SSOCS Update Memo

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Center for Education Statistics

September 12, 2019

MEMORANDUM

To: Robert Sivinski, OMB

From: Rachel Hansen, NCES

Through: Kashka Kubzdela, NCES

Re: School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) 2018 and 2020 – SSOCS 2020 Change Request (OMB# 1850-0761 v.17)

The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) is a nationally representative survey of elementary and secondary school principals that serves as the primary source of school-level data on crime and safety in public schools. SSOCS is the only recurring federal survey collecting detailed information on the incidence, frequency, seriousness, and nature of violence affecting students and school personnel from the school’s perspective. Data are also collected on frequency and types of disciplinary actions taken for select offenses; perceptions of other disciplinary problems, such as bullying, verbal abuse and disorder in the classroom; the presence and role of school security staff; parent and community involvement; staff training; mental health services available to students; and, school policies and programs concerning crime and safety. Prior administrations of SSOCS were conducted in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2016, and 2018. The 2018 and 2020 SSOCS full-scale data collections were approved in July 2017 with the latest update approved in May 2019 (OMB# 1850-0761 v.12-16).

This submission provides the final versions of the SSOCS 2020 communications materials and questionnaire. Part A was updated to reflect the change in the minutes to complete the SSOCS 2020 survey, which decreased from 49 minutes to 45 minutes after two questions were dropped from the questionnaire and the school characteristics items were reorganized and reordered to better streamline the response process. Additional minor edits were made to Part A to reflect this change, including the consequent recalculations of burden. Part C was updated to reflect the aforementioned updates to the SSOCS 2020 questionnaire. Appendix A has been updated to include the final versions of the SSOCS 2020 brochure, incentive sheet, letters, and screenshots. Finally, Appendix B has been updated with the final form of the SSOCS 2020 Questionnaire.

The noteworthy changes to the approved materials are listed below. Text added since the last approved version of each document is marked in burgundy font color, all text deleted since the last approved version is marked in crossed-out burgundy font color, and all unchanged text is shown in black font.

The follow updates were made to Part A:

1. A. Justification:

The following was revised on p. 1:

The request to conduct the 2018 and 2020 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) was approved in July 2017 with the latest change request approved in May 2018 2019 (OMB# 1850-0761 v.15 16). This request adds updates for the 2020 SSOCS full-scale data collection involving revisions to: (1) the approved incentive and web experiments, (2) communication materials, and (3) SSOCS:2020 questionnaire (nonsubstantive changes and removal of items). Some of the SSOCS:2020 communication materials are still being developed – their final versions will be provided to OMB as a change request in September 2019. This request provides updated communications materials and finalizes a questionnaire that was not fully developed at the time of the last submission.

2. A.10. Assurance of Confidentiality:

The following was revised on p. 10:

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 1850-0761. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 49 45 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: School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), National Center for Education Statistics, PCP, 550 12th Street SW, #4036, Washington, DC 20202.

A.12. Estimates of Burden for Information Collection:

After the removal of two additional items on shootings and homicides, the estimated average 2020 survey response time will be 45 minutes.

The following was revised on page 12:

An item was included in the SSOCS:2018 questionnaire that asked respondents, “How long did it take you to complete this form, not counting interruptions?” Based on their answers, respondents took approximately 51 minutes, on average, to respond to the SSOCS survey in 2018. In preparation for SSOCS:2020, upon reviewing the SSOCS:2018 survey items and the results of prior cognitive testing, NCES decided to delete 11 of SSOCS:2018 items/subitems. Based on these updates, we estimate that the average 2020 survey response time in SSOCS:2020 will be 49 45 minutes.¹

Table 2. Estimated hourly burden for SSOCS:2020

Activity for each administration	Sample size	Expected response rate	Number of respondents*	Number of responses	Burden hours per respondent	Total burden hours
District IRB Staff Review	195	0.80	156	156	3	468
District IRB Panel Review	195*6	0.80	936	936	1	936
State Notification	51	1.0	51	51	0.05	3
District Notification	2,800	1.0	2,800	2,800	0.05	140
School Recruitment	4,800	1.0	4,800	4,800	0.1	480
SSOCS Questionnaire	4,800	0.6**	2,880	2,880	0.817 0.75	2,353 2,160
Total for SSOCS:2020 administration	-	-	8,743	11,623	-	4,380 4,187

* Details may not sum to totals because counts are unduplicated.

