National Teacher and Principal Survey of 2017-2018 (NTPS 2017-18) Preliminary Field Activities

I am writing to inform you about [For special districts: our forthcoming research application to conduct] a vitally important national study: the National Teacher and Principal Survey of 2017-18 (NTPS 2017-18). The survey helps researchers and policymakers learn about our nation’s schools, principals, and teachers so they can work on improving education for all students. NTPS is the only national survey that provides this kind of information. All districts ultimately benefit when good data help legislators and administrators make good decisions. I’d like to ask you to encourage your school(s) to participate in this study to ensure that districts like yours are represented in its results.

NTPS is administered on a recurring basis by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). It includes a sample of [for districts where sample has been drawn, insert: XX] schools in your district, their principals, and some of their teachers. We will ask the school to volunteer a survey coordinator to serve as a central point of contact for NTPS. No student or classroom time is involved in this survey.

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0598 v.16.

Participation is voluntary, but we hope all selected schools, principals, and teachers in your district will choose to complete the survey. Enclosed you will find an NTPS 2017-18 brochure that further explains the survey and a sheet of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Should you have any questions, please call NTPS staff at [phone number] or send an email to [email address]. You can find additional information about NTPS and results from prior NTPS administrations at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

[For Non-Special Contact District: We look forward to working with your district schools in this endeavor to advance the quality of education throughout our nation. Thank you for your support.]

[For Special Contact District: Shortly, we will submit a research application for approval to conduct NTPS in your district. We look forward to working with your district staff and its schools in this endeavor to advance the quality of education throughout our nation. Thank you for your support.]

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner, NCES

NCES is authorized to conduct NTPS 2017-18 by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C., § 9543). All responses 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.C., §9573). The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.

Enclosures:

NTPS 2017-18 Brochure

NTPS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

District Research Application Cover Letter (Districts in NTPS only)

[Name] January 23, 2021

[Position, Department]

[School District]

[Street Address]

[City, State, Zip]

Dear [District Contact Name]

Recently we contacted your district about an important national study: the National Teacher and Principal Survey of 2017-18 (NTPS 2017-18). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education is requesting approval to conduct NTPS 2017-18 in some of your district’s schools during the 2017-18 school year.

NTPS is administered on a recurring basis by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of NCES. Its data are crucial in helping legislators and education leaders make informed decisions to improve education. By participating in this survey, you will ensure that information about your district’s schools, principals, and teachers is included in those decisions.

[For districts where sample has been drawn, insert: “From your district, XX schools were sampled for NTPS.”] No student or classroom time is involved in this survey.

We appreciate your consideration of our research applications for NTPS 2017-18. The enclosed materials describe the purposes, survey topics, sample sizes, and respondent burden for NTPS. Draft versions of the NTPS 2017-18 questionnaires are also included for your review. If you have any questions about our research application, please contact me by e-mail at [email] or by telephone at [phone]. You can find additional information about NTPS and results from prior NTPS administrations at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

Sincerely,

Amy Ho

Project Director

National Teacher and Principal Survey

National Center for Education Statistics

PCP, 550 12th St., SW, 4th floor, Room 4014

Washington, DC 20202

Enclosures:

NTPS Brochures

NTPS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

NTPS 2017-18 Draft Questionnaires

[If available, Copy of research application]

D istrict Research Application Cover Letter (Districts in NTPS & SSOCS)

[Name] January 23, 2021

[Position, Department]

[School District]

[Street Address]

[City, State, Zip]

Dear [District Contact Name]

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education is requesting approval to conduct the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) 2017-18 and the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) 2018 in some of your district’s schools during the 2017-18 school year.

NTPS and SSOCS are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of NCES on a recurring basis. The collected data are crucial in helping legislators and education leaders make informed decisions to improve education. By participating in these surveys, you will ensure that information about your district’s schools, principals, and teachers is included in those decisions. No student or classroom time is involved in either survey.

