ARRA Evaluation Notification Letters

Appendix D

Letters for State Education Agencies, Local Education Agencies, and Schools

State Survey Cover Letter

Dear (SEA Liaison):

Thank you for your participation in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) study, Charting the Progress of Education Reform: An Evaluation of the Recovery Act’s Role. As a reminder, this study is assessing how states, districts, and schools are working to improve education. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or The Recovery Act) provided approximately $100 billion in additional education funding, awarded through a variety of programs. ED wants to understand the role that Recovery Act programs have played in reform efforts that states, districts and schools have been undertaking.

Information from the attached survey will be combined with data already submitted through Recovery.gov and other required reporting to provide a national picture of implementation and funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, or the Recovery Act). It is vitally important to ED that every state is represented; they have asked us to remind you that your State Education Agency (SEA) and the selected Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are federal grantees and therefore required to cooperate with this national evaluation.

We are writing to provide you with information regarding the spring 2012 data collection (which is the final data collection for this study). We request that, as your SEA’s designated liaison for this study, you be responsible for identifying the appropriate staff to complete sections of the survey and for submitting the completed survey to Policy Studies Associates (PSA). Please complete and return the survey in the enclosed prepaid envelop no later than May 15, 2012. The first page of the survey includes a table that lists the different survey sections and asks for information about who was responsible for completing each section.

We look forward to receiving your completed survey. Feel free to contact Bruce Haslam of PSA, the evaluation’s Design Director, with questions or issues. He can be reached at mbhaslam@policystudies.com or 1-877-939-0460. Babette Gutmann, the evaluation’s Project Director, is also available to respond to any questions or issues. She can be reached at ARRASurvey@westat.com or at 1-888-855-1452. We know how busy you are and greatly appreciate the time you devote to this effort to make this study a success.

Sincerely,

Babette Gutmann M. Bruce Haslam

Evaluation Project Director Evaluation Design Director

Charting the Progress of Education Reform Charting the Progress of Education Reform

Notice of Confidentiality

Information collected from the surveys comes under the confidentiality and data protection requirements of the Institute of Education Sciences (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183).  Information that could identify an individual or institution will be separated from the survey responses submitted, kept in secured locations, and be destroyed as soon as they are no longer required. Survey responses will be used only for research purposes. States may be identified but only in reporting composite measures of education reform. The reports prepared for the study will summarize survey findings across individuals and institutions and will not associate responses with a specific district, school, or person. We will not provide information that identifies state education agency, local education agency, or school respondents 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. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 75 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit: see Sections 75.591 and 75.592 of the EDGAR regulations. If you have any comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, please write to U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208.

District Letter and Instructions For The Web-Based Survey

Dear (Name of Designated ARRA Study Liaison)

Thank you for your participation in the U.S. Department of Education funded study, Charting the Progress of Education Reform: An Evaluation of the Recovery Act’s Role in the spring of 2011. As a reminder, this study is assessing how states, districts, and schools are working to improve education. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or The Recovery Act) provided approximately $100 billion in additional education funding, awarded through a variety of programs. ED wants to understand the role that Recovery Act programs have played in reform efforts that districts and schools such as yours have been undertaking.

Information from the attached survey will be combined with data already submitted through Recovery.gov and other required reporting to provide a national picture of implementation and funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, or the Recovery Act). It is vitally important to ED that every state is represented; they have asked us to remind you that your Local Education Agency (LEA) is a federal grantee and therefore required to cooperate with this national evaluation.

In public reports we produce, your district’s survey responses will be summarized with those from other districts. As explained below, all data collected for this study will be kept confidential (per the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002), except as required by law.

I am writing to provide you with instructions for accessing the web-based survey for the spring 2012 data collection (which is the final data collection for this study). We request that, as your district’s designated liaison for the study, you be responsible for identifying the appropriate staff to complete various sections of the survey and for submitting the completed web-based survey to Westat.

