Attachments 2-6 FRSS 106 School Safety and Discipline Communication Materials

Attachment 2

District Courtesy Notification Letter

Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 106:

School Safety and Discipline: 2013–14

OMB# 1850-0733 v. 29

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

February 2014

Dear District Superintendent:

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) wishes to inform you about the national survey on School Safety and Discipline: 2013–14, in which schools in your district are being asked to participate. We have enclosed a list of the schools in your district that have been sampled for the survey. This study was approved by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB No. 1850-0733). Westat, a research firm in Rockville, Maryland, is conducting the survey for NCES using the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS). The survey is designed to be completed in about 20 minutes.

This study has been designed to provide information about plans and practices schools have developed to provide a safe school environment, and to report various indices of school safety. Such national data will allow policymakers to make informed decisions on school safety and discipline based on accurate and current information.

The information collected through the survey may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose unless otherwise compelled by law (Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, 20 U.S.C. 9573). A statement regarding the voluntary nature of the survey is included in cover letters to the sampled schools. All participating schools will be notified when the report of study findings is released on the NCES website.

Information copies of the study materials are enclosed for your records. If you have any questions about this study, please contact Cindy Gray, the Westat survey manager, at 800-937-8281, ext. 4336 (toll-free) or by e-mail at SafetySurvey@westat.com. You may also call Chris Chapman, the NCES Project Officer, at 202-502-7414.

Thank you for your support for this important study.

Sincerely,

Jack Buckley

Commissioner

Enclosures

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006

Attachment 3

School Cover Letter

Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 106:

School Safety and Discipline: 2013–14

OMB# 1850-0733 v. 29

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

February 2014

Dear Principal:

On behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), I request your school’s participation in the national survey School Safety and Discipline: 2013–14. The purpose of the survey is to provide the U.S. Department of Education with nationally representative data about safety and discipline in U.S. public schools. Westat, a research firm in Rockville, Maryland, is conducting the study for NCES using the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS). The survey is designed to be completed in about 20 minutes by the person(s) most knowledgeable about safety and discipline at your school.

• Why is NCES conducting the survey? This study has been designed to provide information about plans and practices schools have developed to provide a safe school environment, and to report various indices of school safety. Such national data will allow policymakers to make informed decisions on school safety and discipline based on accurate and current information.

• Why is participation by your school important? Your school’s participation, while voluntary, is vital to the development of national estimates. Because your school is one of a small sample of schools selected for the study, your cooperation is critical to make the results of this survey comprehensive, accurate, and timely.

• How does NCES protect the confidentiality of the information that you provide? The information collected through the survey may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose unless otherwise compelled by law (Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, 20 U.S.C. 9573). Your district has been informed about this study and the federal Office of Management and Budget has approved the survey (OMB No. 1850-0733).

• What do you get from the study? Once the study is completed, NCES will present the findings in a report that will be released on the NCES website. Your school will be notified when it is released.

The person(s) most knowledgeable about safety and discipline at your school may complete the survey using either the enclosed questionnaire or an online version. The online version of the survey is available at www.frss-XXX.org. The username and password appear on the enclosed Web Survey Information Sheet. If your school completes the paper version of the questionnaire, please return it to Westat in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. Please complete the survey only once, using either the paper or the online version.

We ask that the survey be completed within 3 weeks, and that you keep a copy of the completed survey for your files. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Cindy Gray, the Westat survey manager, at 800-937-8281, ext. 4336 (toll-free) or by e-mail at SafetySurvey@westat.com. You may also call Chris Chapman, the NCES Project Officer, at 202-502-7414. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Jack Buckley

Commissioner

Enclosures

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006

Attachment 4

Web Information Sheet

Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 106:

School Safety and Discipline: 2013–14

OMB# 1850-0733 v. 29

U.S. Department of Education  Institute of Education Sciences  National Center for Education Statistics

SCHOOL SAFETY AND DISCIPLINE: 2013–14

Web Survey Information Sheet for:

[School Name], [State]

Survey Website: www.frss-XXX.org

Username:

Password:

Questions? If you have questions about the completion of this survey, please contact
Cindy Gray at 1-800-937-8281, Ext.4336, or by email at SafetySurvey@westat.com.

