National Teacher and Principal Survey of 2019-2020 (NTPS 2019-20) Teacher Focus Groups

The National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS)

Teacher Focus Groups

Appendix B

Focus Group Materials

OMB #1850-0803 v.235

National Center for Education Statistics

Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Department of Education

Washington, D.C.

July 2018

Appendix B-1. Initial Teacher Letter with Login for Teacher Questionnaire

Initial Teacher Letter with Login for Teacher Questionnaire

NTPS-15L(I//E//IE) (I = teacher’s e-mail address is not available, teacher incentive; E = teacher’s e-mail address is available, no teacher incentive; EI = teacher’s e-mail address is available, teacher incentive)

Date

Teacher Name School Name School Address

Dear <TEACHER NAME>:

As part of your school’s participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), you have been selected to complete the NTPS Teacher Questionnaire. [I//IE: Please accept the enclosed $ as a token of our appreciation for your participation in NTPS.] The survey is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. The NTPS data are used by policy makers and researchers to understand the professional background, teaching field, workload, and working conditions of teachers in the United States.

Your participation in this important survey helps provide an accurate view of teachers’ experiences as educators. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. NTPS is administered by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical agency within the

U.S. Department of Education.

Your survey responses will be collected on a secure website. Please complete the survey within one week.

[E//IE: For your convenience, the Internet link to the survey, as well as your User ID, have been sent to you via e- mail at the following address: <TEACHER E-MAIL>]

Please be assured that both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau follow strict procedures to protect the confidentiality of survey participants. 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). Additionally, your responses to the survey questions will not be shared with your school administration. Your participation is voluntary, but your responses are necessary to make the results of this survey accurate and timely. You can find additional information about NTPS at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important survey. Sincerely,

James Lynn Woodworth, Ph.D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of NTPS?

The purpose of the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) is to provide policy makers and researchers with relevant and timely data on the characteristics and conditions of America’s public, charter, and private K–12 schools and the professionals who work in them. The data collected permit detailed analyses of the characteristics of schools, principals, teachers, and students. The data also link the NTPS components, which enable researchers to examine the relationships among these elements of the education system. For example, researchers can study teacher attrition using information not only provided by teachers, but also from their principals.

NTPS has been designed with input from state and local education agencies, school administrators, teachers, education policy makers, and researchers through the numerous organizations representing these various data providers and data users. For more information about NTPS, please visit our website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

How are the NTPS data used?

The data from NTPS are used by Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, state education agencies, public school districts, and education research organizations to:

1. Evaluate the effects of school workplace conditions, salaries, and training opportunities on the educational workforce;

2. Assess school staffing practices and personnel policies; and

3. Aid in the Department of Education’s program planning in the areas of teacher shortage, teaching policies, and teacher education.

Why is my participation important?

This survey is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. Only a small percentage of teachers are selected to participate; therefore, your participation is important for the success of this survey.

How long does it take to complete the NTPS Teacher Questionnaire?

The Teacher Questionnaire will take approximately 40 minutes to complete.

Will my data remain confidential?

Please be assured that both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau follow strict procedures to protect the confidentiality of study participants. 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). Your participation is voluntary, but your responses are necessary to make the results of this study accurate and timely.

Who authorizes this survey?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this study by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The U.S. Census Bureau will administer this survey on behalf of NCES. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved this survey. The OMB control number is 1850-0598 and the approval expiration date is 06/30/2020.

Who can answer general questions regarding this survey?

The U.S. Census Bureau can answer any questions you have about the survey. Staff can be reached by phone at 1-888-595-1338, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). At any other time, please leave a message and someone will return your call as soon as possible. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Appendix B-2. Initial Teacher E-mail with Login for Teacher Questionnaire

Initial Teacher E-mail with Login for Teacher Questionnaire

NTPS-15ET(CI//I) (CI = coordinator, teacher incentive; I = no coordinator, teacher incentive)

Subject: National Teacher and Principal Survey for the U.S. Department of Education Body:

Dear <TCH_NAME>,

A few days ago, we mailed you a letter at your school’s address inviting you to participate in the 2017– 18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). [CI: The envelope containing these materials, along with instructions for distributing this envelope directly to you, was mailed to your school’s NTPS survey coordinator, <COOR_NAME>.] [CI//I: We’ve included $ for you in the envelope as a token of our appreciation for your assistance with the 2017– 18 NTPS.]

