Appendix A-2 & B-2 - PISA 2018 Main Study Recruitment

The United States is participating in the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). As the largest international education study in the world, PISA measures the reading, mathematics, and science literacy of students nearing the end of compulsory education. PISA results are used by researchers and policymakers to chart national progress against international standards and the educational progress of our global economic peers and competitors. The United States and more than 70 other countries and education systems will participate in the next round of PISA. Some schools in your state have been randomly selected to participate in PISA in fall 2018, and I am writing to ask your agency to support the participation of those schools.

PISA provides comparative information on the performance of U.S. students in reading, mathematics, and science with their peers in other countries. In 2018, PISA will also include an assessment of students’ financial literacy.

PISA is described in more detail in the enclosed materials. PISA is conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education and is administered by Westat, a firm in Rockville, Maryland. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the data collection under OMB# 1850-0755. For information on the confidentiality of the data collected, please see the enclosed FAQ. While participation in this study is voluntary, we ask your agency to support participation in your state so that the United States has a sample of schools that is representative of the entire country.

Within the next few weeks, a representative of Westat will contact sampled school districts and schools to discuss participating in PISA. We are in contact with your state assessment director and NAEP State Coordinator to try to ensure that we are not conflicting with other state efforts and to help districts and schools understand how PISA fits in with other data collections conducted by NCES. The administration of PISA is also coordinated with NAEP and other NCES data collection activities to minimize burden and duplication. In the meantime, if you have questions about the study, please do not hesitate to call David Kastberg at 1-301-294-3811 or send an email to PISAHELP@westat.com. You may also get more information by contacting Patrick Gonzales at NCES at 415-920-9229 or patrick.gonzales@ed.gov, or by visiting the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa.

Thank you for your time and support.

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

cc: [State assessment coordinator name]

Enclosures

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, conducts the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the United States as authorized by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). All of the information provided by school staff and students may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0755.

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School District PISA Letter

[Date]

[Title] [Name First] [Name Last], [Title/Department]

[School District]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip code]

Dear [Title] [Name Last]:

The United States is participating in the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). As the largest international education study in the world, PISA measures the reading, mathematics, and science literacy of students nearing the end of compulsory education. The United States and more than 70 other countries and education systems will participate in the next round of data collection. PISA results are used by researchers and policymakers to chart national progress against international standards and the educational progress of our global economic peers and competitors. Some schools in your district have been randomly selected to participate in PISA in fall 2018, and I am writing to ask your agency to support the participation of those schools.

PISA is conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education and is administered by Westat, a firm in Rockville, Maryland. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB# 1850-0755. For information on the confidentiality of the data collected, please see the enclosed FAQ. While participation in this study is voluntary, we ask your agency to support participation in your district so that the United States has a sample of schools that is representative of the entire country.

Within the next few days, a representative of Westat will contact the following school(s) in your district that have been selected for the main study data collection: [LIST SAMPLED SCHOOLS HERE…]. Please include the PISA assessment window (October 1 to November 23, 2018) on your district test calendar.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call 1-888-638-2597 or send an email to PISAHELP@westat.com. You may also get more information about this study by contacting Patrick Gonzales at NCES at 415-920-9229 or patrick.gonzales@ed.gov, or by visiting the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa.

Thank you for your time and support.

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

Enclosures

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School PISA Letter – Public Schools

[Date]

[Title] [Name First] [Name Last], [Title/Department]

[School District]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip code]

Dear [Title] [Name Last]:

The United States is participating in the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). As the largest international education study in the world, PISA measures the reading, mathematics, and science literacy of students nearing the end of compulsory education. The United States and more than 70 other countries and education systems will participate in the next round. PISA results are used by researchers and policymakers to chart national progress against international standards and the educational progress of our global economic peers and competitors. Your school is one of about 250 across the United States that has been randomly selected to take part in the PISA in fall 2018.

Beyond providing comparative information on the performance of students, PISA fosters international engagement across education systems, allowing teachers, education professionals, and policy experts to compare shared experiences in the global learning community. In addition to reading, mathematics, and science literacy, PISA 2018 includes an assessment of students’ financial literacy, and will provide a range of contextual data that offer insight into students’ school and home environments, socioeconomic advantages and disadvantages, sense of well-being, and use of time outside of school.