** This response rate is calculated based on the results of the SSOCS:2018 data collection. The web menu and incentive experiments are being conducted with the hope of increasing or at least maintaining the 2018 overall response rates.

Annualized Response Burden for SSOCS:2018 and SSOCS:2020

The annualized estimated response burden for SSOCS:2018 and SSOCS:2020 is provided in Table 3.

Table 3. Annualized estimated response burden for SSOCS:2018 and SSOCS:2020

Activity for each administration	Number of respondents	Number of responses	Total burden hours
Total for SSOCS:2018 administration	8,659	11,538	4,461
Total for SSOCS:2020 administration	8,743	11,623	4,380 4,187
Annualized Total for SSOCS:2018 and SSOCS:2020*	5,801	7,721	2,947 2,883

* The annualized total is the sum of the total SSOCS:2018 and SSOCS:2020 burden, divided by 3.

Assuming that respondents (district education administrators for district approvals and mostly principals for the data collection) earn on average $45.80² per hour, and given the 2,947 2,883 annualized total estimated burden hours, the annualized total estimated burden time cost to respondents for SSOCS:2018 and SSOCS:2020 is $134,973 $132,041.

No changes were made to Part B.

The follow updates were made to Part C-1:

1. C.4. Changes to the Questionnaire and Rationale: SSOCS: 2020 Change Request September, 2019

This is an overview of the changes that were made since the SSOCS package was approved in May.

Definitions: To improve the utility of the Definitions page, the 2-page Definitions sheet will be attached to the front page with a perforated edge to allow for the respondent to easily remove the sheet to use while completing the questionnaire. The following edits were made on the definitions sheet:

• The following words are bolded and marked by an asterisk (*) wherever they appear in the questionnaire. Please detach and use these definitions as you respond.

• The following instruction was added alongside the perforation to remind the respondent to detach the sheet in order to use while completing the survey:

Please tear off this “definitions” sheet to use while completing the survey.

• The terms “active shooter” and “alternative school” were switched to be listed in alphabetical order

• The term “restorative circle” was updated to “restorative practices” as that more accurate fits the definition

Instructions: The instructions page was moved from page 2 to page 4 to accommodate the perforated definitions sheet. The following bullet was updated to reflect the updated page numbers:

• Defined terms are bolded and marked with an asterisk (*) throughout the survey. A removable "definitions" sheet is printed on pages 3 – 4 2 and 3 to use as a reference while filling out the questionnaire.

The length of time to complete the survey was changed from 49 minutes to 45 minutes.

Additional survey information: The ordering of items in the School Characteristics and Respondent Information sections changed to better group related-items together.

Items:

Item Deletions:

For the 2018 SSOCS, it was known that some schools in sample experienced shootings and opted out of completing the survey. This knowledge suggests concerns of bias in the data and the need to rely on the collection of school shootings and homicides information from mandatory, universe collections. Therefore, items 29 (shootings) and 30 (homicides) have been removed from the 2020 SSOCS instrument. These deletions result in renumbering of items starting with item 29, as well as a change in the number of minutes to complete the survey.

Below is the full text of section C.4, from pp. 18-19.

The following section details the editorial changes, item deletions, and global formatting changes made between the SSOCS:2020 questionnaire approved in May 2019 and the updated version submitted for review in September 2019. Overall, there were minor editorial and global formatting changes, and two items were removed from the questionnaire. No new items were added.

The result is an updated instrument for the SSOCS:2020 survey administration, which is provided in appendix B.

