Appendix A - NTPS 2017-18 Contact Materials

* Contact Materials for the Preliminary Activities have been approved by OMB in March 2017 (OMB# 1850-0598 v.17). These materials are being carried over in this submission because they will still be in use at the time this submission is expected to be approved.

Contact Materials for NTPS 2017-18 Preliminary Activities

District Research Application Cover Letter (Districts in NTPS only)

[Name] January 21, 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 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.

Thank you for your consideration of the research application for NTPS 2017-18. The enclosed application and 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. In addition, a District Approval Form is enclosed for you to indicate whether your district has approved participation in NTPS. Please return the form as soon as possible to the contact listed on the form.

If you have any questions about NTPS or the research application, please contact the study’s district research application team, by e-mail at [email]@westat.com or by telephone at 1-800-[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

District Research Application Cover Letter (Districts in NTPS & SSOCS)

[Name] January 21, 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 the research applications for these important surveys. The enclosed applications and materials describe the purposes, survey topics, sample sizes, and respondent burden for NTPS and SSOCS. The applications and materials for each survey are provided separately. If you have any questions about the research applications, please contact the studies’ district research application team, by e-mail at [email]@westat.com or by telephone at 1-800-[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 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?

The National Teacher and Principal Survey (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. NCES is authorized to conduct NTPS by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). This survey does not involve students, parents, or any use of classroom time.

Why participate in NTPS 2017-18?

Do public school organizations endorse these surveys?

NTPS is endorsed by numerous public school organizations, including: American Association of School Administrators, Association of American Educators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, American Federation of Teachers, Association for Middle Level Education, Council of the Great City Schools, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of School Librarians, and the National Parent Teacher Association.

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 present 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, principal attrition and mobility, and teacher qualifications. Based on previous administrations of NTPS, we 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 10,600 public schools and school principals, and approximately 47,000 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 various types of estimates, NTPS uses a sample design that provides for:

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);
National estimates of public charter schools; and
State-level estimates.

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 7 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 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	13 minutes
Principal Questionnaire	25 minutes
Teacher Questionnaire	40 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	September 2017
Initial mail-out of questionnaires to teachers	November 2017
Final acceptance of all questionnaires	July 2018
Data processing and analysis	July 2018-June 2019
Data file and initial report 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?

All of 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 (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). By law (20 U.S.C. §9573), a violation of the confidentiality restrictions is a felony, punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years and/or a fine of up to $250,000. All government or contracted staff working on the NTPS study and having access to the data, including NTPS field staff, are required to sign an NCES Affidavit of Nondisclosure and have received public-trust security clearance.

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 all of the information I 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).”

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 to take part.

The NTPS is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to collect important data on public elementary and secondary schools and staff in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau administers the NTPS on behalf of NCES. NCES is authorized to conduct NTPS by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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	13 minutes
Principal Questionnaire	Principal	25 minutes
Teacher Questionnaire	Teacher (Average of 7 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. Data security and confidentiality protection procedures have been put in place for NTPS 2017-18 to ensure that all NCES contractors and agents working on NTPS 2017-18 comply with all privacy requirements including, as applicable: the Inter-agency agreement with NCES for this study; Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. §552a); Privacy Act Regulations (34 CFR Part 5b); Computer Security Act of 1987; U.S.A. Patriot Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-56); Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9573); Confidential Information Protect and Statistical efficiency Act of 2002; E-Government Act of 2002, Title V, Subtitle A; Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 (6 U.S.C. §151); the U.S. Department of Education General Handbook for Information Technology Security General Support Systems and Major Applications Inventory Procedures (March 2005); the U.S. Department of Education Incident Handling Procedures (February 2009); the U.S. Department of Education, ACS Directive OM: 5-101, Contractor Employee Personnel Security Screenings; NCES Statistical Standards; and all new legislation that impacts the data collected through the inter-agency agreement for this study. By law (20 U.S.C. §9573), a violation of the confidentiality restrictions is a felony, punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years and/or a fine of up to $250,000. All government or contracted staff working on the NTPS study and having access to the data, including NTPS field staff, are required to sign an NCES Affidavit of Nondisclosure and have received public-trust security clearance.

Once the U.S. Census Bureau receives the completed survey forms, the responses received on paper questionnaires 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 and 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 Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, or your school or district.

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 all of the information I 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), and that my signature gives my consent to voluntarily participate in this research project. I understand that, while this study has been reviewed by the [District Name], [District Name] is not conducting the study.

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 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: ___________________________

Shape1

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 5:00 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 (NCES)

2017-18 NTPS Generic Research Application

CONTACT

Applicant: Amy Ho

Title: Project Director

Affiliation: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

United States Department of Education

Address: PCP, 550 12^th Street, SW, 4^th floor, Room 4014

Washington, DC 20202

Phone: (202) 245-8312

E-mail: [email] @ed.gov

NTPS Research Application Contact:

District Research Application Team

1-800-[phone]

[email]@westat.com

TITLE

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

Anticipated Start Date: July 2017

Anticipated End Date: July 2018

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The National Teacher and Principal Survey (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. The NTPS system of related questionnaires allows for school, principal, and teacher characteristics to be analyzed in relation to one another. NTPS does not involve students, parents, or any use of classroom time.

NTPS 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. NCES is authorized to conduct NTPS by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543).

The need for contextual data on teachers, school principals, and school policies and programs has been well established. In response to concerns about the status of teaching and education, state and local education policymakers have sought more information about the school environment, the composition of the school workforce, and policies affecting the recruitment, retention, and retirement of teachers.

NTPS is a redesigned successor to the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), conducted periodically by NCES since 1987. NTPS maintains the role SASS served as the Department of Education’s primary source of information on the teacher labor market and what is happening in elementary and secondary schools from the teacher’s and administrator’s perspectives. NTPS is integrated with other ED data collections to reduce requests for redundant information from schools and districts.

NTPS, which is conducted on a 2-year cycle and was last conducted in 2015-16, is a large survey of elementary and secondary education schools, teachers, and principals in the United States. The data obtained through NTPS are used by a wide variety of people interested in elementary and secondary education, including legislators, other education policymakers, researchers, teacher professional organizations, education advocacy groups, and journalists. NTPS provides a unique resource of information on elementary and secondary education by linking data provided by schools with their respective principals and teachers. Data can be analyzed not only within each component (i.e., the school, principal, and teacher data files), but also across components or data files. This linkage across the different respondent groups makes NTPS data unique among school surveys and allows researchers to study the complexities of the American education system from multiple perspectives. For example, researchers can study teacher attrition using information from not only teachers but also from their schools and principals. Moreover, the integrated survey design allows NCES to collect information from the school personnel who can best supply it, providing more accurate information and resulting in less inconvenience to respondents. In addition, because NTPS collects data every two years, changes in education issues over time can be assessed.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY AND BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION

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. The ability of NCES to provide this important information is contingent upon the voluntary participation of sampled schools, principals and teachers; participation of these schools and staff is dependent upon their districts’ approval. Because your district, and your schools and staff, represent yourselves and many others like you, your participation is crucial for producing high quality information. By participating in this survey, you will ensure that information about your district’s schools, principals, and teachers is included in those decisions. The data you and your schools provide will better inform and help to shape future education policies.

HYPOTHESES AND MEASUREMENT

Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and other Federal agencies, State Departments of Education, education associations, and the education research community will use data from the 2017-18 NTPS to present 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, principal attrition and mobility, and teacher qualifications. Based on previous administrations of NTPS, the data will be used to produce national statistics on topics such as:

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

Examples of the types of topics that can be explored with NTPS data are briefly described below in terms of the broad education issues measured in NTPS.

Teacher Quality and Career Paths

Teacher quality and the factors that influence it are the focus of many educational researchers. The movement of teachers in and out of the teaching workforce has been a central concern of NTPS/SASS since 1987. Building upon this base, more detailed indicators of teachers’ career paths may help explain entry into teaching and teacher attrition. Teachers’ experiences during the recruitment process and their first year of teaching can greatly influence decisions to continue teaching. Teacher quality items help inform about the characteristics of training, which can be related to teaching assignments. Quality is defined as the match between teacher preparation (degrees, certification, and endorsements) and teaching assignment fields. These topics are measured in detail in the NTPS.

Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and Evaluation

Recruiting and retention methods for teachers are a major topic of interest as schools and districts investigate ways to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Questions in the School Questionnaire explore teacher vacancies and the ease with which positions are filled. Teachers are asked about their plans to remain in the teaching profession in the Teacher Questionnaire. The Principal Questionnaire explores the evaluation of teachers.

Goals, Influence, and Decision Making

The amount of influence that principal and teachers perceive they have in setting school policies is another focus of educational researchers. The NTPS Principal questionnaire asks principals about their most important educational goals and how much influence they think they have as principals on decisions concerning school policies and processes. The NTPS Teacher Questionnaire asks teachers how much influence they think they have over school policies and how much control they have in their classroom.

School Climate and Safety

Increased attention to school climate and safety has led policymakers to begin examining these topics at the national level. School climate and safety items in the NTPS Principal Questionnaire include the principal’s knowledge of violence and other school problems, and items in the NTPS Teacher Questionnaire include teachers’ perspectives on climate and incidents of teachers being threatened or physically attacked.

Basic Descriptive Information

Each of the NTPS surveys contains questions that provide basic descriptive information on the respondent:

The Principal and Teacher Questionnaires include items on gender, age, and race/ethnicity;
The Principal Questionnaire includes items on principals’ licensure, highest degree earned, years of teaching experience, and salary;
The Teacher Questionnaire contains items on years of teaching experience, education degrees and fields, certification, salary, and main teaching assignment; and
The School Questionnaire contains items on enrollment, programs and services in the school, and classroom organization.

QUESTIONNAIRES

Copies of the draft 2017-18 NTPS questionnaires for public schools are enclosed. The school, principal, and teacher questionnaire modules are described below. Additional information about NTPS is available at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

School Questionnaire. The School Questionnaire is targeted towards an administrator or administrative assistant in sampled schools and consists of the following core and rotating modules:

Core Modules

General Information about This School. Includes items on grade levels served, enrollment, average daily attendance, length of school year, whether the school is a regular or special program/emphasis school, kindergarten programs, library media centers, courses taught entirely online, presence of before- or after-school programs, and instruction for English-language learners.
Community Service Requirements. Asks whether the district that the school is a part of grants high school diplomas and has a community service requirement for a standard diploma. If so, the section asks for the number of community service hours required for high school graduation.
Special Programs and Services. Asks about Individual Education Plans and services for students with disabilities, prekindergarten, participation in the National School Lunch Program, and participation in Title 1.
Charter School Information. Asks if the school is considered a public charter school, and, if so, to describe its governance structure.
Contact Information. Asks for contact information for the person who completed most of the questionnaire, including the date completed and how many minutes it took to complete the form.

Rotating Modules

School Staffing. Defines the types of teachers sought in NTPS reporting and then asks for the total number of teachers by full- and part-time teaching status and race/ethnicity; full- and part-time staffing counts for various categories, including principals, librarians, student support staff, and aides; whether any of the teachers or staff at the school have special assignments or coaching responsibilities in academic subjects; teaching vacancies in the school in various subject fields and whether the vacancies were easy or difficult to fill; and the number of newly-hired and first-year teachers at the school.
Instructional Time. Asks about how much students receive instruction in certain subjects, such as reading and math, in a typical week.
Classroom Organization. Asks about the method in which the school organizes classes or students.

In addition to the core modules, the following rotating modules will be included in the NTPS 2017-18 School Questionnaire: Instructional Time and Classroom Organization.

Principal Questionnaire. The Principal Questionnaire is targeted towards the principals of sampled schools and consists of the following core modules and rotating modules:

Core Modules

Principal Experience and Training. Includes items on experience prior to becoming a principal and as a principal, participation in a development program for aspiring school principals, highest degree earned, license or certification in school administration, and current teaching status.
Goals and Decision Making. Asks principals to rate their three most important educational goals and to indicate how much influence they think they have as principals on decisions concerning school policies and processes.
School Climate and Safety. Asks principals to indicate to the best of their knowledge how often various types of problems occur at the school; to report on measures of parent involvement in school; whether teachers are required to help students with academic, social, and emotional needs outside of regular school hours; and whether the school has a formal teacher induction program for beginning teachers.
Principal Demographic Information. Asks about sex, race, ethnicity, year of birth, and current annual salary for the principal’s position at the sampled school.

Rotating Modules

Student Growth and Teacher Evaluation. Asks principals to report on whether and how student achievement is used in the performance evaluation of teachers in the school, the sources of information on teacher performance used in teacher evaluations, and whether teacher performance evaluation results are used to inform decisions about teacher professional development, teacher career advancement, or low-performing teachers.
Working Conditions and Principal Perceptions. Asks principals to report the number of hours they spend on all school-related activities during a typical full week, the percentage of time spent on various tasks including administration, teaching, and student/parent interaction, the number of days he or she is required to work under contract, whether he or she is represented under a meet-and-confer or collective bargaining agreement, the principal’s agreement with measures of job satisfaction, and how long he or she plans to remain a principal.
Teacher Evaluation. Asks about the principal’s general knowledge and perceptions of teacher evaluations, formal evaluations on tenured and non-tenured teachers, the impact of student achievement on evaluations, and the influence of evaluations on the teaching practice within the school.
Teacher Professional Development. Asks about the principal’s knowledge and perceptions of teacher professional development.
Principal Evaluation. Asks about principals’ knowledge and perceptions of principal evaluations, whether they received feedback, and the impact of student achievement on their evaluations.
Principal Professional Development. Asks about the principal’s knowledge about and participation in various principal professional development activities.
Principal Engagement. Asks about principals’ engagement and connection with the school and with colleagues.

In addition to the core modules, the following rotating modules will be included in the NTPS 2017-18 Principal Questionnaire: Teacher Evaluation, Teacher Professional Development, Principal Evaluation, Principal Professional Development, and Principal Engagement. In addition to the NTPS core and rotating modules, a special module on School Leadership and Resources with items from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) will appear on the Principal Questionnaire. Responses from these items will help researchers and policy makers make international comparisons to principals in other countries.

