Private School Universe Survey (PSS) 2025-26 and 2027-28 Data Collections & 2027-28 PSS Frame Development Activities

Private School Universe Survey
(PSS) 2025-26 and 2027-28 Data
Collections, and 2027-28 PSS Frame
Development Activities

Appendix D
PSS 2025-26 Survey

OMB# 1850-0641 v.16

Submitted by
National Center for Education Statistics
U.S. Department of Education

September 2024

This document includes the instrument for the PSS 2025-26. The instrument for the PSS
2027-28 is expected to be mostly identical, excepting updates to dates. In 2026/2027,
NCES will submit the PSS 2027-28 instrument as part of either a revision requesting 30
days of public comment or a non-substantive change request, as appropriate.

15113012

PRIVATE SCHOOL SURVEY
2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR

Please note:
The 2025-26 Private School Survey is intended to include all V Private schools that teach ANY of the following •
•
•
•
•

At least one grade from 1 to 12
Ungraded students from 5 to 18 years old
Kindergarten - traditional year of school primarily for 5-year-olds prior to first grade
Transitional (or readiness) kindergarten - extra year of school for kindergarten-age children
who are judged not ready for kindergarten
Transitional first (or prefirst) grade - extra year of school for children who have attended
kindergarten but have been judged not ready for first grade

V Private early childhood programs and day care centers that have
ANY of the following • Kindergarten
• Transitional (or readiness) kindergarten
• Transitional first (or prefirst) grade
For example:
An early childhood center that has a nursery school, a prekindergarten program, and a kindergarten
would be eligible for this survey, since it includes a kindergarten.
But an early childhood center that has a nursery school and a prekindergarten program ONLY
would NOT be eligible for this survey, since it does not include kindergarten. You would mark
box 2 in item 2b.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH ITEM 1 ON PAGE 3.

Conducted by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS
FORM PSS-1
( 06/25/2024 ) Draft

Administered by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

OMB No. 1850-0641: Approval Expires 06/30/2027

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15113020

DEAR ADMINISTRATOR:
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education requests your participation
in the 2025-26 Private School Survey, a national data collection valuable to private schools across the country. 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).
WHY IS MY SCHOOL’S RESPONSE IMPORTANT?
Private education is a critical part of the U.S. education system. Without accurate information about the nation’s
private schools, policy makers have an incomplete picture of education more broadly and cannot make effective
decisions on a range of important issues including those around the topic of school choice. A response to this survey
ensures that YOUR school is represented in key data and reports produced by the National Center for Education
Statistics about private education and school choice. The National Center for Education Statistics is the primary
source of statistical information on education for the country. Your school’s response is needed to provide a complete
picture of U.S. educational institutions.
HOW DOES THIS HELP MY SCHOOL?
The Private School Survey is used to generate an NCES ID number for your school which many private and federal
grants require as part of their application process. NCES also uses the survey to update the private school search
tool on our web site: https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/. This resource is used by parents looking to
find a private school for their children. Importantly, your response to this survey ensures that your school’s voice will
be heard in policy decisions.
WHAT ARE RESULTS FROM PREVIOUS SURVEYS?
NCES produces summaries of the data that help parents, educators and policy makers understand the current state
of education in the United States. For example, results from previous Private School Surveys show that
approximately 23 percent of all elementary and secondary schools in the United States are private institutions; these
schools enroll approximately 8 percent of the nation’s children and employ 13 percent of the nation’s teachers. In
addition to the reports that NCES produces, researchers use the data in their own studies of private schools and
policy makers use the data to inform decisions.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT RESPOND?
There is no penalty for not responding. However, if you do not respond, your school, teachers, and the students you
serve will be missing from the education picture. A high response rate is very important to make sure the data
represent the private education sector accurately. Accurate representation of the private education sector is critical to
the design and interpretation of education research for governmental, university based, and private research. The
Private School Survey is used to generate an NCES ID number for your school which many private and federal
grants require as part of their application process. Your response to this survey ensures your school retains this
NCES ID and is listed on the NCES site. We encourage you to participate in this voluntary survey.
WHERE SHOULD YOU MAIL YOUR COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE?
Please return your completed questionnaire using the enclosed envelope. If you do not have the return envelope,
please mail your questionnaire to:
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
ATTN: DCB 60A
1201 E. 10TH STREET
JEFFERSONVILLE, IN 47132-0001
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT EFFORT.
SINCERELY,

