 3474, and 6511 (a)) [45 FR 86298, Dec 30, 1980, as amended at 57 FR 30341, July 8,
1992]. This evaluation is required of the Secretary of Education by Congress.
This study is being conducted by Westat, an independent research firm in Rockville, Maryland.
We ask that you complete the survey within 3 weeks. Please keep a copy of the completed
questionnaire for your files. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact a study
representative at Westat at our toll free number 1–888–611–9273 or at
SDFSEvaluation@westat.com. You may also call Dr. Sharon Stout, the Contracting Officer’s

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Representative at the U.S. Department of Education, at (202) 260-2493 or at
Sharon.Stout@ed.gov.
Thank you very much for your cooperation with this important study.
Sincerely,

Alan L. Ginsburg
Director
Policy and Program Studies Service

William Modzeleski
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

Enclosures

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