EDSCLS OMB83 C Partial Cancellation Change Memo

EDSCLS Benchmark 2017 Partial Cancellation Change Memo.docx

ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) Benchmark Study 2017 Update

EDSCLS OMB83 C Partial Cancellation Change Memo

OMB: 1850-0923

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MEMORANDUM OMB # 1850-0923 v.7

DATE: November 10, 2016 (revised November 30, 2016)

TO: Robert Sivinski

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget

FROM: Isaiah O'Rear

National Center for Education Statistics

THROUGH: Kashka Kubzdela

National Center for Education Statistics

SUBJECT: ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) National Benchmark Study 2017 Partial Cancellation Change Request 83C

The ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) National Benchmark study was first approved in October 2015 (OMB# 1850-0923 v.1), with a revised study scope and timeline approved in May 2016 (OMB# 1850-0923 v.4), followed by two change requests approved in July and September 2016 (OMB# 1850-0923 v.5-6). Because, to date the study’s projected overall unweighted participation rate is far below the 50% response rate recommended by NCES Statistical Standards, NCES is requesting to cancel any further recruitment and the EDSCLS National Benchmark Study 2017 as soon as possible. NCES will still offer to conduct the EDSCLS survey in the schools that opted to participate in a universe sample of all of their school’s eligible respondents.

To provide the public with an opportunity to comment on this change, NCES is announcing in the Federal Register another 30-day public comment period to accompany this change request.

The following provides a brief summary of the recruitment efforts to date, projections of the sample yield for school recruitment, and burden projections for conducting the EDSCLS survey in the schools that opted to participate in a universe sample.

Recruitment efforts and the current sample

The EDSCLS National Benchmark Study 2017 contractor, the American Institutes for Research (AIR), started contacting the first batch of 694 sampled schools¹ on April 29, 2016, and then began contacting the second batch of 296 sampled schools on July 27, 2016 (of the 1,000 total sampled schools, 10 were found to be ineligible). By October 25, 2016, AIR had sent three rounds of mailings (including one advance letter in the first round and full package of EDSCLS survey materials in each round), five rounds of emails/fax, and made two rounds of telephone calls (with up to 20 calls to each school per round). AIR also conducted two rounds of customized refusal conversions including mailings, emails, and telephone calls. As of October 25, 2016, 226 schools have agreed to participate in the EDSCLS National Benchmark Study 2017, with another 314 having refused the invitation, and 450 that have not responded or have not provided a decision. The distribution of the participating schools so far differs² from the sampled schools in terms of school level, urbanicity, and total student enrollment, but coincides with the sampled schools in terms of percentage of white, non-Hispanic student enrollment; percentage of student enrollment eligible for free or reduced-price lunch; and region (see table 1 for details).

Yield projections

Given the school recruitment rate to date, we project an overall unweighted participation rate to remain far below 50% by the time EDSCLS data collection window was scheduled to begin on December 1, 2016. Table 2 shows that the projected overall response rate is about 26-27%, and some subcategories are projected to have a response rate close to or greater than 35%: other (combined) schools (42-43%), rural schools (36-37%), and schools with less than 300 total student enrollment (40-41%). However, many subcategories may still have a response rate lower than 30%. If the recruitment efforts continued into spring 2017, the total number of participating schools is expected to be about 300 schools, for an overall response rate of about 30%, with the following subcategories projected to have a response rate of 40% to 50%: other (combined) schools, rural schools, and schools with less than 300 total student enrollment.

Table 1. EDSCLS sample and current productions, overall and by subgroup, as of 10/25/2016

School characteristics	Overall sample	Percentage - Overall sample	Sample yield	Percentage	Response rate
Overall	990	100%	226	100%	23%
School level
Primary	250	25%	40	18%	16%
Middle	247	25%	52	23%	21%
High	248	25%	45	20%	18%
Other(combined)	245	25%	89	39%	36%
Urbanicity
Urban	236	24%	38	17%	16%
Suburban	262	26%	41	18%	16%
Town	128	13%	34	15%	27%
Rural	364	37%	113	50%	31%
Total student enrollment
Less than 300	286	29%	99	44%	35%
300 to less than 500	224	23%	51	23%	23%
500 to less than 1,000	322	33%	51	23%	16%
1,000 or more	158	16%	25	11%	16%
Percentage of White, non-Hispanic student enrollment
Low	464	47%	106	47%	23%
High	526	53%	120	53%	23%
Percentage of student enrollment eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
Low	520	53%	107	47%	21%
High	470	47%	119	53%	25%
Region
Northeast	139	14%	23	10%	17%
Midwest	259	26%	68	30%	26%
South	353	36%	75	33%	21%
West	239	24%	60	27%	25%

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Table 2. EDSCLS sample and projected sample yield, overall and by subgroup, by 12/1/2016

		Projected yield		Projected response rate
School characteristics	Overall sample	Based on weekly response rate	Based on weekly yield	Based on weekly response rate	Based on weekly yield
Overall	990	262	268	26%	27%
School level
Primary	250	47	47	19%	19%
Middle	247	60	62	24%	25%
High	248	52	53	21%	22%
Other(combined)	245	102	105	42%	43%
Urbanicity
Urban	236	44	45	19%	19%
Suburban	262	48	49	18%	19%
Town	128	39	40	31%	31%
Rural	364	130	134	36%	37%
Total student enrollment
Less than 300	286	113	117	40%	41%
300 to less than 500	224	59	60	26%	27%
500 to less than 1,000	322	60	60	19%	19%
1,000 or more	158	29	30	18%	19%
Percentage of White, non-Hispanic student enrollment
Low	464	123	126	27%	27%
High	526	139	142	26%	27%
Percentage of student enrollment eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
Low	520	124	127	24%	24%
High	470	138	141	29%	30%
Region
Northeast	139	27	27	19%	20%
Midwest	259	79	81	30%	31%
South	353	87	89	25%	25%
West	239	69	71	29%	30%

Next Steps

As part of the revised recruitment process approved in September 2016 (OMB# 1830-0923 v.6), NCES offered schools several sampling options. One option was for the school to participate in a universe sample of all of their school’s eligible respondents. The 51 schools that chose this option to-date were promised a data report for their school. To honor our commitment to these schools, we are still offering to administer the EDSCLS survey for these schools and produce a school-level summary report for them, even though NCES will not use the data for benchmarking.