Attachment 5

Nonresponse Follow-up Letter

Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 106:

School Safety and Discipline: 2013–14

OMB# 1850-0733 v. 29

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

[Date]

Dear Principal:

Recently, you were asked to have your school complete a survey on school safety and discipline for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education. This study, approved by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB No. 1850-0733), will provide national data that can only be obtained from public schools. If your school has already completed the questionnaire, I wish to thank you for your participation. It is only through the help of school personnel such as you that NCES is able to provide policymakers with valuable national data on school safety and discipline.

If your school has not yet completed the three-page survey, I ask that you do so as soon as possible because the data are urgently needed to report a current picture of school safety and discipline in public schools. The questionnaire is designed to be completed in about 20 minutes by the person(s) most knowledgeable about safety and discipline at your school.

Your school’s participation, while voluntary, is vital to the development of national estimates. Your input is needed because your school is one of a small sample selected for the study. It is only through the participation of the selected schools that we can fully represent information about safety and discipline across all types of public schools. Your school’s answers may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose unless otherwise compelled by law (Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, 20 U.S.C. 9573). Your district has been informed about this study.

The online version of the survey is available at www.frss-XXX.org, the survey website. Your username and password appear on the enclosed Web Survey Information Sheet. If you prefer to complete a paper questionnaire, you may obtain a printable version from the survey website and fax it to 1-800-254-0984 when completed.

Westat, an independent research firm, is conducting the survey for NCES. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Gray, the Westat survey manager, at 1-800-937-8281, ext. 4336 (toll-free) or by email at SafetySurvey@westat.com. You may also call me at 202-502-7414. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Chris Chapman

Project Officer

Enclosures

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006

Attachment 6

Nonresponse Follow-up Script

Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 106:

School Safety and Discipline: 2013–14

OMB# 1850-0733 v. 29

RESPONDENT INFORMATION SHEET (RIS)

FRSS 106 – SCHOOL SAFETY AND DISCIPLINE: 2013–14

[LABEL WITH SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION]

I. SCHOOL CONTACT

Hello, my name is [GIVE NAME]. I'm calling from Westat on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education. Have I reached [GIVE NAME OF SCHOOL]?

We are calling to follow up on a packet that we recently sent to your principal. May I please have your principal’s name? (RECORD NAME IN SPACE BELOW) Also, is there a direct line at which we could reach him/her? (IF YES, RECORD NUMBER IN SPACE BELOW.)

PRINCIPAL’S NAME:

PRINCIPAL’S NUMBER:

Is he/she available?

YES (GO TO B ON PAGE 2)

NO (GO TO A ON PAGE 2)

A. PRINCIPAL NOT AVAILABLE

The packet we mailed to your principal contained a (INSERT)-colored questionnaire from the U.S. Department of Education on school safety and discipline. It is designed to be completed by the person(s) most knowledgeable about safety and discipline at your school. Do you know to whom the principal would have given it?

YES

May I have the name, title, and contact information for that person? (GO TO DESIGNATED RESPONDENT CONTACT INFORMATION ON PAGE 5 AND RECORD INFORMATION, INCLUDING BEST AVAILABLE TIMES.)

NO (CONTINUE BELOW)

Would you please leave a message for the principal mentioning that I called about the survey on school safety and discipline? When is a good time to call back?

Callback Date/Time:

Thank you for your time, I will call back.

B. PRINCIPAL CONTACT

Hello, my name is (YOUR NAME) and I am calling from Westat on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education regarding a packet that we recently mailed to your attention. The packet contained a (INSERT) -colored questionnaire on school safety and discipline. The packet also included a cover letter from the U.S. Department of Education explaining the purpose of the study, and requested that the questionnaire be completed by the person(s) most knowledgeable about safety and discipline at your school. Did you receive the questionnaire?

Yes, questionnaire received (CONTINUE WITH C BELOW)

No, questionnaire not received (GO TO E ON PAGE 4)

C. QUESTIONNAIRE RECEIVED

Will you complete the survey yourself or have you given it to someone else?