Schools participating in PISA will receive $250, and each school’s PISA school coordinator (a school staff person designated to liaise with PISA staff) will receive $200 as a thank you for their time and effort. Selected teachers will receive $25 for completing a questionnaire. Each student who participates will be eligible to receive $25 and a volunteer service certificate of 4 hours from the U.S. Department of Education. NCES will also sponsor a delegate from your school to attend a PISA training workshop in Washington, D.C. during the summer of 2018. In addition, when the national results of the 2018 assessment are released, your school may also receive a school-level report highlighting the performance of students in your school compared to their peers in other schools like yours, U.S. schools, and high-performing OECD countries (pending sample size and response rate requirements).

The PISA assessment experience and the benefits of participating are described in more detail in the enclosed materials, which I invite you to review. PISA is conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education and is administered by Westat, a firm in Rockville, Maryland. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the data collection under OMB# 1850-0755. For information on the confidentiality of the data collected, please see the enclosed FAQ. While participation in this study is voluntary, each school plays an important role in ensuring that the U.S. sample is representative of the knowledge and skills of all students in our country’s education system.

The PISA assessment window is from October 1 through November 23, 2018. Within the next few days, a representative of Westat will contact you to discuss your school’s participation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call 1-888-638-2597 or send an email to PISAHELP@westat.com. You may also get more information about this study by contacting Patrick Gonzales at NCES at 415-920-9229 or patrick.gonzales@ed.gov, or by visiting the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa.

Your school’s participation in PISA 2018 is vital to the overall success of the study in the United States. Thank you for your time and for supporting this important international education study.

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

Enclosures

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PISA 2018 Brochure – Public Schools - Front Cover

What is PISA?

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment of students nearing the end of compulsory education that measures how well students apply their knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics, and science to problems set in real-life contexts. Conducted every 3 years since 2000, the next round of PISA in 2018 will include students from more than 70 countries and education systems around the world, including the United States. PISA is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education.

Why is PISA important and what are the benefits of participating?

PISA provides a unique opportunity for the United States to understand how well students nearing the end of compulsory education are prepared to enter the workforce or post-secondary education in comparison to their peers from more than 70 countries. Through participating in PISA, schools, teachers, and students contribute to ongoing efforts to improve education in our country. PISA helps identify U.S. students’ strengths and weaknesses in the domains of reading, mathematics, and science and offers insights into successful policies and practices in other countries.

Each school and student that participates in PISA plays a vital role in representing other schools and students that are similar. It is essential that sampled schools contribute to this important measurement of educational progress to ensure the U.S. sample reflects the knowledge and skills of all students across the country.

In addition to receiving a U.S. national report with PISA 2018 results, schools may also receive a school-level report (pending sample size and response rate requirements). The school report, provided only to your school, presents comparisons of your school’s average scores with the average scores of participating education systems, including the United States, and can serve as a benchmark for your students’ performance among other similar U.S. schools based on specific school-level characteristics.

As a token of appreciation for participating, schools will receive $250, the school coordinator will receive $200, students who participate will each receive $25 as well as 4 hours of volunteer service time, and teachers who complete an online questionnaire will each receive $25. NCES also sponsors one delegate from each school to attend a summer training workshop in Washington, D.C. to learn about PISA.

What will schools, students, and teachers be asked to do in PISA 2018?

PISA 2018 has four primary components: (1) a computer-based student assessment, (2) a computer-based student questionnaire (3) an online school questionnaire, and (4) an online teacher questionnaire.

Up to 52 students in each school will be selected to participate in the PISA assessment, which takes about 3 hours, including instructions, breaks, and a questionnaire. Students will answer questions in various combinations of reading, mathematics, science, and financial literacy.

The principal of each school will be asked to appoint a staff member to act as the PISA school coordinator. The school coordinator will work with Westat staff to coordinate the assessment and submit student and teacher lists for sampling. The principal of each school will also be asked to complete a 45-minute online questionnaire about school and student body characteristics and policies.

Up to 25 teachers in each school will be asked to complete a 30-minute online teacher questionnaire about their background, education, and teaching experiences. Participation is voluntary but important for ensuring that the sample is representative of schools and students across the country.

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PISA 2018 Brochure – Public Schools (Continued Inside Cover)

How is PISA developed?