Communication Materials

As part of the recruitment process the following letters have already been sent to districts:

1. Letter for Districts not Requiring Approval for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

2. Advance Letter for Districts Requiring Approval for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

3. Letter for Districts Requiring Approval for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

At the end of this memo are attached the communication materials that have already been used and those that will be used in the remainder of the study. Emails and letters have been added to let some schools know that the study has been cancelled, and to let the 51 schools that opted to participate in a universe sample know that NCES is still offering to collect EDSCLS data for them. The communication materials included in this memo are labeled according to whether they have already been used, whether they have been revised, or whether they have been newly added.

Respondent Burden

The approved (OMB# 1830-0923 v.6) respondent burden estimated for the full study is presented in the table below.

Approved (OMB# 1830-0923 v.6) EDSCLS National Benchmark Study 2017 estimated hourly burden

Type	Sample Size	Expected response rate	Number of respondents	Number of responses	Hours per respondent	Total hours
Recruitment
School - Initial contact	1,000	--	1,000	1,000	0.05	50
School - Follow-up via phone or e-mail	1,000	--	1,000	1,000	0.15	150
School – Confirmation	1,000	0.5	500	500	0.05	25
Special handling districts - Initial contacts	108	--	108	108	0.05	5
Special handling districts - Follow-up	50	--	50	50	0.15	8
Special districts – Approval	78	0.7	55	55	8	440
School contact (Nonresponse follow-up survey)	180	--	180	180	0.05	9
Maximum Estimated Subtotal	--	--	1,393	2,893	--	687
Participation
Students	18,840- 365,690	0.8	15,072 - 292,552	33,144 - 292,552	0.67	10,098 - 196,010
Teachers (Instructional staff survey)	1,880 - 27,520	0.8	1,504 - 22,016	1,504 - 22,016	0.5	752 - 11,008
Principals (Noninstructional staff survey)	700	0.8	560	560	0.5	280
Noninstructional staff survey (not principals)	13,340	0.8	10,672	10,672	0.5	5,336
Coordinators	700	1	700	700	20 - 40	14,000 - 28,000
Principals (Nonresponse follow-up survey)	180	0.33	60	60	0.17	10
Maximum Estimated Subtotal	--	--	326,560	326,560	--	30,476 - 240,644
Maximum Estimated Total Burden	--	--	327,953	329,453	--	241,331

However, with cancellation of the National Benchmark Study and reduction of the data collection to only those 51 schools that opted to participate in a universe sample of all of their school’s eligible respondents, the total estimated burden would be reduced as shown in the table below.

Requested here EDSCLS 2017 Study estimated hourly burden

Type	Sample Size	Expected response rate	Number of respondents	Number of responses	Hours per respondent	Total hours
Recruitment
School - Initial contact	1,000	--	1,000	1,000	0.05	50
School - Follow-up via phone or e-mail	1,000	--	1,000	1,000	0.15	150
School – Confirmation	1,000	0.5	500	500	0.05	25
Special handling districts - Initial contacts	108	--	108	108	0.05	5
Special handling districts - Follow-up	50	--	50	50	0.15	8
Special districts – Approval	78	0.7	55	55	8	440
School contact (Nonresponse follow-up survey)	180	--	180	180	0.05	9
Maximum Estimated Subtotal	--	--	1,393	2,893	--	687
Participation
Students	14,080	0.8	11,264	11,264	0.67	7,547
Teachers (Instructional staff survey)	1,130	0.8	904	904	0.5	452
Principals (Noninstructional staff survey)	51	0.8	41	41	0.5	21
Noninstructional staff survey (not principals)	550	0.8	440	440	0.5	220
Coordinators	51	1	51	51	40	2,040
Maximum Estimated Subtotal	--	--	12,700	12,700	--	10,280
Maximum Estimated Total Burden	--	--	14,093	15,593	--	10,967

The hourly rates for teachers/instructional staff, principals, and noninstructional staff/coordinators ($28.45, $44.68, $21.34 respectively) are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) May 2015 National Occupational and Employment Wage Estimates³, assuming 2,080 work hours per year. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 is used as the hourly rate for students. For the benchmark study, a total of 10,967 burden hours are anticipated, resulting in a cost to respondents of approximately $147,437.

Cost to Federal Government

With the diminished data collection plans, the final total cost to federal government for the EDSCLS National Benchmark Study 2017, including all direct and indirect costs, is approximately $992,416 (the original cost for the full study was going to be $1.3 million).

Communication Materials Approved (OMB# 1830-0923 v.6) and Used in the Current EDSCLS Study

As part of the recruitment process the following letters have already been sent to districts and schools:

1. Letter for Districts Not Requiring Approval for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

2. Advance Letter for District Requiring Approval for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

3. Letter for Districts Requiring Approval for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

4. Advance Letter for Schools for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

5. Letter for Schools for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

6. Follow-Up Letter/Email for Schools for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

7. EDSCLS Flyer

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

[1. Letter for Districts Not Requiring Approval for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study]

[Date]

[Title] [First Name] [Last Name]

[School District]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip]

Dear [Title] [Last Name]:

In spring 2016, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a free-to-use web-based school climate survey platform (the ED School Climate Surveys or EDSCLS) that provides schools, districts, and states with the ability to measure their schools’ climate by collecting input from students, parents, teachers, and noninstructional staff (including principals). A national benchmark study of 500 nationally representative schools will be conducted from December 2016 to June 2017 to produce national school climate scores. The national scores are a vital part of the platform, providing perspectives for states, districts, or schools to interpret their own results in relation to the nation as a whole. The benchmark data will be published and also provided in the second release of the platform in fall 2017.

One or more schools in your district have been selected as part of the national sample in the benchmark study from December 2016 to June 2017. I am writing to ask your agency to support the participation of schools in your district in this national study. Each school that participates in the benchmark study will receive an iPad tablet computer to help with the data collection.

