Change Memo

Memorandum United States Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

National Center for Education Statistics

DATE: January 8, 2021

TO: Robert Sivinski, OMB

THROUGH: Carrie Clarady, NCES

FROM: Maura Spiegelman, NCES

SUBJECT: 2020-21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS 2020-21) Email and Incentive Restructure Change Request (OMB# 1850-0598 v.38)

The National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), conducted every two to three years by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), is a system of related questionnaires that provides descriptive data on the context of elementary and secondary education. Redesigned from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) with a focus on flexibility, timeliness, and integration with other ED data, the NTPS system allows for school, principal, and teacher characteristics to be analyzed in relation to one another. NTPS is an in-depth, nationally representative survey of first through twelfth grade public and private school teachers, principals, and schools. Kindergarten teachers in schools with at least a first grade are also surveyed. NTPS utilizes core content and a series of rotating modules to allow timely collection of important education trends as well as trend analysis. Topics covered include characteristics of teachers, principals, schools, teacher training opportunities, retention, retirement, hiring, and shortages.

The NTPS 2019-20 preliminary activities were approved in July 2019, with a change request approved in November 2019 (OMB# 1850-0598 v.26-27). OMB approved the main study for 2020-21 in March 2020 (OMB# 1850-0598 v.28-30). In December 2019, NCES received OMB approval (OMB#1850-0803 v. 259) for cognitive interviews to test new and revised items about virtual schools and online course offerings in the NTPS School Questionnaire. Questions about virtual schools and online course offerings were revised, based on the results of this cognitive testing. This testing occurred in the winter and spring of 2020. During the end of this testing window, in March 2020, it became clear that questions needed to distinguish between typical practices (the intent of these questions) and changes implemented by schools due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Questions on virtual schools and online course offerings were added to all NTPS questionnaires (OMB# 1850-0598 v.31-33), and references to the coronavirus pandemic were added to correspondence with sampled schools and principals (OMB# 1850-0598 v.34-35). Some additional e-mails to respondents were further added (OMB# 1850-0598 v.36-37) as response rates indicated that sending e-mails primarily in conjunction with mailed materials were not sufficient to reach respondents.

NTPS is facing operational challenges in meeting our planned mailout schedule. While the National Processing Center is operational and working on our mailings, limited staff are available to work on the NTPS and other staff cannot be easily reassigned due to “podding” teams. Nearly all scheduled mailings have been delayed, and we expect this problem to compound as additional teachers as sampled. It is critical that our communications reach our respondents through the most accessible medium – e-mail – and in a manner that allows them to provide responses through our online questionnaires before the end of the school year.

These delays are further complicated by approved monetary and nonmonetary incentives. For monetary incentives, staff can only insert cash into mailings on one day per week due to security around handling cash and as safety precautions for the coronavirus pandemic. The external vendor contracted to complete the order for nonmonetary incentives (education themed tote bags) has temporarily closed due to an outbreak before fulfilling the entire order. Further, we believe our planned experiments will not provide informative results, as many teachers are not physically present in their school buildings to receive incentives as they are deciding whether to complete the questionnaire. To date, teacher mailings have followed the approved experimental plan, but packages containing either monetary or nonmonetary incentives have been significantly delayed. These delays are not sustainable, given that the same staff prepare materials for all NTPS mailings (initial and follow-up contacts to schools, and initial and follow-up contacts to teachers as teachers are sampled on a rolling basis). Our largest wave of teachers is scheduled to be contacted by mail at the end of January. It is not feasible to meet that date under the current incentive plan, and such a delay would cause further delays for later mailings, including initial contact with not-yet-sampled teachers and reminders to teachers who have previously been contacted.

As a result, our plan of prepaid incentives sent in mail packages must be restructured to adapt to the present circumstances. For teachers who have already been contacted by mail (and received a monetary incentive, nonmonetary incentive, or been part of the non-incentive control group), there will be no change. For teachers who have not yet been contacted, we plan to restructure our prepaid monetary and nonmonetary incentives into promised monetary incentives and forgo assignments to treatment groups. That is, all teachers who have not yet been contacted will be eligible to receive a promised incentive, and their contact materials will be modified accordingly. Distribution of promised incentives will not be tied to a specific date. Instead, promised incentives will be sent between scheduled followup mailings (which are particularly critical for principals and teachers for whom we do not have valid e-mail addresses).