PISA is developed through an international collaborative process involving input from U.S. and international experts in science, reading, mathematics, financial literacy, and educational measurement. The PISA assessment materials are thoroughly reviewed by within-country experts to make sure the materials are appropriate for each country’s students. Finally, the final assessment materials are endorsed by all participating countries.

What do PISA questions look like?

PISA includes a mix of item types: some items require students to select from among possible responses, while others require students solve problems and provide written answers. Examples of PISA assessment questions are available at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/educators.asp and https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/pisa-test-questions.htm.

Which countries are participating in PISA 2018?*

*As of April 2016.

Where do I find more information?

Visit the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa.

For additional questions about PISA 2018, contact the PISA U.S. home office at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHELP@westat.com.

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PISA 2018 FAQ for school administrators – Public Schools - Front Page

Program for International Student Assessment

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PISA 2018 (Fall 2018)

Information for Schools

PISA is an international assessment of students nearing the end of compulsory education that measures how well students apply their knowledge and skills to solve problems related to science, reading, and mathematics in real-life contexts. In PISA 2018, students will be assessed in reading, mathematics, science, financial literacy, or some combination of these subjects.

What does participating in PISA entail?

Each school is asked to designate a school coordinator to work with Westat and to submit a list of all students born on or between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003 and a list of teachers eligible to teach 10th grade (the modal grade of PISA-eligible students). Up to 52 students in each school will be sampled to participate in the core PISA assessment, which takes about 3 hours of total time, including instructions, breaks, and a questionnaire. Up to 25 teachers in each school will be asked to complete a 30-minute online teacher questionnaire about their background, education, and teaching experiences. The principal of each school will also be asked to complete a 45-minute online questionnaire about school and student body characteristics and policies.

Why should my school and students participate?

The participation of selected schools in the United States is vital to ensuring an accurate representation of the overall population of students nearing the end of compulsory education across the country—including U.S. public and private schools. Although the assessment is voluntary, we rely on school and student participation to ensure the results are complete and accurate. We cannot do that without the support of schools like yours.

PISA is administered worldwide in order to help participating school systems and countries understand their strengths and areas for improvement, with the ultimate goal of increasing both the quality and equity of education worldwide. As such, PISA fosters engagement among international education systems, allowing teachers, education professionals, and policy experts to compare shared experiences in the global learning community. By taking part in PISA, your school will have the unique opportunity to impact the bigger picture of education in the United States and across the world.

What are the benefits to participating?

In addition to receiving a U.S. national report with PISA 2018 results, schools may also receive a school-level report (pending sample size and response rate requirements). The school report presents comparisons of your school’s average scores with the average scores of participating education systems including the United States. The report also provides comparisons of your school with other similar U.S. schools based on specific school-level characteristics. The school report is provided only to your school and any published reports from PISA 2018 will not identify participating schools.

Will all of our students be asked to participate?

Probably not. In each school, all students born between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003 and enrolled in grade 7 or higher will have an equal chance of selection. Up to 52 students in each school will be selected to participate. Only in very small schools will the school sample likely include all eligible students. In addition, some students with disabilities or limited English proficiency may be offered a limited set of accommodations to enable their participation; otherwise, they may be excused from the assessment.

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PISA 2018 FAQ for school administrators – Public Schools - Back Page

Who conducts the PISA assessment?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, conducts this study as authorized by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543) and with the approval of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget under OMB# 1850-0755. The assessment process will be undertaken by trained staff from Westat, a research organization under contract to NCES. In compliance with standard protocols, Westat field staff undergoes FBI background checks.

How are teacher and school questionnaires administered?

The teacher and school questionnaires are both administered online from a secure website. The online teacher questionnaire takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and asks about teachers’ education and teaching experience. The school questionnaire, which looks at school characteristics such as enrollment and school practices, is also online and takes about 45 minutes to complete.

Will all of our teachers be asked to participate?

From a listing of teachers in the school eligible to teach grade 10 students, up to 25 teachers (10 English or English/language arts and 15 non-English subject areas) will be asked to participate in the online teacher questionnaire.

Do teachers or other school staff need to help administer the assessment?

No. Westat field staff will visit the school on the day of the assessment, bringing with them all the materials required, and will handle the entire administration of the assessment. Field staff will also bring all of the necessary computer equipment. There is no requirement for school resources such as school computers or access to the internet. All that is required is adequate space to set up the equipment and assess the students.