Teacher Questionnaire. The Teacher Questionnaire is targeted towards teachers sampled for NTPS based on school-level teacher rosters. It consists of the following core and rotating modules:

Core Modules

General Information. Includes items confirming eligibility for the teacher sample, including their position at the school and whether they are teaching in any of grades K-12 or comparable ungraded levels. It also contains items on year began teaching (for the first time and at the sampled school), number of schools taught in, and number of years teaching.
Class Organization. Asks the teacher to report grades taught, number of students with an IEP and of limited-English proficiency, main teaching assignment subject field, looping, use of instructional software, how classes are organized, number of students taught and class size, hours spent teaching various academic subjects (for self-contained classroom teachers), and details on each class period or section taught (for subject-matter teachers).
Education and Training. Asks details about major and, if applicable, minor fields of study for all levels of educational attainment from vocational certificate through doctorate degrees; courses taken on teaching methods, including classroom management and using student performance data; and student teaching including number of classrooms and number of weeks.
Certification. Asks detailed information about the content area(s) and grade range(s) in which sample members are certified to teach, and whether the teacher entered teaching through an alternative route to certification program.
General Employment and Background Information. Includes items on earnings, union membership, tenure, sex, marital status, race, ethnicity, and year of birth.
Contact Information. Asks for contact information for the sample teacher, including spouse’s information (if applicable), phone numbers, and email addresses. This information is used in the TFS to track sample members.^¹

Rotating Modules

Early Career Experiences. Targeted towards teachers in their first three years of teaching. It asks about their main activity prior to teaching, how well prepared they felt for various teaching-related tasks, whether they participated in a formal teacher induction program, and whether they received various kinds of support during their first year of teaching (including whether and how a master or mentor teacher supported them that year).
Teacher Working Conditions. Asks teachers to report the number of hours they are required to work under contract per week; how many of those hours are spent on delivering instruction; how many total hours (paid and unpaid) are spent each week on all teaching and school-related activities; whether the teacher serves as a coach, club sponsor, or in other department- or school-wide roles; and how much the teacher spent of his or her own money on school supplies in the last school year.
School Climate and Teacher Attitudes. Asks a series of questions about how much influence teachers think they have over school policies, how much control they have in their classroom, whether they agree with various measures of job satisfaction, the extent to which various conditions are a problem at the school, how long they plan to remain in teaching, and whether they’ve ever been threatened or physically attacked by a student from the school.
Teacher Evaluations. Asks about teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of teacher evaluations, the type of feedback they received, and the influence of evaluations on their teaching.
Teacher Professional Development. Asks about the current methods/modes of teacher professional development and other opportunities to learn, and their implications on teachers’ approaches to teaching.
Teacher Engagement. Asks about teachers’ engagement and connection with the school and with colleagues.

In addition to the core modules, the following rotating modules will be included in the NTPS 2017-18 Teacher Questionnaire: Teacher Evaluations, Teacher Working Conditions, Teacher Professional Development, and Teacher Engagement. In addition to the NTPS core and rotating modules, a special module on Feedback and Teacher Strategies with items from the TALIS will appear on the Teacher Questionnaire. Responses from these items will help researchers and policy makers make international comparisons to teachers in other countries.

NTPS also collects information from schools on the Teacher Listing Form (TLF). The TLF will be sent to sampled schools at the beginning of data collection. The TLF will be used to sample teachers to participate in the Teacher Questionnaire. For each teacher, it requests name, subject taught (in eight categories: special education, general elementary, math, science, English/language arts, social studies, Vocational/Technical, and other), teaching status (full- or part-time), and teacher email address.

METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLING

The U.S. Census Bureau is the collection agent for NTPS data on behalf of NCES. NTPS is a self-administered survey that is offered to respondents through a mail questionnaire and an online survey. As part of an effort to increase survey response rates, subject to approval, a random sample of respondents will receive a prepaid cash incentive in the initial survey package.

Sampled schools are asked 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. The 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 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.

Nationally, the 2017-18 NTPS will include approximately 10,600 public schools and school principals, and approximately 47,000 public school teachers. Sampling for NTPS begins by selecting schools as the primary sampling unit, and then including the principal and a relatively small sample of teachers within each selected school. 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. NCES modifies the list of schools from the CCD to meet the definition of a school as used by NTPS. To make sure that the sample contains sufficient numbers for estimates, the NTPS uses a stratified probability sample design. Some major stratification variables include instructional level of the school, locale, school enrollment, charter school status, and state. 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);
National estimates of public charter schools and selected school characteristics; and
State-level estimates.

After schools are stratified and sampled, teachers within the schools are also stratified and sampled based on the broad type of teaching assignment area and full- or part-time teaching status. The sample of teachers 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. An average of 7 teachers will be sampled from each selected school. For all public schools, the principal will be included in the survey from each selected school.

DATA COLLECTION

The U.S. Census Bureau handles the NTPS data collection for NCES. The 2017-18 NTPS is a mixed mode survey with paper and internet response options. Follow-up with non-responding schools, principals, and teachers will be conducted by mail, email, and telephone, and in person by field staff. U.S. Census Bureau staff who administer the NTPS receive training in preparation for the survey, and have undergone a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

The 2017-18 NTPS data collection begins with a letter mailed to all sampled school principals in July 2017, prompting the principal to log into the NTPS Respondent Portal to complete a short Screener Interview. The purpose of the Screener Interview is to determine the school’s eligibility to participate in NTPS 2017-18 and to establish a survey coordinator. Principals who do not complete the online screener will be contacted by telephone in August 2017 to collect the information.

The next step of data collection is to collect the school-level questionnaires – the Teacher Listing Form, School Questionnaire, and Principal Questionnaire – from schools beginning in September 2017. If the principal established a survey coordinator during the Screener Interview, the package with these materials will be addressed to the coordinator; otherwise, it will be addressed to the principal. Schools that do not respond to the initial request will receive follow up by mail, email, and telephone or personal visit from Census field staff.

Once the Teacher Listing Form is received, processed, and the teacher sample selected, invitations to complete the teacher questionnaire will be sent out to teachers on a flow basis by email and mailed paper letters, beginning in November 2017. Teachers who do not respond to the initial request will receive follow up by mail, email, and telephone or personal visit from Census field staff. NTPS data collection for school, principal, and teacher questionnaires will end in July 2018.

The planned data collection schedule is outlined below.

NTPS 2017-18 Planned Timetable	Approximate Schedule
Mail advance screener letter to school principals	July 2017
Screener telephone follow-up to name survey coordinator	August 2017
Initial mail-out of questionnaires to schools	September 2017
Initial mail-out of questionnaires to teachers	November 2017
Final acceptance of all questionnaires	July 2018
Release initial reports and data files	July 2019

RESPONSE BURDEN

NTPS relies on the voluntary participation of the principal, teachers, and school personnel. The quality of national and state-level estimates is dependent on the level of respondent participation. The data provided by individual schools and staff are combined with the information provided by other schools and staff in statistical reports. Every effort is made to create questionnaires that collect in-depth data without putting an undue burden on the respondent. The estimated average response time for each questionnaire in the 2017-18 NTPS is shown below.

2017-18 NTPS Questionnaire	Estimated average response time per respondent
Teacher Listing Form	30 minutes
School questionnaire	13 minutes
Principal questionnaire	25 minutes
Teacher questionnaire	40 minutes

The National Teacher and Principal Survey does not require student or parent participation, and no classroom time is required for completion of the questionnaires. 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.

ANALYSIS AND RELEASE OF INFORMATION

Once the U.S. Census Bureau receives the completed survey forms, staff create electronic data files of the survey forms. Names, addresses, and other identifying information for schools, principals, and teachers are removed from the data files to protect respondents’ confidentiality. When the respondents’ identifying information is removed from the data files, a school identification number is used to link principal and teacher data from the schools in which they work.

The data are used in statistical summaries only. NCES issues its own reports and allows 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.

NTPS publications will be provided for download on the NCES publications page (http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/).

BENEFIT TO YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT

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. 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. The ability of NCES to provide this important information is contingent upon the voluntary participation of sampled schools, principals, and teachers; participation of these schools and staff is dependent upon their districts’ approval. Because your district and its schools and staff represent themselves and many others like them, your and your schools’ participation is crucial for producing high quality information. By participating in this this survey, you will ensure that information about your district’s schools, principals, and teachers is included in those important decisions.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Data security and confidentiality protection procedures have been put in place for NTPS 2017-18 to ensure that all NCES contractors and agents working on NTPS 2017-18 comply with all privacy requirements including, as applicable: the Inter-agency agreement with NCES for this study; Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. §552a); Privacy Act Regulations (34 CFR Part 5b); Computer Security Act of 1987; U.S.A. Patriot Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-56); Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9573); Confidential Information Protect and Statistical efficiency Act of 2002; E-Government Act of 2002, Title V, Subtitle A; Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 (6 U.S.C. §151); the U.S. Department of Education General Handbook for Information Technology Security General Support Systems and Major Applications Inventory Procedures (March 2005); the U.S. Department of Education Incident Handling Procedures (February 2009); the U.S. Department of Education, ACS Directive OM: 5-101, Contractor Employee Personnel Security Screenings; NCES Statistical Standards; and all new legislation that impacts the data collected through the inter-agency agreement for this study.

The U.S. Census Bureau will collect data under an interagency agreement with NCES, and maintain the individually identifiable questionnaires per the security plan, including:

Provisions for data collection in the field;
Provisions to protect the data-coding phase required before machine processing;
Provisions to safeguard completed survey documents;
Authorization procedures to access or obtain files containing identifying information; and
Provisions to remove printouts and other outputs that contain identification information from normal operation. Such materials will be maintained in secured storage areas and will be securely destroyed as soon as practical.

U.S. Census Bureau will comply with the Department of Education’s IT security policy requirements as set forth in the Handbook for Information Assurance Security Policy and related procedures and guidance, as well as IT security requirements in the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) publications, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and guidance. All data products and publications will also adhere to: the revised NCES Statistical Standards, as described at the website: http://nces.ed.gov/statprog/2012/.

By law (20 U.S.C. §9573), a violation of the confidentiality restrictions is a felony, punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years and/or a fine of up to $250,000. All government or contracted staff working on the NTPS study and having access to the data, including NTPS field staff, are required to sign an NCES Affidavit of Nondisclosure and have received public-trust security clearance.

From the initial contact with the participants in this survey through all of the follow-up efforts, potential survey respondents will be informed that (a) the U.S. Census Bureau administers NTPS on behalf of NCES; (b) NCES is authorized to conduct NTPS by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543); (c) all of the information they 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); and that their participation is voluntary.

The following language will be included in respondent contact materials and on data collection instruments:

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 voluntary information collection is 1850-0598. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average [XX] minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this collection, or comments or concerns about the contents or the status of your individual submission of this questionnaire, please e-mail: [email protected], or write directly to: National Teacher and Principal Survey, National Center for Education Statistics, PCP, 550 12^th Street SW, #4014, Washington, DC 20202.

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB) OR HUMAN SUBJECTS REVIEW

Under the federal policy for the protection of human subjects, NTPS is exempt from IRB review because it utilizes survey procedures and is conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices. There is no potential for harm to human subjects.

The Department of Education has adopted a common set of regulations known as the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects or "Common Rule." The design of these regulations is based on established, internationally recognized ethical principles. The specific regulation is Title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 97, Protection of Human Subjects, which includes Subpart A, Basic Policy, and Subpart D, Additional Protections for Children. These regulations classify as exempt certain categories of research. Research that is nonexempt is covered by the regulations. Research activities in which the only involvement of human subjects will be in one or more of the following categories are exempt [34 CFR 97.101(b)(2)]:

Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior, unless the information identifies the subjects and disclosure could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability, or reputation. Subpart D amends this exemption, in part: If the subjects are children, research involving interview or survey procedures and research involving observations of public behavior in which the researcher(s) participate in the activities being observed are not exempt. However, research involving the use of educational tests and research involving observations of public behavior in which the researcher(s) do not participate in the activities being observed are exempt.

For more information, please see http://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/humansub/overview.html.

INFORMED CONSENT

The nature of this self-administered, cross-sectional survey is not considered intrusive, and has been ruled to be exempt under the protection of human subjects’ provisions in federal research. There are no individual student data (such as test scores or Social Security numbers) associated with any of the data acquired in this data collection. Since no data are collected about individual students, it is not necessary to obtain active, informed consent from students’ parents/guardians.

Participation in the NTPS is completely voluntary, and individual survey items can be left blank, at the discretion of each respondent. On each questionnaire for each respondent, there is a statement indicating that participation is voluntary. A respondent gives implied consent to participate by completing the NTPS questionnaire.