PEGGY CARR
COMMISSIONER
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS (NCES)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Paperwork Burden Statement
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 1850-0641. The time required
to complete this information collection is estimated to average 20 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 email: [email protected], or write directly to: Private School
Survey (PSS), National Center for Education Statistics, Potomac Center Plaza, 550 12th Street SW, Room #4010, Washington, DC
20202.
2

FORM PSS-1

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15113038

1.

Please print your name, title, school telephone number, and school email.
YOUR NAME

TITLE

SCHOOL
TELEPHONE
NUMBER

2a.

–

–

SCHOOL
EMAIL

Is this institution or organization still in operation?
MM

Yes

DD

YYYY

No - Please record the ➜
date when closed.

b.

➜

GO TO item 3 below.

Are there any grades K to 12 or comparable ungraded levels taught by this institution or
organization?
Yes ➜ Which grades?
À Mark (X) all that apply, then GO TO item 2c below.
No
Kindergarten
4th
8th

(1)

1st

5th

9th

2nd

6th

10th

3rd

7th

11th

12th
Ungraded

Which of the following describes the reason(s) this institution or organization
does NOT teach any of grades K-12 or comparable ungraded levels?
À Mark (X) all that apply, then GO TO item 3 below.
Adult education or postsecondary education
Tutoring program or before and after school program
Prekindergarten, nursery school, early childhood center, or day care center
Other - Please describe. ➜

c.

Is this a private school or program?
À For this survey, all non-public elementary or secondary schools are considered private schools. For
example, Roman Catholic schools, Hebrew day schools, Lutheran schools, private boarding schools,
nonsectarian private schools, private schools that provide special education services to public
school districts, private schools that receive tuition for some students from public school districts.
Yes
No ➜ Which of the following best describes your school or program?
À Mark (X) only one box, then GO TO item 3 below.
Public school, including public charter, state-run, Bureau of
Indian Education, or Department of Defense school
Other ➜ Please describe the type of school or program.

3.

C

If you marked "No" for any of items 2a-c, do not complete this questionnaire. Please return it
in the enclosed envelope. If you do not have the return envelope, mail your questionnaire to:
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
ATTN: DCB 60A
1201 E. 10TH STREET
JEFFERSONVILLE, IN 47132-0001
If you marked "Yes" for all of items 2a-c above, continue with item 4 on page 4.
FORM PSS-1

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3

15113046

INSTRUCTIONS
The data you enter on this form will be captured through the use of imaging technology. Please print all
information clearly in ordinary characters, using a black ballpoint pen.
CORRECT marking example X
(Use care to keep characters
in their designated spaces.)

x

INCORRECT marking example X

X

Yes
No

Yes

Yes
OR

No

No

a. If you are unsure about how to answer a question, please give the best answer you can rather than
leaving it blank.
b. If you have any questions, call the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-888-329-5890. Someone will be available
to take your call Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
Ungraded levels. The term "ungraded levels" refers to schools that classify students by an alternative
means other than particular grade levels (e.g., Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, etc.).
Report only for the school or program named on the front of this questionnaire. The term "school" will be
used for the school or program throughout the survey.
4.

Around October 1, 2025, how many students were enrolled in each of the following grade levels?
À Do NOT include postsecondary or adult education students, or children who are enrolled only in day
care at this school.
À In column (1), mark (X) ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ for each grade level.
À In column (2), record the number of students for each grade level with ‘Yes’ marked in column (1).
(1)
(2)
Does this school
Number of
Grade levels
have students in
students in this
this grade?
grade
a. Ungraded (including ungraded special
education students)

Yes ➜

Yes ➜

b. Nursery and prekindergarten

,

No
,

No
c. Kindergarten (traditional year of school
primarily for 5-year-olds prior to first grade)

4

Yes ➜

d. Transitional (or readiness) kindergarten (extra
year of school for kindergarten-age children
who are judged not ready for kindergarten)

Yes ➜

e. Transitional first (or prefirst) grade (extra
year of school for children who have attended
kindergarten but have been judged not ready
for first grade)

Yes ➜

FORM PSS-1

,

No
,

No
,

No

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15113053

4.

