Topical 2 Letter

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

{123 Name Street}

{City, ST 12345}

October XX, 2009

Dear Parent of {CHILD}:

About three weeks ago, we mailed a survey to be completed by a member of your household about the child listed below.

{Child, age X, X^th grade}

We have not received a response from your household. You were sent that survey (and the replacement enclosed with this letter) because your household returned a short survey for the U.S. Department of Education.

We are writing again because your household’s response is important in ensuring that the U.S. Department of Education obtains accurate results.

As mentioned before, this survey is the final step in a study that provides vital information about children's early learning, the programs in which children participate, and how families prepare children for school. Your response to this survey will help provide a clear picture of children’s educational experiences in the United States.

Please fill out the enclosed survey and mail it back in the postage paid envelope as soon as possible. It should only take 20 minutes or less to fill out this survey.

If you have questions or need assistance, Westat (the research company doing this survey for us) will be happy to help and can be reached by telephone at 1-888-696-3033. More details about the study are provided on the back of the enclosed survey and online at www.nhessurvey.org.

Sincerely,

Stuart Kerachsky

Acting Commissioner

Enclosure National Center for Education Statistics

Section 9543, 20 of the U.S. Code authorizes the National Center for Education Statistics to conduct this survey. Your responses are voluntary and will be used for statistical purposes only and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law [Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002) (Section 9573, 20 U.S. Code)].