Contact Materials for NTPS 2017-18 Recruitment and Data Collection

School and Teacher Letters and E-mails Summary Table

Data Collection Activity/Operation	Correspondence Identifier(s)	Description
Screener Mailout
Screener Letter to Principal	NTPS-9L(E)	The letter introduces the NTPS and asks principal to login to the NTPS Respondent Portal to complete the screener survey. Two versions: NTPS-9L – Letter does not reference an e-mail being sent to the principal. NTPS-9L(E) – Letter references an e-mail being sent to the principal.
Screener E-mail to Principal	NTPS-9E	The e-mail introduces the NTPS and asks principal to login to the NTPS Respondent Portal to complete the screener survey.
Reminder E-mail to Principal	NTPS-9E2	This email reminds principals to login to the NTPS Respondent Portal to complete the screener survey.
Priority Schools Mailout
Priority School Letter to Coordinator or Principal	NTPS-10L(P)	The letter will be sent to schools in the priority treatment group. The letter introduces the survey and informs the school that a local field representative will contact them to provide the survey materials. The letter is sent to the coordinator if a coordinator has been established, otherwise, it is sent to the school principal.
Priority School E-mail to Coordinator and Principal	NTPS-10E(P//C)	An e-mail will be sent to both principals and coordinators in priority schools. The e-mail introduces the survey and informs the school that a local field representative will contact them to provide the survey materials. Two versions: NTPS-10E(P) – Principal e-mail. NTPS-10E(C) – Coordinator e-mail.
Initial School Mailout
Initial School Mailout Letter	NTPS-11LP(P//C)	The letter introduces the survey and provides instructions for the package contents. The package includes the letter and individual envelopes containing instructions for completing the Teacher Listing Form, School Questionnaire, and Principal Questionnaire online. Four versions: NTPS-11L(P) – Principal letter, non-priority school, sent to the principal if a coordinator hasn’t been established. NTPS-11L(C) – Coordinator letter, non-priority school, sent if a coordinator has been established. NTPS-11LP(P) – Principal letter, priority school, sent to the principal if a coordinator hasn’t been established. NTPS-11LP(C) – Coordinator letter, priority school, sent if a coordinator has been established.
Initial School Mailout Letter for Schools that Completed the TLF Early	NTPS-11L(P2//C2)	The letter introduces the survey and provides instructions for the package contents, excluding the TLF. The package includes the letter and individual envelopes containing instructions for completing the School Questionnaire and Principal Questionnaire online. Two versions: NTPS-11L(P2) – Principal letter, non-priority school, sent to the principal if a coordinator hasn’t been established. NTPS-11L(C2) – Coordinator letter, non-priority school, sent if a coordinator has been established.
Initial School Mailout Letter – Login Information	NTPS- 11L(TLF//SQ//PQ)	These letters provide the login information for the applicable form or questionnaire. Three versions: NTPS-11L(TLF) – Provides description of Teacher Listing Form and login information for the NTPS Respondent Portal. NTPS-11L(SQ) – Provides description of the School Questionnaire and login information to complete it. NTPS-11L(PQ) – Provides description of the Principal Questionnaire and login information to complete it.
Initial School E-mail – TLF Login Information	NTPS-11EC//P(TLF)	E-mail introduces survey, outlines tasks, and provides login information for the NTPS Respondent Portal so that respondent can complete the TLF. Two versions: NTPS-11EC(TLF) – Coordinator e-mail, sent if a coordinator has been established. NTPS-11EP(TLF) – Principal e-mail, sent if a coordinator hasn’t been established. This version also includes the login information for the Principal Questionnaire.
Initial School E-mail – School Questionnaire Login Information	NTPS-11E(SQ)	E-mail describes School Questionnaire and provides login information to complete it. E-mail is sent to the survey coordinator if one has been established; otherwise, it is sent to the principal.
Initial School E-mail – Principal Questionnaire Login Information	NTPS-11E(PQ)	E-mail describes Principal Questionnaire and provides login information to complete it. E-mail is sent to principals in schools with a survey coordinator.
Initial School E-mail for Priority Schools with Partially Completed Questionnaires	NTPS-11EP1// 3//1.2//1.3//2.3	E-mail is intended for the coordinator or principal of priority schools that have completed one or two of the school-level questionnaires. The e-mail introduces survey, outlines remaining tasks, and provides appropriate login information. Five versions: NTPS-11EP1: E-mail describes TLF and provides login information for the Respondent Portal. NTPS-11EP3: E-mail describes and provides login information for the School Questionnaire. NTPS-11EP1.2: E-mail describes TLF, provides login information for the Respondent Portal, and references a second e-mail to the principal for the Principal Questionnaire. NTPS-11EP1.3: E-mail describes TLF, provides login information for the Respondent Portal, and references a second e-mail for the School Questionnaire. NTPS-11EP2.3: E-mail describes and provides login information for the School Questionnaire and references a second e-mail to the principal for the Principal Questionnaire.
Initial School Mailout Letter for Amish and Mennonite Schools	NTPS-11L(A)	The letter introduces the survey and provides instructions for the package contents. The package includes the letter, paper questionnaires, and return envelopes.
Priority School Regional Office Mailout
Letter of Better Understanding		This letter provides information about how the data collected are used and why they are important. It also provides selected published statistics from the 2011-12 SASS First Look Reports. These letters will be mailed out during the field Phase 1 operations. There are three versions Public School Principal Letters Private School Principal Letters Teacher Letters
Second School Mailout
Second School Mailout Letter	NTPS-12L(P)	The letter asks the principal or survey coordinator to remind school staff to complete their questionnaires. Two versions: NTPS-12L – sent with replacement invitations to complete all outstanding questionnaires online. NTPS-12L(P) – sent with replacement invitations to complete the Principal and School Questionnaires online and a paper TLF (for priority schools).
Second School Mailout Letter – Login Information	NTPS- 12L(TLF//SQ//PQ)	These letters provide the login information for the applicable form or questionnaire. Three versions: NTPS-12L(TLF) – Provides description of Teacher Listing Form and login information for the NTPS Respondent Portal. NTPS-12L(SQ) – Provides description of the School Questionnaire and login information to complete it. NTPS-12L(PQ) – Provides description of the Principal Questionnaire and login information to complete it.
Second School Mailout Letter – paper TLF cover letter	NTPS- 12L(TLF)P1//P2	This letter reminds the school staff member to complete the paper TLF. Two versions: NTPS-12L(TLF)P1 – Provides instructions for completing the TLF prepopulated with a list of teachers. NTPS-12L(TLF)P2 – Provides instructions for completing the blank TLF.
Second School Mailout E-mail to Coordinator or Principal – TLF//TLF and SQ	NTPS-12E1//1.3	This e-mail is sent to remind coordinator or principal to complete the outstanding questionnaire(s) online. Two versions: NTPS-12E1: E-mail sent to coordinator or principal if only the TLF is outstanding. It includes login for Respondent Portal for TLF completion. NTPS-12E(C)1.3: E-mail sent to coordinator or principal if TLF and SQ are outstanding. It includes login for Respondent Portal for TLF completion and mentions a second e-mail with login for SQ.
Second School Mailout E-mail to Coordinator or Principal – SQ	NTPS-12E3	This e-mail is sent to the coordinator or principal to remind them to complete, or have the appropriate staff complete, the School Questionnaire. The e-mail includes the login information for the SQ.
Second School Mailout E-mail to Principal – PQ//TLF and PQ//PQ and SQ//TLF, PQ, and SQ	NTPS-12E(P)2// 1.2//2.3//1.2.3	This e-mail reminds the principal to complete, or have appropriate staff complete, the outstanding questionnaire(s). Four versions: NTPS-12E(P)2: E-mail sent to principal if only the PQ is outstanding, or if there is a coordinator and multiple questionnaires are outstanding. Includes login for PQ. NTPS-12E(P)1.2: E-mail sent to principal if there is not a coordinator and the TLF and PQ are outstanding. Includes login for PQ and TLF. NTPS-12E(P)2.3: E-mail sent to principal if there is not a coordinator and the PQ and SQ are outstanding. Includes login for PQ and mentions a separate e-mail with login for SQ. NTPS-12E(P)1.2.3: E-mail sent to principal if there is not a coordinator and the TLF, PQ, and SQ are outstanding. Includes login for TLF and PQ and mentions a separate e-mail with login for SQ.
Second School Mailout E-mail to Coordinator or Principal – Prepopulated TLF//Prepopulated TLF and SQ	NTPS-12E1P//1P.3	This e-mail is sent to remind coordinator or principal to complete the prepopulated TLF and the School Questionnaire (if applicable). Two versions: NTPS-12E1P: E-mail sent to coordinator or principal if only the TLF is outstanding. It asks the recipient to complete the prepopulated TLF that was sent via FedEx. NTPS-12E(C)1P.3: E-mail sent to coordinator or principal if TLF and SQ are outstanding. It asks the recipient to complete the prepopulated TLF that was sent via FedEx and provides the login for SQ.
Second School Mailout E-mail to Principal – Prepopulated TLF and PQ// Prepopulated TLF, PQ, and SQ	NTPS-12E(P) 1P.2//1P.2.3	This e-mail reminds the principal to complete, or have appropriate staff complete, the outstanding questionnaire(s). Two versions: NTPS-12E(P)1.2: E-mail sent to principal if there is not a coordinator and the TLF and PQ are outstanding. Includes login for PQ and asks principal to complete the prepopulated TLF that was sent via FedEx. NTPS-12E(P)1P.2.3: E-mail sent to principal if there is not a coordinator and the TLF, PQ, and SQ are outstanding. Includes login for PQ, asks principal to complete the prepopulated TLF that was sent via FedEx, and mentions a separate e-mail with login for SQ.
Second School Mailout Letter for Amish and Mennonite Schools	NTPS-12L(A)	The letter reminds the school staff member to complete and return the paper questionnaires. The package includes the letter, replacement paper questionnaires, and return envelopes.
Reminder Letter Mailout
Reminder Letter to Coordinator or Principal	NTPS-20L	Letter thanks the coordinator or principal for completing the TLF and asks them to remind staff to complete the Principal and/or School Questionnaire.
First Reminder E-mail, Non-priority Schools – Principal Questionnaire//School Questionnaire	NTPS-20E2//3	E-mail reminds recipient to complete the outstanding questionnaire online. Two versions: NTPS-20E3: E-mail sent to coordinator or principal to remind them to complete the School Questionnaire. Includes SQ login. NTPS-20E2: E-mail sent to principal to remind them to complete the Principal Questionnaire. Includes SQ login.
First Reminder E-mail, Priority Schools– Teacher Listing Form//Teacher Listing Form and School Questionnaire	NTPS-20E(C)P1//1.3	E-mail is sent to the survey coordinator of priority schools to remind them to complete TLF and School Questionnaire (if applicable). Two versions: NTPS-20E(C)P1: Reminds coordinator to complete the TLF. Includes login information for the NTPS Respondent Portal. NTPS-20E(C)P1.3: Reminds coordinator to complete the TLF and SQ. Includes login information for the NTPS Respondent Portal and references second e-mail with login information for the SQ.
First Reminder E-mail, Priority Schools– Principal Questionnaire//School Questionnaire	NTPS-20EP2//3	E-mail is sent to the coordinator or principal to remind them to complete the School or Principal Questionnaire. Two versions: NTPS-20EP2: Reminds principal to complete the PQ. Includes PQ login. NTPS-20EP3: Reminds coordinator or principal to complete the SQ. Includes SQ login.
First Reminder E-mail to Principal, Priority Schools –TLF and PQ//PQ and SQ//TLF, PQ, and SQ	NTPS- 20EP1.2//2.3//1.2.3	E-mail is sent to the principal to remind them to complete outstanding questionnaires. Three versions: NTPS-20EP1.2: Reminds principal to complete the TLF and PQ. Includes TLF and PQ logins. NTPS-20EP2.3: Reminds principal to complete the PQ and SQ. Includes PQ login and references second e-mail with login information for the SQ. NTPS-20EP1.2.3: Reminds principal to complete the TLF, PQ, and SQ. Includes TLF and PQ login and references second e-mail with login information for the SQ.
Requested Paper Questionnaire
Third School Mailout
Third Mailout Letter	NTPS-13L(A)	Letter is sent to the survey coordinator or school principal with paper copies of the outstanding school-level questionnaires (TLF, PQ, and/or SQ). Two versions: NTPS-13L: Sent to public and private (non-Amish) schools. NTPS-13L(A): Sent to Amish and Mennonite schools.
Third Mailout – Prepopulated TLF Cover Letter	NTPS-13L(TLF)	Letter is sent with the prepopulated TLF.
Third Mailout E-mail to Coordinator or Principal	NTPS-13E(U)//(F)	E-mail is sent to the survey coordinator or school principal to alert them that we sent a package of replacement questionnaires. Two versions: NTPS-13E(U): Package was sent via USPS. Non-priority schools that have completed their TLF will receive their package via USPS. NTPS-13E(F): Package was sent via FedEx. Non-priority schools that have not completed their TLF and priority schools will receive their package via FedEx.
Second Reminder E-mail
Second Reminder E-mail to Coordinator or Principal – Principal Questionnaire//School Questionnaire	NTPS-22E2//3	E-mail is sent to the survey coordinator or school principal to remind them to complete the principal or school questionnaire. Two versions: NTPS-22E2: Sent to the principal to remind them to complete the paper Principal Questionnaire. Includes PQ login. NTPS-22E3: Sent to the survey coordinator or principal to remind them to complete the paper School Questionnaire. Includes SQ login.
Fourth School Mailout
Fourth School Mailout Letter	NTPS-14L	Letter is sent to the school principal with paper copies of the Principal and/or School Questionnaire.
Survey Coordinator Thank You Letter	NTPS-21L(C)	Letter thanks the survey coordinator for their assistance and informs them that we will now begin to follow up on questionnaires with the individual respondents (principal and teachers).
Survey Coordinator Thank You E-mail	NTPS-21E(C)	E-mail thanks the survey coordinator for their assistance and alerts them that we will now begin to follow up on questionnaires with the individual respondents (principal and teachers).
Requested Questionnaire – School- level questionnaire//Teacher Questionnaire	NTPS-19L(T)	Letter accompanies paper questionnaires requested using the NTPS Respondent Portal or during telephone reminder or follow-up operations. Two versions: NTPS-19L – Sent to the survey coordinator or school principal with requested Teacher Listing Form, Principal Questionnaire, and/or School Questionnaire. NTPS-19L(T) – Sent to the sampled teacher with requested Teacher Questionnaire.
Targeted Reminder E-mail with NTPS Video	NTPS-23E(P1//P2// S1//S2//T1//T2)	Email is targeted by school level, state, and urbanicity and reminds respondent to complete their questionnaire. It includes a link to a new NTPS informational video. Six versions: NTPS-23E(P1): Sent to public school principals, includes data from the 2015-16 NTPS principal survey. NTPS-23E(P2): Sent to private school principals. NTPS-23E(S1): Sent to public school survey coordinators or school principals. Includes data from the 2015-16 NTPS school survey. NTPS-23E(S2): Sent to private school survey coordinators or school principals. NTPS-23E(T1): Sent to public school principals, includes data from the 2015-16 NTPS teacher survey. NTPS-23E(T2): Sent to private school teachers.
Field Follow-up
Field Follow-up Phase 1 School Letter (For Field Representatives)	NTPS FR L1	This letter is available for the Regional Office (RO) staff to customize for priority schools in the Field Phase 1 operation. It will accompany a paper TLF (either blank or prepopulated) and invitations to complete the PQ and SQ online.
Field Follow-up School Letter (For Field Representatives)– Phase 2//Phase 3	NTPS FR L2//3	These letters are available for the RO staff to customize for non- priority schools in the Field Phase 2 and 3 operations. Two versions: NTPS FR L2 letter can accompany school-level forms that have not been completed, including a paper TLF (either blank or prepopulated), paper PQ, and paper SQ. NTPS FR L3 letter can accompany school-level (principal and school) and teacher questionnaires.
Field Follow-up Phase 3 and 4 Teacher Letter (For Field Representatives)	NTPS FR L4	This letter is available for the RO staff to customize for teachers in the Field Follow-up Phase 3 or 4 operations. It can accompany the paper Teacher Questionnaire.
Initial Teacher Mailout
Initial Teacher Package Letter to Survey Coordinator	NTPS-15L(C//CI)	Letter asks coordinator to distribute Teacher Questionnaire invitations and remind teachers to complete the survey. Sampled teachers’ name(s) are printed on the back of the letter. The letter also includes the login info (URL & User ID) for the Respondent Portal. Two versions: NTPS-15L(C) – Coordinators in schools with teachers sampled in waves 1-12 and coordinators who are not in the coordinator incentive treatment group in schools with teachers sampled in waves 13-20. NTPS-15L(CI) – Coordinators in the coordinator incentive treatment group with teachers in waves 13-20.
Initial Teacher Package E-mail to Survey Coordinator	NTPS-15EC(C//CI)	E-mail alerts coordinator that we mailed them a package of TQ materials. Asks them to distribute the envelopes and remind teachers to complete the survey. The e-mail also includes login info (URL & User ID) for the Respondent Portal. Two versions: NTPS-15L(C) – Coordinators in schools with teachers sampled in waves 1-12 and coordinators who are not in the coordinator incentive treatment group in schools with teachers sampled in waves 13-20. NTPS-15L(CI) – Coordinators in the coordinator incentive treatment group with teachers in waves 13-20.
Initial Teacher Letter with Login for Teacher Questionnaire	NTPS-15L(I//E//IE)	Letter introduces the NTPS and asks teacher to complete the Teacher Questionnaire online using the URL and User ID provided. Four versions: NTPS-15L – Teachers for whom we do not have a valid e-mail address and who are not in the teacher incentive treatment group. NTPS-15L(I) – Teachers for whom we do not have a valid e-mail address and who are in the teacher incentive treatment group. NTPS-15L(E) – Teachers for whom we have a valid e-mail address and who are not in the teacher incentive treatment group. NTPS-15L(IE) – Teachers for whom we have a valid e-mail address and who are in the teacher incentive treatment group.
Initial Teacher E-mail with Login for Teacher Questionnaire	NTPS-15ET(CI//I)	E-mail introduces the NTPS and asks teacher to complete the Teacher Questionnaire online using the URL and User ID provided. Three versions: NTPS-15ET – who are not in the teacher incentive treatment group, regardless of whether there is a survey coordinator. NTPS-15ET(CI) – Teachers in the teacher incentive treatment group in schools with a survey coordinator. NTPS-15L(I) – Teachers in the teacher incentive treatment group in schools without a survey coordinator.
Initial Teacher Letter for Amish and Mennonite Teachers	NTPS-15L(A)	Letter introduces the NTPS and asks teacher to complete and return the paper Teacher Questionnaire.
Second Teacher Mailout
First Reminder Teacher Package Letter to Survey Coordinator	NTPS-16L(C)	Letter asks survey coordinator to distribute replacement teacher invitations and ask teachers to complete their survey as soon as possible. The letter also includes login info (URL & User ID) for the Respondent Portal.
First Reminder Teacher Package E-mail to Survey Coordinator	NTPS-16E(C)	E-mail alerts coordinator that we mailed them a second package of TQ materials. Asks them to distribute the envelopes and remind teachers to complete the survey. The e-mail also includes login info (URL & User ID) for the Respondent Portal.
First Reminder Teacher Letter	NTPS-16L(E)	Letter reminds the teacher to complete the Teacher Questionnaire online using the URL and User ID provided. Two versions: NTPS-16L – Teachers for whom we do not have a valid e-mail address. NTPS-16L(E) – Teachers for whom we have a valid e-mail address.
First Reminder Teacher E-mail	NTPS-16E	E-mail reminds the teacher to complete the Teacher Questionnaire online using the URL and User ID provided.
First Reminder Teacher Letter for Amish and Mennonite Teachers	NTPS-16L(A)	Letter reminds teacher to complete and return paper Teacher Questionnaire. A replacement questionnaire and return envelope are included in the package.
Third Teacher Mailout
Second Reminder Teacher Letter	NTPS-17L(I)	Letter reminds the teacher to complete the Teacher Questionnaire. The package includes a paper Teacher Questionnaire and return envelope. Two versions: NTPS-17L – Teachers who are not included in the contingency plan. NTPS-17L(I) – Teachers in waves 13-20 who are offered a prepaid incentive IF THE CONTINGENCY PLAN IS ACTIVATED.
Second Reminder Teacher E-mail	NTPS-17E(I)	E-mail reminds teacher to complete the Teacher Questionnaire, either online or by completing the paper questionnaire that was mailed to them. Two versions: NTPS-17E – Teachers who are not included in the contingency plan. NTPS-17E(I) – Teachers in waves 13-20 who are offered a prepaid incentive IF THE CONTINGENCY PLAN IS ACTIVATED.
Second Reminder Teacher Letter for Amish and Mennonite Teachers	NTPS-17L(A)	Letter reminds teacher to complete and return paper Teacher Questionnaire. A replacement questionnaire and return envelope are included in the package.
Teacher Thank You Letter (Contingency Plan)	NTPS-21L(TI)	Letter thanks teacher for participating in NTPS. A prepaid cash incentive is included. All teachers in waves 13-20 who complete the questionnaire before the second reminder letter will receive this letter IF THE CONTINGENCY PLAN IS ACTIVATED.
Teacher Thank You E-mail (Contingency Plan)	NTPS-21E(TI)	E-mail thanks teacher for completing their TQ. Mentions Incentive. All teachers in waves 13-20 who complete the questionnaire before the second reminder letter will receive this letter IF THE CONTINGENCY PLAN IS ACTIVATED.
Fourth Teacher Mailout
Third Reminder Teacher Letter	NTPS-18L	Letter reminds the teacher to complete the paper Teacher Questionnaire. The outside of the envelope sent to sampled public school teachers will feature a statement designed to increase their response rate (“Public school teachers spent an average of 53 hours per week on teaching and school-related activities during the 2015-16 school year. What about you?”).
Third Reminder Teacher E-mail	NTPS-18E	E-mail prompts teacher to complete paper TQ or respond online.
Third Reminder Teacher Letter for Amish and Mennonite Teachers	NTPS-18L(A)	Letter reminds teacher to complete and return paper Teacher Questionnaire. A replacement questionnaire and return envelope are included in the package.