This national study is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education and will be carried out by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). While participation in this national study is entirely voluntary, we ask your agency to support the participation of schools in your district so that we can have a representative sample of schools from across the country. If your district or state has also planned to conduct a data collection using the released platform EDSCLS from December 2016 to June 2017, we would like to work with your district to transfer the school data from our collection to your district so that the sampled schools will not need to answer the same surveys twice.

NCES is conducting this study to fulfill its mission to study the condition of education in the United States (ESRA, 20 U.S. Code, Section 9543). The data provided by schools and staff may be used by NCES for statistical purposes only and may not be disclosed, or used by NCES, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). The study will not identify participating districts, schools, or individuals. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports. To further protect confidentiality, we disclose the names of schools only to the governing district for each school and only after the enclosed nondisclosure affidavit form is signed and returned to us. We ask that each district maintain the confidentiality of the schools sampled in the study. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB 1850-0923.

Within the next few days, a letter will be sent to the selected schools describing the study and requesting their participation. A representative from AIR may conduct a follow-up phone call to help answer any questions.

In the meantime, please take a look at the enclosed brochure and frequently-asked-questions document. If you have additional questions about the national study, please do not hesitate to call AIR toll free at 1-844-849-5252, or send an e-mail to schoolclimate@air.org. For more information about the national study, you can contact [NCES Contact] at NCES [NCES Phone Number] or [NCES E-mail] or visit the EDSCLS website at [EDSCLS Website].

Thank you for your time and support.

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

[2. Advance Letter for District Requiring Approval for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study]

[Date]

[First Name] [Last Name]

[School District Name]

[Street Address]

[City], [State] [Zip]

Dear Superintendent [Last Name]:

In the coming days, we will submit a formal application to conduct research in one or more schools in your district for the national benchmark study of the ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS). This national study is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education and will be carried out by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The EDSCLS is a new survey endeavor that provides schools, districts, and states with the ability to measure their schools’ climate by collecting input from students, parents, teachers, and noninstructional staff (including principals). It provides a unique opportunity to collect national data on school climate indicators from the school’s perspective.

Through the EDSCLS, schools nationwide have access to survey instruments and a survey platform that allows for the collection and reporting of school climate data across stakeholders at the local level. The national scores are a vital part of the platform, providing perspectives for states, districts, or schools to interpret their own results in relation to the nation as a whole. The benchmark data will be provided in the second release of the platform in fall 2017.

If you have additional questions about the national study, please do not hesitate to call AIR toll free at 1-844-849-5252, or send an e-mail to schoolclimate@air.org. You may also contact [NCES Contact] at NCES ([NCES Pone Number] or [NCES E-mail]) or visit the EDSCLS website: [EDSCLS Website].

Thank you for giving this matter your attention. We look forward to your school’s participation in this important data collection effort.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.
Acting Commissioner

[3. Letter for Districts Requiring Approval for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study]

[Date]

[Title] [First Name] [Last Name]

[School District]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip]

Dear [Title] [Last Name]:

One or more schools in your district have been selected to participate in the benchmark study from December 2016 to June 2017. I am writing to ask your agency to support the participation of schools in your district in this national study. Each school that participates in the benchmark study will receive an iPad tablet computer to help with the data collection. The benchmark study is a nationally representative survey of almost 30,000 students in 500 schools across the United States. Each school selected for the survey is representative of approximately up to 200 other schools with similar characteristics. Your district’s participation in the benchmark study is very important, as schools like yours are needed to meet the benchmarking criteria established by ED.

A significant challenge facing districts is the perceptions of safety and climate at their schools. The EDSCLS includes questions related to student and faculty engagement, safety issues, and environmental factors that contribute to school climate. The EDSCLS has been established as the result of a 2013 ED announcement to place a high priority on efforts to help the nation’s schools “create safer and more nurturing school climates.”

The EDSCLS also seeks to provide researchers and policymakers with a tool necessary to deepen our understanding of school culture. Topics in this area include relationships, student participation, emotional and physical bullying, substance abuse, the state of school facilities, and discipline protocols. The staff surveys will provide further insight into the perceptions of school climate, and will allow schools to identify areas of their climate where perceptions differ between stakeholders.

Each school and district faces unique challenges, which the EDSCLS aims to help diagnose. Participation by each selected district is necessary to ensure that the 2017 data collection provides usable and actionable data to help ED establish a functioning benchmark, and to help each school and district meet their particular challenges. Your participation is vital.

Thank you for your time and support.

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

[4. Advance Letter for Schools for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study]

[Date]

[First Name] [Last Name]

[School Name]

[Street Address]

[City], [State] [Zip]

Dear [Title] [Last Name]:

I am writing to invite [School Name] to participate in the upcoming national benchmark study of the ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS). [if schools in special districts: Your district has approved EDSCLS.] Data collection for this survey is being carried out by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), on behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a division of the U.S. Department of Education. The EDSCLS is a new survey endeavor that provides schools, districts, and states with the ability to measure their schools’ climate by collecting input from students, parents, teachers, and noninstructional staff (including principals). It provides a unique opportunity to collect national data on school climate indicators from the school’s perspective.

NCES is conducting this study to fulfill its mission to study the condition of education in the United States (ESRA, 20 U.S. Code, Section 9543). Under this law, the data provided by you to NCES and collected from your school may be used by NCES for statistical purposes only and may not be disclosed, or used by NCES, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB # 1850-0923.

In the coming days, you will receive a formal request to solicit your school’s participation in the EDSCLS benchmark, with more detailed information on the scope of the survey, a FAQ document, as well as materials to be completed and returned if you decide to participate. If you have additional questions about the national study, please do not hesitate to call AIR toll free at 1-844-849-5252, or send an e-mail to schoolclimate@air.org. You may also contact [NCES Contact] at NCES ([NCES Pone Number] or [NCES E-mail]) or visit the EDSCLS website: [EDSCLS Website].

