Districts: Student records data and Principal and Teacher records data

APPENDIX E
PRINCIPAL AND TEACHER ADMINISTRATIVE DATA REQUEST LETTER

PRINCIPAL/TEACHER DATA REQUEST
P.O. Box 2393
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
Telephone (609) 799-3535
Fax (609) 799-0005
www.mathematica-mpr.com

[DATE]

Dear [DISTRICT CONTACT]:
We would like to thank your district for participating in the National Evaluation of the
Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) conducted by Mathematica Policy Research for the U.S. Department
of Education. This study will produce valuable information on the impact of performance-based
incentive programs on student achievement and educator mobility and retention. We greatly
appreciate your assistance with this important study.
As part of the study, we are collecting information from district records about the participating
principals and teachers in the study schools. We will be making the same data request in fall 2012,
2013, 2014, and 2015. These data will be used to document the hiring, movement between schools,
and attrition of principals and teachers participating in the study. We also want to obtain
information on principals and teachers measured effectiveness and actual payouts to staff in
recognition of their accomplishments. Finally, we are requesting any demographic or background
characteristics available in your district files. Please note that cooperation with these activities is a
condition of your grant (Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Overview Information;
Teacher Incentive Fund: Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010,
75 FR 28740-28749 (May 21, 2010)).
The attached table indicates the specific items that we are requesting for the current school
year. Also attached are instructions for returning the data to us. You can choose among three ways
of returning the data: (1) posting the files to our secure website; (2) emailing the passwordprotected files to us; or (3) sending the hard copy lists to us via Federal Express.
Thank you very much for your assistance. A member of our study team will contact you in the
next week to determine if you have any questions. You can reach me at (202) 484-4820 or
mgrider@mathematica-mpr.com.

Sincerely,

Mary Grider
Senior Systems Analyst

An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Item #
Data Item
Background and Demographic Information for Educators (Teachers and Principals)
1
Last and first name
2
Sex
3
District ID number
4
Date of birth (mm/dd/yy)
5
Ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino origin)
6
Race
7
Highest degree held
8
Certification status
9
Score on licensure or certification test (include name of test and date administered)
Year-Specific Information (2010–2011)
10
School ID
11
School name
12
Date started at school (mm/dd/yy)
13
Date of Departure (if applicable) (mm/dd/yy)
14
Part-time/Full-time status
15
Itinerant indicator (splits time between multiple buildings)
16
Transfer during the year indicator
17
Number of years teaching experience (including current year)
18
Employment Category—principal or teacher
19
Grade taught (if teacher)
20
Self-contained of subject-area teacher (if teacher)
21
Subject taught (if applicable)
22
Number of days absent during the year
23
Eligible for performance pay (yes/no)
24
Maximum amount for which eligible
25
Actual amount of performance pay received
Information on Performance Measures (2010–2011)
26
First criterion used (type of measure and name)
27
Date first criterion administered or collected
28
Score on first criterion (include information on type of score, possible range,
passing score, etc.)
29
Second criterion used (type of measure and name)
30
Date second criterion administered or collected
31
Score on second criterion (same details as in #22)
32
Third criterion used (type of measure and name)
33
Date third criterion administered or collected
34
Score on third criterion (same details as in #22)
Notice of Confidentiality
Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this
study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district or

individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your district to anyone outside the study
team, except as required by law. Additionally, no one at your school or in your district will see your
responses. Participation or cooperation with this activity is a condition of your grant (EDGAR: part 75.591,
Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e–3 and 3474).
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 information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The time required to complete this
information collection is estimated to average 8 hours per year, including the time to review instructions, gather the data needed, and
complete and review the information collected. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions
for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202. If you have comments or concerns
regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education
Sciences, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208.