OMB83 C Change Memo-Special Districts

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Center for Education Statistics

March 15, 2017

MEMORANDUM

To: Robert Sivinski and E. Ann Carson, OMB

From: Rachel Hansen, NCES

Through: Kashka Kubzdela, NCES

Re: School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) 2017-18 Special Contact Districts Change Request (OMB# 1850-0761 v.11)

The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) is a nationally representative survey of elementary and secondary school principals that serves as the primary source of school-level data on crime and safety in public schools. SSOCS is the only recurring federal survey collecting detailed information on the incidence, frequency, seriousness, and nature of violence affecting students and school personnel from the school’s perspective. Data are also collected on frequency and types of disciplinary actions taken for select offenses; perceptions of other disciplinary problems, such as bullying, verbal abuse and disorder in the classroom; the presence and role of school security staff; parent and community involvement; staff training; mental health services available to students; and, school policies and programs concerning crime and safety. Prior administrations of SSOCS were conducted in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2016. The 2016 and 2018 SSOCS full-scale data collections were approved in August 2015 with change requests approved in September 2015 and May 2016 (1850-0761 v.8-10). This request is to update the approved procedures and materials for seeking research approval from special contact districts and to update the schedule for drawing of the sample. This request does not involve any changes to the estimated respondent burden or to the cost to the federal government for this study.

Appendix A.1 of this submission provides all of the approved communication materials that were used in SSOCS 2016, while Appendix A.2 provides the communications materials that will be used with special contact districts during SSOCS:2018. The changes between respective 2016 and 2018 materials are:

1. The SSOCS:2018 sample will be selected in June 2017 rather than in September 2017 (per original plan) in order to continue the coordinated work with the 2017-18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) (see Part B, page 6, Drawing the Sample).

2. The special contact district recruitment effort for districts with schools sampled for both SSOCS and NTPS will be conducted together with recruitment for NTPS to allow these districts to review our research applications at the same time (see Part B, page 6, Identifying Special Contact Districts and the Need for Research Applications).

3. The SSOCS Special District Application Cover Letter was updated to mirror the content and format of the cover letter for NTPS.

4. The Special District Application Cover Letter for districts in both NTPS and SSOCS was added (note: this letter has also been submitted with the OMB change memo for NTPS, 1850-0598).

5. The 2015-16 SSOCS Generic Research Application was updated for 2017-18.

6. A SSOCS FAQ document was added.

7. The SSOCS Special Contact District Approval Form was updated.

8. A SSOCS Special Contact District Affidavit of Nondisclosure was added.

9. A description of the special contact district operations was added.

10. The confidentiality pledge was updated throughout to reflect the addition of the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 provision. The revised pledge reads: “All of the information you provide 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 and 6 U.S.C. §151).”

550 12^th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20202

Our mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the Nation.