1. Changes to Definitions

No changes to definitions were made, although one term was updated to more accurately reflect the definition. The page will be perforated to allow for the respondent to remove the page to assist with responding to items. The instruction on the Definitions sheet was updated to remind the respondent that the page can be detached, and an additional instruction was added alongside the perforation as a reminder to remove the page. The ordering of “active shooter” and “alternative school” were switched to be listed in alphabetical order.

Instruction on Definitions page: The following words are bolded and marked by an asterisk (*) wherever they appear in the questionnaire. Please detach and use these definitions as you respond.

New instruction alongside perforation: Please tear off this “definitions” sheet to use while completing the survey.

New order of terms:

Active shooter – The definition was revised to align with the current definition used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Alternative school – The definition for alternative school (previously “specialized school”) was revised to align with other NCES and Department of Education surveys and publications.

Change in term:

“Restorative circle” was updated as “restorative practices” to more accurately reflect the entire process rather than one example (i.e., “circle”) of a practice.

2. Editing Changes

Throughout the instrument, item skip pattern instructions have been updated to reflect the new numbering and item positioning throughout the questionnaire. Item numbering and minutes to complete the questionnaire have been updated to reflect item deletions.

Instructions page: the following bullet was updated to reflect the updated page numbers:

Defined terms are bolded and marked with an asterisk (*) throughout the survey. A removable "definitions" sheet is printed on pages 3 – 4 2 and 3 to use as a reference while filling out the questionnaire.

Definitions page:

Update to the instruction:

The following words are bolded and marked by an asterisk (*) wherever they appear in the questionnaire. Please detach and use these definitions as you respond.

New instruction alongside perforation:

Please tear off this “definitions” sheet to use while completing the survey.

Item 1- several subitems in this section were moved to group related subitems together

Item 4-The following update was made to say:

Student involvement in restorative circles practices (e.g., peace or conflict circles)

Item 9. The following change was made to the instructions for item 9:

Do not include security officers or other security personnel who are not sworn law enforcement in response to items 9-12 9-15; information on additional security staff is gathered in item 16.

Item 10, subitem c. The “/” was removed from the text to now say:

When school or school activities were not occurring.

Item 28. The following update was made to the instruction:

Sexual assault* and rape* are both forms of sexual misconduct. Therefore, some incidents of

staff-student behavior may be reported in response to items 23a and 23b 25a and 25b as well as item 28.

Item 31 (previously Item 33). The formatting of this item has changed since this item no longer has multiple subitems.

Previous wording: To the best of your knowledge, thinking about problems that can occur anywhere (both at your school* and away from school), how often do the following occur?

Cyberbullying* among students who attends your school

Current wording: To the best of your knowledge, thinking about problems that can occur anywhere (both at your school* and away from school), how often does cyberbullying* among students who attend your school occur?

3. Changes to School/Respondent Information

The ordering of items in the School Characteristics and Respondent Information sections was updated to better group related-items together.

4. Item Deletions and Rationale

Questionnaire Items 29 & 30. For the 2018 SSOCS, it was known that some schools in sample experienced shootings and opted out of completing the survey. This knowledge suggests concerns of bias in the data and the need to rely on the collection of school shootings and homicides information from mandatory, universe collections. Therefore, items 29 (shootings) and 30 (homicides) have been removed from the 2020 SSOCS instrument. These deletions result in renumbering of items, as well as a change in the number of minutes to complete the survey.

5. Global Changes to Formatting and Instructions

Instructions found at the bottom of pages referring the respondent to item definitions will now read “*A removable “Definitions” sheet is printed on pages 2 & 3.”

No changes were made to Part C-2.

The following updates were made to Appendix A – SSOCS 2018 & SSOCS 2020 Communication Materials

This note was deleted on p. ii of Appendix A, just before the Table of Contents:

All 2018 materials have been approved (OMB# 1850-0761 v.12-15) and all 2020 materials are newly added.