[For districts where sample has been drawn, insert: “From your district, XX of schools were sampled for NTPS and XX of schools were sampled for SSOCS.”] NCES recognizes the increased burden on schools asked to respond to multiple surveys. NTPS and SSOCS are working together to minimize as much as possible the number of schools asked to participate in both surveys.

We appreciate your consideration of our research applications for these important surveys. The enclosed materials describe the purposes, survey topics, sample sizes, and respondent burden for NTPS and SSOCS. Draft versions of the NTPS 2017-18 and SSOCS 2018 questionnaires are also included for your review. The materials for each survey are provided separately. If you have any questions about our research applications, please contact us, by e-mail at [email] or by telephone at [phone].

Sincerely,

Amy Ho

Project Director

National Teacher and Principal Survey

National Center for Education Statistics

PCP, 550 12th St., SW, 4th floor, Room 4014

Washington, DC 20202

Rachel Hansen

Project Director

School Survey on Crime and Safety

National Center for Education Statistics

PCP, 550 12th St., SW, 4th floor, Room 4012

Washington, DC 20202

Enclosures:

NTPS and SSOCS Brochures

NTPS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

NTPS and SSOCS Research Application

NTPS 2017-18 and SSOCS 2018 Draft Questionnaires

NTPS 2017-18 Brochure Text

COVER

National Teacher and Principal Survey of 2017-18 (NTPS 2017-18)

Education quote: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops”. ~Henry Brooks Adams Study conducted by: National Center for Education Statistics of U.S. Department of Education

Data collection by: the U.S. Census Bureau

Study approved by: the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB# 1850-0598 v.16)

INTERIOR

What is NTPS?

NTPS is the most comprehensive source of data on schools, principals, and teachers in the United States. NTPS provides critical information about the characteristics and qualifications of teachers and principals, teacher hiring practices, class size, and other conditions in a wide variety of schools across the nation.

How are schools chosen for NTPS?

Schools are selected for the survey using scientific sampling procedures that ensure that the results represent all kinds of schools in all kinds of communities. The principal and some teachers from each sampled school are also included in the study.

Why participate in NTPS?

NTPS helps researchers and policymakers learn about our nation’s schools, teachers, and principals so they can work on improving education for all students. All districts ultimately benefit when good data help legislators and administrators make good decisions. Your participation is essential to the success of the study.

What will be included?

Survey topics include:

Teacher qualifications and career paths
Teacher recruitment, retention, and evaluation
Teacher and principal professional development
Principal experience and training
Principal engagement
School reform
School climate

BACK

For More Information

If you have questions about NTPS 2017-18 or would like more information, please contact the study. Its success depends on you!

Phone number: [phone]

E-mail address: [email]

Website: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

2017-18 NTPS Frequently Asked Questions

What is NTPS?

NTPS is the most comprehensive source of data on schools, teachers, and principals in the United States. NTPS provides critical information about the characteristics and qualifications of teachers and principals, teacher hiring practices, class size, and other conditions in a wide variety of schools across the nation. It is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Census Bureau administers the NTPS surveys on behalf of NCES. This survey does not involve students, parents, or any use of classroom time.

Why participate in NTPS 2017-18?

NTPS helps researchers and policymakers learn about our nation’s schools, teachers, and principals so they can work on improving education for all students. NTPS is the only national survey that provides this kind of information. All districts ultimately benefit when good data help legislators and administrators make good decisions. By participating in this survey, you will ensure that information about your district schools, principals, and teachers is included in those decisions. The data they provide will better inform and help to shape future education policies.

How will NTPS 2017-18 data be used?

Congress, the Department of Education, other Federal agencies, State Departments of Education, education associations, and the education research community will use data from NTPS 2017-18 to conduct research on a range of issues related to K-12 education. In the past, some of the most frequently published topics have included class size, number and characteristics of new teachers, teaching certification, teacher professional development, teacher attrition/retention, and teacher qualifications. Based on previous administrations of NTPS, we can anticipate that the data will be used to produce national statistics on:

Teacher capacity as defined by teacher qualifications, career paths, professional development activities, and school and district support for teachers’ careers; and
School capacity as defined by school organization and decision making, management of curriculum and instruction, school programs, and school safety.

