District Archival Records Request

District Archival Records Collection Protocol

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850–0890. The time required to complete this voluntary information collection is estimated to average 20 hours per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202–4537. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Melanie Ali, U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, Room 502B, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208-5500.

District Archival Records Collection Protocol

The following archival records will be collected: (1) student achievement and demographic records, (2) teacher and principal administrative records, and (3) teacher performance evaluation system ratings.

We will submit our requests at least 8 weeks in advance of when we will need the data to give districts ample time to prepare the data. Each archival records collection form will consist of a written request to the district for an electronic file containing the requested data. The data elements that will be requested are listed in Exhibits 1, 2, 3, and 4, below.

If the particular data elements listed below are not available for a particular district, we will work with the districts to identify proxy variables that may provide similar information.

1. Student Records for Value-Added Modeling and Impact Analyses

Student assessment and demographic records will be collected from districts. These data will be used to conduct value-added modeling for the evaluation system reports. These data also will be used to conduct impact analyses for the study reports. To complete the evaluation system reports, the implementation team will request data from the 2008–09 through the 2013–14 school years; to complete the study reports, the evaluation team will require data from the 2011–12 through the 2013–14 school years.

The purpose of the archival student achievement and demographic records is to provide:

• The outcome variables (i.e., students’ mathematics and reading/ELA achievement on state assessments) to conduct value-added modeling for the evaluation system reports, and to conduct impact analyses for the study reports;

• Student-teacher-course linkages for the value-added modeling and student achievement impact analyses; and

• Covariates (i.e., control variables) to be included in value-added modeling and student achievement impact analyses.

The data elements that will be requested are listed in Exhibit 1.

Exhibit 1. Requested Data Elements in Student Achievement and Demographic Records

1. Identifiers

Identifiers will be needed to note the year to which the data elements correspond, as well as to uniquely identify schools, teachers, and students. It is possible that some students will be taught by more than one teacher over the course of the year. We will work with districts or schools to determine the appropriate teacher ID to list on the data file, and to document such moves if possible so that they can be taken into account in the student outcome analyses.

A student identifier is needed to link student data across years, and to link data across files if achievement, demographic, and other data are provided in separate files. But the identifier need not be the actual ID number used by the district. We anticipate creating a “crosswalk” file, which contains the study ID linked to local IDs and would remain within the district. This file would permit the necessary links while at the same time ensuring that student names and local IDs do not leave the district office. In addition, by making it possible for the project team to carry out the linking of files, an identifier would reduce the burden on the district. We plan to work with the districts involved in the study to develop a strategy for collecting the required achievement data that meets the needs of the study and is feasible for the districts, while meeting confidentiality requirements.

To summarize, we will request the following:

• Year

• School

• School type (e.g., elementary school)

• Teacher ID

• Teacher job code (if available)

• Student ID

2. Student-Teacher-Course Linkage

• Course number

• Course name

• Subject to which course applies

• Section code

• Period

• Term code

• Start date

• End date

• Course duration

• Instructional responsibility weight

• Continuous enrollment start date

3. Student Background Variables

• Date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY)

• Enrolled grade

• Gender

• Ethnicity (current U.S. census categories)

• Race

• National School Lunch Program status

• Free

• Reduced

• Neither

• English language learner status

• Individualized Education Plan status

• School entry and exit dates

• Prior mobility

• Attendance

• Number of days absent

• Number of days attended

• Number of suspensions

4. Student Achievement Variables

• Test name

• Reading/ELA score code (e.g., A = absent, D = no info for student)

• Reading/ELA language version (e.g., E = English, S = Spanish)

• Reading/ELA test version (e.g., S = regular, M = modified, T = alternate)

• Reading/ELA performance level (provide corresponding level description)

• Reading/ELA scale score

• Reading/ELA scale score standard error of measurement

• Mathematics score code (e.g., A = absent, D = no info for student)

• Mathematics language version (e.g., E = English, S = Spanish)

• Mathematics test version (e.g., S = regular, M = modified, T = alternate)

• Mathematics performance level (provide corresponding level description)