When will PISA be conducted?

PISA will be conducted between October 1 and November 23, 2018. Westat will work with schools to identify an assessment date convenient for the school in that time period.

How long does PISA take?

Students will take a computer-based assessment. This approximately 3-hour session includes time for instructions, the assessment, breaks, and a questionnaire that students complete about themselves. The assessment location will be used for about 5 hours total, including setup and breakdown by Westat staff. All assessment activities will take place in one day.

What will happen with the collected data?

The data collected for PISA will be used to report on students’ knowledge and skills as group descriptions at the national level. All of the information provided by school staff and students may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0755. Reports of the findings from PISA will not identify participating districts, schools, students, or individual staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Where can I find more information?

Visit the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa. For additional questions about PISA 2018, contact the PISA U.S. home office at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHELP@westat.com.

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PISA 2018 FAQ for Teachers – Public Schools

Program for International Student Assessment

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Information for Teachers

What is PISA?

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment of students nearing the end of compulsory education, conducted every three years, that measures how well students apply their knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics, science, and financial literacy. Approximately 70 countries and education systems, including the United States, will participate in PISA 2018. PISA is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education.

Why is PISA important?

The OECD administers PISA in order to help participating school systems and countries understand their strengths and areas for improvement, with the ultimate goal of increasing both the quality and equity of education worldwide. As such, PISA fosters engagement among international education systems, allowing teachers, education professionals, and policy experts to compare shared experiences in the global learning community. Participation in PISA has even led to substantive education policy changes for several countries around the world. Both Germany and Brazil, for example, have raised their standards and made their education systems more inclusive to students from every background as a direct result of their PISA results.

PISA provides a unique opportunity for the United States to understand its educational standing in comparison to other nations. Through participating in PISA, schools, teachers, and students contribute to the improvement of education. PISA can help us identify U.S. students’ strengths and weaknesses in these subjects and help us learn about successful policies and practices in other countries.

What will PISA tell us?

Beyond providing comparative information on the performance of U.S. students in reading mathematics, science, and financial literacy with their peers in other countries. The assessment will provide a range of contextual data that offer insight into students’ school and home environments, socioeconomic advantages and disadvantages, sense of well-being, use of time outside of school, and other factors that might impact their performance.

What role do teachers have in PISA?

Teachers are asked to complete an online questionnaire. This gives teachers an opportunity to provide information that is critical to understanding student performance as well as to voice perspectives on teaching and learning at your school. The teacher questionnaire asks about your background and teaching experience, the student body, and your views on school policies and evaluation.

Why should I participate?

Each school, student, and teacher who participates plays an important role in representing others similar to them. It is vital that teachers in every kind of education system and environment—including public and private schools—are able to contribute to PISA to ensure the U.S. sample is an accurate reflection of educational progress across the country.

How was I selected to take the PISA teacher questionnaire?

The PISA school coordinator in your school (the person designated by your school principal to communicate with PISA staff) provided a list of all teachers eligible to teach tenth-grade students in your school (whether or not they currently do; this is the modal grade of PISA-eligible students). You are one of about 25 teachers from your school who were selected to participate from this list. Your participation in PISA is vital to reaching a high response rate.

How long will it take to complete the PISA teacher questionnaire?

The teacher questionnaire will take approximately 30 minutes to complete online from any location with internet access, and you do not have to complete it all in a single session. The online software automatically saves your responses to each question as you navigate through the questionnaire so that if you wish to complete the questionnaire later, you may pick up right where you left off. Each teacher will be offered $25 for completing the online questionnaire.

How can I access the PISA teacher questionnaire?

To access the teacher questionnaire (https://portal.mypisa.us/TeacherQuestionnaire), you will need to have an internet connection, a suitable internet browser (see list below), and your login credentials. You will be emailed a unique hyperlink that you can click on to access the questionnaire directly. The PISA staff is ready to work with you to make access and completion of the teacher questionnaire as easy and efficient as possible.

The following browsers are supported by PISA and can be downloaded for free if you do not already have them installed on the computer:

• Firefox: Version 19 and above

• Internet Explorer: Version 8 and above

• Google Chrome: Version 25 and above

• Safari (Mac version): versions 6 and above

What is done with the information you collect from me?