All in-person follow-up operations will now occur by phone rather than with a mixture of phone and in-person followup, and materials may be mailed using a different carrier than previously planned (USPS, FedEX, or UPS) as delays and capacity continue to vary by carrier.

All changes in the attached materials are shown in full in the pages to follow. Black font demarks the text that remains unchanged from the last approved package, while text in red font shows the revisions that were made. This requested change does not affect the approved total cost to the federal government for conducting this study nor the estimated respondent burden.

Modifications to Part B

B.2.2 School-level Data Collection Procedures (Part B, p.11)

The method of the mailout of this initial package will depend on whether the school has acceptable vendor data available, in combination with the priority status of the school. For all schools WITHOUT vendor data or if they are a priority school, their initial package will be mailed via FedEX. For the remaining schools WITH vendor data, the initial package will be mailed via USPS.

B.2.2.1 Schools without Vendor Data Available (Part B, p.11)

Schools for which the personal visit telephone follow-up is unsuccessful will receive a third reminder package in early January. This package will be mailed to the principal at the school address and will include a reminder letter, paper versions of the TLF, principal and/or school questionnaire(s), and postage-paid addressed return envelopes. Principal and survey coordinator email addresses will be used as means of reminding nonresponding schools to complete their questionnaires.

B.2.2.2 Schools with Vendor Data Available.

Beginning in early December, schools that have not yet completed their TLF will be sent to a telephone reminder operation aimed at reminding the survey coordinator or school principal to complete their TLF and other outstanding school-level questionnaire(s). In early January, schools that have not provided or verified their TLF will have their teachers sampled from the vendor provided list of teachers. Beginning in late January, schools that have not yet completed their school and/or principal questionnaires will be sent to a telephone reminder operation aimed at reminding the survey coordinator or school principal to complete their questionnaires. If outstanding school-level forms remain after the telephone reminder operation, one more attempt by mail (fourth and final school package), email, and telephone, and personal visit will be made to remind the school to complete their outstanding questionnaire(s).

Exhibit 1: 2020-21 National Teacher and Principal Survey – School-Level Data Collection Operation

DELETED:

REPLACED BY:

B.2.3 Teacher Data Collection (Part B, p.15-16)

Teachers will be sampled weekly from completed or verified TLFs throughout data collection.

The teacher data collection strategy for early sampled teachers versus teachers sampled later in data collection varies slightly due to changes necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on mail turnaround and the operational status of school and their staff. During the fall of 2020, adjustments were made to the teacher data collection plan to increase the use of teacher email addresses, rely less on mailed correspondence to teachers, and mail materials directly to sampled teachers rather than flow them through the school’s survey coordinator (where applicable).

For the earlier waves of teachers (teachers sampled through mid-December 2020), as teachers are sampled, they will be are mailed an initial teacher package containing a letter that introduces the survey and provides the login information to complete their survey online. Around the same time, teachers for whom an email address is available will also be sent an email including the hyperlink and User ID to complete their teacher questionnaire online. If the school has a survey coordinator established, the individually-sealed teacher packages will be sent to the survey coordinator, at the school address, with a cover letter.

Each teacher sampled in earlier waves will receive as many as three mailed reminder packages to complete their Teacher Questionnaire, each of which will include a letter and a paper questionnaire and will be addressed directly to the sampled teachers at the school address, regardless of whether the school has a survey coordinator established. Teachers with a valid email address will be sent an emails containing the hyperlink to the online Teacher Questionnaire and their User ID throughout data collection, for a maximum of 12 possible emails throughout teacher data collection.

For the later waves of sampled teachers (teachers sampled in late December and beyond), as teachers are sampled, they will be sent correspondence that introduces the survey and provides the login information necessary to complete their survey online. Teachers for whom an email address is available will be sent this information via email, where the email includes the hyperlink and User ID to complete their teacher questionnaire online. If a teacher’s email address is not available, the information will be included in a letter mailed directly to the teacher at the school’s address.

Each teacher sampled in later waves will receive as many as three mailed reminder packages to complete their Teacher Questionnaire, each of which will include a letter and a paper questionnaire and will be addressed directly to the sampled teachers at the school address, regardless of whether the school has a survey coordinator established. Teachers with a valid email address will be sent an emails containing the hyperlink to the online Teacher Questionnaire and their User ID throughout data collection, for a maximum of 12 possible emails throughout teacher data collection.

