Attachment 1 NSSES Letters and FAQ 061324

National Study of Special Education Spending
Foundational Phase
Pilot Study Recruitment

Attachment—Initial Recruitment Letters and Study
Information FAQ

Table of Contents
State Education Agency Letter Text........................................................................................ 2
District Letter Text ................................................................................................................. 3
School Letter Text.................................................................................................................. 5
Study Information and FAQ Text ............................................................................................ 7

OMB# 1850-0952 v.10

National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
(NCEE)
June 2024

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State Education Agency Letter Text
Special Education Spending Study: The Time is Now
Dear [AGENCY CONTACT],
We are writing to notify you of a critical upcoming study, sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Education (ED). The National Study of Special Education Spending (NSSES) will produce updated national
estimates of what states and school districts spend to provide special education and related services.
What is the National Study of Special Education Spending (NSSES)?
The best national estimates of special education spending in grades K-12 are almost 25 years old. Since
that time, there have been significant shifts in the number and composition of students with disabilities
and in the policies and conditions under which they are identified and served. The NSSES will generate
up-to-date estimates of spending on special education and related services, meeting urgent information
needs of federal, state, and local policymakers and practitioners.
The NSSES will collect information from a national sample of districts and schools about what is spent to
educate students with disabilities, as well as what states and districts spend to operate their special
education programs and comply with federal and state laws. A small pilot study will take place in the
2024-2025 school year, and the NSSES will take place during the 2025-2026 school year.
Why do we need your help?
During the 2024-2025 school year, ED and its partners the American Institutes for Research (AIR);
Allovue, a PowerSchool company; and NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC) will conduct a pilot
study to test the NSSES design and procedures. We will be requesting participation from a sample of
about 50 public school districts and 225 schools across the country. The following districts in your state
have been selected for the pilot study:
[INSERT DISTRICT NAMES]
We request your partnership to support this important study, and specifically, ask that you notify the
sampled district(s) above about their selection for the pilot study:
•

Let them know NORC will be contacting them to participate in the pilot study.

•

Convey that this is an important national study being conducted by ED to understand special
education spending and encourage them to participate in the pilot.

Please see the enclosed brochure that details the pilot study timeline and the information requests that
will be made of districts and schools. This pilot study will help us make the NSSES efficient, accurate, and
minimally burdensome.
If you have any questions you can reach out to me directly, or the study Principal Investigator, Tammy
Kolbe, at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Claire Allen-Platt
Contracting Officer’s Representative
National Study of Special Education Spending
Institute of Education Sciences
U.S. Department of Education
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District Letter Text
Dear [DISTRICT CONTACT],
We are writing to inform you that [District] has been selected to participate in the pilot for the National
Study of Special Education Spending (NSSES), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and
conducted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR); Allovue, a PowerSchool company; and NORC at
the University of Chicago (NORC).
The NSSES is an important new study to update our understanding of the costs of special education and
related services. The study will collect information from a national sample of districts and schools about
what is spent to educate students with disabilities, as well as what states and districts spend to operate
their special education programs and comply with federal and state laws. Your district has been selected
to participate in a pilot study during the 2024-2025 school year, in advance of a large-scale national
study that will take place in the 2025-2026 school year.
We request your district’s agreement to participate in this pilot study. Participation is also asked of a
select sample of your schools:

[INSERT SCHOOL NAMES]

The expected time commitment for study activities in school year 2024-2025 is 8-10 hours for districts
and 1-2 hours per survey for selected schools. Specifically, district and school participation will include
the following:
District

School

•

Notify schools about the study and
encourage participation.

•

Identify a school-level coordinator to assist the
study team and serve as main point of contact.

•

Provide district student enrollment data and
IEPs if requested.

•

Provide school student enrollment data and IEPs
if requested.

•

Complete 2 online district-level surveys.

•

•

Provide administrative and financial data.

Identify the teacher(s) and service provider(s)
who can complete an online Student Resource
Survey about the educational program of some
students. (average of 3-4 surveys per school).

•

Encourage staff to complete the online Student
Resource Surveys.

The U.S. Department of Education values the time that educators devote to important studies such as
these, and districts, schools, school coordinators, and respondents will be reimbursed for the time it
takes to coordinate and complete surveys and provide administrative data. Districts and schools will
receive between $300 and $500 via an electronic gift card, depending on the number of student surveys
completed. School coordinators will receive up to $200 depending on the number of surveys completed
in their school. Respondents will receive $60 for each completed survey.

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Your district’s participation is vital to understanding what is spent to educate students with
disabilities. Your support will be invaluable in shaping future policies and programs.
A NORC team member will be reaching out to you soon to discuss the pilot and what we will be
requesting from your district and school(s). If you have any questions about the study, please contact
the research team at [email protected] or call our study toll-free number at 888-872-0626. Please see the
enclosed study FAQs for more information.
We look forward to working with you on this exciting study and are ready to address any questions or
concerns you have about this effort.

Sincerely,
[AIR Project Director Name]
Project Director
American Institutes of Research

Cynthia Simko
Data Collection Project Director
NORC at the University of Chicago

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[NAME TBD]
[TITLE TBD]
Allovue, a PowerSchool Company

School Letter Text
Dear [SCHOOL CONTACT],

We are writing to inform you that [school] has been selected to participate in the pilot study for the
National Study of Special Education Spending (NSSES), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.
This study is being conducted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR); Allovue, a PowerSchool
company; and NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC). Your district has approved this study.
The NSSES is an important new study to update our understanding of the costs of special education and
related services. The study will collect information from a national sample of districts and schools about
what is spent to educate students with disabilities, as well as what states and districts spend to operate
their special education programs and comply with federal and state laws. Your school has been selected
to participate in a pilot study during the 2024-2025 school year, in advance of a larger national study
that will take place in the 2025-2026 school year.
We request your school’s approval to conduct this pilot study and for your school to coordinate with a
member of the NORC outreach team. Specifically, we request that your school:
•

Identify a School Coordinator who is familiar with your school and your special education
services to assist the NORC team with the following:

•

Provide a roster of students including their grade level, IEP status, English Learner status, date of
birth, gender, race/ethnicity, and FRPL or ED designation.

•

Identify the teacher(s) and service provider(s) who can complete an online Student Resource
Survey about the educational program of some students selected from school and district
rosters. We will ask staff to fill out a survey about approximately 3-4 students, on average.

•

Encourage staff to complete the online Student Resource Surveys.

•

Provide Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for sample students, if requested

As a token of appreciation for their crucial role in ensuring the success of this pilot, School Coordinators
will receive $150 for their assistance plus a bonus of $50 if all surveys for the school are completed
(approximately 3 to 4 surveys total, on average). School staff who complete surveys that provide
information about students will receive $60 for each completed survey. Schools will receive $300 if at
least two-thirds of the school surveys are completed.
Your school’s participation is vital to understanding what is spent to educate students with
disabilities.
Any reports prepared for the study will summarize findings and will not associate survey responses or
other data with a specific individual, school, or district.
A NORC team member will be reaching out to you soon to discuss the pilot and what we are
requesting from your school. If you have any questions about the study, please contact the research
team at [email protected] or call our study toll-free number at 888-872-0626. Please see the enclosed study
FAQs for more information.

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We look forward to working with you on this important study and are ready to address any questions or
concerns you have about this effort.

Sincerely,
[AIR Project Director Name]
Project Director
American Institutes of Research

Cynthia Simko
Data Collection Project Director
NORC at the University of Chicago

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[NAME TBD]
[TITLE TBD]
Allovue, a PowerSchool Company

Study Information and FAQ Text

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