Principal and Teacher Questionnaires and Recruitment

OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey
(TALIS 2013—Recruiting for Main Study)

Supporting Statement Part D

National Center for Education Statistics

Institute Of Education Sciences

U.S. Department Of Education

Washington, D.C.

July 27, 2012

State TALIS letter—Main Study

[Date]

[Title] [Name First] [Name Last]

[Title/Department]

[State]

[Address 1]

[Address 2]

[City], [State] [Zip code]

Dear [Title] [Name Last]:

The United States will participate for the first time in TALIS (the Teaching and Learning International Survey), an international survey of principals and teachers at grades 7, 8, and 9. TALIS provides comparative information about teaching and the teaching profession around the world. TALIS is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and 33 countries have committed to participate. [Insert #] schools in your state have been randomly selected to participate, and I am writing to ask your agency to support the participation of these schools in TALIS.

TALIS and the associated process for participating schools are described in more detail in materials enclosed with this letter. The study is sponsored in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education and will be conducted by Strategic Research Group (SRG). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB #1850-0888. While participation in this study is entirely voluntary, we ask your agency to support the participation of schools in your state in the study so that the United States has a representative sample of schools from across the country.

NCES is authorized to conduct this study under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S. Code, Section 9543). The data provided by schools and staff may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). Reports of the findings from the study will not identify participating districts, schools, or individual staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Within the next few weeks, a representative of SRG will contact sampled school districts and schools to discuss conducting the data collection in the winter/spring of 2013. In the meantime, if you have questions about the study, please do not hesitate to call SRG at 1-800-341-3660 or send an email to [email protected]. You may also obtain more information about the study by contacting Patrick Gonzales at NCES (415-920-9229 or [email protected]) or visiting the TALIS website at: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/talis.

Thank you for your time and support. TALIS is a crucial element in an ongoing effort to understand how the U.S. education system compares to those of other countries.

Sincerely,

Jack Buckley

Commissioner

cc: [State CCSSO member]

Enclosures

Public School district TALIS letter—Main Study

[Date]

[Title] [Name First] [Name Last], [Title/Department]

[School District]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip code]

Dear [Title] [Name Last]:

The United States will participate for the first time in TALIS (the Teaching and Learning International Survey), an international survey of principals and teachers at grades 7, 8, and 9. TALIS provides comparative information about teaching and the teaching profession around the world. TALIS is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and 33 countries have committed to participate. [Insert #] schools in your district have been randomly selected to participate, and I am writing to ask your agency to support the participation of schools in your district in TALIS.

The support of your agency is vital to the successful participation of schools in your district in TALIS. Schools that participate in TALIS will be compensated for their assistance; participating schools will receive $50.00, their school-level coordinator will receive $50.00, and each teacher who completes the questionnaire will receive $20.00.

Materials enclosed with this letter describe TALIS and the process for participating schools in more detail. TALIS is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education and will be conducted by Strategic Research Group (SRG). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB #1850-0888. While participation in this study is entirely voluntary, we ask your agency to support the participation of schools and teachers in your district in the study so that the United States has a representative sample of schools and teachers from across the country.

Within the next few days, a representative of SRG will contact the following school or schools in your district that have been selected for the study in the winter/spring of 2013: [LIST SAMPLED SCHOOLS HERE…]

NCES is authorized to conduct this study under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S. Code, Section 9543). The data provided by schools and staff may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). We disclose the names of schools only to the governing district for each school, and we ask that each district maintain the confidentiality of the sampled schools in TALIS. Reports of the findings from TALIS will not identify participating districts, schools, or individual staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call SRG at 1-800-341-3660 or send an email to [email protected]. You may also obtain more information about TALIS by contacting Patrick Gonzales at NCES (415-920-9229 or [email protected]) or visiting the TALIS website at: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/talis.

Thank you for your time and support. TALIS is an important element in an ongoing effort to understand how the U.S. education system compares to those of other countries.

Sincerely,

Jack Buckley

Commissioner

Enclosures

Special District TALIS letter—Main Study

[Date]

[Title] [Name First] [Name Last], [Title/Department]

[School District]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip code]

Dear [Title] [Name Last]:

The United States will participate for the first time in TALIS (the Teaching and Learning International Survey), an international survey of principals and teachers at grades 7, 8, and 9. TALIS provides comparative information about teaching and the teaching profession around the world. TALIS is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and 33 countries have committed to participate. [Insert #] schools in your district have been randomly selected to participate, and I am writing to ask your agency to support the participation of schools in your district in TALIS.