If the school does not have a survey coordinator established, the teacher packages will be mailed individually to the sampled teachers at the school address in most cases. Exceptions may be made to this for late sampled teachers whose materials may be mailed directly to their school’s principal to distribute.

If the school’s teachers were sampled from a vendor or clerical list (where the school did not complete or verify a TLF), materials for the sampled teachers to complete their teacher questionnaires will be mailed directly to the teachers at their school address regardless of whether a survey coordinator was established. Exceptions may be made to this for late sampled teachers whose materials may be mailed directly to their school’s survey coordinator (when there is one established) or the principal to distribute.

Teachers with a valid email address will be sent an emails containing the hyperlink to the online Teacher Questionnaire and their User ID throughout data collection, for a maximum of 12 possible emails throughout teacher data collection. about one week after their initial mailout.

Each sampled teacher will receive as many as three reminder packages to complete their outstanding Teacher Questionnaire. Each teacher mailing will be accompanied by an email to the teacher about a week after the mailing. The first reminder letter will contain the login information for the Teacher Questionnaire (URL and User ID) and will be sent to the survey coordinator (if applicable). The second and third reminder packages will include a letter and a paper questionnaire and will be addressed directly to the sampled teachers at the school address, regardless of whether the school has a survey coordinator established.

A contingency plan will be included in the NTPS 2020-21 and will be executed in the fourth teacher mailing as needed based on monitoring data collection status. The contingency incentive will be administered across the board for teachers in the agreed upon at-risk domains rather than experimentally, since an experiment was conducted during the NTPS 2017-18.

At the time the contingency incentive is activated, some teachers at the school will have already responded to NTPS. These teachers will be provided a letter thanking them for their participation in the NTPS, along with a contingency “thank you” incentive. The sampled non-responding teachers will receive a letter requesting their participation in the NTPS via a paper questionnaire and return envelope, along with a contingency incentive. All teachers will receive the same cash amount at the time of the contingency plan inclusion.

Both monetary (cash) and non-monetary contingency incentives will be offered to teachers. Specifically, teachers who received either the non-monetary incentive (tote) or no incentive in the first mailing will receive a monetary (cash) incentive as their contingency incentive. Teachers who received a monetary (cash) incentive in the initial teacher mailing will receive a non-monetary contingency incentive (tote).

Beginning in late January 2021, telephone interviewers will contact survey coordinators to ask them to remind their schools’ sampled teachers to complete their questionnaires. Telephone interviewers and/or Field Representatives will contact nonresponding teachers directly by phone or during an in-person visit from late February through May 2021.

B.3.2.2 School-level Data Collection Procedures (Part B, p.25-26)

8. Use of additional reminder emails to teachers. Previous NTPS cycles showed that response rates for late-sample wave teachers in NTPS appeared to be lower than for earlier waves of teachers. This may have been a product of the timing of school testing and late-school year activities because late-sample wave teachers received an invitation to complete the survey during a period with a heavy school workload. It may also have been because the late sampled teachers were in schools that were either late responders to the TLF or TLF non-respondents (in instances where teachers were sampled from a teacher roster obtained from clerical research or the vendor data) and therefore may have had less support and encouragement from their principals and/or survey coordinators to complete their questionnaires. Given that additional reminder emails carry low cost and may help response rates, a total of 12 5 possible reminder emails will be sent to nonresponding teachers during throughout NTPS 2020-21 data collection. These emails will be sent approximately every ten days throughout teacher data collection. There will be one email that coincides with each of the 4 teacher mailings and one final email after the fourth and final teacher mailing.

10. Telephone and field follow-up operations for late-sampled teachers. NTPS 2017-18 included two additional follow-up operations aimed at collecting completed questionnaires from nonresponding teachers sampled in the later data collection waves (17-20). In previous NTPS and SASS cycles, late-sampled teachers were not eligible for inclusion in telephone follow-up and/or field follow-up operations. During the phase 2 telephone follow-up operation for the NTPS 2017-18, telephone center staff made telephone calls to late-sampled teachers to remind them to complete their questionnaire and, whenever possible, collect the interview over the phone. During the phase 4 field operation, Field Representatives made personal visits to the schools to drop off the paper form(s) and schedule a time to pick up the completed forms. Additionally, both of these operations targeted domains with publishability risks (e.g. teachers in city and charter schools). The NTPS 2020-21 includes a planned Phase 2 Telephone Follow-up Operation for which most late sampled teachers will be eligible. and a The originally planned Phase 2 Field Follow-up Operation was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic to ensure that all sampled teachers receive non-response follow-up by at least telephone or Field (or possibly both).