Thank you for giving this matter your attention. We look forward to your school’s participation in this important data collection effort.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

[5. Letter for Schools for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study]

[Date]

[Title/Principal] [First Name] [Last Name]

[School Name]

[Address]

[City], [State] [Zip]

Dear [Title] [Last Name]:

In spring 2016, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a free-to-use web-based school climate survey platform that provides schools, districts, and states with the ability to measure their schools’ climate by collecting input from students, parents, teachers, and noninstructional staff (including principals). A national benchmark study of 500 nationally representative schools will be conducted from December 2016 to June 2017 to produce national school climate scores. The national scores are a vital part of the platform, providing perspectives for states, districts, or schools to interpret their own results in relation to the nation as a whole. The benchmark data will be published and also provided in the second release of the platform in fall 2017.

I am writing to invite your school to take part in this national benchmark study of the ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS). Participation in this national study is voluntary. However, I encourage your school’s participation, as it is crucial for the development of valid survey questions that will accurately measure school climate and for the refinement of a no-cost, user-friendly, high-functioning tool that schools, districts, and states throughout the United States can use at their discretion to administer the EDSCLS. The invited schools are part of a nationally representative, scientifically selected sample and the information they provide is important for us to be able to describe the national school climate. Participating schools will be provided with an iPad tablet computer to aid in the coordination and administration of the data collection. If your school has already planned to conduct your own data collection using the EDSCLS platform from December 2016 to June 2017, we would like to work with you to transfer the school data from our collection to your school so that the respondents will not need to answer the same surveys twice.

This national benchmark study will be carried out by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). If your school is willing to participate, please call us at 1-844-849-5252 or send an e-mail to schoolclimate@air.org. In the phone call or e-mail exchange we will discuss the next steps, including the appointment of a School Coordinator at your school to act as the point of contact for AIR in the administration of the national study. In the next few days, a representative from AIR may also contact you about your school’s participation.

NCES is conducting this study to fulfill its mission to study the condition of education in the United States (ESRA, 20 U.S. Code, Section 9543). Under this law, the data provided by you to NCES and collected from your school may be used by NCES for statistical purposes only and may not be disclosed, or used by NCES, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB # 1850-0923. In the meantime, please take a look at the enclosed brochure and frequently-asked-questions document.

If you have additional questions about the national study, please do not hesitate to call AIR toll free at 1-844-849-5252, or send an e-mail to schoolclimate@air.org. For more information about the national study, you can contact [NCES Contact] at NCES [NCES Phone Number] or [NCES E-mail] or visit the EDSCLS website at [EDSCLS Website].

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

[6. Follow-Up Letter/Email for Schools for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study]

[Date]

[Title/Principal] [First Name] [Last Name]

[School Name]

[Address]

[City], [State] [Zip]

Dear [Title] [Last Name]:

Previously, your school received a set of materials from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) detailing the scope of the upcoming ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) national benchmark study. I am writing to follow-up with you about your school’s participation in the study.

Participation in this national study is voluntary. However, your school’s participation is crucial because the invited schools are part of a nationally representative, scientifically selected sample and the information they provide is important for us to be able to describe the national school climate. Participating schools will be provided with an iPad tablet computer to aid in the coordination and administration of the data collection.

We understand that schools are very busy. If your school chooses to participate, we are asking for participation from one class of students from each eligible grade offered within your school (grades 5, 7, and 11) and two teachers from each eligible grade offered within your school (grades 5, 7, and 11). The principal will also be invited to complete the noninstructional staff survey.

You may also choose to have this survey administered to all of your students in grades 5-12, teachers, and noninstructional staff. If you choose this option, you will receive a report presenting valid and reliable measures of your school climate. The report would be available after the completion of the national study. If your school has already planned to conduct your own data collection using the EDSCLS platform from December 2016 to June 2017, we would like to work with you to transfer the school data from our collection to your school so that the respondents will not need to answer the same surveys twice.

This national benchmark study will be carried out by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). NCES is authorized to conduct this national study by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S. Code, Section 9543). Under this law, the data provided by you to NCES and collected from your school, staff, students, and their parents may be used by NCES for statistical purposes only and may not be disclosed, or used by NCES, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB [Number].

If your school is willing to participate, please call us at 1-844-849-5252 or send an e-mail to schoolclimate@air.org. In the next few days, a representative from AIR may also contact you about your school’s participation. In the meantime, please take a look at the enclosed summary of activities for school coordinators and frequently-asked-questions document. For more information about the national study, you can contact [Name] at NCES [Phone Number] or [E-mail] or visit the EDSCLS website at [EDSCLS Website].

Thank you for your support of the EDSCLS.

Sincerely,

[Contact Name]

[Recruiter Contact Information]

[7. EDSCLS Flyer]

[8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)]

What is EDSCLS?

The ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) offer a platform that includes a suite of survey instruments developed for schools, districts, and states by the U.S. Department of Education. Through the EDSCLS, schools nationwide have access to survey instruments and a survey platform that enable the collection and reporting of school climate data across stakeholders at the state or local level. The surveys can be used to produce school-, district-, and state-level scores on various indicators of school climate from the perspectives of students, instructional staff, noninstructional staff (including principals), and parents and guardians. The U.S. Department of Education will also provide benchmark data in 2017, collected from a nationally representative sample of schools across the United States, to facilitate comparisons of school climate scores at the local and national levels.

The EDSCLS platform allows education leaders to seek the viewpoints of multiple respondent groups. A multi-perspective approach is important because each of the stakeholders experience school climate differently. The EDSCLS includes four surveys. The “student survey” is intended for students in grades 5–12. The “parent survey” is for parents and guardians of students in grades 5–12. The “instructional staff survey” and the “principal and noninstructional staff survey” are for all staff employed in schools that cater to at least one grade between 5 and 12. Combined, these four surveys measure school climate from the perspectives of diverse stakeholders.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the national benchmark study, in addition to the principal, all students and staff can be surveyed or you can opt to only survey a sample of students and teachers. If a school selects to sample, we are asking for participation from one class of students and two teachers from each eligible grade offered within your schools (grades 5, 7, and 11). The principal will be asked to complete the noninstructional staff survey. If the school chooses to invite all of its students, teachers, and/or noninstructional staff to take part in the EDSCLS survey, after the completion of the national EDSCLS study, the school will receive a report with aggregated measures of school climate perceptions from the perspectives of the school’s respondents along with comparisons to the perceptions expressed in the EDSCLS national sample.