• Mathematics scale score

• Mathematics scale score standard error of measurement

2. Teacher and Principal Records for Survey Administration and Mobility Analyses

In January 2013 and 2014, we will request administrative data for each school included in the study, for teacher and principal survey administration (e.g., e-mail addresses and grade/subject assignments). In addition, in the fall of 2013 and 2014, we will request administrative data for all teachers and principals in the participating school districts for analyses to track mobility between the spring of the 2011–12 school year and the fall of the 2014–15 school year (e.g., school entry/exit dates and demographic characteristics). We will request teacher assignment information for any teacher who worked in a participating school at any time during this time period. In fall 2013 (for the Year 1 report), we will request records for end-of-year 2011–12 (prior to randomization) and the start of the 2012–13 and 2013–14 school years. In fall 2014 (for the Year 2 report), we will request records for the start of the 2014–15 school year.

The purpose of the archival teacher and principal records to be collected is to provide:

• Teacher grade level and subject assignments, to determine which teachers are to receive the survey;

• Teacher and principal e-mail addresses to administer the online surveys;

• Outcome variables for the analyses of the impact of the evaluation systems on teacher and principal mobility; and

• Covariates (control variables) that can be included in teacher and principal mobility impact analyses to increase precision.

The data elements that will be requested are listed in Exhibits 2 and 3. Exhibit 2 lists the administrative data that will be requested in January 2013 and January 2014, to administer the teacher and principal surveys. Exhibit 3 lists the administrative data that will be requested in fall 2013 and fall 2014, for mobility analyses.

Exhibit 2. Requested Data Elements in Teacher and Principal Administrative Records (January 2013, 2014)

1. Identifiers

Identifiers will be needed to note the year for which the data elements correspond, as well as to uniquely identify schools, teachers, and principals. A teacher/principal identifier is needed to link teacher/principal data across years. To minimize access to personally identifiable information, we will request that districts send separate “crosswalk” files that link teacher/principal names to IDs.

To summarize, we will request the following:

• Year

• School

• Teacher/principal names

• Teacher/principal IDs

2. Contact Information

• E-mail address

3. Assignment (teachers only)

• Grade

• Subject

Exhibit 3.Teacher and Principal Administrative Data (Fall 2013, 2014)

1. Identifiers

Identifiers will be needed to note the year for which the data elements correspond, as well as to uniquely identify schools, teachers, and principals. A teacher/principal identifier is needed to link teacher/principal data across years.

To summarize, we will request the following:

• Year

• School

• Teacher/principal IDs

2. Demographics and Characteristics

• Date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY)

• Gender

• Ethnicity (current U.S. census categories)

• Race

• Entry date

• Exit date

• Reason for exiting

• Years of experience

• In general

• In the school

• In the district

• Salary

• Highest level of education

• Certification/licensure information

• Highly qualified teacher status

3. Assignment (teachers only)

• Grade

• Subject

3. Performance Evaluation System Ratings

In summer 2013 and 2014, AIR will request data on existing district performance ratings for study teachers. Data requested in summer 2013 will correspond to the 2011–12 and 2012–13 school years, or the most recent year for which an evaluation was conducted. Data requested in summer 2014 will correspond to the 2013–14 school year. We will collect these ratings with linkages to schools rather than teachers; we will request for each school a list of the local ratings of the teachers in the study.

These data will be used to estimate the impact of the intervention on local ratings. The data elements that will be requested are listed in Exhibit 4.

Exhibit 4. Requested Data Elements in Teacher Performance Evaluation System Ratings

1. Identifiers

Identifiers will be needed to note the year for which the data elements correspond, as well as to uniquely identify schools.

To summarize, we will request the following:

• Year

• School

2. Performance Data

• Date of most recent final evaluation (MM/DD/YYYY)

• Most recent performance ratings/levels/scores¹

3. Teacher Characteristic

• Probationary status

1 Because each district has unique evaluation procedures and protocols, we plan to work with the districts in the study to identify the most appropriate data that meet the needs of the study and is feasible for the districts to release.