How many schools, principals, and teachers are selected for NTPS 2017-18?

The 2017-18 NTPS samples will include approximately 9,300 public schools and school principals, and approximately 43,000 public school teachers.

How are schools and principals selected for NTPS 2017-18?

Public schools selected for NTPS are sampled from the Common Core of Data (CCD), the universe of public schools supplied annually by state educational agencies to NCES. To make sure that the sample contains sufficient numbers for estimates, NTPS uses a stratified probability sample design. The main design objective is to provide the following data for public schools:

National estimates of public schools and public school characteristics;
National estimates of combined grade public schools (schools with a grade span that overlaps the elementary, middle, and/or high school levels); and
National estimates of public charter schools and selected school characteristics.

For all schools, the principal will be included in the survey as a result of the school being selected.

How are teachers selected for NTPS 2017-18?

The teacher sample will be selected from a list of teachers provided by the school. For each school in the sample, all teachers who teach students in grades K-12 during the fall of 2017, except for short-term substitutes, student teachers, and teacher aides, are eligible for sampling. To avoid placing an undue burden on schools, NCES intends to survey an average of 5 teachers per school.

How will the survey be administered?

NTPS is a self-administered survey that is offered to respondents through a mail questionnaire and an online survey. We will ask the school to assign a survey coordinator to serve as a central point of contact for NTPS.

The survey does not require the use of any school personnel to administer it, other than the direct time it takes for the respondent to complete the questionnaire. This survey does not involve students. Sampled principals, teachers, and the most appropriate school staff are requested to record their answers either (a) on the printed questionnaire and return the questionnaire as directed (by mail to the U.S. Census Bureau) or (b) using the online survey option to send in their responses via a secure server link. There is no use of classroom time required for the completion of these questionnaires.

How long does it take to fill out the survey?

The NTPS questionnaires strive to collect in-depth data without putting an undue burden on respondents. Each survey item has been selected based upon its contribution to the data needed by researchers and policymakers. The estimated average response time for each questionnaire in the 2017-18 NTPS is presented in the following table.

Questionnaire	Estimated average response time per respondent
Teacher Listing Form	30 minutes
School Questionnaire	22 minutes
Principal Questionnaire	17 minutes
Teacher Questionnaire	34 minutes

When will the survey be administered?

The planned data collection schedule is below.

NTPS 2017-18 Planned Timetable	Approximate Schedule
Initial mail-out of questionnaires to schools	August 2017
Initial mail-out of questionnaires to teachers	October 2017
Final acceptance of all questionnaires	June 2018
Data capture and processing	June 2018-June 2019
Data file release	July 2019

What happens if a school, principal, or teacher refuses to participate?

All participation is voluntary. There are no penalties for not participating in the study. When completing the questionnaires, respondents can skip any question they do not want to answer. If individuals or schools are hesitant to be a part of the study, please reach out to NTPS 2017-18 staff so we can address any concerns you may have.

Will the names of participants and their responses be kept confidential?

Under law, the information 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 [Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002), 20 U.S. Code, Section 9573]. All field staff and other staff working on the study have signed an affidavit of non-disclosure where they swear to abide by this law. Field staff have also undergone a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

Who do I contact for further information about NTPS 2017-18?