11. Consider new methods of minimizing nonresponse. NCES is considering a number of additional methods to minimize nonresponse in NTPS 2020-21, including the continued use of incentives. Previously, monetary (prepaid cash) incentives were the main forms of incentives used to minimize nonresponse. The results of NTPS 2017-18 indicated that the teacher incentive significantly increased the final response rates for both public and private school teacher questionnaires. Due to these favorable results, the NTPS 2020-21 will include the use of incentives, once again, with the goal of maximizing overall teacher response. Two types of incentives will be offered to teachers in an experimental manner – a monetary incentive (prepaid cash) and a non-monetary incentive. Teachers in the experimental treatment will receive a branded canvas tote bag at the first contact by mail. This treatment will be evaluated against the control group, which will receive a prepaid cash monetary incentive, as was done in NTPS 2017-18.

For NTPS 2020-21, non-monetary incentives at the school level are being include for a small subsample of schools as a tool to encourage participation and further increase response rates. Further information about incentives are provided below in section B.4.2.

B.4.2.2 Testing at the Teacher-level (Part B, p.35-39)

Further testing the use of teacher incentives and testing the envelope packaging for teacher invitation letters (1T).

The planned testing of teacher incentives and envelope packaging described above was altered mid-data collection, as the coronavirus pandemic presented challenges and made the plan operationally infeasible. The plan outlined above was implemented for early waves of teachers (teachers sampled through mid-December 2020). Teachers sampled in late-December and beyond were instead offered a promised cash incentive to be mailed directly to the responding teacher later in the school year.

The planned testing of tailored contact materials at the teacher level was cancelled prior to the implementation of the test in production data collection, as the coronavirus pandemic presented challenges and made the plan operationally infeasible.

Modifications to the Contact Materials (Appendix A)

Revised Initial Teacher Mailout Letter (Appendix A, p.92)

<Teacher Name>

<School Name>

<School Street Address>

<School City, State, ZIP Code>

Dear <Teacher Name>,

The National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau are dedicated to providing policymakers and researchers with the most comprehensive data available on our country’s schools and teachers. To accomplish this, we need your help. You’ve been selected to complete the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) Teacher Questionnaire for your school. This is your opportunity to tell policymakers about your experiences and express your opinions as a teacher in your school.

We know the pressures of COVID-19 have placed additional strain on schools and teachers, and we understand that you may be facing challenges in adjusting your instruction to deliver meaningful learning experiences to students. We would not add to this if the NTPS were not a critical source of information for a number of policy issues, including the response to pandemics. As such, we have added questions to address how COVID-19 impacted your teaching during the beginning of the pandemic. The success of this national survey depends on your participation. Only a small percentage of schools and teachers are selected to participate, so your voice will also represent the voices of your colleagues. We cannot substitute another teacher for you. [PI: As a token of our appreciation for completing the Teacher Questionnaire, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

Your responses to the survey questions will not be shared with your school administration.

The Department of Education, state and local education agencies, and researchers use the NTPS data to understand the professional background, teaching field, workload, and working conditions of teachers in the United States. In addition, the reports produced allow you to compare your experiences as a teacher, including your salary, workload, and attitudes toward teaching, with other [<teachers nationally and in your state>//<private school teachers>].

Thank you in advance for responding to this important survey.

Sincerely,

James L. Woodworth, Ph.D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

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). 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). Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Revised Initial Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 1) (Appendix A, p.94)

Subject: National Teacher and Principal Survey for the National Center for Education Statistics

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

The National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau are dedicated to providing policymakers and researchers with the most comprehensive data available on our country’s schools and teachers. To accomplish this, we need your help. We are inviting you to participate in the 2020-21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) by completing the Teacher Questionnaire online. [PI: We will mail you $X later this school year as a token of our appreciation for your completion of this important survey.]