Notes:

Yellow highlighting indicates letter and e-mail text that will be customized using information on the input file. In the FAQs, yellow highlighting indicates information that needs to be updated pending OMB clearance.

Text in brackets, in red font, shows the wording that differs between versions of the letter or e-mail. Key to versions is provided above the letter, where applicable. Versions are indicated in brackets by black letters and are separated by double slashes //.

Screener Letter to Principal

NTPS-9L(E) (E = principal’s e-mail address is available)

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Principal Name>:

Your school has been selected to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), which will be administered this fall 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.

The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of the teaching and working conditions in schools across the United States, as well as characteristics of the teachers and principals who staff them. The NTPS will provide critical data to policy makers and researchers on school organization, staff evaluations, professional development, and other important education topics.

We request your assistance in completing a short screener survey, which asks basic information about your school to determine its eligibility for the NTPS. Your survey responses will be collected on a secure website. The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey within one week.

Respond now at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc
Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

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[E: 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: <Principal E-mail Address>]

Alternatively, you can provide this information by contacting 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.

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

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the 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.

The 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 the NTPS, please visit our website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

How are the NTPS data used?

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

Evaluate the effects of school workplace conditions, salaries, and training opportunities on the educational workforce;
Assess school staffing practices and personnel policies; and
Aid in the Department of Education’s program planning in the areas of teacher shortage, teaching policies, and teacher education.

Why is my school’s 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 schools are selected to participate; therefore, your school is important for the success of this survey.

How long does it take to complete a NTPS questionnaire?

While the surveys will vary in length, each questionnaire will take approximately 13 to 40 minutes to complete.

Will my school’s and individual staff members’ 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 survey 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 the 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].

Screener E-mail to Principal

NTPS-9E

Subject: National Teacher and Principal Survey Request

Body:

Dear <Principal Name>:

A few days ago, we mailed you a letter at your school address inviting your school’s participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The survey will be administered this fall by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the NCES.

The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of the teaching and working conditions in the United States, as well as characteristics of the teachers and principals who staff them. The NTPS will provide critical data to policy makers and researchers on school organization, staff evaluations, professional development, and other important education topics.

To complete the screener survey, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

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). If you have any questions about the survey or you would like to complete the screener survey over the telephone, 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.

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

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Reminder E-mail to Principal

NTPS-9E2

Subject: NTPS Screener Survey Reminder

Body:

Dear <Principal Name>:

Welcome to the 2017–18 school year. We hope you enjoyed your summer break. A few weeks ago, we sent you a letter and an email requesting your assistance in completing a short screener survey for the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The screener survey asks basic information about your school to determine its eligibility for the NTPS. According to our records, your school’s screener survey has not yet been completed. If you have recently completed the screener survey, thank you. If you have not yet completed it, please complete it as soon as possible. Your survey responses will be collected on a secure website. The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey within one week.

To complete the screener survey, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of the teaching and working conditions in the United States, and of characteristics of the teachers and principals who staff them. The NTPS will provide critical data to policy makers and researchers on school organization, staff evaluations, professional development, and other important education topics. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The survey will be administered this fall by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of NCES.

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

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Priority School Letter to Coordinator or Principal

NTPS-10L Frequently Asked Questions are printed on the back of the letter.

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Coordinator or Principal Name>:

We contacted your school over the summer to tell you that your school has been selected to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the principals and teachers who staff them. The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. The survey 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.

Data collection for the NTPS will begin later this month. For your convenience, a local Census Bureau field representative will contact you about the survey in the coming weeks. Your local field representative will provide the survey materials and answer any questions you may have regarding the survey.

Your school’s participation is important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Priority School E-mail to Coordinator and Principal

NTPS-10E(P//C) (P = Principal e-mail; C = Coordinator e-mail)

Subject: Important survey for the U.S. Department of Education

Body:

Dear <Principal Name>:

[P: We contacted you over the summer to tell you that your school has been selected to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS).] [C: Your school has been selected to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The principal at your school has chosen you as the survey coordinator for the NTPS.] The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the principals and teachers who staff them. The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey 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.

Your school’s participation is very important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. 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). Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Initial School Mailout Letter to Coordinator or Principal

NTPS-11P(P//C) (P = Principal letter, non-priority school; C = Coordinator letter, non-priority school; P(P) = Principal letter, priority school; C = Coordinator letter, priority school)

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Principal or Coordinator Name>:

Your school has been selected to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). [C//P(C): The principal at your school has chosen you as the survey coordinator for the NTPS. We need your help to make this survey a success.] The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the principals and teachers who staff them. The survey is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. The survey 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.

[P//P(P): Your school’s participation is important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data, and we need your help to make this happen.

We request your assistance with the following tasks:]

[C//P(C): As survey coordinator, we request your assistance with the following tasks:]

Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the Teacher Listing Form (TLF) within two weeks
- Open the envelope labeled “Instructions for completing the Teacher Listing Form,” or give it to the staff member who can best provide information about the teachers at your school, including each teacher’s name, e-mail address, subject matter taught, and full- or part-time status. The Teacher Listing Form will be used to select a sample of teachers to complete the NTPS Teacher Questionnaire.
- In ten days, remind the staff member to complete the Teacher Listing Form if it has not been completed.

Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the School Questionnaire within two weeks
- Open the envelope labeled “Instructions for completing the School Questionnaire,” or give it to the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school.
- In ten days, remind the staff member to complete the School Questionnaire if it has not been completed.

[C//P(C): Ensure the online completion of the Principal Questionnaire within two weeks] [P//P(P): Go online and complete the Principal Questionnaire within two weeks]
- [C//P(C): Give the envelope labeled “Instructions for completing the Principal Questionnaire” to the principal or administrator at your school.
- In ten days, remind the principal to complete the Principal Questionnaire if it has not been completed.]
- [P//P(P): The envelope labeled “Instructions for completing the Principal Questionnaire” contains the login information and instructions for completing your questionnaire. The Principal Questionnaire asks about your background and experiences as a school principal.]

[P(C)//P(P): The Census Bureau may have contacted you about the survey earlier this fall. If your school has already completed one or more of these questionnaires, please disregard the enclosed envelope(s) for the completed questionnaire(s).] You can check the status of your school’s questionnaires and access NTPS resources, including ideas to encourage your [C//P(C): school] staff’s participation and data from previous survey administrations, using the NTPS Respondent Portal.

Access the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc
Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Thank you in advance for your [P//P(P): school’s participation] [C//P(C): help to ensure your school is represented] in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the NTPS?

How are the NTPS data used?

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

Evaluate the effects of school workplace conditions, salaries, and training opportunities on the educational workforce;
Assess school staffing practices and personnel policies; and
Aid in the Department of Education’s program planning in the areas of teacher shortage, teaching policies, and teacher education.

Why is my school’s participation important?

How long does it take to complete a NTPS questionnaire?

While the surveys will vary in length, each questionnaire will take approximately 13 to 40 minutes to complete.

Will my school’s and individual staff members’ data remain confidential?

Who authorizes this survey?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey 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. 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?

Initial School Mailout Letter to Coordinator or Principal for Schools that Completed the TLF Early

NTPS-11(P2//C2) (P2 = Principal letter, non-priority school; C2 = Coordinator letter, non-priority school) (Includes school version of FAQs (see initial mailout letter) on the back.)