Which schools in my district have been selected for participation?

District administrators who want to know which of their schools have been selected for participation should return a signed copy of the nondisclosure affidavit form. We will send you the name of the schools as soon as we receive the form. If you have any questions, please contact [NCES Contact] at [NCES E-mail] or [NCES Phone Number]. More information about the EDSCLS is also available at [EDSCLS Website].

Why was my school selected for participation?

Schools with varying demographics and in different locales were scientifically selected so that the national sample is representative of the overall public school population. The selection process is important for ensuring that the sample accurately reflects the nation’s schools and can allow comparisons between a school, district, and/or state and the nation as a whole.

Who conducts the national benchmark study?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education is conducting this national benchmark study under authorization in the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S. Code, Section 9543). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB [Number]. Data collection for this study will be carried out by trained staff from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) under contract to NCES.

When will the national benchmark study be conducted?

The national benchmark study will be conducted from December 2016 to June 2017. The data collection window for each school lasts between two and four weeks, depending on the school’s size and other factors such as standardized testing schedules. The collection window does not need to be contiguous; for example, a portion of the surveys may be administered in the first week of a month, paused for two weeks, and then finished in the last week of a month.

How long do the questionnaires take to complete?

The student questionnaire takes approximately 40 minutes to complete. The instructional and principal surveys require approximately 30 minutes. These estimates include the time to read instructions and complete all items.

What will happen with the collected data?

AIR/NCES will use the data to create national benchmarks with which schools, districts, and states can compare themselves. The data will also be used to refine scales for domains and topic areas.

Is participation required by federal law?

No. School participation is voluntary. However, we hope you will participate in this national study so that schools like yours are accurately and fairly represented.

How will the national study be coordinated in my school?

Schools are asked to designate a School Coordinator to assist AIR staff members with material distribution and data collection. The School Coordinator will be the main contact at the school with whom AIR will communicate. AIR staff will not visit the school. The School Coordinator can be a teacher or any school staff member (e.g., office administrator).

Revised Approved EDSLS Communication Materials to be Used with Universe Data Collection Schools

The following letters and documents will be used in the universe data collection:

9. Letter/E-mail for Participating Schools for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

10. Reminder E-mail for Participating Schools in the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study

11. Summary of Activities for School Coordinators

12. Proctor Script

13. Sample Survey Submission Rate Report

14. Sample Opt-in Parental Consent Form at schools that are not requesting individual student data

15. Sample Opt-out Parental Consent Form at schools that are not requesting individual student data

16. Sample Opt-in Parental Consent Form at schools that request student data without directly identifying PII

17. Sample Opt-out Parental Consent Form at schools that request student data without directly identifying PII

18. Sample Opt-in Parental Consent Form at schools that request student data with directly identifying PII

19. Sample Opt-out Parental Consent Form at schools that request student data with directly identifying PII

[9. Letter/E-mail for Participating Schools for the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study]

[Date]

[Title/School Coordinator] [First Name] [Last Name]

[School Name]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip]

Dear [School Coordinator]:

Thank you for participating in the ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS). In the next few weeks, you will receive a FedEx package containing the detailed information needed to administer EDSCLS, including a checklist detailing what you need to do to coordinate the data collection at your school.

AIR will provide your school with a tablet. On this device, the EDSCLS website will be set up as the browser homepage. PDF versions of the EDSCLS questionnaires will be available in case potential respondents would like to know more about EDSCLS or would like to review the items before the data collection.

If you have questions about the EDSCLS, please call us at [EDSCLS Phone Number], or send an e-mail to schoolclimate@air.org. More information about the EDSCLS is also available at [EDSCLS Website]. Thank you for your support of the EDSCLS.

[Contact Name]

[Recruiter Contact Information]

[10. Reminder E-mail for Participating Schools in the EDSCLS 2017 National Benchmark Study]

[Date]

[Title/School Coordinator] [First Name] [Last Name]

[School Name]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip]

Dear [Title/School Coordinator] [Last Name]:

Thank you for participating in the ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS).

We are writing to you as a friendly reminder that your next step is providing the American Institutes for Research (AIR) with counts of the numbers of students and instructional staff who are eligible to participate in the data collection. Please refer to the eligibility requirements included in the package that was delivered to your school on [Date].

[Contact Name]

[Recruiter Contact Information]

[11. Summary of Activities for School Coordinators]

What will be asked of the School Coordinator?

Upon the school’s agreement to participate, the school must appoint a School Coordinator to administer the data collection in that school. The American Institutes for Research (AIR) staff will work with the School Coordinator on the following:

School Coordinator will receive questionnaires in PDF form and a data collection guide containing:

Sample Proctor Script
Sample Confidentiality Pledge for Survey Proctors
Sample Parental Consent Opt-in form (for states that require opt-in opportunity)
Sample Parental Consent Opt-out form (for states that require opt-out opportunity)

School Coordinator will receive an iPad tablet computer for the school to facilitate survey administration.

School Coordinator will receive lists of log-in credentials, one for each respondent group.

School Coordinator will distribute log-in credentials.

School Coordinator will receive response rate reports from AIR weekly and will encourage participation in the national study by sharing the response rates with respondents.

[12. Proctor Script for In-School Student Survey]

Good morning/afternoon.

You’re here because [School Name] wants to conduct a survey to hear your opinions about the school. The survey will ask your opinion on questions ranging from student engagement, to bullying, to the conditions of the school building itself. Your answers will be used to improve the school experience for you, your fellow students, and your teachers. Some of your teachers, and the principal, will also have the chance to voice their opinions in similar surveys.

Your school wants to hear from everyone, so your participation is very important. But it’s also voluntary. You do not have to take the survey and you can skip any question you don’t want to answer.

Please answer the questions as best you can. If you are unsure about the meaning of a survey question, do your best to answer it on your own. In order to maintain privacy, I will not be able to help you interpret the meaning of questions. Similarly, you should not ask other students or look at their responses.

When you have finished the survey, please sit quietly and do not disturb your fellow students.

Now, take the username in front of you, use it to log into the survey, but do not begin the survey until instructed. Once I have made sure everyone has successfully logged in and written down the PIN displayed on the page, I will move to a part of the room where I cannot see anyone’s answers, and at that time I will instruct you to begin.