Some of the SSOCS:2020 communication materials are still being developed – their final versions will be provided to OMB as a change request in September 2019. In the currently provided SSOCS:2020 materials, all citations of findings from the 2015–16 SSOCS will be replaced with findings from the 2017-18 SSOCS and all screenshots will be replaced with the final SSOCS:2020 screenshot and provided in the September 2019 change request submission.

The final versions of contact materials for SSOCS:2020 are provided on pp. 58-106.

2020 SSOCS Brochure

The 2020 brochure was updated to reflect more current language used in other materials and to included updated information for the 2019-20 collection, as well as updated statistics using findings from the 2017-18 collection.

What topics are covered in the questionnaire?

• School policies and programs concerning crime and safety to promote a safe school environment;

What is the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS)?

The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) is a national survey of public elementary and secondary schools and is one of the nation’s primary sources of school-level data on crime and safety. Information collected by SSOCS includes the frequency of school crime and violence, disciplinary actions, and school practices related to prevention and reduction of crime. promoting a safe school environment. Conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), it has been administered six seven times since 2000 to nationally representative samples of schools and will be conducted again in the spring of the 2017-18 2019–20 school year. On average, the survey takes 53 45 minutes to complete.

Two pie charts:

73.8% 71% of schools reported violent incidents

16.4% 45% of schools reported having sworn law enforcement officers a School Resource Officer present at least once a week

2020 SSOCS Incentive Insert

The original Incentive insert that was included in the May package was an example from a different Census survey. The updated SSOCS insert has been included and has the following text:

Thank you

We greatly appreciate your help with providing information about your school’s experiences with school‐related crime and efforts to provide a safe school environment. Your responses on SSOCS will help the policy and program offices at the U.S. Department of Education design grant programs intended to address school safety, violence prevention, and school climate. We have enclosed a small token of appreciation for your participation.

2020 SSOCS Letters and Emails

SSOCS-10L:

The following paragraph was added to provide background history on SSOCS

The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) was previously conducted in the 1999–2000,

2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2015–16, and 2017–18 school years, which allows study of change over time. It collects information on the incidence, frequency, and nature of unsafe behaviors affecting students and school personnel, as well as school characteristics associated with school crime.

The following edits were made:

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education is conducting the only regular national study about crime and safety in public schools.

At least one school in your district has been selected to participate in the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS). Enclosed are materials pertaining to the survey for your reference; you do not need to take any action. Each school will receive a letter asking them to participate, a questionnaire, list of endorsements, and brochure describing the survey; copies of the following are provided for your reference. We ask that you not provide this questionnaire to any school or complete it with district information.

Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports only.

Thank you for your consideration. We hope that you will encourage the selected school(s) in your district to participate. If you have any questions about the study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau, the survey collection agency, at 1–888–595–1332 or email at [email protected]. To learn more about SSOCS, please visit http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs.

Endorsements were added to the list of Enclosures

SSOCS-11(L)

In addition to most of the same edits for SSOCS-10(L), the following edit was made:

At least one school in your state has been selected to participate in the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS). Enclosed are materials pertaining to the survey for your reference; you do not need to take any action. Each school will receive a letter asking them to participate, a questionnaire, list of endorsements, and brochure describing the survey.; copies of the following are provided for your reference.

Endorsements were added to the list of Enclosures

SSOCS-13L(W), SSOCS-13L(WE), SSOCS-13L(WI), SSOCS-13L(WIE) (same edits to the corresponding emails)

The following edits were made:

Participating in SSOCS may create apprehension of sharing school information related to crime. Please be assured that reports of the findings from the survey will not identify schools by name. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports. For more information on this process, check out regarding SSOCS, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on the back of this letter, enclosed brochure, and list of endorsers.