The survey can be completed at a time of your convenience on our website but should be submitted no later than May 15, 2012. Please review the table on the first page of the survey to determine the most appropriate staff for completing various sections of the survey

You and the staff designated to complete a section or sections of the survey may go to the website at any time and enter your confidential user login and password below to begin the survey. The sections do not have to be completed at one time. Each respondent can save their answers and return to complete the survey. All staff will use the same user login and password listed below to access the survey:

Survey address: https://www.ARRASurvey.org

User Login: «Username»

Password: «Password»

We look forward to receiving your completed web survey. If you prefer to complete a paper version of the survey, email your request to the study team at ARRAStudy@westat.com or call our toll-free number, 1-888-855-1452. Please feel free to contact me directly with questions or issues. Juanita Lucas-McLean, the evaluation’s Data Collection Manager, can also assist. We both can be reached by calling 1-888-855-1452 or by emailing ARRAStudy@westat.com. We know how busy you are and greatly appreciate the time you devote to this effort to make this study a success.

Sincerely,

Babette Gutmann

Charting the Progress of Education Reform

Evaluation Project Director

Notice of Confidentiality

Information collected for this study comes under the confidentiality and data protection requirements of the Institute of Education Sciences (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183).  Information that could identify an individual or institution will be separated from the survey responses submitted, kept in secured locations, and be destroyed as soon as they are no longer required. Survey responses will be used only for research purposes. The reports prepared for the study will summarize findings across individuals and institutions and will not associate responses with a specific district, school, or person. We will not provide information that identifies you or your district 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. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 75 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit: see Sections 75.591 and 75.592 of the EDGAR regulations. If you have any comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, please write to U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208.

Principal Letter and Instructions For The Web-Based Survey

Dear (Name of Principal):

Thank you for your participation in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) funded study, Charting the Progress of Education Reform: An Evaluation of the Recovery Act’s Role in the spring of 2011. As a reminder, this study is assessing how states, districts, and schools are working to improve education. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or The Recovery Act) provided approximately $100 billion in additional education funding, awarded through a variety of programs. ED wants to understand the role that Recovery Act programs have played in reform efforts that districts and schools such as yours have been undertaking. Your contribution to the national picture is essential. In public reports we produce, your school’s survey responses will be summarized with those from other schools. As explained below, all data collected for this study will be kept confidential (per the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002), except as required by law.

I am writing to provide you with instructions for accessing the web-based survey for the spring 2012 data collection (which is the final year of data collection for this study).

The survey can be completed at a time of your convenience on our website but should be submitted no later than May 15, 2012. You may go to the website at any time and enter your confidential user login and password to begin the survey. The sections do not have to be completed at one time. You can save your answers and return to complete the survey as many times as you need to.

Your user login and password are listed below and should be used to access the survey:

Survey address: https://www.ARRASurvey.org

User Login: «Username»

Password: «Password»

We look forward to receiving your completed web survey. If you prefer to complete a paper version of the survey, you should email your request to the study team at ARRAStudy@westat.com or call our toll-free number, 1-888-855-1452. Please feel free to contact me directly with questions or issues. Juanita Lucas-McLean, the evaluation’s Data Collection Manager, can also assist. We both can be reached by calling 1-888-855-1452 or by emailing ARRAStudy@westat.com. We know how busy you are and greatly appreciate the time you devote to this effort to make this study a success.

Sincerely,

Babette Gutmann

Charting the Progress of Education Reform

Evaluation Project Director

Notice of Confidentiality

Information collected for this study comes under the confidentiality and data protection requirements of the Institute of Education Sciences (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183).  Information that could identify an individual or institution will be separated from the survey responses submitted, kept in secured locations, and be destroyed as soon as they are no longer required. Survey responses will be used only for research purposes. The reports prepared for the study will summarize findings across individuals and institutions and will not associate responses with a specific district, school, or person. We will not provide information that identifies you or your school 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. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. If you have any comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, please write to U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208.