This is your opportunity to tell policymakers about your experiences and express your opinions as a teacher in your school. We are aware of the strain COVID-19 has put on schools and teachers, and we understand that you may be facing challenges in adjusting your instruction to deliver meaningful learning experiences to students. As such, we have added questions to address how COVID-19 impacted your teaching during the beginning of the pandemic. The success of this national survey depends on your participation. Only a small percentage of schools and teachers are selected to participate. We cannot substitute another teacher for you. Your responses to the survey questions will not be shared with your school administration.

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Thank you in advance for responding to this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

NCES 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). Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Revised Initial Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 2) (Appendix A, p.97)

Subject: Let the U.S. Department of Education know what you think: Take our survey today

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We recently requested your participation in the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) by completing the Teacher Questionnaire online. Only a few <school type: public, private, charter> <level> teachers are asked to share their experiences by completing the NTPS. Your response is important because it ensures that teachers like you are heard by Congress, the Department of Education, State Education agencies, and others who will use the data to inform funding and other education sector decisions. Your response, combined with other teachers, will provide a historical record of how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted teaching.

Please complete the Teacher Questionnaire online this week.

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

As a reminder, we are strictly prohibited from sharing any of your responses to the survey questions with any of your school administration.

Thank you for your prompt response.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

Revised Second Teacher Mailout Letter (Appendix A, p.102)

<Date>

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We recently sent you an invitation to complete the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) Teacher Questionnaire online. Your participation is important to obtain an accurate view of the characteristics and opinions of teachers in K–12 schools across the United States. The NTPS and its predecessor, the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), have been informing policymakers and researchers on the condition of education since the 1980s. We need your help to continue to provide relevant and reliable data to Congress, the Department of Education, state and local education agencies, and you!

If you have recently responded, thank you. If you have not yet done so, please complete the Teacher Questionnaire online as soon as possible by following the login instructions below. You will be able to save your answers and return to complete the survey later if you get interrupted while responding. [PI: As a reminder, we will mail you $X later this school year as a token of our appreciation for completing this important survey.]

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

Log in using this User ID: <USERID>

Log in using this User ID: <USERID>

We are strictly prohibited from sharing any of your responses to the survey questions with any of your school administration. If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-888-595-1338 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you for your prompt response.

Sincerely,

James L. Woodworth, Ph.D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

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). 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). Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Revised Second Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 3) (Appendix A, p.104)

Subject: Please complete your teacher survey

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

Your participation in the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) is important to obtain an accurate view of the characteristics and opinions of teachers in K–12 schools across the United States. The NTPS and its predecessor, the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), have been informing policymakers and researchers on the condition of education since the 1980s. We need your help to continue to provide relevant and reliable data to Congress, the Department of Education, state and local education agencies, and you!

If you have recently responded to the Teacher Questionnaire, thank you. If you have not yet done so, please complete it online as soon as possible. [PI: Later this school year, we will mail you $X as a token of our appreciation for completing this survey and participating in the 2020-21 NTPS.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

You will be able to save your answers and return to complete the survey later if you get interrupted while responding. As a reminder, we are strictly prohibited from sharing any of your responses to the survey questions with any of your school administration.

Thank you for your prompt response.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

Revised Reminder Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 4) (Appendix A, p.107)

Subject: Reminder: Help the U.S. Department of Education document history

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We are contacting you to remind you to complete the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) Teacher Questionnaire online as soon as possible.

We acknowledge that this year has been particularly difficult for school staff, teachers, and students, but this makes your experience all the more important to share. You are an important part of teaching history. If teachers like you do not participate in NTPS, the data will provide an incomplete and possibly inaccurate picture of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on school communities, potentially affecting funding and other important education policy decisions. [PI: As a token of our appreciation for completing the Teacher Questionnaire, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Thank you for your prompt response.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

Revised Third Teacher Mailout Letter (New First Teacher Mailout Letter- Paper and Web) (Appendix A, p.110)

<Date>

Dear <Teacher Name>,

A few weeks ago, we sent you a reminder to complete the Teacher Questionnaire online for the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), a nationwide survey of elementary and secondary schools and the teachers and principals who staff them. We need your help to continue to provide an accurate view of teachers in schools across the country. Policymakers 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! Only a small percentage of teachers are selected to participate, so your voice will also represent the voices of your colleagues.