…

Now that everyone has reached the PIN page, please begin.

[13. Survey Submission Rate Report]

To encourage high response rates among respondents, AIR will produce survey submission rate reports and distribute them weekly to School Coordinators. These reports can be used to encourage survey participation, particularly to the least responsive groups of respondents. Individual respondents will be not identified, but the usernames that are not used to log-in to the survey (unused usernames) will be provided to the survey administrators for targeted or general follow up. A sample Survey Status Submission Report is shown below:

Dear [Title/School Coordinator] [Last Name]:

The tables below display your schools current submission status.

Principal

TOTAL USERNAMES GENERATED	NUMBER OF SUBMITTED SURVEYS	NUMBER OF INCOMPLETE SURVEYS	NUMBER OF UNUSED USERNAMES	SURVEY SUBMISSION RATE
1	0	0	1	0.00%

Students

TOTAL USERNAMES GENERATED	NUMBER OF SUBMITTED SURVEYS	NUMBER OF INCOMPLETE SURVEYS	NUMBER OF UNUSED USERNAMES	SURVEY SUBMISSION RATE
500	50	8	442	10.00%

Instructional Staff

TOTAL USERNAMES GENERATED	NUMBER OF SUBMITTED SURVEYS	NUMBER OF INCOMPLETE SURVEYS	NUMBER OF UNUSED USERNAMES	SURVEY SUBMISSION RATE
37	19	0	18	51.35%

Incomplete surveys are defined as, “Cases assigned this status may include those where respondents have logged in to the survey but not yet consented to participate, where respondents have consented to participate but not yet responded to any survey items, and where respondents have responded to survey items, but have not yet viewed the final “thank you” screen. This number will provide Survey Administrators with a count of the number of respondents who have started, but not yet finalized the survey.”

If you have questions about the EDSCLS materials or the data collection at your school, please call us at 1-844-849-5252 or send an e-mail to schoolclimate@air.org. Thank you for your patience and support of the EDSCLS.

Sincerely,

[Contact Name]

[Contact Information]

[14. SAMPLE OPT-IN PARENTAL CONSENT FORM at schools that are not requesting individual student data]

[NOTE: While the italicized text may be modified to suit the needs of each school or district, the non-italicized text should be kept consistent across all sites.]

Dear Parent/Guardian:

[School Name] is participating in a voluntary survey about school climate. The survey will be administered to students during regular school hours during the weeks of [Weeks of Administration]. It will ask students about their perceptions surrounding topics such as student engagement, school environment, and school safety.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) will use individual-level responses from participating schools but without the names or other direct personal identifiers of the respondents. All information received by NCES that in any way relates to or describes identifiable characteristics of individuals is protected from disclosure by federal statute; it may be used only for statistical purposes and will not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573).

The data your child provides may also be used by your child’s school, district, and/or state to better understand the current climate in your child’s school. Your child’s answers will be combined with the answers of other students at your child’s school and district and used to create records about the climate of your child’s school. These reports will not identify any person or their responses.

If you do want your child to participate in this survey, please complete, sign, and postmark this letter using the enclosed postage paid envelope by [Deadline Date]. If you sign and postmark this letter by [Deadline Date], this means your child will participate in the survey and will be asked to report to a designated place in the school (for example, the computer lab) where the survey is administered.

If you have any questions about this national study or about your child’s participation or would like to see a copy of the student survey, please contact [School Coordinator] at [School Coordinator Phone Number]. If you have any questions about your child’s rights as a participant in this national study, please contact [NCES Contact Info].

I understand that by completing and signing the form below and returning this letter, my child will be allowed to take the School Climate Survey.

Parent/Guardian Signature: Date:

Student Signature: Date:

Student Printed Name: Date of birth:

If you do not want to allow your child to take the survey, you do not have to sign or send back anything.

Sincerely,

[Principal Name]

[15.SAMPLE OPT-OUT PARENTAL CONSENT FORM at schools that are not requesting individual student data]

[NOTE: While the italicized text may be modified to suit the needs of each school or district, the non-italicized text should be kept consistent across all study sites.]

Dear Parent/Guardian:

[School Name] is participating in a voluntary survey about school climate. The survey will be administered to students during regular school hours during the week of [Week of Administration]. It will ask students about their perceptions surrounding topics such as student engagement, school environment, and school safety.

If you do not want your child to participate in this survey, please complete, sign, and postmark this letter using the enclosed postage paid envelope by [Deadline Date]. If you sign and postmark this letter by [Deadline Date], this means your child will not participate in the survey and will be asked to report to a designated place in the school (for example, the library) while the survey is administered.

If you have any questions about this national study or about your child’s participation or would like to see a copy of the student survey, please contact [School Coordinator Name] at [Administrator Number]. If you have any questions about your child’s rights as a participant in this national study, please contact [NCES Contact Info].

I understand that by completing and signing the form below and returning this letter, my child will not be allowed to take the School Climate Survey.

Parent/Guardian Signature: Date:

Student Signature: Date:

Student Printed Name: Date of birth:

If you do want to allow your child to take the survey, you do not have to sign or send back anything.

Sincerely,

[Principal Name]

[16. SAMPLE OPT-IN PARENTAL CONSENT FORM at schools that request student data without directly identifying PII]

[NOTE: While the italicized text may be modified to suit the needs of each school or district, the non-italicized text should be kept consistent across all study sites.]

Dear Parent/Guardian:

The data your child provides may also be used by your child’s school, district, and/or state to better understand the current climate in your child’s school. Answers to individual questions will not identify any person and the only people who may see answers to individual questions are authorized personnel at your child’s school and district (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99). Your child’s answers will be combined with the answers of other students at your child’s school and district and used to create records about the climate of your child’s school. These reports will not identify any person or their responses.

I understand that by completing and signing the form below and returning this letter, my child will be allowed to take the School Climate Survey.

Parent/Guardian Signature: Date:

Student Signature: Date:

Student Printed Name: Date of birth:

If you do not want to allow your child to take the survey, you do not have to sign or send back anything.