Continued – Around October 1, 2025, how many students were enrolled in each of the following
grade levels?
(1)
(2)
Grade levels
Does this school
Number of
have students in
students in this
this grade?
grade
Yes ➜

f. 1st

,

No
Yes ➜

g. 2nd

,

No
Yes ➜

h. 3rd

,

No
Yes ➜

i. 4th

,

No
Yes ➜

j. 5th

,

No
Yes ➜

k. 6th

,

No
Yes ➜

l. 7th

,

No
Yes ➜

m. 8th

,

No
Yes ➜

n. 9th

,

No
Yes ➜

o. 10th

,

No
Yes ➜

p. 11th

,

No
Yes ➜

q. 12th

,

No
5.

Around October 1, 2025, what was the total number of students
enrolled in this school?
À Please sum lines 4(a) through 4(q).

,
Enrolled students

FORM PSS-1

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5

15113061

6.

Around October 1, 2025, how many students enrolled in grades K-12 and comparable
ungraded levels are –
À Do NOT include nursery, prekindergarten, postsecondary, or adult education students.
À Do NOT include children who are enrolled only in day care at this school.
À Mark ’None’ if there are no students in this school of a given racial and ethnic origin.
a. Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race?
None or

,

K-12 students

b. White, not of Hispanic or Latino origin?
None or

,

K-12 students

c. Black or African American, not of Hispanic or Latino origin?
None or

,

K-12 students

d. Asian, not of Hispanic or Latino origin?
None or

,

K-12 students

e. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, not of Hispanic or Latino origin?
None or

,

K-12 students

e. American Indian or Alaska Native, not of Hispanic or Latino origin?
None or

,

K-12 students

g. Two or more races, not of Hispanic or Latino origin?
None or
7a.

,

K-12 students

Is this school coeducational?
Yes
No, it is an all-female school

▼

No, it is an all-male school

}

GO TO item 8a on page 7.

b. Around October 1, 2025, how many students enrolled in K-12 and comparable ungraded levels are
MALE?
À Do NOT include nursery, prekindergarten, postsecondary, or adult education students.
À Do NOT include children who are enrolled only in day care at this school.
À Mark ’None’ if there are no male students enrolled in this school.
None

6

or

,

Male students

FORM PSS-1

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15113079

8a.

During the LAST school year (2024-25), were any students enrolled in 12th grade?
Yes
No ➜

▼

GO TO item 9a below.

b. How many students were enrolled in 12th grade around October 1, 2024?
12th graders

,
c.

How many students graduated from the 12th grade with a diploma LAST school year (2024-25)?
À Include 2025 summer graduates.
À Do not include students who received only vocational certificates, certificates of attendance, or
certificates of completion.
À Mark ’None’ if no students graduated from the 12th grade with a diploma LAST school year.
None ➜

GO TO item 9a below.

Graduates LAST school year

,

▼

d. Of those who graduated with a diploma LAST school year (2024-25), approximately what
percentage went to four-year colleges?
À Round to the nearest whole percent.
À Mark ’None’ if no students who graduated LAST school year went to a four-year college.
None
9a.

or

%

% of graduates who went to four-year colleges

How long is the school day for a kindergarten, transitional kindergarten, or transitional
first grade student?
À Mark (X) only one box.
School does not offer kindergarten, transitional
kindergarten, or transitional first grade OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU

▼

{

GO TO instructions for
item 10 at top of page 8.