The support of your agency is vital to the successful participation of schools in your district in TALIS. Schools that participate in TALIS will be compensated for their assistance; participating schools will receive $50.00, their school-level coordinator will receive $50.00, and each teacher who completes the questionnaire will receive $20.00.

Materials enclosed with this letter describe TALIS and the process for participating schools in more detail. TALIS is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education and will be conducted by Strategic Research Group (SRG). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB #1850-0888. While participation in this study is entirely voluntary, we ask your agency to support the participation of schools and teachers in your district in the study so that the United States has a representative sample of schools and teachers from across the country.

We are aware that your district may require that we submit an application for approval before the study can be conducted. Within the next few days, a representative of SRG will contact you to begin the approval process. The following school or schools in your district have been selected for the survey: [LIST SAMPLED SCHOOLS HERE…]

NCES is authorized to conduct this study under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S. Code, Section 9543). The data provided by schools and staff may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). We disclose the names of schools only to the governing district for each school, and we ask that each district maintain the confidentiality of the sampled schools in TALIS. Reports of the findings from TALIS will not identify participating districts, schools, or individual staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call SRG at 1-800-341-3660 or send an email to [email protected]. You may also obtain more information about TALIS by contacting Patrick Gonzales at NCES (415-920-9229 or [email protected]) or visiting the TALIS website at: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/talis.

Thank you for your time and support. TALIS is an important element in an ongoing effort to understand how the U.S. education system compares to those of other countries.

Sincerely,

Jack Buckley

Commissioner

Enclosures

[Date]

School TALIS letter—Main Study

[Title] [Name First] [Name Last], [Title/Department]

[School District]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip code]

Dear [Title] [Name Last]:

The United States will participate for the first time in TALIS (the Teaching and Learning International Survey), an international survey of principals and teachers at grades 7, 8, and 9. TALIS provides comparative information about teaching and the teaching profession around the world. TALIS is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and 33 countries have committed to participate. Your school has been randomly selected to participate, and I am writing to strongly encourage your school to take part.

U.S. participation in TALIS provides its school leaders and teachers with the opportunity to contribute to an international dialogue on the conditions of teaching in our country relative to conditions elsewhere. Schools that participate in TALIS will be compensated in part for their time and effort; participating schools will receive $50.00, the school-level coordinator will receive $50.00, and each teacher who completes the questionnaire will receive $20.00.

Materials enclosed with this letter describe TALIS and the process for participating schools in more detail. TALIS is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education and will be conducted by Strategic Research Group (SRG). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB #1850-0888. While participation in this study is entirely voluntary, we hope you will participate so that the United States has a representative sample of public and private schools and teachers from across the country.

NCES is authorized to conduct this study under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S. Code, Section 9543). The data provided by schools and staff may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). We only disclose the names of schools to the governing district for each school, and we have asked that each district maintain the confidentiality of the sampled schools in TALIS. Reports of the findings from TALIS will not identify participating districts, schools, or individual staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Within the next few days, a representative of SRG will call you to discuss your participation in the study. In the meantime, if you have any questions about TALIS or your school’s participation, please feel free to call SRG at 1-800-341-3660 or send an email to [email protected]. You may also obtain more information about TALIS by contacting Patrick Gonzales at NCES (415-920-9229 or [email protected]) or visiting the TALIS website at: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/talis.

Thank you for your time and support. TALIS is a crucial element in an ongoing effort to understand how the U.S. education system compares to those of other countries.

Sincerely,

Jack Buckley

Commissioner

Enclosures

TALIS FAQ—Main Study

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TALIS?

TALIS (Teaching and Learning International Survey) is an international survey of the teaching workforce, teaching as a profession, and the learning environments of schools based on questionnaire responses from nationally representative samples of teachers and their school principals. TALIS’ main objective is to provide accurate and relevant international indicators on teachers and teaching towards the goal of helping countries review current conditions and develop informed education policy. TALIS offers an opportunity for teachers and school principals to provide their perspectives on the state of education in their own countries, allowing for a global view of teachers and the education systems in which they work.

