Follow-up Emails - Attachment A-2

Attachment A-2. Follow-up Email

Dear District Superintendent or Curriculum and Instruction Director,

We recently sent you an email asking you to participate in our survey. At this time, we have not received a response from you. We are reaching out to you again to request your participation in our data collection effort.

The Regional Education Lab Southwest (REL Southwest) is studying changes in student mathematics course-taking and course failures, as well as changes in district mathematics course offerings and diploma plan placement, that occur after implementation of Texas House Bill 5 (HB 5)—the Foundation High School Program. One aspect of this study focuses on how districts are responding to the provisions of House Bill 5. We greatly appreciate your participation. Please have the person who is most knowledgeable about how your district is responding to the new Texas high school graduation requirements with regard to endorsements offered, courses added, and information dissemination to parents complete this survey.

The questionnaire for this study will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Its focus is on the new high school graduation plans, including the establishment of courses to meet the new endorsement requirements.

This survey is voluntary. You may decide to not take part without penalty or loss of any benefits you are otherwise entitled to. All responses will be confidential; no individual or district will be identified. Only aggregated results will be reported.

Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183, prohibits disclosure of individually identifiable information as well as making the publishing or communicating of individually identifiable information by employees or staff a felony. Per the policies and procedures required by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183, 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 school, district, or individual. Any willful disclosure of such information for nonstatistical purposes, except as required by law, is a class E felony.

If you are interested in reading a summary of the results from districts around the state, please let us know and we will be happy to send you a report at the end of the project.

To participate in the survey, go to the following site:

_{<<unique link>>}

If you are unable to complete the questionnaire, please forward this email to the appropriate person at the district who might be able to answer these questions.

Your responses are very much appreciated.

If you have any comments or concerns about this study, please contact Deborah Van Kummer, Research Assistant at deborah.vankummer@sedl.org. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a survey participant, or to offer your input, you may contact Ethical & Independent Review Services, the Institutional Review Board (IRB), who reviewed this study for your rights, at 8100-472-3241 or by email at subject@eandireview.com.

You may want to print a copy of this to keep for your records.

Thank you for your contribution to this important effort.

Sincerely,

^{REL Southwest}

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the survey!

Complete the questionnaire by marking your responses as indicated on the web page. When you are done, simply click “submit” on the last page. You will have to complete the survey in one sitting; there is no option to save and return at a later time. By completing this survey, you agree to participate in the research study.

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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 1850-xxxx.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes/hours 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 voluntary.  If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, application or survey, please contact (Chris Boccanfuso at Chris.Boccanfuso@ed.gov directly. [Note: Please do not return the completed instrument, form, application or survey to this address.]