TRP Recruitment Letter

APPENDIX A

TRP RECRUITMENT LETTERS

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance

TRP GRANTEE LETTER

Month XX, 20XX

Firstname Lastname

Title

Organization Name

Street Address

City, ST ZZZIP

Dear Dr./Mr./Ms. Lastname:

As you know, teacher residency programs (TRPs) like yours represent an innovative strategy for training new teachers. Although we know that teachers are critical to student learning, there is still much to be learned about the most effective way to train teachers. As you also know, the U.S. Department of Education requires TRPs that received funds from the federal Teacher Quality Partnership Program in fall 2009 or spring 2010 to cooperate with a national evaluation of TRPs that will produce much-needed information about this approach to teacher preparation.

The main objective of this study is to describe the characteristics of TRPs and their participants and mentors. The study will also summarize the academic outcomes of students taught by novice TRP teachers and examine the retention rate of novice TRP teachers. I am writing to inform you that we are in the initial stages of the study. We have contracted with Mathematica Policy Research and their partner Decision Information Resources, to conduct the study. The research team will gather information from program directors or other program staff about their program’s background, as well as program features such as admission requirements, teacher training, schedules, instructors, participant characteristics, and mentors. The data will be used to characterize study TRPs in a broader and more comprehensive way than any previous study has done. All data collected for the study will be kept strictly confidential and used for research purposes only. Additional details about the project are provided in the enclosed information sheet.

A member of the research team will call you in the next few days to tell you more about the study and to discuss your program’s participation. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the study, please feel free to contact the project director, Phil Gleason, at (315) 781-8495 or pgleason@mathematica-mpr.com. I can be reached at (202) 208-7082 or at Melanie.Ali@ed.gov. Thank you for your cooperation and support of this important study.

Sincerely,

Melanie S. Ali, Ph.D.

Federal Project Officer

Notice of Confidentiality

The contractor follows the confidentiality and data protection requirements of IES (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183). The contractor will protect the confidentiality of all information collected for the study and will use it for research purposes only. The reports prepared for the study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific program, district, school, or individual. We will not provide information that identifies any study participant to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The approximate time required to discuss your participation in the evaluation is estimated to be 4.75 hours. Participation is voluntary. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimates or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: [insert program sponsor/office], U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., [insert building/room number], Washington, D.C. 20202-xxxx.

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance

TRP NON-GRANTEE LETTER

Month XX, 20XX

Firstname Lastname

Title

Organization Name

Street Address

City, ST ZZZIP

Dear Dr./Mr./Ms. Lastname:

As you know, teacher residency programs (TRPs) like yours represent an innovative strategy for training new teachers. Although we know that teachers are critical to student learning, there is still much to be learned about the most effective way to train teachers. I would like to invite your program to participate with several others in a national evaluation of TRPs, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education that will produce much-needed information about this approach to teacher preparation. Your participation is voluntary.

The main objective of this study is to describe the characteristics of TRPs and their participants and mentors. The study will also summarize the academic outcomes of students taught by novice TRP teachers and examine the retention rate of novice TRP teachers.

We have contracted with Mathematica Policy Research and their partner Decision Information Resources, to conduct the study. Additional details about the project are provided in the enclosed information sheet.

The research team will gather information from program directors or other program staff about their program’s background, as well as program features such as admission, teacher training, schedules, instructors, participant characteristics, and mentors. The data will be used to characterize study TRPs in a broader and more comprehensive way than any previous study has done. All data collected for the study will be kept strictly confidential and used for research purposes only.

Your participation is voluntary, but we hope you will choose to participate in this important study. Because your program is one of only a small number of TRPs in the study, your participation is critical to an understanding of TRP characteristics.

A member of the research team will call you in the next few days to tell you more about the study and to discuss your program’s potential participation. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the study, please feel free to contact the project director, Phil Gleason, at (315) 781-8495 or pgleason@mathematica-mpr.com. Or, I can be reached at (202) 208-7082 or at Melanie.Ali@ed.gov.

Sincerely,

Melanie S. Ali, Ph.D.

Federal Project Officer

Notice of Confidentiality

The contractor follows the confidentiality and data protection requirements of IES (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183). The contractor will protect the confidentiality of all information collected for the study and will use it for research purposes only. The reports prepared for the study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific program, district, school, or individual. We will not provide information that identifies any study participant to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The approximate time required to discuss your participation in the evaluation is estimated to be 4.75 hours. Participation is voluntary. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimates or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: [insert program sponsor/office], U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., [insert building/room number], Washington, D.C. 20202-xxxx.

DISTRICT LETTER

[DATE]

Firstname Lastname

Principal [or other title]

District

Street Address

City, ST ZZZIP

Dear Dr./Mr./Ms. Lastname:

As you know, teacher residency programs (TRPs) represent an innovative strategy for training new teachers. Although we know that teachers are critical to student learning, there is still much to be learned about the most effective way to train teachers. The U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring a national evaluation of TRPs that will produce much-needed information about this approach to teacher preparation.

The main objective of this study is to describe the characteristics of TRPs and their participants and mentors. The study will also summarize the academic outcomes of students taught by novice TRP teachers and examine the retention rate of novice TRP teachers.

We have contracted with Mathematica Policy Research and their partner, Decision Information Resources, to conduct the study, which is described in the enclosed information sheet. A member of the study team will be contacting you to discuss the possibility of obtaining information from you on student scores on achievement tests as well as some basic information on recently hired teachers.

Your participation is voluntary, but the information you provide is critical to the study. . All information collected will be kept strictly confidential and used for research purposes only. No identifying information will be reported or shared with anyone outside the study team. Nor will any estimated outcomes be linked with your district in any report or presentation.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Phil Gleason at 315-781-8495. Thank you again for your cooperation and support of this important study.

Sincerely,

Melanie S. Ali, Ph.D.

Federal Project Officer

Notice of Confidentiality

The contractor follows the confidentiality and data protection requirements of IES (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183). The contractor will protect the confidentiality of all information collected for the study and will use it for research purposes only. The reports prepared for the study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific program, district, school, or individual. We will not provide information that identifies any study participant to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The approximate time required to discuss your participation in the evaluation is estimated to be 4 hours. Participation is voluntary. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimates or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: [insert program sponsor/office], U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., [insert building/room number], Washington, D.C. 20202-xxxx.

555 NEW JERSEY AVE., NW, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20208