Districts: Student records data and Principal and Teacher records data

APPENDIX F
STUDENT RECORDS DATA COLLECTION
1. Cover letter
2. Instructions for Providing Student Records

STUDENT RECORDS DATA REQUEST
P.O. Box 2393
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
Telephone (609) 799-3535
Fax (609) 799-0005
www.mathematica-mpr.com

[DATE]

Dear [DISTRICT CONTACT]:
We would like to thank your district for participating in the national Evaluation of the Teacher
Incentive Fund (TIF) conducted by Mathematica Policy Research for the U.S. Department of
Education. This study will produce valuable information on the impact of performance-based
incentive programs on student achievement and educator mobility and retention. We greatly
appreciate your assistance with this important study.
As part of the study, we are collecting information from district records for the students in the
study. I am writing to request that your district provide us with data for each student in tested
grades in the study schools. We will be making the same data request in fall 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Please note that cooperation with these activities is a condition of your grant (EDGAR: part 75.591,
Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e–3 and 3474).

The attached table indicates the specific items that we are requesting for the current school
year. Also attached are instructions for returning the data to us. You can choose among three ways
to return the data: (1) posting the files to our secure website; (2) emailing the password-protected
files; or (3) sending the hard copy lists via Federal Express.
Thank you very much for your assistance with this data request. A member of our study team
will contact you in the next week to determine if you have any questions about this request. You
can reach me at (202) 484-4820 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

Mary Grider
Senior Systems Analyst
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The time required to complete this
information collection is estimated to average 8 hours per year minutes per respondent, including the time to review instructions, gather the
data needed, and complete and review the information collected. 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. If you have
comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: U.S. Department of Education,
Institute of Education Sciences, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208.

An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Item #
Data Item
Student’s Background and Demographic Information
1
Last and first name
2
Sex
3
District ID number
4
Date of birth (mm/dd/yy)
5
Ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino origin)
6
Race
Year-Specific Information (2011–2012)
7
School Name
8
School ID
9
Days Enrolled
10
Student’s grade level
11
Free- or reduced-price school lunch status
12
English Language Learner (ELL) status
13
Special education/IEP status
14
Type of disability, if any
15
504 Plan status
Test Scores (Spring 2012 and Spring 2011)
16
Math test information
Name of test, publisher, grade level administered. If alternative assessment, please
indicate.
17
Math scale score
Scale score from math section of state or district test. Scale score is preferred, but
normal curve equivalents, percentile ranks, or number correct are acceptable (in
descending order of preference).
18
Reading test information
Name of test, publisher, grade level administered. If alternative assessment,
indicate this.
19
Reading scale score
Scale score from math section of state or district test. Scale score is preferred, but
normal curve equivalents, percentile ranks, or number correct are acceptable (in
descending order of preference).
Attendance and Promotion Information (2011-2012)
20
Promotion status
Indicate whether the student was promoted to a higher grade as of May/June prior
to the start of the school year.
21
Number of days absent from school
22
Disciplinary record
Information on suspensions or other disciplinary action
Teacher Information (2011-2012)
Student’s Reading, Language Arts, or English teacher
23
Last name of teacher
24
First name of teacher
25
District ID of teacher
Student’s Math teacher
26
Last name of teacher
27
First name of teacher
28
District ID of teacher

Notice of Confidentiality
Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this
study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district or
individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your district to anyone outside the study
team, except as required by law. Additionally, no one at your school or in your district will see your
responses. Participation or cooperation with this activity is a condition of your grant (EDGAR: part 75.591,
Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e–3 and 3474).

EVALUATION OF THE TEACHER INCENTIVE FUND
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SENDING STUDENT DATA FILES
Please use one of the three methods below to return the student data files or listing to Mathematica.
A. UPLOAD ELECTRONIC FILES TO A SECURE WEBSITE
1. Go to https://www.xxx.org/upload using an Internet browser (e.g., Microsoft Explorer). When
prompted, use the following login information:
Username:
Password:
Domain Name:

XXX
XXX
XXX

Note: Username and password are case-sensitive.
2. Click on the BROWSE button and select the file you wish to transfer.
3. Click the UPLOAD button to begin the transfer process. Once a file is uploaded, it cannot be
downloaded or accessed by anyone other than an authorized member of the study team.
4. If the file name is not unique, you will receive a message indicating that the “file already
exists.” If this occurs, please rename your file and upload again.
5. Close the browser once the upload is complete.
6. If your file is password-protected, please call Mary Grider at (202) 484-4820 with the

password. For security reasons, please do not send the password by email.
B. SEND ELECTRONIC FILE BY EMAIL
1. If you have not already password-protected your file, please do so and call Mary Grider at
(202) 484-4820 with the password. For security reasons, please do not send the password by
email.
2. Email the electronic file as an attachment to [email protected]. In the body of the email,
include your name, telephone number, and the name of your district. Do not send the student
data as part of the email text.
3. If possible, compress the file using WinZip, PKZIP, or StuffIt before attaching it to the email.

If the file is larger than 10 MB (or 10,000 KB), we recommend transmitting it using our secure
website (https:\\www.xxxx.org) instead.
C. FEDERAL EXPRESS (PAPER LISTS, DISKETTE, CD-ROM, DVD)
1. Use the enclosed prepaid labels and send your package to Mathematica. Please remember to
write your return address information (Section 1) and the type of packaging you are using
(Section 5) on the FedEx label.
2. Affix the provided “DO NOT X-RAY; DO NOT BEND” label to the package.
3. If you would like Mathematica to provide a FedEx envelope or other packaging material
appropriate for the type of student list you are sending, please call Mary Grider at (202) 4844820.
4. Keep a copy of the information you send for your records.