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Principal or Coordinator Name>:

Your school has been selected to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). [C: The principal at your school has chosen you as the survey coordinator for the NTPS. We need your help to make this survey a success.] The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the principals and teachers who staff them. The survey is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. The survey 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.

[P: Your school’s participation is important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data, and we need your help to make this happen.

We request your assistance with the following tasks:]

[C: As survey coordinator, we request your assistance with the following tasks:]

Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the School Questionnaire within two weeks
- Open the envelope labeled “Instructions for completing the School Questionnaire,” or give it to the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school.
- In ten days, remind the staff member to complete the School Questionnaire if it has not been completed.

[C: Ensure the online completion of the Principal Questionnaire within two weeks] [P: Go online and complete the Principal Questionnaire within two weeks]
- [C: Give the envelope labeled “Instructions for completing the Principal Questionnaire” to the principal or administrator at your school.
- In ten days, remind the principal to complete the Principal Questionnaire if it has not been completed.]
- [P: The envelope labeled “Instructions for completing the Principal Questionnaire” contains the login information and instructions for completing your questionnaire. The Principal Questionnaire asks about your background and experiences as a school principal.]

You can check the status of your school’s questionnaires and access NTPS resources, including ideas to encourage your [C: school] staff’s participation and data from previous survey administrations, using the NTPS Respondent Portal.

Access the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc
Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Thank you in advance for your [P: school’s participation] [C: help to ensure your school is represented] in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Initial School Mailout Letter

NTPS-11L(TLF//SQ//PQ) (TLF = Teacher Listing Form Login Information; SQ = School Questionnaire Login Information; PQ = Principal Questionnaire Login Information)

Dear [TLF//SQ: School Staff Member] [PQ: <Principal Name>],

As part of your school’s participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), you have been [TLF//SQ: identified by your school’s principal or designated NTPS survey coordinator as the staff member who is most knowledgeable about your] [TLF: school’s teachers and who can provide the required information on the NTPS Teacher Listing Form//SQ: school and who can provide the required information on the NTPS School Questionnaire//PQ: selected to fill out the NTPS Principal Questionnaire]. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey 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.

The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States; therefore, your response is very important.

[TLF: The Teacher Listing Form collects the name, e-mail address, subject matter taught, and full- or part- time status of each teacher in your school.//SQ: The NTPS School Questionnaire collects information about your school. Topics include student enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school.//PQ: Your participation helps provide researchers and policy makers with an accurate view of principals’ experience and training, the performance evaluation process for both principals and teachers, and professional development. Only a small percentage of schools and principals are selected to participate; therefore, your response is very important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data.]

[TLF: Please access the NTPS Respondent Portal, using the information in the box below, to complete your school’s Teacher Listing Form. You can provide the list of teachers in one of two ways:

Download the Excel template, enter teacher information into the template, and upload the file;

OR

Enter teacher information directly into a table on the website.]

Respond now at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsxxx

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Please complete the [TLF: TLF online] [SQ//PQ: survey] within two weeks. The [TLF: form] [SQ//PQ: survey] will take approximately [TLF: 30//SQ, public schools: 13; SQ, private schools: 33//PQ, public schools: 25; PQ, private schools: 22] minutes to complete. 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). [PQ: Additionally, your responses to the survey questions will not be shared with any of your school staff or administration.]

Additional information about the NTPS is available on the [TLF: NTPS Respondent Portal//SQ: School Questionnaire//PQ: Principal Questionnaire] website, accessible at the web address above. If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your [TLF: assistance] [SQ//PQ: participation] in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Initial School E-mail – TLF Login Information

NTPS-11EC//P(TLF) (C = Coordinator; P = Principal)

Subject: [C: Important survey for the U.S. Department of Education//P: National Teacher and Principal Survey for the U.S. Department of Education]

Body:

Dear [C: <Coordinator Name>//P: <Principal Name>]:

A few days ago, we mailed you a letter at your school address inviting your school’s participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). [C: The principal at your school has chosen you as the survey coordinator for the NTPS.] The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the principals and teachers who staff them. The survey is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey 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. We need your help to make this survey a success.

[C: As survey coordinator, we//P: We] request your assistance with the following tasks:

Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the Teacher Listing Form (TLF) within two weeks.

The Teacher Listing Form should be completed by the staff member who can best provide information about the teachers at your school, including each teacher’s name, e-mail address, subject matter taught, and full- or part-time status.

Please complete the Teacher Listing Form online, or forward this information to the appropriate staff member. Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that the form will take about 30 minutes to complete.

To complete the Teacher Listing Form, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

Click on “Teacher Listing Form”

2) Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the School Questionnaire within two weeks.

3) [[C: Ensure the online completion of the Principal Questionnaire//P: Complete the Principal Questionnaire online] within two weeks. [P: We estimate that this survey will take about [public schools: 25; private schools: 22] minutes to complete.

Respond now at: https://respond.census.gov/ntpspq

[C: Your school’s principal will receive an e-mail with instructions for completing the Principal Questionnaire online. Please remind the principal to complete the questionnaire.]

If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Initial School E-mail – School Questionnaire Login Information

NTPS-11E(SQ)

Subject: Information for completing the NTPS School Questionnaire

Body:

Dear <Principal or Coordinator Name>:

As we mentioned in our previous e-mail, one component of the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) is the School Questionnaire. The School Questionnaire should be completed by the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school. Please complete the School Questionnaire online, or forward this information to the appropriate staff member. Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that this survey will take about [public schools: 13; private schools: 33] minutes to complete.

To complete the School Questionnaire, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpssq

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Please complete the survey within two weeks.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). Additional information about the NTPS is available on the School Questionnaire respondent website. If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Your school’s participation is important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. 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). Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Initial School E-mail – Principal Questionnaire Login Information

NTPS-11E(PQ)

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

Body:

Dear <Principal Name>:

A few days ago, we mailed a letter to your school address inviting your school’s participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey 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.

As part of your school’s participation, you have been selected to fill out the NTPS Principal Questionnaire. The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. Your participation helps provide researchers and policy makers with an accurate view of principals’ experience and training, the performance evaluation process for both principals and teachers, and professional development.

Please follow the instructions below to complete the Principal Questionnaire online. Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that this survey will take about [public schools: 25; private schools: 22] minutes to complete.

To complete the Principal Questionnaire, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpspq

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Please complete the survey within two weeks.

Additional information about the NTPS is available on the Principal Questionnaire respondent website, accessible at the website above. If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Only a small percentage of schools and principals are selected to participate; therefore, your response is very important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. 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). Thank you in advance for your participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Initial School E-mail for Priority Schools with Partially Completed Questionnaires

NTPS-11EP1//3//1.2//1.3//2.3 (1 = TLF only; 1.2 = TLF and PQ; 1.3 = TLF and SQ; 2.3 = PQ and SQ)

Subject: [1//1.2//1.3//2.3: Important survey for the U.S. Department of Education.] [3: Please complete the NTPS School Questionnaire.]

Body:

Dear <Coordinator or Principal Name>:

A few days ago, we mailed you a letter at your school address inviting your school’s participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the principals and teachers who staff them. The survey is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey 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. We need your help to make this survey a success.

[1//3: We request your assistance with the following task:]

[1.2//1.3//2.3: We request your assistance with the following tasks:]

[1.2//1.3: 1)] [1//1.2//1.3: Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the Teacher Listing Form (TLF) within two weeks.

To complete the Teacher Listing Form, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

Click on “Teacher Listing Form”]

[1.3: 2)//2.3: 1)] [3//1.3//2.3: Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the School Questionnaire within two weeks.

The School Questionnaire should be completed by the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school.] [1.3: We will send you a second e-mail with instructions for completing the School Questionnaire online. Please complete the School Questionnaire or forward the e-mail to the appropriate staff member.] [3//2.3: Please complete the School Questionnaire online, or forward this information to the appropriate staff member. Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that the form will take about [public schools: 13; private schools: 33] minutes to complete.

Respond now at: https://respond.census.gov/ntpssq

[1.2//2.3: 2) Ensure the online completion of the Principal Questionnaire within two weeks.

We will send your school’s principal an e-mail with instructions for completing the Principal Questionnaire online. Please remind the principal to complete the questionnaire.]

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Initial School Mailout Letter for Amish and Mennonite Schools

NTPS-11L(A) Frequently Asked Questions are printed on the back of the letter.

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear School Head/Principal:

Your school has been selected to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the principals and teachers who staff them. The survey is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. The survey 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 participation is important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data, and we need your help to make this happen.

We request your assistance in ensuring the completion of the following enclosed NTPS questionnaires:

Complete the Teacher Listing Form or give it to the staff member who can best provide information about the teachers at your school. The Teacher Listing Form will be used to select a sample of teachers to complete the NTPS Teacher Questionnaire.
Complete the Private School Questionnaire or give it to the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school.
Complete the Private School Principal Questionnaire. This questionnaire asks about the background and experiences of the school head or principal.

Please ensure the completion of the questionnaires within two weeks.

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. Alternatively, you can write to:

National Teacher and Principal Survey

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Potomac Center Plaza

550 12^thStreet, SW Room 4014

Washington, DC 20202

Thank you in advance for your school’s participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Second School Mailout Letter

NTPS-12L(P) (L = Nonpriority schools, P = Priority schools)

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Principal or Coordinator Name>:

We recently sent you a package of invitations to complete the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) questionnaires online. According to our records, one or more of your school’s questionnaires have not yet been completed. If these questionnaire(s) were recently completed online, thank you. If not, please help us by distributing the enclosed envelopes that contain replacement [L: invitations//P: materials] to the appropriate staff. Ask staff to complete their survey [L: online] as soon as possible.

The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. Each response is vital to achieve reliable, nationally representative data, so your school’s participation is important for the success of the survey.

As a reminder, you can log into the NTPS Respondent Portal to check which of your school’s questionnaires have not been completed and access NTPS resources, including ideas to encourage your school staff’s participation and data results from previous education surveys.

Access the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc
Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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 school’s participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Second School Mailout Letter

NTPS-12L(TLF//SQ//PQ) (TLF = Teacher Listing Form Login Information; SQ = School Questionnaire Login Information; PQ = Principal Questionnaire Login Information)

Dear [TLF//SQ: School Staff Member] [PQ: <Principal Name>],

We recently sent you an invitation to complete the National Teacher and Principal Survey [TLF: Teacher Listing Form (TLF)//SQ: School Questionnaire//PQ: Principal Questionnaire] online. According to our records, [TLF: we do not have a TLF for your school] [SQ//PQ: this questionnaire has not yet been completed]. If you have recently responded, thank you. [TLF: If you have not yet completed the TLF, please do so as soon as possible.] [SQ//PQ: If you have not yet done so, please complete the [SQ: School//PQ: Principal] Questionnaire online as soon as possible by following the login instructions below.]

[TLF: The TLF collects the name, e-mail address, subject matter taught, and full- or part-time status of each teacher in your school. Please access the NTPS Respondent Portal, using the information in the box below, to complete your school’s Teacher Listing Form. You can provide the list of teachers in one of two ways:

Download the Excel template, enter teacher information into the template, and upload the file;

OR

Enter teacher information directly into a table on the website.]

Respond now at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsxxx

Shape4

[TLF: The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States.] [SQ//PQ: Your participation is important to obtain an accurate view of the characteristics [SQ: and conditions of//PQ: of principals in] K–12 schools across the United States.] [TLF//PQ: Your] [SQ: Each] response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. The [TLF: TLF] [SQ//PQ: survey] will take approximately [TLF: 30//SQ, public schools: 13; SQ, private schools: 33//PQ, public schools: 25; PQ, private schools: 22] minutes to complete.

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). [PQ: Additionally, your responses to the survey questions will not be shared with any of your school staff or administration.]

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). Additional information about the NTPS is available on the [TLF: NTPS Respondent Portal//SQ: School Questionnaire//PQ: Principal Questionnaire] website, accessible at the web address above. If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your [TLF: assistance] [SQ//PQ: participation] in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Second School Mailout Letter – Paper TLF Cover Letter

NTPS-12L(TLF)P1//P2 (P1 = Prepopulated TLF; P2 = Blank TLF)

Dear School Staff Member,

We recently sent you an invitation to complete the National Teacher and Principal Survey Teacher Listing Form (TLF) online. According to our records, we do not have a TLF for your school. If you have recently responded, thank you. If you have not completed the TLF, please do so as soon as possible.

[P1: The TLF collects the name, e-mail address, and subject matter taught for each teacher in your school. In order to ease the burden of responding, the enclosed TLF has been prepopulated with a list of your school’s teachers collected from publicly-available sources. We need your help to ensure that this list is accurate and only includes staff currently working as teachers in your school.

Please review the information for each teacher printed on the enclosed form. If you need to make any corrections, line through the incorrect information and write the correction above or next to the preprinted information. In the last column, indicate whether each person listed is currently a teacher at this school using the checkboxes provided. Then add any teachers who are missing from this list using the blank rows.]

[P2: A paper Teacher Listing Form is enclosed. Please list the name, e-mail address, subject matter taught, and full- or part-time status for each teacher in your school.]

The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. Your response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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).

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Second School Mailout E-mail to Coordinator or Principal – TLF//TLF and SQ

NTPS-12E[1//1.3] (1: TLF; 1.3: TLF and SQ)

Subject: <Name>, your school’s participation is appreciated.

Body:

Dear <Coordinator or Principal Name>:

A few days ago, we mailed you a package at your school address. The package contained a [1: reminder letter and an invitation to complete the online Teacher Listing Form (TLF) for//1.3: second set of invitations to complete] the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) [1.3: questionnaires online].

Only a small percentage of schools are selected to participate; therefore, your participation is important to obtain an accurate view of the characteristics and conditions of K–12 schools across the United States. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data.

According to our records, the Teacher Listing Form (TLF) [1.3: and School Questionnaire] have not yet been completed.] If you have recently completed the TLF [1.3: and School Questionnaire], thank you. [1: If you have not yet completed [1: the TLF,//1.3: either or both of them,] please complete [1: it//1.3: them], or have the appropriate staff member complete [1: it//1.3: them], as soon as possible. [1.3: Instructions for each item are below.]