Your responses to the PISA teacher questionnaire will be combined with those from other participating teachers across the United States to produce summary statistics and reports. All of the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0755. Reports of the findings will not identify participating districts, students, or individual staff. For a recent example of how PISA data are reported, please visit http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014024rev.pdf.

Where can I go for help or technical support?

If you have any questions or experience any difficulties, please contact the PISA U.S. home office at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHelp@westat.com.

For more information on PISA, including results from previous data collections, please visit http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa.

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PISA 2018 FAQ for Students – Public Schools

Program for International Student Assessment

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Information for Students

What is PISA?

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment of students nearing the end of compulsory education that measures how well students apply their knowledge and skills in solving problems in reading, mathematics, science, and financial literacy. Conducted every three years, PISA presents problems that students are likely to encounter in the real world. This fall, students like you from more than 70 countries and education systems, including the United States, will participate in PISA.

Why should I participate in PISA?

You are one of up to 52 students in your school who have been selected to participate in PISA. Participation in PISA is voluntary, but each student who participates plays a vital role in ensuring the U.S. results are representative of all types of schools and education environments across the country—including public and private schools. Plus, if you participate in PISA you will…

• Receive a certificate for 4-hours of volunteer service from the U.S. Department of Education.

• Represent students like you across the country.

Make an important contribution to this global measurement of educational progress by representing other students just like you across the United States.

Only 6,000 students will have the unique opportunity to participate in PISA across the United States. How often do you get the chance to represent your country? Participating in PISA is a national service. You can have an impact on the bigger picture of education in the United States and around the world.

What subjects are assessed in PISA?

Each student participating in PISA will be assessed in various combinations of the following subjects: reading, mathematics, science, and financial literacy.

How long does PISA take?

The PISA assessment takes approximately 3 hours to complete. This includes time for instructions, the assessment, breaks, and a survey about you.

How did my school get selected to take PISA?

The schools that participate in PISA in the United States are randomly selected from a list of all schools in the country that enroll age-eligible students. This is done to ensure that U.S. participants accurately represent the entire population of students nearing the end of compulsory education and not just particular types of schools or groups of students.

How did I get selected to take PISA?

The only criteria for being eligible to be selected for PISA are a birth date on or between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003, and being enrolled in grade 7 or higher. From a list of all eligible students provided by your school, up to 52 students were randomly selected to participate. Every eligible student enrolled in a PISA selected school has an equal chance of being selected. Students in other countries are selected in the same way to make sure each country is fairly represented and no country is advantaged or disadvantaged because of the types of schools or groups of students selected.

What types of questions will I see on PISA?

PISA questions assess the knowledge and skills students have learned, both in and out of school, based on situations you may encounter in real life. Some PISA questions require that you select from a set of provided answers; other PISA questions require that you write out your response. PISA is administered on computer and many of the items are interactive, where you manipulate different pieces of information. To try PISA items on your own, please visit http://www.oecd.org/pisa/test/.

What is done with the information you collect from me?

PISA is not designed to produce individual test scores and your individual performance is not shared with your teachers, school, or district in any way. Student responses are combined with other student responses and are only used for statistical purposes. The data collected for PISA will be used to report on students’ knowledge and skills as group descriptions at the national level. All of the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0755.

Where can I find more information?

Visit the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa. For additional questions about PISA, contact the PISA U.S. home office at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHELP@westat.com.

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PISA for Public Schools Information Sheet

ISA for Private Schools brochure

PISA: Measuring Global Educational Progress

The Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, is an international literacy assessment of 15-year-old students developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. Since 2000, PISA has assessed students’ performance in reading, mathematics, and science, every three years to measure how well they are prepared to meet the challenges of today’s global economy and workforce.

PISA offers a window into the classrooms of countries around the world, allowing all of us to better understand how students perform in subjects like reading, science, and mathematics, as well as other factors that impact student achievement, like school and home environments, socioeconomic advantages and disadvantages, access to technology, and how students use their time outside of school. The results can drive real policy changes—as they have in countries like Germany, Brazil, and Poland—and foster collaboration across borders between educators, administrators, and policy experts.