SSOCS-14L(W)

The following edits were made:

SSOCS is the only national study that collects information about crime and safety in public schools. Findings from the 2015–16 2017-18 survey indicated:

• A higher percentage of schools located in the suburbs and cities, reported having a formal program intended to prevent or reduce violence, than schools located in towns or rural areas. About 51 percent of schools provided diagnostic mental health assessments to evaluate students for mental health disorders and 38 percent provided treatment to students for mental health disorders.

• A higher rate of violent incidents occurred in middle schools, than high schools and primary schools. A higher percentage of schools located in towns reported at least one incident of theft at school than did schools located in cities, suburbs, and rural areas.

SSOCS-15L(WI)

The following edits were made:

We know that you are very busy and receive many survey requests. However, we urge you to take time to complete this very critically important survey. While your decision to participate is voluntary, your response is crucial to understand the state of crime and safety issues in U.S. schools. Data from previous SSOCS surveys has been provided to Congress in relation to education funding and safety priorities. Access to this data greatly enhances capacity for good decision making. Schools will not be identified by name in any reports.

SSOCS-16L

The following edits were made:

Over the past two months, we have contacted you to ask for your participation in the 2020 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS). If you have already returned the completed questionnaire, thank you for your participation, and please disregard this letter. If you have not yet had the opportunity to complete the questionnaire, I encourage you to complete the enclosed questionnaire as soon as possible. Please understand, we would not keep asking if your participation was not critical to producing high-quality results. Data from SSOCS can have an impact on government priorities and practices. We want to ensure the needs of your students have a voice in those discussions.

SSOCS-18L(D)

The following edits were made:

SSOCS is the only nationally representative survey that collects data on crime and safety from a principal’s perspective, so we appreciate your approval of our application to conduct research within your district. So far this school year Overall, we were able to gather data from over <insert number> schools. Your approval was crucial in helping us achieve this success.

1^st Reminder Email to principals

The following edits were made:

We need your help completing the 2020 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), to gather statistics on the prevalence of programs and practices implemented to provide a safe school environment. Findings from the 2015-16 2017-18 SSOCS indicated that 66 89 percent of all public schools reported having a program activities for students focused on that included social emotional learning. We know social emotional learning is an important aspect of providing a safe environment in schools, therefore it is imperative to continue to collect updated information on this topic, as well as other similar topics.

If you have any general questions about the study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau, the survey collection agency, at 1–888–595–1332 or via e-mail at [email protected]. To learn more about SSOCS, visit http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs.

2^nd Reminder Email to principals

The following edits were made:

If you have any general questions about the study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau, the survey collection agency, at 1–888–595–1332 or via e-mail at [email protected]. To learn more about SSOCS, visit http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs.

3^rd Reminder Email to principals

The following edits were made:

There is still time for your school to participate in the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), the only national recurring survey on the frequency of crime and violence in public schools and the programs and practices developed to provide a safe school environment. If you have already completed and returned your questionnaire, thank you! If not, in order for your school to be included in this study, which is used by policy makers, school districts, and the media to understand current issues in school safety, it is critical that you respond now by clicking on the link below.

Did you know that during the 2015-16 2017–18 school year, a lack of or inadequate alternative placements or programs for disruptive students and inadequate funds were reported as a major way of limiting schools’ efforts to reduce or prevent crime?

If you have any general questions about the study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau, the survey collection agency, at 1–888–595–1332 or via e-mail at [email protected]. To learn more about SSOCS, visit http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs.

4^th Reminder Email to principals

The following edits were made:

If you have any general questions about the study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau, the survey collection agency, at 1–888–595–1332 or via e-mail at [email protected]. To learn more about SSOCS, visit http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs.

5^th Reminder Email to principals

The following edits were made:

SSOCS is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education and collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. If you have any general questions about the study or if you wish to complete the survey with assistance, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1–888–595–1332 or via e-mail at [email protected]. To learn more about SSOCS, visit http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs.

FAQ edits

What happens if a school refuses to participate?