[1.3: 1) Teacher Listing Form:]

The TLF collects the name, e-mail address, subject matter taught, and full- or part-time status for each teacher in your school. Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that the form will take about 30 minutes to complete. Please complete the TLF online as soon as possible.

To complete the Teacher Listing Form, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID> Click on “Teacher Listing Form”

[1.3: 2) Online School Questionnaire:

We will send you a second e-mail with instructions for completing the School Questionnaire online. Please complete the School Questionnaire or forward the e-mail to the appropriate staff member.]

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Second School Mailout E-mail to Coordinator or Principal – SQ

NTPS-12E3

Subject: Please complete the NTPS School Questionnaire.

Body:

Dear <Coordinator or Principal Name>:

We recently mailed you a second invitation to complete the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) School Questionnaire online. Only a small percentage of schools are selected to participate; therefore, your participation is important to obtain an accurate view of the characteristics and conditions of K–12 schools across the United States. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data.

According to our records, the School Questionnaire has not yet been completed. If you have recently completed it, thank you. If not, please complete the School Questionnaire online, or forward this information to the appropriate staff member. The School Questionnaire should be completed by the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school. Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that this survey will take about [public schools: 13; private schools: 33] minutes to complete. Please complete the survey within two weeks.

To complete the School Questionnaire, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpssq

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Second School Mailout E-mail to Principal – PQ//TLF and PQ//PQ and SQ//TLF, PQ, and SQ

NTPS-12E(P)2//1.2//2.3//1.2.3 (2 = PQ only; 1.2 = TLF and PQ; 2.3 = PQ and SQ; 1.2.3 = TLF, PQ, and SQ)

Subject: [2: <Name>, please complete your Principal Questionnaire.] [1.2//2.3//1.2.3: <Name>, your school’s participation is appreciated.]

Body:

Dear <Principal Name>:

A few days ago, we mailed a second package to your school address inviting your school’s participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). Only a small percentage of schools are selected to participate; therefore, your participation is important to obtain an accurate view of the characteristics and conditions of K–12 schools across the United States. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data.

According to our records, the [2: Principal Questionnaire has//1.2: Teacher Listing Form and Principal Questionnaire have//2.3: Principal Questionnaire and School Questionnaire have//1.2.3: Teacher Listing Form, Principal Questionnaire, and School Questionnaire have] not yet been completed. [1.2//2.3//1.2.3: If these have recently been completed, thank you. If not, we request your assistance with the following tasks:

1) Complete the Principal Questionnaire online as soon as possible. We estimate that this survey will take about [public schools: 25; private schools: 22] minutes to complete.

Respond now at: https://respond.census.gov/ntpspq

[1.2//1.2.3: 2) Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the Teacher Listing Form as soon as possible. We estimate that the Teacher Listing Form will take about 30 minutes to complete.

The TLF should be completed by the staff member who can best provide information about the teachers at your school, including each teacher’s name, e-mail address, subject matter taught, and full- or part- time status.

Respond now at: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

Click on “Teacher Listing Form”]

[2: If you have recently completed the Principal Questionnaire, thank you. If not, please complete the Principal Questionnaire online as soon as possible. Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that the questionnaire will take about [public schools: 25; private schools: 22] minutes to complete.

To complete the Principal Questionnaire, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpspq

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>]

[2.3: 2)//1.2.3: 3)] [2.3//1.2.3: Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the School Questionnaire as soon as possible.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Second School Mailout E-mail to Coordinator or Principal – Prepopulated TLF//Prepopulated TLF and SQ

NTPS-12E1P//1P.3 (1P: Prepopulated TLF only; 1P.3 = Prepopulated TLF and SQ)

Subject: <Name>, your school’s participation is appreciated.

Body:

Dear <Coordinator or Principal Name>:

A few days ago, we sent you a package at your school address via FedEx. The package contained a [1P: reminder letter and a paper Teacher Listing Form (TLF)//1P.3: reminder letter, a paper Teacher Listing Form (TLF), and an invitation to complete the School Questionnaire online] for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS).

[1.3: 1) Teacher Listing Form:]

The TLF collects the name, e-mail address, and subject matter taught for each teacher in your school. In order to ease the burden on your school’s staff, the paper TLF we sent you has been prepopulated with a list of your school’s teachers collected from publicly-available sources. We need you to help us by reviewing the TLF and making corrections, as necessary. The TLF will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

[1.3: 2) Online School Questionnaire:

The School Questionnaire should be completed by the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school. Please complete the School Questionnaire online, or forward this information to the appropriate staff member. Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that this survey will take about [public schools: 13; private schools: 33] minutes to complete.

To complete the School Questionnaire, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpssq Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>]

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Second School Mailout E-mail to Principal – Prepopulated TLF and PQ//Prepopulated TLF, PQ, and SQ

NTPS-12E(P)1P.2//1P.2.3 (1P.2 = Prepopulated TLF and PQ; 1P.2.3 = Prepopulated TLF, PQ, and SQ)

Subject: <Name>, your school’s participation is appreciated.

Body:

Dear <Principal Name>:

A few days ago, we sent you a package at your school address via FedEx. The package contained a reminder letter, a paper TLF, [1P.2: and an invitation to complete the Principal Questionnaire online//1P.2.3: and invitations to complete the Principal and School Questionnaires online] for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). Only a small percentage of schools are selected to participate; therefore, your participation is important to obtain an accurate view of the characteristics and conditions of K–12 schools across the United States. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data.

According to our records, the [1P.2: Teacher Listing Form and Principal Questionnaire //1P.2.3: Teacher Listing Form, Principal Questionnaire, and School Questionnaire] have not yet been completed. If these have recently been completed, thank you. If not, we request your assistance with the following tasks:

Complete the Principal Questionnaire online as soon as possible. We estimate that this survey will take about [public schools: 25; private schools: 22] minutes to complete.

Respond now at: https://respond.census.gov/ntpspq Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Complete, or ensure the completion of, the Teacher Listing Form as soon as possible.

The TLF collects the name, e-mail address, and subject matter taught for each teacher in your school.

In order to ease the burden on your school’s staff, the TLF has been prepopulated with a list of your school’s teachers collected from publicly-available sources. We need you to help us by reviewing the TLF we sent you and making corrections, as necessary. The TLF will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

[1P.2.3: 3) Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the School Questionnaire as soon as possible.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Second School Mailout Letter for Amish and Mennonite Schools

NTPS-12L(A)

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear School Head/Principal:

We recently mailed you a package of the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) questionnaires. According to our records, one or more of your school’s questionnaires have not yet been returned. If any of these questionnaires were recently mailed to us, thank you. If not, please complete, or have the appropriate staff complete, and return the enclosed replacement questionnaires as soon as possible.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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 write to:

National Teacher and Principal Survey

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Potomac Center Plaza

550 12^thStreet, SW Room 4014

Washington, DC 20202

Thank you in advance for your school’s participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Coordinator/Principal Reminder Letter

NTPS-20L

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Principal or Survey Coordinator Name>:

Thank you for your continued assistance with the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). We greatly appreciate you completing your Teacher Listing Form. According to our records, your school’s Principal Questionnaire and/or School Questionnaire have not yet been completed online. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data on schools and educators; therefore, I am writing to ask for your assistance in reminding staff members at your school to complete their questionnaire(s) online if they have not yet done so.

You can access the NTPS Respondent Portal to view which of your school’s questionnaires have not yet been completed.

Go to the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc
Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Please ask the appropriate staff to complete their questionnaire(s) online as soon as possible. If you or other school staff have recently completed the questionnaire(s), thank you.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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 if you have any questions about the survey. You can also contact the U.S. Census Bureau via e-mail at: [email protected].

Thank you again for your help in coordinating your school’s participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Coordinator or Principal Reminder E-mail, Non-priority Schools – Principal Questionnaire//School Questionnaire

NTPS-20E2//3 (2 = PQ; 3 = SQ)

Subject: [2: <Name>, principal survey reminder.] [3: School survey reminder.]

Body:

Dear [2: <Principal Name>//3: <Coordinator or Principal Name>]:

[2: Last month, we invited you to complete the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) Principal Questionnaire online.//3: Thank you for your continued assistance with the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS).] According to our records, [2: your Principal Questionnaire//3: the School Questionnaire] has not yet been completed online. [3: The School Questionnaire should be completed by the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school. Please complete the School Questionnaire online, or forward this information to the appropriate staff member.] Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that this survey will take about [2, public schools: 25; 2, private schools: 22] [3, public schools: 13; 3, private schools: 33] minutes to complete.

To complete the [2: Principal//3: School] Questionnaire, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsxx

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Please complete the survey as soon as possible.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. Thank you in advance for your participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Coordinator Reminder E-mail, Priority Schools – Teacher Listing Form//Teacher Listing Form and School Questionnaire

NTPS-20E(C)P[1//1.3] (1: TLF; 1.3: TLF and SQ)

Subject: Important Survey Reminder

Body:

Dear <Coordinator or Principal Name>:

About two weeks ago, we mailed you a package at your school address. The package contained invitations to complete the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) questionnaires online. The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data on schools and educators; therefore, I am writing to ask for your assistance in ensuring the completion of the questionnaires.

[1.3: 1) Teacher Listing Form:]

To complete the Teacher Listing Form, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID> Click on “Teacher Listing Form”

[1.3: 2) Online School Questionnaire:

We will send you a second e-mail with instructions for completing the School Questionnaire online. Please complete the School Questionnaire or forward the e-mail to the appropriate staff member.]

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Reminder E-mail, Priority Schools – Principal Questionnaire//School Questionnaire

NTPS-20EP2//3 (2 = PQ; 3 = SQ)

Subject: [2: <Name>, principal survey reminder.//3: School survey reminder.]

Body:

Dear <Coordinator or Principal Name>:

About two weeks ago, we mailed you an invitation to complete the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) [(2: Principal//3: School] Questionnaire online. The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data on schools and educators.

According to our records, [2: your Principal//3: the School] Questionnaire has not yet been completed. If you have recently completed it, thank you. If not, please complete the [2: Principal//3: School] Questionnaire online [3: or forward this information to the appropriate staff member]. [3: The School Questionnaire should be completed by the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, instructional time, and programs and services offered at your school.] Your responses will be collected on a secure website and we estimate that this survey will take about [2, public schools: 25; 2, private schools: 22] [3, public schools: 13; 3, private schools: 33] minutes to complete. Please complete the survey within two weeks.

To complete the [2: Principal//3: School] Questionnaire, go to: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsxx

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Reminder E-mail to Principal, Priority Schools –TLF and PQ//PQ and SQ//TLF, PQ, and SQ

NTPS-20EP1.2//2.3//1.2.3 (1.2 = TLF and PQ; 2.3 = PQ and SQ; 1.2.3 = TLF, PQ, and SQ)

Subject: Important Survey Reminder

Body:

Dear <Principal Name>:

About two weeks ago, we mailed a package to your school address inviting your school’s participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data on schools and educators; therefore, I am writing to ask for your assistance in ensuring the completion of the questionnaires.

According to our records, the [1.2: Teacher Listing Form and Principal Questionnaire//2.3: Principal Questionnaire and School Questionnaire//1.2.3: Teacher Listing Form, Principal Questionnaire, and School Questionnaire] have not yet been completed. If these have recently been completed, thank you. If not, we request your assistance with the following tasks:

1) Complete the Principal Questionnaire online as soon as possible. We estimate that this survey will take about [public schools: 25; private schools: 22] minutes to complete.

Respond now at: https://respond.census.gov/ntpspq

Respond now at: https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

Click on “Teacher Listing Form”]

[2.3: 2)//1.2.3: 3)] [2.3//1.2.3: Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the School Questionnaire as soon as possible.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Third Mailout Letter

NTPS-13L(A) (L = public schools and private schools, excluding Amish and Mennonite schools; A = Amish and Mennonite schools)

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Principal or Coordinator Name>:

Earlier this school year, we sent your school [L: invitations to complete//A: a package of] the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) questionnaires [L: online]. We are writing to ask for your assistance in ensuring the completion of the remaining questionnaires for your school.

The NTPS is an important source of information about schools across the United States. You can help represent other schools like yours by participating in the survey. The data from the NTPS are used by Congress, state legislatures, state education agencies, [L: public school districts,] and education research organizations to inform education policies.

According to our records, one or more of your school’s questionnaires have not been completed. If these questionnaire(s) were recently completed online, thank you. [L: Enclosed are replacement paper questionnaires and envelopes for staff members who have not responded. Please distribute each questionnaire, along with a return envelope, to the appropriate staff. Ask the staff to complete their questionnaire and return it sealed in the envelope to you to protect confidentiality. Please mail the completed form(s) to us as soon as possible.//A: If not, please complete, or have the appropriate staff complete, and return the enclosed questionnaires as soon as possible.] The Census Bureau will contact you in the coming weeks regarding missing questionnaires.

[L: As a reminder, you can log into the NTPS Respondent Portal to check which of your school’s questionnaires have not been completed. The NTPS Respondent Portal contains additional information about the NTPS, including data results from previous surveys, and ideas to encourage your school staff’s participation.

Access the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc
Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>]

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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. [L: You can also contact the U.S. Census Bureau via e-mail at [email protected].//A: You can also write to:

National Teacher and Principal Survey

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Potomac Center Plaza

550 12^thStreet, SW

Room 4014

Washington, DC 20202]

Thank you in advance for your school’s participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Third Mailout Prepopulated TLF Cover Letter

NTPS-13L(TLF)

Dear School Staff Member,

Earlier this school year, we sent you an invitation to complete the National Teacher and Principal Survey Teacher Listing Form (TLF) online. According to our records, we do not have a TLF for your school. If you have recently responded, thank you. If you have not completed the TLF, please do so as soon as possible.

The TLF collects the name, e-mail address, and subject matter taught for each teacher in your school. In order to ease the burden of responding, the enclosed TLF has been prepopulated with a list of your school’s teachers collected from publicly-available sources. We need your help to ensure that this list is accurate and only includes staff currently working as teachers in your school.

The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. Your response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Third Mailout E-mail to Coordinator or Principal

NTPS-13E(U)//(F) (U: PQ and/or SQ sent via USPS; F: TLF sent via FedEx, with PQ and/or SQ if applicable)

Subject: Your package is on its way.