Sincerely,

[Principal Name]

[17. SAMPLE OPT-OUT PARENTAL CONSENT FORM at schools that request student data without directly identifying PII]

[NOTE: While the italicized text may be modified to suit the needs of each school or district, the non-italicized text should be kept consistent across all study sites.]

Dear Parent/Guardian:

I understand that by completing and signing the form below and returning this letter, my child will not be allowed to take the School Climate Survey.

Parent/Guardian Signature: Date:

Student Signature: Date:

Student Printed Name: Date of birth:

If you do want to allow your child to take the survey, you do not have to sign or send back anything.

Sincerely,

[Principal Name]

[18. SAMPLE OPT-IN PARENTAL CONSENT FORM at schools that request student data with directly identifying PII]

[NOTE: While the italicized text may be modified to suit the needs of each school or district, the non-italicized text should be kept consistent across all study sites.]

Dear Parent/Guardian:

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) will use individual-level responses from participating schools but without the names or other direct personal identifiers of the respondents. All information received by NCES that in any way relates to or describes identifiable characteristics of individuals is protected from disclosure by federal statute; it may be used only for statistical purposes, except as required law or described here (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573).

The data your child provides may also be used by your child’s school, district, and/or state to better understand the current climate in your child’s school. The only people who may see your child’s answers to individual questions are authorized personnel at your child’s school and district (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99). Your child’s answers will be combined with the answers of other students at your child’s school and district and used to create records about the climate of your child’s school. Although these reports will not identify any person or their responses, your child’s data may be combined with other data about your child to help improve the climate of your child’s school.

I understand that by completing and signing the form below and returning this letter, my child will be allowed to take the School Climate Survey.

Parent/Guardian Signature: Date:

Student Signature: Date:

Student Printed Name: Date of birth:

If you do not want to allow your child to take the survey, you do not have to sign or send back anything.

Sincerely,

[Principal Name]

[19. SAMPLE OPT-OUT PARENTAL CONSENT FORM at schools that request student data with directly identifying PII]

[NOTE: While the italicized text may be modified to suit the needs of each school or district, the non-italicized text should be kept consistent across all study sites.]

Dear Parent/Guardian:

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) will use individual-level responses from participating schools but without the names or other direct personal identifiers of the respondents. All information received by NCES that in any way relates to or describes identifiable characteristics of individuals is protected from disclosure by federal statute; it may be used only for statistical purposes, except as required law or described here (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573).

I understand that by completing and signing the form below and returning this letter, my child will not be allowed to take the School Climate Survey.

Parent/Guardian Signature: Date:

Student Signature: Date:

Student Printed Name: Date of birth:

If you do want to allow your child to take the survey, you do not have to sign or send back anything.

Sincerely,

[Principal Name]

New EDSLS Communication Materials

To announce the cancellation to schools and districts who agreed to participate in the EDSCLS National Benchmark 2017 data collection (but not to administer the EDSCLS survey to the universe of possible respondents), the following newly composed letters will be sent:

20. Email to schools who had chosen universe EDSCLS data collection option.

21. Email to who had chosen sampling EDSCLS data collection option.

22. Letter to schools who had chosen universe EDSCLS data collection option.

23. Letter to schools who had chosen sampling EDSCLS data collection option.

24. Letter to special contact districts who had approved EDSCLS and had one or more universe option schools within their district.

25. Letter to special contact districts who had approved EDSCLS survey participation and had one or more sampling option schools within their district.

26. Letter to special contact districts who had approved EDSCLS survey participation and had a mix of universe option and sampling option schools within their district.

27. Letter special contact districts who had either not responded to EDSCLS application for survey participation or had asked for resubmittal of EDSCLS application for survey participation.

[20. Email to schools who had chosen universe EDSCLS data collection option.]

Subject: UPDATE- EDSCLS National Benchmark Study

Dear [Coordinator],

The Department of Education has proposed to cancel the voluntary EDSCL national benchmark data collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The request was made because of insufficient school participation. Your school volunteered to participate in the study, and we can still administer the collection as planned if you choose to do so. After data collection, your school will receive a school-level report about your school’s climate. Suspension of the national benchmark collection would mean that no national comparison point would be in your report. We are studying alternative benchmarking options. If you choose not to participate, we would encourage you to use the free, publicly available EDSCLS school climate platform to generate valid and reliable measures of school climate at your school. Pending OMB’s review, you will receive the formal communication about your school's participation later in December. For more information about the proposed change, or to submit a comment on our proposal, please visit https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=ED-2016-ICCD-0130-0001.

Thank you very much for your support.

Best regards,

EDSCLS team

[21. Email to who had chosen sampling EDSCLS data collection option.]

Subject: UPDATE- EDSCLS National Benchmark Study

Dear [Coordinator],

The Department of Education has proposed to cancel the voluntary EDSCL national benchmark data collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The request was made because of insufficient school participation. Your school volunteered to participate in the study, and this communication is to notify you that, pending OMB’s review, the study may not occur. We are studying alternative benchmarking options. Whether or not the national benchmark collection occurs, we encourage you to use the free, publicly available EDSCLS school climate platform to generate valid and reliable measures of school climate at your school. Pending OMB’s review, you will receive the formal communication about your school's participation later in December. For more information about the proposed change, or to submit a comment on our proposal, please visit https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=ED-2016-ICCD-0130-0001.

Thank you very much for your support.

Best regards,

EDSCLS team

[22. Letter to schools who had chosen universe EDSCLS data collection option.]

Subject: UPDATE- EDSCLS National Benchmark Study

Dear [School Title] [Last Name],

On behalf of the entire ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) team, we would like to sincerely thank you for agreeing to participate in the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education successfully developed valid and reliable measures of school climate appropriate for students, teachers, and school staff. However, NCES has decided to stop the EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection due to low partipaction.

Your school will still have an opportunity to administer the data collection as planned. After data collection, your school will receive a valid report containing information about your school’s climate. However, suspension of the National Benchmark Study data collection means that there will be no national comparison point.

The decision to suspend the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection means:

We will still provide full support and materials to your school for administering the school climate survey.
We will still provide an iPad and a complete report of scores from your school.
We will not be able to provide national benchmark scores that can be used as a comparison against individual school results.