All participation is voluntary. There are no penalties for not participating in the study. However, each school in the SSOCS sample was selected to represent schools with similar characteristics. When a school refuses to participate, we’re unable to replace that school. This means we’ll have fewer responses which will result in less precision in our estimates and the potential to not be able to report out estimates for schools like yours. When completing the questionnaire, respondents can skip any question they do not want to answer. If you are hesitant to be a part of the study, please reach out to SSOCS 2020 staff at 1–888–595–1332 or via e-mail at [email protected] to address any concerns you may have.

How will the names of participants and their responses be kept confidential?

Under law, all of the information provided by schools 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). All staff working on the study have signed an Affidavit of Nondisclosure where they swear to abide by this law. Employees, including temporary employees, or other persons who have sworn to observe the limitations imposed by this law, who knowingly publish or communicate any individually identifiable information will be subject to fines of up to $250,000, or up to 5 years in prison, or both (Class E felony).

That sounds like governmentese. What are you really telling me?

By law, we can only use your responses for reporting crime and safety information at an aggregate level, which means we’re combining your information with those from other participating schools to produce summary statistics and reports. All staff working on the project have sworn to abide by the law to not disclose of any information provided by participants in the study. Check out the 2018 SSOCS First Look Report to see how the estimates are displayed at https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019061.pdf.

The letter says this is a U.S. Department of Education survey. Who is NCES and why is the Census Bureau involved?

We understand this is confusing. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the United States. NCES is located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences. NCES fulfills a Congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally. While NCES conducts the surveys, we partner with the U.S. Census Bureau to fulfill the data collection operations. This is why you see mailing labels, email addresses, and contact information from the with Census Bureau information.

2020 Web Instrument

Updated screenshots of the SSOCS:20 instrument can be found in Appendix A. Text changes have been made to the following screens:

Welcome Login Page:

Welcome to the 2019-20 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) Questionnaire Respondent Portal

Enter the 8-digit User ID found on the provided in the e-mail and letter that we sent mailed to you.

User ID:

<I’m not a robot reCAPTCHA> checkbox

<Login> button

Email us: [email protected]

Call us: 1-888-595-1332

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).

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 1850-0761. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 49 45 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: School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Potomac Center Plaza, 550 12^th Street SW, #4036, Washington, DC 20202.

U.S. Census Bureau Notice and Consent Warning: You have are accessed accessing a United States Government computer network. Any information you enter into this system is confidential. It may be used by the Census Bureau for statistical purposes and to improve the website.

Use of this system indicates consent to the collection, monitoring, recording, and use of the information that you provided for any lawful government purpose. inside this system. So that our website remains safe and available for its intended use, network traffic is monitored to identify unauthorized attempts to access, upload, change information, or otherwise cause damage to the web service. Use of this government computer network for unauthorized purposes without authorization or for purposes for which authorization has not been extended is a violation of Federal law and can be punished with fines or imprisonment (PUBLIC LAW 99-474). System usage may be monitored, recorded, and subject to audit. Any information you enter into this system may be used by the Census Bureau for statistical purposes, including but not limited to improving the efficiency of our data collection programs.

OMB NO: 1850-0761

OMB Expiration Date: 05/31/2022

PIN & Security Question:

Please make note of the 4-digit PIN below.

This PIN is required to log back into the SSOCS Portal after the session times out or you wish to access the SSOCS Portal at a later date. It will allow you to log back into the survey if the session times out or you need to stop and come back later. This survey will take approximately 49 minutes to complete.

PIN:

Please select a security question to answer. If you forget your PIN, you will be asked to provide this answer to re-enter the survey.

Security Question:

Answer:

For your security, we will not be able to reset the PIN if lost or forgotten.

Please note: sessions will expire (requiring you to log back in) after 15 minutes of inactivity. No data will be lost.

Next button

PIN Reset:

Please provide the answer to the following verification security question to reset your PIN for the NTPS Portal School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS).

What color was your first car is your paternal grandfather’s first name?