Full day (4 hours or more per day)
Half day (less than 4 hours per day)
Both offered

b. How many days are in a TYPICAL SCHOOL WEEK for kindergarten, transitional kindergarten,
or transitional first grade students in this school?
À If the number of days per week varies, record the most days that a student would attend
in a week.
Days per typical school week

FORM PSS-1

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7

15113087

INSTRUCTIONS AND AN EXAMPLE FOR ITEM 10
In item 10, we ask for the number of teachers for grades K-12 and/or comparable ungraded levels
by the amount of time they teach at THIS school.
Example:
The following is an example to illustrate how to report teachers in this item for a school that
includes prekindergarten through grade 8.
If this school has eight full-time teachers for grades 1-8, one full-time teacher who teaches
kindergarten ½ time and prekindergarten ½ time, a music teacher who teaches two days each
week, a physical education teacher who teaches three days each week, and a teaching principal
who teaches one 30 -minute class each day, you would complete item 10 as follows:
None

8

a. Teach full-time

None
✗

b. Teach at least ¾ time but less than full time

None
c. Teach at least ½ time but less than ¾ time

2

This number includes the one full-time teacher who teaches
kindergarten ½ time and prekindergarten ½ time. The time he or
she spends teaching prekindergarten is not counted in item 10.
This number also includes the physical education teacher who
teaches three days a week.
None
d. Teach at least ¼ time but less than ½ time

1

This includes the music teacher who teaches two days a week.
None

1

e. Teach less than ¼ time
This includes the principal who teaches one 30-minute class
each day. The time he or she spends working as a principal
is not included in item 10.

12

f. TOTAL TEACHERS

8

FORM PSS-1

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15113095

10.

Around October 1, 2025, how many persons were teaching in grades K-12 and/or
comparable ungraded levels at this school in the following time categories?
À Consider only the amount of time an individual works as a teacher of grades K-12 and comparable
ungraded levels during a typical week at THIS school.
À INCLUDE:
• Regular classroom teachers
• Teachers who teach subjects such as music, art, physical education, and special education
• Teaching principals or administrators who teach a regularly scheduled class at this school
À DO NOT INCLUDE:
• Teachers who teach ONLY nursery, prekindergarten, postsecondary, or adult education
• Student teachers, teacher aides, day care aides, or short-term substitute teachers
• Counselors, library media specialists or librarians, speech therapists, social workers, or
administrators UNLESS they also teach a regularly scheduled class at THIS school
À Mark ’None’ if no person is teaching in a particular time category.
None
a. Teach full-time
None
b. Teach at least ¾ time but less than full time
None
c. Teach at least ½ time but less than ¾ time
None
d. Teach at least ¼ time but less than ½ time
None
e. Teach less than ¼ time

f. TOTAL TEACHERS
11.

Which types of classes are currently available to students at this school?
a. IN-PERSON CLASSES.
Classes in which the teacher delivering instruction is in the same physical space as the students.
These classes may offer some online resources (for example, homework submission, online
textbooks, learning management systems [LMS] or supplemental online programs).
Yes
No
b. VIRTUAL CLASSES.
Classes in which the teacher delivering instruction is not in the same physical space as the students,
and students may be in a classroom or in their own homes. Students and teachers may still meet in
person for field trips, school-sponsored social events, or assessment purposes.
Yes
No
c. HYBRID CLASSES.
Classes that include a COMBINATION of in-person instruction and virtual instruction.
Yes
No

FORM PSS-1

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9

15113103

12.

Which of the following best describes this school?
À Mark (X) only one box.
REGULAR school – elementary or secondary
MONTESSORI school
SPECIAL PROGRAM EMPHASIS school – such as a science or math school, performing
arts school, talented or gifted school, world language immersion school, etc.
SPECIAL EDUCATION school – primarily serves students with disabilities
CAREER/TECHNICAL/VOCATIONAL school – primarily serves students being trained
for occupations
EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM OR DAY CARE CENTER – such as kindergarten only,
prekindergarten and kindergarten only, kindergarten and transitional first grade only,
day care and transitional kindergarten only, etc.
ALTERNATIVE/OTHER school – offers a curriculum designed to provide alternative or
nontraditional education; does not specifically fall into the categories of regular, special
program emphasis, special education, or vocational school – Please describe. C

13a. Is a major role of this school to support homeschooling?
Yes
No
b. Is this school located in a private home that is used primarily as a family residence?
Yes
No
14a. Does this school have a religious orientation or purpose?
Yes