TALIS is being conducted in grades 7, 8, and 9 in the United States.

Why was my school selected for participation?

Schools with varying demographics and in different locales were randomly selected so that the U.S. sample is representative of the U.S. schools overall, both public and private. The random selection process is important for ensuring that a country’s sample accurately reflects its schools and therefore can be compared fairly with samples of schools from other countries.

Will all teachers in the school be asked to participate?

It depends on the number of teachers in the school. The study requires a random sample of up to 30 teachers who teach at least one class/course to 7^th, 8^th, or 9^th graders in each school, regardless of subject matter. In schools with less than 20 eligible teachers, all teachers who teach at the target grades will be asked to participate. In schools with a large faculty, up to 30 teachers who teach at the target grades will be sampled to participate.

Who conducts the study?

The study will be undertaken by trained staff from Strategic Research Group (SRG) under contract to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education. NCES conducts this 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 #1850-0888.

What are schools and teachers asked to do?

TALIS is composed of two questionnaires: one for the school principal and another for teachers. Both teacher and principal questionnaires include questions about the following core components:

• teacher and principal background and characteristics;

• teacher and principal professional development;

• school leadership and management;

• teacher appraisal and feedback;

• teachers’ instructional approaches and pedagogical practices;

• teacher efficacy and job satisfaction; and

• school climate.

When will the study be conducted?

The study will be conducted in the winter/spring of 2013. Both the principal and selected teachers will receive instructions on how to complete the questionnaires. To make responding easier, the questionnaires will be available online, although a paper-based version will also be available.

How long do the questionnaires take to complete?

The principal and teacher questionnaires are designed to be completed within 45 minutes, including the time it may take to gather needed information. The online version of the questionnaires will allow respondents to complete the survey questions at a single or multiple sessions.

What will happen with the collected data?

The data from the questionnaires will be used to document the conditions of teaching and schooling that may be related to student learning and to develop comparative education indicators geared toward informing policy discussions about teachers and teaching. The data provided by schools and staff may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). Reports of the findings from TALIS will not identify participating districts, schools, or individual staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Is participation required by federal law?

No. School and teacher participation is voluntary. However, we hope you will participate in this study so that teachers like those in your school are accurately and fairly represented.

How will the study be coordinated in my school?

Schools are asked to designate a School Coordinator to assist SRG staff members with distributing materials and gathering information. The School Coordinator will be the main contact at the school through whom SRG will communicate. There is no need for contractor staff to visit the school. The School Coordinator is asked to complete a sampling form listing eligible teachers of 7^th, 8^th, or 9^th graders, distribute information materials to the selected teachers, provide the principal and teachers with the questionnaires or login/password information for the online surveys, and to encourage the completion of the surveys by the agreed upon deadline.

The School Coordinator can be a teacher or any school staff member (e.g., office administrator).

[insert TALIS logo]

[insert IES/NCES logo]

OMB # 1850-0888

TALIS Summary of Activities—Main Study

Summary of TALIS Activities for School Coordinators

What will be asked of the School Coordinator?

Upon the school’s agreement to participate, Strategic Research Group (SRG) staff will work with the School Coordinator to:

• Provide a list of eligible teachers at grades 7, 8, and/or 9 (depending on the grades included in the school). The school coordinator will receive instructions for preparing and submitting the teacher listing form. The teacher listing form will be used to randomly select teachers for participation in the study.

• Distribute informational materials to the school principal and selected teachers, encouraging their participation in the study.

• Distribute the principal and teacher questionnaires. The school coordinator will be mailed the principal and teacher questionnaires and asked to distribute them to the school principal and selected teachers. Since the questionnaires will also be made available online, SRG staff will work with the school coordinator to determine the need for paper-based versions of the survey instruments.

• Encourage the participation of the school principal and selected teachers in the study.

• In consideration of his/her time and effort, the School Coordinator will be compensated $50.00 upon successful completion of the study in the school.

Please feel free to contact the TALIS U.S. Home Office with any questions

via e-mail at [email protected]

or by calling 1-800-341-3660

[insert TALIS logo]

[insert IES/NCES logo]

OMB # 1850-0888