Response Answer:

Return to Login button Submit button

Please call XXX-XXX-XXXX if you do not know your verification question response.

New PIN:

Your new PIN is:

Please log in using your new PIN to access your account.

Return to Login button

Welcome page for returning users:

This page is essentially the same as the Welcome Login Page, but has both the 8-digit User ID and the 4-digit PIN for the user to enter.

Welcome to the 2019-20 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) Respondent Portal

Enter the 8-digit User ID provided in the e-mail and letter that we sent you.

Enter the 4-digit PIN we gave you when you first logged in.

User ID:

PIN: (Returning users only)

Forgot PIN? (hyperlink)

Login button

E-mail us: [email protected]

Call us: 1-888-595-1332

Same ESRA, PRA, and Census Bureau Warning language as the Welcome page.

Thank you page:

Thank you very much for your participation in the 2019-20 School Survey on Crime and Safety.

Your answers have been submitted to the U.S. Census Bureau. If you have any questions or would like to change a response, please contact us, toll-free, at 1-888-595-1332 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Exit Survey Case button

PDF icon

If you would like a copy of your responses for your records, please click the PDF icon above.

This copy is for your records only.

To learn more about this survey and to access reports from earlier collections, see the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) website at https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs

Additional data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) on a variety of topics in elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and international education are available from the NCES website at https://nces.ed.gov

For additional data collected by various Federal agencies, including the Department of Education, visit the Federal Statistics clearinghouse at https://fedstats.sites.usa.gov

The letters PDF or the {PDF icon} icon indicate a document is in the Portable Document Format (PDF). To view the file you will need the Adobe® Reader, which is available for free from the Adobe web site.”

Instructions tab (pop out): The following changes have been made to the bulleted instructions:

• Please have this questionnaire filled out by the person most knowledgeable about school crime and policies to provide a safe environment. Please complete and submit the survey within two weeks.

• Some questions refer to the 2019-20 school year. Please report for the school year to date.

• For most questions, please select the answer choice that best reflects your school’s circumstances.

• Definitions are available for many terms. Defined terms are in blue throughout the survey. Definitions for these terms can be accessed by clicking directly on these words within survey items or by visiting the “Definitions” page.

• Some questions ask for counts or percents of items. Please select the “None” box, rather than leaving the item blank, if the number of such items at your school is zero.

• Please use the ‘Previous’ and ‘Next’ buttons at the bottom of each page to navigate through the survey, rather than your browser’s back button.

• Each time you complete a page, your answers are saved.

• If you do not have the time to dedicate to the entire survey now, you may complete what you are able to and log out by clicking the “Save and Continue Later” button in the upper right hand side of the menu bar. Your responses for all prior items will be saved but your response for the current item will not be saved. and When you re-enter the survey, you will be taken to the question where you left off.

• Sessions will expire (requiring you to log back in) after 15 minutes of inactivity.

• Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and a list of survey endorsers are available on the green blue menu bar at the top of the page.

• Clicking on the Instructions, FAQs, Definitions, Endorsers, and Contact Us pages will open a new window.

Endorsers tab (pop out): Endorsement work is still in progress so this page hasn’t been updated; however there are no plans for changes to the text.

FAQ tab (pop out): An updated screenshot has been provided but there are no changes to the text.

Definitions Tab (pop out): No changes made. This will include terms and definitions that will be identical to the Definitions page on the paper version of the questionnaire (Appendix B).

Item: Accessibility Screen (hyperlink): No changes to the text

Item: Security Screen (hyperlink): No changes to the text

The following updates were made to Appendix B:

The summary of these changes can be seen in Part C.4, and above in this change memo beginning on p. 3. The minor changes are sufficiently detailed in the above locations, but more complex changes are detailed below.

Subitems were reordered in Item 1.

1. During the 2019–20 school year, was it a practice of your school to do the following?

   • If your school changed its practices during the school year, please answer regarding your most recent practice.