Yes, principal responsible (GO TO 1 BELOW)

No, someone else responsible (GO TO 2 ON PAGE 3)

1. Have you had a chance to complete the questionnaire? (CHECK ON)

Questionnaire completed and returned to Westat

DATE RETURNED: _______________________________________________

MODE (Mail/web/fax): _____________________________________________

Thank you very much for participating in the survey. We will look for your questionnaire. If we do not receive it soon, we will call back to let you know.

Still working on questionnaire

We would like to have all questionnaires completed as soon as possible. Can you give us an idea of when we can expect your completed questionnaire?

EXPECTED DATE OF COMPLETION:_________________________________________

(CONTINUE ON PAGE 3)

Please remember that you have the option of completing the questionnaire online at www.frss-XXX.org, or you can complete the paper copy and return it by mail or fax, using our toll free number 1-800-254-0984. Please keep a copy for your records. We will look for your questionnaire; if we do not receive it, we will call back to let you know. What is the best time to reach you?

RECORD TIME:_______________________________________________

Thank you for your time.

{INTERVIEWER: IF THE RESPONDENT PREFERS TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE, PLEASE PROVIDE THE SCHOOL’S USER ID AND PASSWORD AND THE WEB ADDRESS; IF HE/SHE HAS THE QUESTIONNAIRE IN FRONT OF HIM/HER, REFER THE RESPONDENT TO THE INFORMATION ON THE SMALL LABEL AFFIXED TO THE COVER PAGE.}

2. May I please have the name of the respondent, his/her title, and the best times to reach that person?

YES (GO TO DESIGNATED RESPONDENT CONTACT INFORMATION ON PAGE 5)

NO (CONTINUE WITH D BELOW)

D. REFUSED DIRECT CONTACT WITH RESPONDENT

Do you know the status of the questionnaire? (CHECK ONE)

Questionnaire completed and returned to Westat

DATE RETURNED: ________________________________________________

MODE (Mail/web/fax): ______________________________________________

Thank you very much for participating in the study. We will look for your questionnaire. If we do not receive it soon, we will call back to let you know. Thank you for your time.

Respondent still working on the questionnaire

We are trying to have all questionnaires completed as quickly as possible. Can you give us an idea of when we can expect your questionnaire?

EXPECTED DATE OF COMPLETION: _________________________________________

Please remind the respondent that he/she has the option of completing the questionnaire online at www.frss-XXX.org or he/she can complete the paper copy and return it by mail or by fax, using our toll free fax number 1-800-254-0984. Also, remind him/her to keep a copy of the completed questionnaire for their records. We will look for your questionnaire; if we do not receive it, I will call back to let you know. What is the best time to reach you?

BEST TIME: _______________________________________________

Thank you for your time.

Status unknown

Will you please check on the status of the questionnaire? I will call you back to check on the status. When would be a convenient time for me to call back?

CALLBACK TIME: __________________________________________________

E. SURVEY NOT RECEIVED

The survey is being conducted for the U.S. Department of Education to collect nationally representative information about school safety and discipline. It is designed to be completed by the person(s) at your school most knowledgeable about safety and discipline.

You have the option of completing the questionnaire online, or we can send another copy of the questionnaire to your school. Would it be possible to send the survey directly to the person who is most knowledgeable about safety and discipline at your school? (CHECK ONE BOX BELOW AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.)

NO. Send to principal (CONTINUE BELOW; VERIFY/RECORD NAME, TITLE, AND ADDRESS ON LABEL. REQUEST FAX NUMBER OR EMAIL ADDRESS IF NEEDED. COMPLETE A REMAIL, FAX, OR EMAIL REQUEST FORM.)

YES. Send to designated respondent (RECORD NAME, TITLE, ADDRESS, PHONE, AND FAX NUMBERS, AND EMAIL ADDRESS IN PART II PAGE 5, DESIGNATED RESPONDENT CONTACT INFORMATION. COMPLETE A REMAIL, FAX OR EMAIL REQUEST FORM FOR DESIGNATED RESPONDENT.)