Why PISA Needs Schools Like Yours

Participating in PISA presents a unique opportunity for individual schools, students, and teachers to contribute to a global conversation about how well students in different education systems can apply what they’ve learned in school to real-world contexts. It’s a chance to take part in a vital measurement of the United States’ educational progress and our position among economic peers, competitors, and other high performing countries.

Most importantly, schools like yours are a critical component of the American education system. For PISA to accurately reflect the proficiency of all U.S. students in reading, mathematics, and science literacy, it must include a representative sample of both public and private school students.

What You Get Back

There are concrete benefits for schools, students, and teachers that volunteer to take part, including access to critical school-wide data, incentives, and service time.

Following the release of the assessment results in 2019, participating schools may receive a detailed school-level report, explaining how students’ performance compares to students in other schools like yours, the U.S. at large, and international education systems (pending sample and response rate requirements).

The goal of schooling is to provide students with an education that helps to teach them critical life skills and prepares them for postsecondary education and beyond. But are they able to take what they learn and apply it outside of the classroom? Will they be competitive in the global workforce? How do they stack up against 15-year-olds in Singapore, Finland, or the U.K.? The PISA school-level report helps administrators answer questions like these.

Sections of the school-level report include:

An explanation of what students at your school know and can do in reading, mathematics, and science.
Contextual data that sheds light on students’ reading habits, attitudes to mathematics, and self-belief and interest in science, and if/how these data relate to students’ performance.
Insights into student perceptions of other environmental factors, such as their school’s disciplinary climate and teacher-student relations.

The school report would be provided only to your school and any published reports from PISA 2018 will not identify participating schools.

Additionally, participation in PISA provides professional development opportunities for educators and administrators through the online community at PISA4U.org, including:

Opportunities for collaboration with top-performing classrooms from around the world.
The chance to learn from international education experts.
Resources that can help improve teaching and solve real problems educators face in their daily work.

Where We Are Now: PISA 2015 at a Glance

The last round of PISA was conducted in 2015, with more than half a million students participating from 72 education systems, including the United States. PISA’s unique design allows participating education systems to track their performance over time, as well as compare their relative performance to other international education systems. The OECD developed PISA with one underlying directive: to promote policy recommendations designed to increase both the quality and equity of education systems.

In 2015, PISA results indicated the following:

The United States’ reading and science literacy scores were not measurably different from the international OECD average.
Nine percent of U.S. students scored at the top proficiency level in science, while 10 percent of students scored at the top proficiency level in reading. These percentages were not measurably different than the OECD average of 8 percent for both science and reading.
U.S. mathematics scores were below the OECD average.
Six percent of U.S. students scored at the top proficiency level in mathematics, which was lower than the OECD average of 11 percent. Twenty-nine percent of U.S. students scored at the lowest proficiency levels in mathematics, which is higher than the OECD average of 23 percent.
The U.S. placed among the top half of participating countries in reading and science, and 38 out of 69 participating education systems in mathematics.
There were measurable gender gaps in all three subjects. U.S. male students scored higher on average in math and science than female students, while U.S. female students scored higher on average in reading.

For more information about PISA in the United States, international data and trends, and collaborative resources, visit:

PISA U.S. Website: https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/

OECD PISA Website: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/

OECD Education Twitter: https://twitter.com/OECDEduSkills

A Catalyst for Reform and a Benchmark for Progress:

The Role of PISA in Education Policy

When results from the 2000 assessment were released, Germany found that more than 1-in-5 of its students were not proficient in reading, and that performance disparities among its poorest and wealthiest students were some of the highest in the OECD. As a result, the country raised its education standards and increased school hours. During the past 15 years, Germany has seen its reading scores increase relative to other OECD countries.
In Brazil, more than half of students scored at the lowest proficiency levels in the 2003 mathematics assessment. The country prioritized reaching average OECD score levels by 2021, and measures its progress based on PISA benchmarks. By 2015, the countries lowest performers had increased their math scores by 34 points.
Prior to 2000, Poland had one of the lowest levels of college attainment among OECD countries, and its eight-year secondary education program wasn’t adequately preparing students for the real world. The country worked to overhaul its education system, adding an additional year of secondary schooling, and raising education standards, quality, and equity. Poland’s average reading score increased 21 points between 2000 and 2009. By 2015, the country had raised its performance to levels similar to the United States and Norway.