For additional information, call the NTPS 2017-18 information number, [phone], or send an email to [email]. You may also learn more about the NTPS survey program and read results from prior administrations by visiting the NTPS website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

Special Contact District Affidavit of Nondisclosure

Affidavit of Nondisclosure for Districts that Require the List of Schools in the Study Sample

2017-18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) and the NTPS Follow-up Surveys: Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) and Principal Follow-up Survey (PFS)

____________________________________ __________________________________

(Job Title) (Organization Name)

2017-18 NTPS List of Sampled Schools

____________________________________ __________________________________

(Name of NCES File with (Organization Address)

Individually Identifiable Information)

I, __________________________________________________________________________ ,

(Printed Full Name)

do solemnly swear (or affirm) that when given access to the subject NCES file, I will not

(i) use or reveal any individually identifiable information furnished, acquired, retrieved or assembled by me or others, under the provisions of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C., § 9573) and Title V, subtitle A of the E-Government Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-347) for any purpose other than statistical purposes specified in the NCES survey, project or agreement;

(ii) make any disclosure or publication whereby a sample unit or survey respondent (including principals, teachers, and schools) could be identified or the data furnished by or related to any particular person or school under these sections could be identified; or

(iii) permit anyone other than the individuals authorized by the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics who have signed an affidavit of nondisclosure to examine the list of participating districts, schools, and/or staff.

[The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of not more than $250,000 (under 18 U.S.C. 3571) or imprisonment for not more than five years (under 18 U.S.C. 3559), or both. The word "swear" should be stricken out when a person elects to affirm the affidavit rather than to swear to it.]

___________________________________ _________________________

(Signature) (Date)

Participant Informed Consent Form

Example Consent Form – will be used only in districts that require a consent form and will be adjusted based on individual district requirements; the following sentence will not be changed:

“I fully understand that my responses may only be used 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)”

PARTICIPANT INFORMED CONSENT FORM

NATIONAL TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL SURVEY (NTPS) 2017-18

You are being asked to participate in a survey called the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), for the 2017-18 school year. [District] district has approved your school’s participation in this important study. This form provides you with information about the study, and the [title], [name], who can be reached at [phone] or [email] is also available to answer your questions. Please read the information below and ask any questions you might have before deciding whether or not to take part.

The NTPS is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in order to collect important data on public elementary and secondary schools in the United States. The NTPS provides data on the characteristics and qualifications of teachers and principals, teacher hiring practices, professional development, class size, and other conditions in schools across the nation. Participants are asked to complete a paper questionnaire and return it in the pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope provided (some respondents are also given an online option). Details about the data collection instrument, respondent type, and time required to complete the questionnaire are below.

Data Collection Instrument	Respondent Type	Estimated Time Required to Complete Questionnaire
Teacher Listing Form	School Coordinator	30 minutes
School Questionnaire	School Coordinator	30 minutes
Principal Questionnaire	Principal	22minutes
Teacher Questionnaire	Teacher (1-20 per school)	40 minutes

Each NTPS Principal or Teacher Questionnaire contains questions that provide basic descriptive information on the respondent. Some of these items are: gender, age, race/ethnicity, principals’ licensure, highest degree earned, salary, years of teaching experience, education degrees earned and fields, certification, main teaching assignment, teacher salary schedules, and hours worked per week. A security plan for protecting individual respondent data has been developed by NCES and the U.S. Census Bureau. Under this plan, the 2017-18 NTPS will conform to federal regulations – specifically, the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), Privacy Act Regulations (34 CFR Part 5b), the Hawkins-Stafford Amendments of 1988 (P.L. 100-297), the Computer Security Act of 1987, NCES Restricted-Use Data Procedures Manual, the Federal Statistical Confidentiality Order of 1997 (an OMB directive), the U.S.A. Patriot Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-56), the E-Government Act of 2002, Title V, Subtitle A, Confidential Information Protection, the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C., § 9573), and the NCES Statistical Standards and Policies handbook.

Once the U.S. Census Bureau receives the completed survey forms, the responses are keyed into electronic data files, which are checked against the survey forms for accuracy. Names, addresses, and other identifying information for schools, principals, and teachers are removed from the data files to protect respondents’ confidentiality. A school identification number is used to link principal and teacher data to the schools where they work.

The data are used in statistical summaries only. NCES issues its own reports and requires researchers to access the data through restricted-use licensing for other analyses. Only users who have official clearance from NCES may have access to the restricted-use data files. Several reports are issued once the data are finalized, which may include: a general report that provides an overview of the data, a teacher report, a school report, and a principal report. NTPS publications will be provided for download on the NCES publications page http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/.