According to our records, you have not yet completed the survey. If you have recently completed the survey online, thank you. If not, please complete the survey online using the login information provided below, or complete the enclosed paper questionnaire and return it to us in the postage-paid envelope as soon as possible. [PI: To thank you for your participation and completing this important survey, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

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

Log in using this User ID: <USERID>

Log in using this User ID: <USERID>

Please be assured that your responses to the survey will not be shared with anyone at your school.

Do you want to see the results of the survey? Follow us on Twitter @EdNCES or subscribe to our e-mail alerts at https://ies.ed.gov/newsflash/ to be kept up to date on data releases from the NTPS and other educational surveys.

You can find additional information about the NTPS at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps. 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 for your contribution to this important survey.

Sincerely,

James L. Woodworth, Ph.D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

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). 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). Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Reminder Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 5) (Appendix A, p.112)

Subject: Please help us produce representative data for teachers in schools like yours

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We recently mailed you the Teacher Questionnaire for the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). We wanted to take an opportunity to share selected findings from previous surveys:

• On average, regular full-time teachers in <ST_TYPE> schools earned a base teaching salary of $<SALARY1> for the 2017–18 school year.

• On average, <PERCENT1> percent of regular full-time teachers in <ST_TYPE> schools held a job outside the school system during the school year, earning an average of $<SALARY2>.

We need your help to produce representative data for <ST_TYPE> school teachers this year. Policymakers 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!

If you have recently completed the survey, thank you. If not, please complete the survey online as soon as possible, or complete the questionnaire we mailed to you and return it to us in the postage-paid envelope. [PI: As a token of our appreciation for completing this important survey, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USERID>

Please be assured that your responses to the survey will not be shared with anyone at your school.

Thank you for your contribution to this survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

Revised Fourth Teacher Mailout Letter (New Second Teacher Mailout Letter- Paper Only) (Appendix A, p.117)

<Date>

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We have been contacting you throughout the school year to ask you to share your experiences as an educator by completing our Teacher Questionnaire for the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). By completing the survey, you will join other teachers to have your voices heard. With your help, this survey can provide an accurate view of teachers across the country.

If you have recently completed the questionnaire, thank you very much. If you have not had time to respond yet, please complete the enclosed questionnaire as soon as possible and return it to us in the postage-paid envelope. [PI: As a token of our appreciation for completing the Teacher Questionnaire, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

Please be assured that we are prohibited from sharing your responses to any survey questions with your school administration. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-888-595-1338 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

James L. Woodworth, Ph.D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

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). 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). Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Reminder Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 6) (Appendix A, p.119)

Subject: Let your voice be heard

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

Over the past few months, we have asked you to share your experiences as an educator by completing the Teacher Questionnaire for the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). Most recently, we mailed a paper Teacher Questionnaire to you at your school address.

By completing the survey, you will join other teachers to have your voices heard. With your help, this survey can provide an accurate view of teachers across the country.

If you have recently completed the survey, thank you very much. If not, please complete the survey online using the login information provided below. Alternatively, if you have received a paper questionnaire at your school address, you may complete and return it using the postage-paid envelope. [PI: To thank you for your completion of this important survey, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USERID>

Please be assured that we are prohibited from sharing your responses to any survey questions with your school administration.

Thank you in advance for responding to this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

New Third Teacher Mailout Letter- Paper Only (Appendix A, p.123)

<Date>

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We have contacted you throughout the school year regarding the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) Teacher Questionnaire. This survey gives you the chance to tell policymakers about your experiences in the teaching profession. We know that this year has been particularly difficult for school staff, teachers, and students, but this makes your experience all the more important to share. With your help, we can obtain an accurate view of teachers’ professional backgrounds and working conditions across the U.S. Your participation in this effort is greatly appreciated.

According to our records, you have not yet completed the survey. If you have recently completed the survey, 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. [PI: To thank you for your completion of this important survey, we will mail you $X later this school year.] Please be assured that your responses to the survey will not be shared with anyone at your school.

If you have any questions about the survey or need assistance, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-888-595-1338 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you for your contribution to this important survey.

Sincerely,

James L. Woodworth, Ph.D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

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). 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). Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Reminder Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 7) (Appendix A, p.125)

Subject: Please participate in this important survey

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We’ve contacted you throughout the school year regarding the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). We know that your time is valuable, but as teachers across the country continue to urge their representatives to increase school funding and raise teacher salaries, data on teacher salaries and the amount of money teachers spend on their supplies are more important than ever before. The NTPS collects this data, as well as information about your education, certification, and experiences as a teacher. With your help, this survey can provide an accurate view of teachers in <STATE> public schools and across the country. Your participation in this effort is greatly appreciated.