Body:

Dear <Coordinator or Principal Name>:

Earlier this school year, we invited your school to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey. The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. The data are used by Congress, state education agencies, public school districts, and education research organizations. As each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data, I am writing to ask for your assistance in this effort.

According to our records, one or more of your school’s questionnaires have not yet been completed. A few days ago, we [U: mailed//F: sent] you a package of replacement questionnaire(s) at your school address [F: via FedEx]. If these questionnaire(s) were recently completed online, thank you. If not, please distribute each questionnaire, along with a return envelope, to the appropriate staff.

Ask the staff to complete their questionnaire(s) as soon as possible. Completed questionnaires should be mailed using the enclosed return envelope(s) to protect confidentiality.

You can log into the NTPS Respondent Portal to check the completion status of your school’s questionnaires and to access NTPS resources, including ideas to encourage your school staff’s participation and data from previous survey administrations.

Access the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc
Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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 assistance in this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Second Reminder E-mail – Principal Questionnaire//School Questionnaire

NTPS-22E2//3 (2 = PQ; 3 = SQ)

Subject: [2: Respond to your Principal Survey today.//3: <Name>, tell us about your school today.]

Body:

Dear <Coordinator or Principal Name>:

Over the course of the school year, we’ve mailed you several invitations to complete the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) [2: Principal//3: School] Questionnaire. The NTPS is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data on schools and educators.

If you have recently completed the survey, thank you for your assistance and please disregard this e- mail. If you have not had the opportunity to complete the survey yet, we encourage you to respond as soon as possible. Please complete the [2: Principal//3: School] Questionnaire we mailed to you last month and return it to us in the postage-paid envelope. If you prefer to complete your survey online, you may do so using the login information provided below.

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

Log in using this User ID: <USERID >

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Fourth School Mailout Letter

NTPS-14L

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Principal Name>:

Throughout this school year, your school has been mailed several packages containing questionnaires for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). As each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data, we are writing to ask for your assistance in this effort once again.

According to our records, one or more of your school’s questionnaires have not been completed. Replacement questionnaires are enclosed. Please help us by completing, or having the appropriate staff complete, the enclosed questionnaire(s) as soon as possible. If these questionnaire(s) were recently completed, thank you. The U.S. Census Bureau will call you in the coming weeks regarding missing questionnaires.

The data from the NTPS are critically important to the Department of Education. The data are also used by Congress, state education agencies, public school districts, and education research organizations to develop education policies to improve working conditions for principals and teachers.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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 helping to ensure your school’s participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Survey Coordinator Thank You Letter

NTPS-21L(C)

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear < Survey Coordinator Name>:

Throughout this school year, we have sent you several packages containing questionnaires for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). We would like to thank you for your help in coordinating the completion and return of these questionnaires for your school.

However, one or more questionnaire(s) are still missing. At this time, we will begin to follow up on these questionnaires with the individual respondents directly.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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].

We appreciate all of your help. Your school’s response is very important to the success of this survey. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Survey Coordinator Thank You E-mail

NTPS-21E(C)

Subject: Thank you for your assistance, <Name>.

Body:

Dear <Coordinator Name>:

Throughout this school year, the U.S. Census Bureau sent you several packages containing questionnaires for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). We would like to thank you for your help in coordinating the completion and return of these questionnaires for your school. However, one or more questionnaire(s) are still missing. At this time, we will begin to follow up on these questionnaires with the individual respondents directly.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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].

We appreciate all of your help. Your school’s response is very important to the success of this survey. Thank you.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Requested Questionnaire(s) Letter

NTPS-19L(T) (L = School-level questionnaire(s) T = Teacher questionnaire)

Date

[T: <Teacher Name>]

School Name

School Address

Dear [L: <Principal or Survey Coordinator Name>//T: <Teacher Name>]:

[L: Thank you for your assistance in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). We have enclosed the paper questionnaires that you requested, or that another staff member requested on your behalf.

Please complete the enclosed questionnaire(s) or distribute these questionnaire(s) and the postage- paid return envelope(s) to the appropriate staff. Please help ensure these questionnaires are completed as soon as possible and returned to us in the enclosed postage-paid return envelope(s).]

[T: We recently invited you to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) by completing the Teacher Questionnaire online. We have enclosed a paper Teacher Questionnaire that you requested, or that was requested on your behalf.

Please return your completed questionnaire in the enclosed postage-paid return envelope as soon as possible.]

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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].

For more information about the NTPS and how your responses will inform our understanding of U.S. schools, visit our website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

Thank you again for your help with this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Targeted Reminder E-mail with NTPS Video

NTPS-23E(P1//P2//S1//S2//T1//T2) (P=Principal Questionnaire; S=School Questionnaire; T=Teacher Questionnaire; 1=Public School Version; 2=Private School Version)

Subject: Please help us produce representative data for [P1, P2: principals in//T1, T2: teachers in] schools like yours.

Dear <P1, P2: PRIN_NAME//S1, S2: COOR_NAME if available, else PRIN_NAME//T1,T2: TCH_NAME>:

We’ve contacted [S1, S2: your school//P1, P2, T1, T2: you] throughout the school year regarding the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). We wanted to take an opportunity to share a brief video with you that highlights the importance of this survey, and provides selected findings from previous surveys. You can view the video at: https:_{//www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaO87bhBOXc}

[P1, S1, T1: The 2015-16 NTPS included findings such as:]

[P1:

Public school principals spent an average of 58.6 hours per week on all school-related activities.
Public school principals had an average of 6.6 years of experience as a principal and an average of 4 years as a principal of their current school.//

Nationwide, about 21 percent of public schools offered at least one course entirely online.
Overall, 59 percent of public schools had instruction beyond the normal school day for students who need academic assistance.//

On average, regular full-time teachers in public schools spent 53 hours per week on all school-related activities, including 27 hours that they were paid to deliver instruction to students during a typical full week.
Among teachers in self-contained classrooms, the average class size was 21 students in primary schools, 14 students in middle schools, 15 students for high schools, and 16 students for combined-grade schools. Among departmentalized teachers, the average class size was 27 for primary and middle schools, 26 for high schools, and 22 for combined-grade schools. ]

We need your help to produce representative data for <primary/middle/high/combined grade level> [P: school principals//S: schools//T: school teachers] in <state’s> <cities/suburbs/towns/rural areas> this year. Policy makers at the state, federal, and local levels use this data to set education policy and improve teacher and principal working conditions. This is your chance to let your voice be heard.

Please complete the <P: Principal//S: School//T: Teacher> Survey using the login information provided below. Alternatively, you may complete and return the paper questionnaire we sent you [P, S: in mid-February//T: a few weeks ago].

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

Log in using this User ID: <USERID >

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

-------

Voiceover Script for the NTPS Information Video at the url Included in the Email

Audio Text for the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) Video

NOTE FOR NARRATOR - Pronunciation instructions:

Please pronounce “2015-16”: two-thousand fifteen sixteen
Please pronounce “SASS” as “sass,” like the word.
In the web address, pronounce the letters “ED”. Do not say “Ed” like the name.
In the web address, pronounce “guv”. Do not spell out “GOV”.

Teachers and principals form the foundation of the educational process, and it is important to have nationally representative data on the characteristics and experiences of these key staff. The National Teacher and Principal Survey, or NTPS, provides descriptive data on the context of elementary and secondary education in America. As the country’s primary source of information on teachers and administrators, the survey gives policymakers vital statistics on the condition of education in the United States.

Historically, NCES collected data from school staff using the Schools and Staffing Survey, or SASS. Since 1987, SASS has provided data that made it possible to answer critical questions about schools, teachers, principals, and students. This includes questions about teacher preparation, principals’ goals, and how the workforce has changed over time.

NCES updated the SASS, to reflect changes to the structure of teaching and new opportunities to integrate data from a variety of different sources.

NCES launched NTPS, the new survey, in the 2015-16 school year. NTPS includes updated content that addresses pressing topics like online courses and teacher and principal evaluations.

NTPS includes several different but related questionnaires that collect data from multiple points within a school. The Teacher Questionnaire includes questions about teacher satisfaction, use of instructional software in the classroom, and first year teaching experiences, along with questions on the characteristics of teachers.

Here’s a first look at some of the data from the survey.

In 2015-16, over 40 percent of public school teachers had 15 or more years of teaching experience.

By contrast, 15 percent of teachers had less than 4 years of experience.

The average base salary for regular full-time teachers in 2015-16 was 55,100 dollars.

Salaries differed by school level and ranged from 54,300 dollars for primary school teachers to 57,400 dollars for high school teachers.

The Principal Questionnaire asks questions on parent or guardian involvement, frequency of problems such as bullying, how teachers and principals are evaluated, and principals’ top goals, along with questions on the characteristics of principals.

In 2015-16, a majority of public school principals were White.

About 11 percent of principals were Black, 8 percent were Hispanic, and 3 percent were of other races and ethnicities.

The School Questionnaire asks about topics like the length of the school day, how difficult it is to fill vacancies at the school, online course offerings, and school start times.

In 2015-16, high schools had the earliest start times, with an average start time of 7:59am. Primary schools had the latest start times, with an average start time of 8:17am.

Visit nces.ed.gov to learn more about the NTPS, and to find out more about teachers, principals, and schools in the United States.

Field Follow-up Phase 1 Letter (For Field Representatives)

NTPS FR L1 (Includes school version of FAQs (see initial mailout letter) on the back.)

Dear <Name>:

Your school’s participation is important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data, and we need your help to make this happen.

We request your assistance with the following tasks:

Complete and return the Teacher Listing Form within two weeks
- Open the envelope labeled “Teacher Listing Form,” or give it to the staff member most knowledgeable about the teachers at your school, including each teacher’s name, e-mail address, and subject matter taught. The Teacher Listing Form will be used to select a sample of teachers to complete the NTPS Teacher Questionnaire, which will be mailed at a later date.
- In ten days, remind the staff member to complete the Teacher Listing Form if it has not been completed.
- Mail the completed Teacher Listing Form back to the Census Bureau using the return envelope provided, or make arrangements to give it to the Field Representative assigned to your school.

Complete, or ensure the online completion of, the School Questionnaire within two weeks
- Open the envelope labeled “Instructions for completing the School Questionnaire,” or give it to the staff member who can best answer questions about enrollment, staffing counts, and programs and services offered at your school.
- In ten days, remind the staff member to complete the School Questionnaire if it has not been completed.

Ensure the online completion of the Principal Questionnaire within two weeks
- Give the envelope labeled “Instructions for completing the Principal Questionnaire” to the principal or administrator at your school.
- In ten days, remind the principal to complete the Principal Questionnaire if it has not been completed.

Thank you in advance for your help to ensure your school is represented in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Field Follow-up Phase 2 and 3 School Letters (For Field Representatives)

NTPS FR L2//3 (2 = school-level questionnaires only; 3 = teacher questionnaires, with or without school-level questionnaires) (Includes school version of FAQs on the back.)

Dear <Name>:

Over the course of this school year, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. Census Bureau have requested your school’s participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The NTPS is a nationwide sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the principals and teachers who staff them. The survey is a primary source of information about what is happening in K–12 schools across the United States.

Your school’s participation is important for the success of this survey. Each response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data, and we need your help to make this happen.

According to our records, one or more of your school’s [3: or teachers’] questionnaires have not been completed. Please help us by giving the enclosed questionnaire(s) to the appropriate staff member(s) and ensuring their completion within two weeks. Mail the completed questionnaire(s) back to the Census Bureau using the return envelope(s) provided, or make arrangements to give them to the Field Representative assigned to your school.

Thank you in advance for your school’s participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Field Follow-up Phase 3 and 4 Teacher Letter (For Field Representatives)

NTPS FR L4 (Includes FAQs from the initial teacher mailout letter on the back.)

Dear <Teacher Name>:

Over the course of this school year, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. Census Bureau have asked you to participate in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) by completing the Teacher Questionnaire. Your participation in this important survey helps provide an accurate view of teachers’ experiences as educators. Your response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. The NTPS data are used by policy makers and researchers to understand the professional background, teaching field, workload, and working conditions of teachers across the United States.

We need you to complete your Teacher Questionnaire as soon as possible. Upon completion, either return it to the U.S. Census Bureau using the enclosed postage-paid envelope, or make arrangements to give it to the Field Representative assigned to your school.

The 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. 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.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Initial Teacher Package Letter to Survey Coordinator

NTPS-15L(C//CI) (C = no coordinator incentive; CI = coordinator incentive)

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Survey Coordinator or Principal Name>:

We greatly appreciate your assistance so far with the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). [CI:

We’ve included $ for you in the package as a token of our appreciation for your assistance with the 2017–18 NTPS.] Now, we need your help to ensure the NTPS Teacher Questionnaire invitations are distributed and the questionnaires are completed in a timely manner.

On the back of this letter is a list of the teachers selected to complete the Teacher Questionnaire, a crucial component of the NTPS. Each selected teacher’s participation is critical to obtain an accurate view of the teaching profession, including teachers’ professional backgrounds, teaching fields, workloads, and working conditions across this country.

This package contains individual envelope(s) for the selected teacher(s) at your school. Each teacher’s envelope contains their invitation to complete the Teacher Questionnaire online. Please distribute these envelopes to each teacher and ask them to complete their questionnaire within one week. We also e-mailed an invitation to each teacher’s school e-mail address, if their e-mail address was available.

Please follow up with each teacher in a few days to remind them to complete their questionnaire. You can check which teachers have completed their questionnaire by accessing the NTPS Respondent Portal.

Go to the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc
Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any questions, 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 again for your help with this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

<Etc.>

Teacher(s) Selected for the NTPS

Initial Teacher Package E-mail to Survey Coordinator

NTPS-15EC(C//CI) (C = no coordinator incentive; CI = coordinator incentive)

Subject: <Name>, we mailed survey invitations to you.

Body:

Dear <COOR_NAME>,

[C: Thank you for your continued assistance with the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS).] A few days ago, we mailed a package of the 2017–18 [CI: National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS)//C: NTPS] Teacher Questionnaire materials to you at your school address. [CI: We’ve included $ for you in the package as a token of our appreciation for your assistance with the 2017–18 NTPS.] The package [CI: also] contains individual sealed envelopes for the selected teacher(s) at your school. Each envelope contains the teacher’s invitation to complete the Teacher Questionnaire online. We also e-mailed an invitation to each teacher’s school e-mail address, if their e-mail address was available.