Congress and the U.S. Department of Education use these data to critically examine existing educational programs and services to plan new programs intended to improve education throughout the nation.

There are no risks involved in participating in this important survey. Your participation is entirely voluntary and you can refuse to participate without any penalty or loss of benefits to you, your school or [district name]. If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw your participation at any time during the study without any adverse consequences from the U.S. Department of Commerce or your school.

Please check one of the following:

____ I am willing to participate in the research project. ____ I am not willing to participate in the research project.

I fully understand that my responses may only be used 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), and that my signature gives my consent to voluntarily participate in this project. I understand that, while this project has been reviewed by the [District Name], [District Name] is not conducting the project activities.

You are making a decision whether or not to participate in this study. Your signature below indicates that you have read and understood the information provided above, have had an opportunity to ask questions, and agree to participate in this research study. If you later decide to withdraw your consent for participation in the study, you should contact the [name] at [email]. You may discontinue participation at any time. You should keep a copy of this form for your records.

Signature _________________________________________________________________________________________

Participant Printed Name Date

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please return this form to [name] via email to [email] or mail to:

[Address]

Special Contact District Approval Form (NTPS and SSOCS)

NCES Surveys District Approval Form

Please mark the appropriate boxes below to let us know your district’s decision to allow sampled school(s) to participate in identified NCES surveys during the 2017-18 school year.

National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) 2017-18

□ The U.S. Department of Education has permission to administer the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) 2017-18 to one or more schools in the [District Name].

□ The U.S. Department of Education does not have permission to administer the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) 2017-18 to any school in the [District Name].

2017-18 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS)

□ The U.S. Department of Education has permission to administer the 2017-18 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) to one or more schools in the [District Name].

□ The U.S. Department of Education does not have permission to administer the 2017-18 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) to any school in the [District Name].

Printed

Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________________

Signature: ___________________________ Title: ________________________

Address: ___________________________ Phone: _______________________

___________________________

Email: ___________________________

Shape1

Please return this form to [contact info] by email to [email], or by mail to:

[address]

Special Contact District Approval Form (NTPS Only)

National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) 2017-18

District Approval Form

Please mark one of the boxes below to let us know your district’s decision to allow sampled school(s) to participate in the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS).

□ The U.S. Department of Education has permission to administer the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) 2017-18 to one or more schools in the [District Name].

□ The U.S. Department of Education does not have permission to administer the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) 2017-18 to any school in the [District Name].

Printed

Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________________

Signature: ___________________________ Title: ________________________

Address: ___________________________ Phone: _______________________

___________________________

Email: ___________________________

Shape2

Please return this form to [contact info] by email to [email], or by mail to:

[address]

NTPS School Pre-contact Letter

[Name] [Date]

[Position, Department]

[School District]

[Street Address]

[City, State, Zip]

Dear Principal:

Your school has been selected for a vitally important national study: the National Teacher and Principal Survey of 2017-18 (NTPS 2017-18). NTPS helps researchers and policymakers learn about our nation’s schools, principals, and teachers and is the only national survey that provides this kind of information. All schools and students ultimately benefit when good data help legislators and administrators make good decisions. No student or classroom time is involved in this survey.

NTPS is administered on a recurring basis by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). You can find additional information about NTPS and results from prior NTPS administrations at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

In preparation for the study, please review your school name and address printed above. If it is not correct, please call the U.S. Census Bureau at [phone] to provide us with corrections. Someone will be available to take your call Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

Thank you for giving this matter your attention. We look forward to your school’s participation in this important survey. The Census Bureau will be in contact with your school at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year.

Sincerely,

Chris Chapman

Associate Commissioner for Education Statistics

National Center for Education Statistics

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National Teacher and Principal Survey of 2017-2018 (NTPS 2017-18) Preliminary Field Activities