PISA Learning Community Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OECDPISA

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PISA 2018 Timeline of Activities – Public and Private Schools

	March-August 2018	August-October 2018 Pre-assessment Contact	September-November, 2018 Assessment Visit	Benefits
Principal and Teachers	Identify a school coordinator.	Complete an online School Questionnaire on the characteristics of your school. Complete an online Teacher Questionnaire on education and teaching experience.	Complete an online School Questionnaire on the characteristics of your school. Complete an online Teacher Questionnaire on education and teaching experiences.	Represent other similar U.S. schools. Schools will receive $250 for participating. Teachers will receive $25 for completing the teacher questionnaire.
School Coordinator	Select an assessment date convenient for your school. Arrange for the use of a classroom or an alternative quiet space for the assessment. Determine parent notification procedures. Provide a list of eligible students to PISA staff. Provide a list of eligible teachers to PISA staff.	Notify teachers, selected students, and students’ parents of the study and benefits of participating. Coordinate the principal’s completion of the school questionnaire. Coordinate the teachers’ completion of the teacher questionnaire. Confirm the date and location of the assessment for PISA staff. Collect parental consent forms where required and submit to PISA staff.	Arrange assessment space. Help ensure all sampled students attend the assessment. Ensure all sampled students are released from class for the assessment. Meet with PISA staff after the assessment.	Receive U.S. national report with PISA 2018 results. Receive $200 as a thank you for time and effort in coordinating the assessment.
Students			Take the assessment and complete a student questionnaire.	Receive a Certificate of Volunteer Service for 4 hours of community service. Represent other U.S. students like themselves and contribute to the profile of what our nation’s students know and can do. Receive $25 as a thank you for participating.
PISA Staff	Provide school with materials explaining PISA and its importance. Work with the school coordinator to set an assessment date. Safeguard data collected from schools, staff, and students.	Call the school coordinator to discuss assessment day, space, and student participation. Select a random sample of eligible students and teachers to participate. Provide online access information for the teacher and school questionnaires to the school coordinator.	Conduct assessment from start to finish. Furnish all the assessment materials, and computers. Meet with school coordinator after the assessment. Pack up the materials to ensure that the assessments are complete and secure.
Find Out More	http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa

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Teacher Invite Email – Public Schools

Dear [Teacher Name]:

Your school is one of about 250 schools across the United States that are taking part in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. You’ve been selected to participate by completing an online teacher questionnaire about the courses you teach, your teacher training and education, and your views on teaching.

PISA is administered worldwide in order to help participating school systems and countries understand their strengths and areas for improvement, with the ultimate goal of increasing both the quality and equity of education worldwide. As such, PISA fosters engagement among international education systems, allowing teachers, education professionals, and policy experts to compare shared experiences in the global learning community. Participating in PISA presents a unique opportunity to contribute to this vital measurement of U.S. educational progress and collaboration with our economic peers and competitors. If you have any questions about how you were selected for this survey, please contact your PISA school coordinator, «SC_FNAME» «SC_LNAME».

The questionnaire takes about 30 minutes to complete. This information, combined with responses from school principals and students, helps to provide a more complete understanding of student achievement and contexts for learning. Your responses are not linked to student achievement and will not be shared with the school or district.

Shape14 You will receive $25 for completing the questionnaire, if allowed by your school’s or district’s policy. Use the provided link and unique account information below to complete your questionnaire.

Link: https://portal.mypisa.us/TeacherQuestionnaire
Username: «KQID»
Password: «TEACHPWD»

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call 1-888-638-2597 or send an email to PISAHELP@westat.com. You may also get more information about this study by visiting the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa.

Thank you for your time and for supporting this important international study.

Sincerely,

The PISA USA Team

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School PISA Letter – Private Schools

[Date]

[Title] [Name First] [Name Last], [Title/Department]

[School District]

[Address 1]

[City], [State] [Zip code]

Dear [Title] [Name Last]:

The United States is participating in the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). As the largest international education study in the world, PISA measures the reading, mathematics, and science literacy of students nearing the end of compulsory education. The United States and more than 70 other countries and education systems will participate in the next round. PISA results are used by researchers and policymakers to chart national progress against international standards and the educational progress of our global economic peers and competitors. Your school is one of about 250 across the United States that has been randomly selected to take part in the PISA in fall 2018.