NTPS is used by policy makers and researchers to understand teachers’ experiences as educators and their pathways of professional development, evaluation, and classroom organization. Your participation is important in order to obtain an accurate view of the professional background, teaching field, workload, and working conditions of teachers in the United States. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this study by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The survey is administered by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the NCES.

For your convenience, you can complete the survey online by clicking on the link below or entering the address in your web browser and entering your login information, provided below. Your responses will be collected on a secure website, and we estimate that this survey will take approximately 40 minutes to complete.

To complete the survey, please go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpstq

Log in using this User ID: <USERID_TQ>

Please be assured that both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau follow strict procedures to protect the confidentiality of survey participants. 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). Additionally, your responses to the survey questions will not be shared with your school administration.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-888-595-1338 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. You can also contact the U.S. Census Bureau via e- mail at: [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important survey. Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

19. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Appendix B-3. Contact Envelope

9.5 x 4.13" (9-1/2 x 4-1/8) Window 5 x 1-1/2" Revised 5/12/2011

Teachers spent an average of 53 hours per week on teaching and school-related activities during the 2015-16 school year. What about you?

Appendix B-4. List of Teacher Statistics

List of Teacher Statistics

• Teachers spent an average of 53 hours per week on teaching and school-related activities during the 2015-16 school year. What about you?

• Public school teachers provided an average of 27 hours of instruction to students during a typical week in the 2015-16 school year. What about you?

• 45 percent of public school teachers were satisfied with their salary during the 2015-16 school year. Are you?

• During the 2014-15 school year, 94 percent of public school teachers spent their own money on classroom supplies without reimbursement. How much do you spend?

Appendix B-5. Letter of Better Understanding

Letter of Better Understanding - Teacher Letter

Date

Name School Name

Mailing Address City, State ZIP

Dear <Name>,

Recently, a local U.S. Census Bureau Field Representative contacted your school regarding the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). I would like to encourage you to participate in this important nationwide survey. With your participation, we can provide critical data to researchers and policymakers at the state, federal, and local levels. All schools and students ultimately benefit when good data help legislators and administrators make good decisions.

NTPS is designed to produce estimates on a variety of topics, including:

• Teacher training and certification;

• Teacher and principal pathways into and out of the profession;

• Comparisons of salaries and experience levels by state; and

• Teacher perceptions of school environment, autonomy, and experiences.

Findings⁴ from the 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey, the predecessor to NTPS, include:

• On average, both public and private school teachers had about 14 years of experience in teaching.

• The percentage of public school teachers with a master’s degree as their highest degree earned was larger in traditional public schools (48 percent) than in public charter schools (37 percent) and private schools (36 percent).

• On average, regular full-time teachers in both public and private schools spent 52 hours per week on all school- related activities, including 31 hours per week that they were paid to deliver instruction to students during a typical full week. Both groups of teachers were required to work 38 hours per week to receive their base pay.

The U.S. Census Bureau is administering NTPS on behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical agency within the U.S. Department of Education. NCES is authorized to conduct this study by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). Both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau follow strict procedures to protect the confidentiality of study participants. 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).

I hope you will take the time to participate in this important survey. If you have any questions, please contact the Field Representative assigned to your school or you may contact me by phone at <XXX–XXX–XXXX>.

Sincerely,

<RO Supervisor>

<Regional Office>

U.S. Census Bureau

⁴ These findings and many others are published in the 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey Teacher First Look report, available at https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps/spotlight.asp.