   • Check "Yes" or "No" on each line.

a. Require visitors to sign or check in and wear badges

b. Control access to school buildings during school hours (e.g., locked or monitored doors, loading docks)

c. Control access to school grounds during school hours (e.g., locked or monitored gates)

f. d. Equip classrooms with locks so that doors can be locked from the inside

g. e. Close the campus for most or all students during lunch

l. f. Provide school lockers to students

n. g. Have “panic button(s)” or silent alarm(s) that directly connect to law enforcement in the event of an incident

o. h. Provide an electronic notification system that automatically notifies parents in case of a school-wide emergency

r. i. Require faculty and staff to wear badges or picture IDs

s. j. Use one or more security cameras to monitor the school

t. k. Provide two-way radios to any staff

d. l.Require metal detector checks on students every day

e. m. Perform one or more random metal detector checks on students

h. n. Perform one or more random sweeps (e.g., locker checks, dog sniffs) for contraband (e.g., drugs or weapons*)

i. o. Require drug testing for students participating in athletics or other extracurricular activities

j. p. Require students to wear uniforms

k. q. Enforce a strict dress code

m. r. Require clear book bags or ban book bags on school grounds

p. s. Provide a structured anonymous threat reporting system (e.g., online submission, telephone hotline, or written submission via drop box)

^{q. t. Require students to wear badges or picture IDs}

u. Prohibit non-academic use of cell phones or smartphones during ^{school hours}

The two items deleted from the SSOCS 2020 Questionnaire are listed in full below.

29. During the 2019–20 school year, have any of your school’s students, faculty, or staff died as a result of a homicide committed at your school*?

1 Yes

2 No

30. During the 2019–20 school year, has there been at least one incident at your school* that involved a shooting (regardless of whether anyone was hurt)? Please include those incidents that occurred at school*, regardless of whether a student or nonstudent used the firearm*.

1 Yes

2. No

The school characteristics items were reordered as described below.

43. 35. Which of the following best describes your school?

Regular public school

Charter school

Has a magnet program for part of the school

Exclusively a magnet school

Other – Please specify:

Unnumbered 36. Which of the following grades are offered in this school?

Check all that apply.

Prekindergarten	4th	9th
Kindergarten	5th	10th
1st	6th	11th
2nd	7th	12th
3rd	8th	Ungraded

Unnumbered 37. Please provide the following dates:

a. Start date for your 2019–20 school year

b. End date for your 2019–20 school year

37. 38. As of October 1, 2019, what was your school’s total enrollment?

45. 39. During the 2019–20 school year, how many students transferred to or from your school after the start of the school year? Please report on the total mobility, not just transfers due to disciplinary actions. (NOTE: This number should be greater than or equal to the number of students who were transferred for disciplinary reasons, as reported in item 34b.)

If a student transferred more than once in the school year, count each transfer separately.

Transferred to the school

Transferred from the school

44. 40. What percentage of your school’s total enrollment is present on an average day?

40. 41. How many classroom changes do most students make in a typical day?

Count going to lunch and then returning to the same or a different classroom as two classroom changes. Do not count morning arrival or afternoon departure.

38. 42. What percentage of your current students fit the following criteria?

a. Eligible for free or reduced-price lunch

b. English language learner (ELL)

c. Children with disabilities (CWD)*

d. Male

39. 43. What is your best estimate of the percentage of your current students who meet the following criteria?

a. Below the 15th percentile on standardized tests

b. Likely to go to college after high school

c. Consider academic achievement to be very important

41. 44. How would you describe the crime level in the area(s) in which your students live?

High level of crime

Moderate level of crime

Low level of crime

Students come from areas with very different levels of crime

42. 45. How would you describe the crime level in the area where your school is located?

High level of crime

Moderate level of crime

Low level of crime

1

2 The source of this estimate is the mean hourly rate of Education Administrators (data type: SOC:119030) on the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics website, http://data.bls.gov/oes/, accessed on February 25, 2019.

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