OMB83C TALIS MS Recruitment Materials Change Memo

Memorandum United States Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

National Center for Education Statistics

DATE: June 1, 2017

TO: Robert Sivinski and E. Ann Carson, OMB

FROM: Mary Coleman, NCES

THROUGH: Kashka Kubzdela, NCES

RE: 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018) Main Study Recruitment Materials Change Request 83C (OMB# 1850-0888 v.6)

The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is an international survey of teachers and principals that focuses on the working conditions of teachers and the teaching and learning practices in schools. TALIS was first administered in 2008 and is conducted every five years. Having participated in 2013 but not in 2008, the United States will administer TALIS for the second time in 2018. TALIS is sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In the United States, TALIS is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). TALIS 2018 will address teacher training and professional development, teachers’ appraisal, school climate, school leadership, teachers’ instructional approaches, and teachers’ pedagogical practices. In February-March 2017, NCES conducted the TALIS 2018 field test to evaluate newly developed teacher and school questionnaire items and test the survey operations. Based on feedback and experience obtained during the field test, NCES has prepared final versions of recruitment materials to be used in the TALIS 2018 main study. NCES’s request to recruit and conduct pre-survey activities for the 2017 field test sample, administer the field test, and recruit schools for the 2018 main study sample was approved in September 2016 with a change request approved in December 2016 (1850-0888 v.4-5). This request provides the final versions of the TALIS 2018 main study recruitment materials.

This request does not have corresponding changes to the approved estimated respondent burden nor to the cost to the federal government. Updates to the estimated respondent burden for the main study will be submitted in the September 2017 request for the main study data collection effort.

Below, we summarize changes to the approved field test recruitment materials as they were revised for use in the main study. The finalized main study materials, for both public and private schools, are included in the attached Appendix A-2 (letters, emails, brochure, FAQs, etc.). Revisions to the materials include the following:

• Edits have been made across the recruitment materials to update references to the main study, remove references to the field test, and adjust the timing of activities detailed in the materials to reflect the main study schedule.

• Significant edits to the teacher invitation letter to clarify the purpose and use of the questionnaire, the benefits of completing it, and what the teachers have to do to complete it, and to use more direct and concise language.

• Recruitment materials for private schools have been included at the end of Appendix A. These are identical to public school materials with slightly altered messaging targeted to private school.

• Confidentiality pledges have been updated to those currently used across NCES.