If your school no longer wishes to conduct the EDSCLS without the national benchmark scores, please inform us of your decision at 1-844-849-5252 or schoolclimate@air.org.

If your school would still like to participate so that you receive a report with information on your school’s climate, we will follow up with you as planned, and will distribute materials based on your school’s administration start date.

Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to working with you soon.

Kind regards,

Chris Chapman

Associate Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics

[23. Letter to schools who had chosen sampling EDSCLS data collection option.]

Subject: UPDATE - EDSCLS National Benchmark Study

Dear [School Title] [Last Name],

On behalf of the entire ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) team, we would like to sincerely thank you for agreeing to participate in the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education has decided to stop the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection due to low participation, effective immediately. Due to this change, your school is no longer obligated to participate in the study.

Although we are disappointed that EDSCLS national benchmark data will not be available, we encourage schools like yours to use the free, publicly available EDSCLS school climate platform to generate valid and reliable measures of school climate at your school. The EDSCLS platform contains surveys for students, parents, teachers, and non-instructional staff. For more information visit: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/edscls.

If you have any questions about the school climate measures or the decision to suspend the study, we can be reached at 1-844-849-5252, or schoolclimate@air.org. We appreciate your support of this research endeavor, and wish you all the best in the 2016-17 school year.

Kind regards,

Chris Chapman

Associate Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics

[24. Letter to special contact districts who had approved EDSCLS and had one or more universe option schools within their district.]

Subject: UPDATE - EDSCLS National Benchmark Study

Dear [District Title] [Last Name],

Previously, on [Date], your district approved the 2017 ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) National Benchmark Study. On behalf of the entire EDSCLS team, we would like to sincerely thank you for your support of the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education has decided to suspend the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection due to low participation, effective immediately.

Per our records, [number] school(s) has/have consented to participate in the study from your district. We will inform the schools that agreed to participate of the decision to suspend the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection. Upon informing them of the decision reached by NCES, the schools will have the opportunity to continue participating in the study.

After data collection, participating schools will receive a valid report containing information about their school’s climate. However, suspension of the National Benchmark Study data collection means that there will be no national comparison point.

Effective immediately, we will cease recruitment efforts at any other schools in your district that were selected into the study.

Although we are disappointed that EDSCLS national benchmark data will not be available, we encourage districts like yours to use the free, publicly available EDSCLS school climate platform to generate valid and reliable measures of school climate for schools in your district. The EDSCLS suite of surveys is designed for students, parents, teachers, and non-instructional staff. For more information visit: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/edscls.

If you have any questions about the school climate measures or the decision to suspend the study, we can be reached at 1-844-8495252, or schoolclimate@air.org. We appreciate your support of this research endeavor, and wish you all the best in the 2016-17 school year.

Kind regards,

Chris Chapman

Associate Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics

[25. Letter to special contact districts who had approved EDSCLS survey participation and had one or more sampling option schools within their district.]

Subject: UPDATE - EDSCLS National Benchmark Study

Dear [District Title] [Last Name],

Previously, on [Date], you approved the 2017 ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) National Benchmark Study. On behalf of the entire EDSCLS team, we would like to sincerely thank you for your support of the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection.

While no schools in your district have agreed to participate, we felt it important to inform you of the decision reached by NCES. Effective immediately, we will cease recruitment efforts of schools within your district, and will thus not be providing your district with any final report of the results of the national data collection.

Kind regards,

Chris Chapman

Associate Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics

[26. Letter to special contact districts who had approved EDSCLS survey participation and had a mix of universe option and sampling option schools within their district]

Subject: UPDATE - EDSCLS National Benchmark Study

Dear [District Title] [Last Name],

Per our records, [number] school(s) has/have consented to participate in the study from your district. We will inform the schools that agreed to participate of the decision to suspend the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection. Upon informing them of the decision reached by NCES, the schools that opted to collect data from all eligible students and school staff will have the opportunity to continue participating in the study.

Any schools that opted for the sampling plan, where only select students and staff would participate, will be informed of the decision reached by NCES, and that their participation is no longer required.

Effective immediately, we will cease recruitment efforts at any other schools in your district that were selected into the study.

Kind regards,

Chris Chapman

Associate Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics

[27. Letter to special contact districts who had either not responded to EDSCLS application for survey participation or had asked for resubmittal of EDSCLS application for survey participation.]

Subject: UPDATE - EDSCLS National Benchmark Study

Dear [District Title] [Last Name],

Previously, on [Date], we submitted an application to your district to conduct research for the 2017 ED School Climate Surveys (EDSCLS) National Benchmark Study. [For Re-Application: This was a re-submitted application for a previously declined research request.]

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education has decided to stop the 2017 EDSCLS National Benchmark Study data collection due to low participation, effective immediately. Please consider this as a request to withdraw our research application.

If you have any questions about the school climate measures or the decision to suspend the study, we can be reached at 1-844-849-5252, or schoolclimate@air.org. We appreciate your consideration of this research endeavor, and wish you all the best in the 2016-17 school year.

Kind regards,

Chris Chapman

Associate Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics

1 If a school is located in a special district that needs the district’s approval, AIR made the approval request to the district.

2 This is based on statistical difference in the percentages between the participating sample and the released sample by treating the percentages in the released sample as the population percentages and the participating sample as a random sample from an infinite population.

3 The average hourly earnings of teachers/instructional staff in the May 2015 National Occupational and Employment Wage Estimates sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is $28.45 (an average hourly rate of Elementary and Middle School Teachers, $27.91, and Secondary School Teachers, $28.98), of noninstructional staff is $21.34, and of principals/education administrators is $44.68. If mean hourly wage was not provided it was computed assuming 2,080 hours per year. The exception is student wage, which is based on the federal minimum wage. Source: BLS Occupation Employment Statistics, http://data.bls.gov/oes/ data type: Occupation codes: Elementary and Middle School Teachers (25-2020) and Secondary School Teachers (25-2030); Education, Training, and Library Workers, All Other (Elementary and Secondary Schools) (25-9099); and Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary Schools (11-9032); accessed on April 5, 2016.

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