Please complete the Teacher Survey using the login information provided below. Alternatively, you may complete and return the paper questionnaire that we recently sent you. [PI: Later this school year, we will mail you $X as a token of our appreciation for completing this important survey.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USERID>

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)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

Reminder Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 8) (Appendix A, p.126)

Subject: Want to help teachers like you? U.S. Department of Education collecting information on challenges you are

facing this school year

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

Over this past school year, we have asked you to share your experiences and any challenges you are facing as an educator by completing the Teacher Questionnaire for the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). By completing the survey, you will join other teachers to have your voices heard. Without your response, there may not be enough [1: <STATE> <SCHOOL LEVEL>//2: <Catholic/private> <SCHOOL LEVEL>] teachers represented in the data which means policymakers and researchers will not learn as much about them.

Please complete the questionnaire as soon as possible so your perspective can be included. [PI: To thank you for completing this important survey, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USERID>

Please be assured that we are prohibited from sharing your responses to any survey questions with your school administration.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

Reminder Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 9) (Appendix A, p.127)

Subject: The Census Bureau needs your opinion now

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

The success of the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) depends on your participation. NTPS data are 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 across the U.S. The NTPS is the only national survey that provides this kind of information. Let your voice be heard and help us continue to provide relevant and reliable data by responding to the Teacher Questionnaire now.

If you have recently responded to the survey, thank you. If you have not yet done so, please respond online or by mail as soon as possible. [PI: As a reminder, we will mail you $X later this school year as a token of our appreciation for sharing your opinion by completing this important survey.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Thank you in advance for responding to this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

Reminder Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 10) (Appendix A, p.128)

Subject: The U.S Department of Education wants to hear from you: What challenges are you facing in the classroom?

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We acknowledge that this year has been difficult. The pressures of the coronavirus pandemic have placed additional strain on schools, teachers, and the education system in general. However, this makes your experience all the more important to share. Respond to the 2020-21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) Teacher Questionnaire now to tell us about challenges you are facing in the classroom and how your teaching has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Only a small percentage of teachers are selected to participate, so your voice will also represent the voices of your colleagues.

Please complete the Teacher Questionnaire online or using the paper survey that we mailed to your school address as soon as possible. [PI: To thank you for your participation and completing this important survey, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

As a reminder, if responding online, you will be able to save your answers and return to complete the survey later if you get interrupted. We are also strictly prohibited from sharing any of your responses to the survey questions with any of your school administration.

Thank you for your consideration and prompt response.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

Reminder Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 11) (Appendix A, p.129)

Subject: Share your experience: U.S Department of Education research survey

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We have been contacting you throughout the school year regarding the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) Teacher Questionnaire. The NTPS is the only survey that collects information directly from teachers and principals to provide a picture of education in the United States from their perspective. None of the NTPS facts and findings would be possible without the participation of teachers like you.

This is your chance to let your voice be heard! We need your help to continue to produce representative data for [1: <STATE> public//2: <Catholic/private>] school teachers. If you have recently responded, thank you. If you have not yet completed the survey, please respond as soon as possible. [PI: As a reminder, to thank you for your participation and completing the Teacher Questionnaire, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

Please be assured that your responses to the survey will not be shared with anyone at your school.

Thank you for your contribution to this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

Reminder Teacher Mailout E-mail (E-mail 12) (Appendix A, p.130)

Subject: Tell the U.S Department of Education about being a teacher: Take our survey today

Body:

Dear <Teacher Name>,

We have contacted you throughout the school year regarding the 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). The Teacher Questionnaire gives you the chance to tell policymakers about your experiences in the teaching profession. Please complete the Teacher Questionnaire as soon as possible to help us obtain an accurate view of teachers’ professional backgrounds, teaching fields, workloads, and working conditions, among other things. [PI: As a token of our appreciation for completing this important survey, we will mail you $X later this school year.]

Click here to complete the Teacher Questionnaire.

Log in using this User ID: <USER ID>

As a reminder, please be assured that your responses to the survey will not be shared with anyone at your school.

Thank you for your contribution to this important survey.

Sincerely,

National Teacher and Principal Survey Team

U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

1-888-595-1338 | [email protected] | http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps

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