I will mail/fax/email the questionnaire out today. We are trying to obtain all completed questionnaires as soon as possible because the data are urgently needed. (CONTINUE BELOW. BASED ON PREFERENCE, ADJUST THE SENTENCE.)

May I please confirm your mailing address/get your fax number/get your email address? (VERIFY OR UPDATE ADDRESS AND OBTAIN FAX NUMBER AND/OR EMAIL ADDRESS.)

The questionnaire can also be completed and returned online at www.frss-XXX.org. If you prefer, you may complete the paper copy and return it by mail or by fax, using our toll free number 1-800-254-0984. When can we expect your completed questionnaire?

EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE:

Thank you for your time. We will look for your questionnaire. Please remember to keep a copy of the completed survey for your records.

INTERVIEWER: IF THE RESPONDENT PREFERS TO COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE ONLINE, PLEASE PROVIDE THE SCHOOL’S USER ID, PASSWORD, AND WEB ADDRESS: www.frss-XXX.org.

II. DESIGNATED RESPONDENT CONTACT INFORMATION

NAME:

TITLE:

Phone #:

FAX #:

Address:

Time	M	T	W	TH	F
Available time
Other time

Comments

III. RESPONDENT CONTACT

Hello, my name is (YOUR NAME). I'm calling from Westat on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education. Your principal (GIVE NAME) referred me to you regarding the (INSERT)-colored questionnaire from the U.S. Department of Education on school safety and discipline. Did you receive the questionnaire?

YES (CONTINUE WITH A BELOW)

NO (GO TO B ON PAGE 7)

A. RESPONDENT RECEIVED SURVEY

Have you had a chance to complete the questionnaire?

Questionnaire completed and returned to Westat

DATE RETURNED: _______________________________________________

MODE (Mail/web/fax): ______________________________________________

Thank you very much for participating in the survey. We will look for your questionnaire. If we do not receive it soon, we will call back to let you know. What is the best time to reach you?

BEST TIME:_______________________________________________

Thank you for your time.

Still working on questionnaire

We would like to have all questionnaires completed and returned as soon as possible. Can you give us an idea of when we can expect your questionnaire?

EXPECTED DATE OF COMPLETION: ________________________________________

Please remember that you have the option of completing the survey online at www.frss-XXX.org, or you can complete the paper copy and return it by mail or by fax, using our toll-free fax number 1-800-254-0984. Please keep a copy of the completed survey for your records. We will look for your questionnaire; if we do not receive it, we will call back to let you know. What is the best time to reach you?

BEST TIME:_______________________________________________

Thank you for your time.

INTERVIEWER: IF THE RESPONDENT PREFERS TO COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE ONLINE, PLEASE PROVIDE THE SCHOOL’S USER ID AND PASSWORD AND WEB ADDRESS: www.frss-XXX.org.. IF HE/SHE HAS THE QUESTIONNAIRE IN FRONT OF THEM, REFER HIM/HER TO THIS INFORMATION ON THE SMALL LABEL AFFIXED TO THE COVER PAGE.

B. SURVEY NOT RECEIVED

The survey is being conducted for the U.S. Department of Education to collect nationally representative information about school safety and discipline. It is designed to be completed by the person(s) at your school most knowledgeable about safety and discipline.

You have the option of completing the questionnaire online or we can send another copy of the questionnaire to you (CONTINUE BELOW. BASED ON PREFERENCE, ADJUST THE SENTENCE.)

May I please confirm your mailing address/get your fax number/ get your email address?

The survey can also be completed and returned online at www.frss-XXX.org. If you prefer, you may complete the paper copy and return it by mail or by fax, using our toll free number 1-800-254-0984. When can we expect your completed questionnaire?

EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE:

Thank you for your time. We will look for your questionnaire. Please remember to keep a copy of the completed survey for your records.

INTERVIEWER: IF THE RESPONDENT PREFERS TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE, PLEASE PROVIDE THE SCHOOL’S USER ID, PASSWORD, AND WEB ADDRESS: www.frss-XXX.org