Please distribute the envelopes to the selected teachers and ask them to complete their questionnaire within one week. In addition, please follow up with the teachers in a few days to remind them to complete their questionnaire. As a reminder, you can view the status of each teacher’s questionnaire by accessing the NTPS Respondent Portal.

Go to the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

The NTPS Respondent Portal includes resources to assist you in encouraging participation from the selected teachers. To access these resources, please click on “Resources” in the menu bar once you are logged into the Portal.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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 again for your help with this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

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 the 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. The 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.

Shape6

Respond now at https://respond.census.gov/ntpstq

[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 the NTPS at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

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

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

What is the purpose of the NTPS?

Frequently Asked Questions

How are the NTPS data used?

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

Evaluate the effects of school workplace conditions, salaries, and training opportunities on the educational workforce;
Assess school staffing practices and personnel policies; and
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?

Who authorizes this survey?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey 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 the 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?

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.]

The 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 survey 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

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

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Initial Teacher Letter for Amish and Mennonite Teachers

NTPS-15L(A) Frequently Asked Questions are printed on the back of the letter.

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. 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.

Please complete the questionnaire within one week and return it to the U.S. Census Bureau using the enclosed postage-paid envelope.

National Teacher and Principal Survey

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Potomac Center Plaza

550 12^thStreet, SW Room 4014

Washington, DC 20202

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

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

First Reminder Teacher Package Letter to Survey Coordinator

NTPS-16L(C)

Date

School Name

School Address

Dear <Survey Coordinator or Principal Name>:

We recently sent you a letter asking for your help to have selected teachers at your school complete the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey Teacher Questionnaire online. According to our records, one or more of the teachers at your school have not yet completed their questionnaire.

Each teacher’s response is vital to ensure that policy makers, universities, and researchers have a current and accurate picture of the teaching profession, including teachers’ education and training, workloads, and working conditions across this country.

This package contains invitation(s) for the teacher(s) at your school who have not yet responded. Please distribute each envelope to the teacher named on the outside of the envelope, and ask them to complete their Teacher Questionnaire as soon as possible. If any of these teacher(s) have recently completed the survey, please thank them on our behalf. Please let them know that we also e-mailed an invitation to each teacher’s school e-mail address, if their e-mail address was available.

We would appreciate you following up with each teacher in a few days to remind them to complete their questionnaire. You can check which teachers have completed their questionnaire and you can access NTPS resources, including ideas to encourage your school staff’s participation and data from previous survey administrations, by logging into the NTPS Respondent Portal.

Go to the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc
Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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 again for your help with this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

First Reminder Teacher Package E-mail to Survey Coordinator

NTPS-16E(C)

Subject: <Name>, thank you for your help.

Body:

Dear <COOR_NAME>,

Thank you for your continued assistance with the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). Our records indicate that one or more of the selected teachers at your school have not yet completed their questionnaire.

We recently mailed you a package containing replacement teacher invitation(s) for the selected teacher(s) at your school who have not yet responded to the NTPS Teacher Questionnaire. If these teacher(s) recently completed the survey, please thank them on our behalf. If not, please distribute each envelope to the selected teacher, and ask them to complete their Teacher Questionnaire as soon as possible.

As a reminder, you can view the status of each teacher’s questionnaire and access resources to assist you in encouraging participation from the selected teachers by logging into the NTPS Respondent Portal.

Go to the NTPS Respondent Portal at https://respond.census.gov/ntpsrsc

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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 again for your help with this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

First Reminder Teacher Letter

NTPS-16L(E) (E = teacher’s e-mail address is available)

Date

Teacher Name

School Name

School Address

Dear <TEACHER NAME>:

We recently mailed you an invitation to complete the Teacher Questionnaire for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). NTPS helps ensure that policy makers, universities, and researchers have a current and accurate picture of the teaching profession, including teachers’ education and training, workloads, and working conditions, across this country. If you have already responded to the survey, thank you. If not, we would appreciate receiving your response as soon as possible. The survey will take approximately 40 minutes to complete.

Shape8 Shape9

Respond now at https://respond.census.gov/ntpstq

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

The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau follow strict procedures to protect your confidentiality, so please be assured that none of your answers will be shared with your school administration. 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 survey accurate and timely. You can find additional information about the NTPS on the website above.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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].

Your participation in this important survey is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

First Reminder Teacher E-mail

NTPS-16E

Subject: <Name>, please complete your teacher survey.

Body:

Dear <TCH_NAME>,

About two weeks ago, we sent you a letter and an e-mail inviting you to share your insight into the teaching profession by completing the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) online.

If you have recently completed the survey, thank you for your assistance and please disregard this e- mail. If you have not had the opportunity to participate yet, we encourage you to complete the survey today.

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

As a reminder, your responses will be collected on a secure website and will not be shared with your school administration.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

First Reminder Letter for Amish and Mennonite Teachers

NTPS-16L(A)

Date

Teacher Name

School Name School Address

Dear <TEACHER NAME>:

We recently mailed you an invitation to complete the Teacher Questionnaire for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). NTPS helps ensure that policy makers, universities, and researchers have a current and accurate picture of the teaching profession, including teachers’ education and training, workloads, and working conditions, across this country. If you have already completed and mailed back the survey, thank you. If you have not had the opportunity to complete your questionnaire yet, please complete it as soon as possible and return it using the enclosed postage- paid envelope.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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. Alternatively, you can write to:

National Teacher and Principal Survey

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Potomac Center Plaza

550 12^thStreet, SW Room 4014

Washington, DC.20202

Your participation in this important survey is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph. D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Second Reminder Teacher Letter

NTPS-17L(I) (I = contingency plan incentive)

Date

Dear <TEACHER NAME>:

A few weeks ago, we sent you a second invitation to complete the Teacher Questionnaire online for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), a nationwide survey of elementary and secondary schools and the teachers and principals who staff them.

According to our records, you have not yet completed the survey. Your cooperation in this effort is greatly appreciated. This is your opportunity to participate in this important survey which helps provide an accurate view of teachers across this country. [I: Please accept the enclosed $ as a token of our appreciation for your participation in the NTPS.] Please be assured that your responses to the survey will not be shared with anyone at your school.

If you have recently completed the survey online, we want to thank you. If not, please complete the enclosed paper questionnaire, and return it to us in the postage-paid envelope as soon as possible. If you do not complete the survey in the next few weeks, someone from the U.S. Census Bureau may contact your school.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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].

Your participation is voluntary, but your responses are vital to ensure the results of this survey represent teachers like you. You can find additional information about the NTPS at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

Thank you for your contribution to this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Second Reminder Teacher E-mail

NTPS-17E(I) (I = contingency plan incentive)

Subject: Please participate in this important survey.

Body:

Dear <TCH_NAME>,

We know that you are really busy, but we need your help.

We recently mailed you the Teacher Questionnaire for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) [I: along with $ as a token of our appreciation for your participation in the NTPS] at your school address. Your participation contributes to providing valuable information to those that determine education policy and practices.

If you have recently completed the survey, thank you for your assistance and please disregard this e-mail. If you have not had the opportunity to complete the survey yet, we encourage you to respond as soon as possible. Please complete the questionnaire we mailed to you and return it to us in the postage- paid envelope. If you prefer to complete your survey online, you may do so using the login information provided below.

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

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Second Reminder Teacher Letter for Amish and Mennonite Teachers

NTPS-17L(A)

Date

Dear <TEACHER NAME>:

A few weeks ago, we sent you a second invitation to complete the Teacher Questionnaire for the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), a nationwide survey of elementary and secondary schools and the teachers and principals who staff them.

According to our records, you have not yet completed the survey. Your cooperation in this effort is greatly appreciated. This is your opportunity to participate in this important survey which helps provide an accurate view of teachers across this country. Please be assured that your responses to the survey will not be shared with anyone at your school.

If you have recently completed and mailed back the questionnaire, we want to thank you. If not, please complete the enclosed questionnaire, and return it to us in the postage-paid envelope as soon as possible. If you do not complete the survey in the next few weeks, someone from the U.S. Census Bureau may contact your school.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). 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. Alternatively, you can write to:

National Teacher and Principal Survey

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Potomac Center Plaza 550 12th Street, SW Room 4014

Washington, DC 20202

Your participation is voluntary, but your responses are vital to ensure the results of this survey represent teachers like you.

Thank you for your contribution to this important survey.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Teacher Thank You Letter with Incentive (CONTINGENCY PLAN)

NTPS-21L(TI)

Date

Teacher Name

School Name

School Address

Dear <TCH_NAME>,

We appreciate your contributions to the field of education and your participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau would like to thank you for making the 2017–18 NTPS a success.

Shape10

We will be releasing tables based on data from the 2017–18 NTPS next year. These data products, as well as tables and reports based on previous administrations of the NTPS, will be posted to the NCES website at http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps upon release.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any further questions about the NTPS, please contact us, toll-free, at 1-888-595-1338. You can also contact us via e-mail at: [email protected].

Thank you, again, for your participation.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Teacher Thank You E-mail with Incentive (CONTINGENCY PLAN)

NTPS-21E(TI)

Subject: Thank you for your participation.

Body:

Dear <TCH_NAME>,

Shape11

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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). If you have any further questions about the NTPS, please contact us, toll-free, at 1-888-595-1338. You can also contact us via e-mail at: [email protected].

Thanks, again, for your participation.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Third Reminder Teacher Letter

NTPS-18L

[Note: The outside of the envelope sent to sampled public school teachers will feature a statement designed to increase their response rate (“Public school teachers spent an average of 53 hours per week on teaching and school-related activities during the 2015-16 school year. What about you?”).]

Date

Dear <TEACHER NAME>:

Over the past two months, we have contacted you to ask for your participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). We know that your time is valuable, but we ask you to share your experiences as an educator by completing the Teacher Questionnaire. Your response is vital to ensure reliable, nationally representative data. Your responses are used by Congress and education research organizations to inform education policy.

If you have already completed the questionnaire, thank you for your assistance, and please disregard this letter. If you have not had the opportunity to complete the questionnaire yet, please complete the enclosed questionnaire as soon as possible. If you do not complete and return the questionnaire soon, a representative from the U.S. Census Bureau will contact you in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-888-595-1338. Someone will be available to take your call 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. You can also contact the U.S. Census Bureau via e-mail at: [email protected].

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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. Additionally, your responses to the survey questions will not be shared with your school administration. 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 survey accurate and timely.

You can find additional information about the NTPS at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Third Reminder Teacher E-mail

NTPS-18E

Subject: <Name>, let your voice be heard.

Body:

Dear <TCH_NAME>,

Throughout the school year, the Census Bureau has contacted you and your school to ask for your participation in the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). Most recently, we mailed a paper Teacher Questionnaire, along with a postage paid return envelope, to you at your school address.

This is an important opportunity to let your voice be heard as a teacher, and we want teachers like you to be represented in this national survey. I hope you will help us in this effort.

We know your time is valuable and we would like to make participating in this study as easy for you as possible. If you would prefer to complete the survey online, we have included a link to the online Teacher Questionnaire below. Your responses will be collected on a secure website and will not be shared with school administration.

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

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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).

Thank you in advance for your time and participation in this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Third Reminder Teacher Letter for Amish and Mennonite Teachers

NTPS-18L(A)

Date

Dear <TEACHER NAME>:

National Teacher and Principal Survey

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Potomac Center Plaza

550 12th Street, SW Room 4014

Washington, DC 20202

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). 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. Additionally, your responses to the survey questions will not be shared with your school administration. 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 survey accurate and timely.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

NTPS 2017-18 Flyer

Letter of Better Understanding - Public School Principal 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.

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

Teacher and principal pathways into and out of the profession; and
Comparisons of salaries and experience levels by state.

Findings² from the 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey, the predecessor to the NTPS, include:

Public school principals had, on average, 7.2 years of experience as a principal, of which 4.2 years were spent in their current school.
Among public schools, more principals held a master’s degree (62 percent) as their highest degree earned, compared to those with a bachelor’s degree or less (2 percent), an education specialist/professional diploma (26 percent), or a doctorate/first professional degree (10 percent).
Public school principals, on average, spent 58.1 hours per week on all school-related activities, including 22.5 hours per week interacting with students.
On average, both public and private school teachers had about 14 years of experience.

The U.S. Census Bureau is administering the 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 survey 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,

U.S. Census Bureau

Letter of Better Understanding - Private School Principal Letter

Date

Name

School Name

Mailing Address

City, State ZIP

Dear <Name>,

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

Teacher and principal pathways into and out of the profession; and
Comparisons of salaries and experience levels by state.

Findings³ from the 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey, the predecessor to the NTPS, include:

Private school principals had, on average, 10.8 years of experience as a principal, of which 7.4 years were spent in their current school.
Among private schools, more principals held a master’s degree (50 percent) as their highest degree earned, compared to those with a bachelor’s degree or less (31 percent), an education specialist/professional diploma (10 percent), or a doctorate/first professional degree (9 percent).
Private school principals, on average, spent 53.2 hours per week on all school-related activities, including 21.2 hours per week interacting with students.
On average, both public and private school teachers had about 14 years of experience.

Sincerely,

U.S. Census Bureau

Letter of Better Understanding - Teacher Letter

Date

Name

School Name

Mailing Address

City, State ZIP

Dear <Name>,

The 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 the 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.

Sincerely,

U.S. Census Bureau

1 The TFS and PFS are conducted every four years as a follow up to sample members from the prior year’s NTPS. PFS is currently being fielded in 2016-17 as a follow up to NTPS 2015-16. There will not be a TFS or PFS administration following up NTPS 2017-18. TFS and PFS will return in 2020-21 as a follow-up to the NTPS 2019-20.

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

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

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.

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Author	Teresa Lynn Thomas (CENSUS/ADDP FED)
File Modified	0000-00-00
File Created	2021-01-21

Appendix A - NTPS 2017-18 Contact Materials