▼

No ➜

GO TO item 15 on page 12.

b. Is this school affiliated with a religious organization or institution?
Yes
No

10

FORM PSS-1

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15113111

14c. What is this school’s religious orientation or affiliation?
À Mark (X) only one box.
Roman Catholic OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU Is this school –
À Mark (X) only one box.
African Methodist Episcopal
Parochial (or inter-parochial)
Amish
Diocesan
Assembly of God
Private
Baptist
Brethren
Calvinist
Christian (no specific denomination)
Church of Christ
Church of God
Church of God in Christ
Church of the Nazarene
Disciples of Christ
Episcopal
Friends
Greek Orthodox
Islamic
Jewish
Latter Day Saints
Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (formerly AELC, ALC, or LCA)
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Other Lutheran
Mennonite
Methodist
Pentecostal
Presbyterian
Seventh-Day Adventist
Other – Specify

C

FORM PSS-1

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11

15113129

15.

To which of the following associations or organizations does this school belong?
À Mark (X) all that apply.
This school or program does NOT belong to ANY associations or organizations
RELIGIOUS
Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) (or School of Tomorrow)
Agudath Israel of America (AIA)
American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS)
Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS)
Christian Schools International (CSI)
Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA)
Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA)
Friends Council on Education (FCE)
General Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (GCSDAC)
Islamic School League of America (ISLA)
Jesuit Schools Network (JSN)
National Alliance of Christian Schools (NACS)
National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)
National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
National Christian School Association (NCSA)
National Society for Hebrew Day Schools (Torah Umesorah)
Oral Roberts University Educational Fellowship (ORUEF)
Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools (PRIZMAH)
Other religious school association(s) – Specify

12

C

FORM PSS-1

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15113137

15.

Continued – To which of the following associations or organizations does this school belong?
À Mark (X) all that apply.
SPECIAL EMPHASIS
American Montessori Society (AMS)
Association Montessori International (AMI)
Other Montessori association(s)
Association of Military Colleges and Schools (AMCS)
Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)
National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC)
Other association(s) for exceptional children
European Council for International Schools (ECIS)
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
National Association of Laboratory Schools (NALS)
National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS)
Other special emphasis association(s) – Specify

C

OTHER SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS
Alternative School Network (ASN)
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
State or regional independent school association
National Independent Private Schools Association (NIPSA)
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
Other school association(s) – Specify

C

FORM PSS-1

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13

15113145

16.

How many days are in the SCHOOL YEAR for students in this school?
Days per school year

17.

How long is the SCHOOL DAY for students in this school?
À Report BOTH hours and minutes, e.g., 06 hours and 00 minutes, 05 hours and 45 minutes, etc.
À If the length of day varies by grade level, record the longest day.
Hours

18.

AND

Minutes

Does this school have a library media center?
À A "library media center" is an organized collection of printed and/or audiovisual and/or computer
resources which is administered as a unit, is located in a designated place or places, and makes
resources and services available to students, teachers, and administrators. A library media center
may be called a school library, media center, resource center, information center, instructional
materials center, learning resource center, or any other similar name.
Yes
No

19.

Please enter the date you completed this questionnaire.
MM

14

DD

YYYY

FORM PSS-1

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15113152

20.

Please verify this school’s name and mailing address that are printed below. If any part of the
name and mailing address is incorrect, enter the correction(s), as necessary, in the appropriate
space(s) below.
School name

Mailing address

City

State

ZIP Code

21a. Is the physical or street address of this school the same as the mailing address?
Yes
No C
b. Please print this school’s physical or street address.
Street

City

State

ZIP Code

Thank you for participating in this important survey.
Your time and effort are appreciated.
Please return the questionnaire in the enclosed envelope.
If you do not have the return envelope, mail your questionnaire to:
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
ATTN: DCB 60A
1201 E. 10TH STREET
JEFFERSONVILLE, IN 47132-0001

FORM PSS-1

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15

15113160

To learn more about the Private School Survey
(PSS) and to access reports from earlier
collections, see the PSS website at:
https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss
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 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://www.usa.gov/statistics

OFFICE USE ONLY
FR Code:

16

FORM PSS-1

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