Schools participating in PISA will receive $250, and each school’s PISA school coordinator (a school staff person designated to liaise with PISA staff) will receive $200 as a thank you for their time and effort. Selected teachers will receive $25 for completing a questionnaire. Each student who participates will be eligible to receive $25 and a volunteer service certificate of 4 hours from the U.S. Department of Education. NCES will also sponsor a delegate from your school to attend a PISA training workshop in Washington, D.C. during the summer of 2018. In addition, when the national results of the 2018 assessment are released, your school may also receive a school-level report highlighting the performance of students in your school compared to their peers in other private schools, U.S. schools, and high-performing OECD countries (pending sample size and response rate requirements).

Your school’s participation in PISA 2018 is vital to the overall success of the study in the United States. Thank you for your time and for supporting this important international education study.

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

Enclosures

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PISA 2018 Brochure – Private Schools - Front Cover

What is PISA?

Why is PISA important?

Why should private schools participate and what are the benefits?

Each school and student that participates in PISA plays a vital role in representing other schools and students that are similar. It is essential that private schools contribute to this important measurement of educational progress to ensure the U.S. sample reflects the knowledge and skills of all students across the country.

What will schools, students, and teachers be asked to do in PISA 2018?

PISA 2018 has four primary components: (1) a computer-based student assessment, (2) a computer-based student questionnaire (3) an online school questionnaire, and (4) an online teacher questionnaire.

Up to 52 students in each school will be selected to participate in the PISA assessment, which takes about 3 hours, including instructions, breaks, and a questionnaire. Students will answer questions in various combinations of reading, mathematics, science, and financial literacy.

The principal of each school will be asked to appoint a staff member to act as the PISA school coordinator. The school coordinator will work with Westat staff to coordinate the assessment and submit student and teacher lists for sampling. The principal of each school will also be asked to complete a 45-minute online questionnaire about school and student body characteristics and policies.

Up to 25 teachers in each school will be asked to complete a 30-minute online teacher questionnaire about their background, education, and teaching experiences. Participation is voluntary but important for ensuring that the sample is representative of schools and students across the country.

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PISA 2018 Brochure – Private Schools (Continued Inside Cover)

How is PISA developed?

What do PISA questions look like?

Which countries are participating in PISA 2018?*

*As of April 2016.

Where do I find more information?

Visit the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa.

For additional questions about PISA 2018, contact the PISA U.S. home office at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHELP@westat.com.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, conducts the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the United States as authorized by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). All of the information provided by school staff and students may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0755.

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PISA 2018 FAQ for school administrators – Private Schools – Front Page

Program for International Student Assessment

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PISA 2018 (Fall 2018)

Information for Schools

What does participating in PISA entail?

Why should my school and students participate?

What are the benefits to participating?

In addition to receiving a U.S. national report with PISA 2018 results, schools may also receive a school-level report (pending sample size and response rate requirements). The school report presents comparisons of your school’s average scores with the average scores of participating education systems including the United States. The report also provides comparisons of your school with other similar U.S. schools based on specific school-level characteristics. The school report is provided only to your school and any published reports from PISA 2018 will not identify participating schools.

Will all of our students be asked to participate?

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PISA 2018 FAQ for school administrators- Private Schools - Back Page

Who conducts the PISA assessment?

How are teacher and school questionnaires administered?

Will all of our teachers be asked to participate?

Do teachers or other school staff need to help administer the assessment?

When will PISA be conducted?

PISA will be conducted between October 1 and November 23, 2018. Westat will work with schools to identify an assessment date convenient for the school in that time period.

How long does PISA take?

What will happen with the collected data?

Where can I find more information?

Visit the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa. For additional questions about PISA 2018, contact the PISA U.S. home office at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHELP@westat.com.

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PISA 2018 FAQ for Teachers –Private Schools

Program for International Student Assessment

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Information for Teachers

What is PISA?

Why is PISA important?

What will PISA tell us?

What role do teachers have in PISA?

Why should I participate?

How was I selected to take the PISA teacher questionnaire?

How long will it take to complete the PISA teacher questionnaire?

How can I access the PISA teacher questionnaire?

The following browsers are supported by PISA and can be downloaded for free if you do not already have them installed on the computer:

• Firefox: Version 19 and above

• Internet Explorer: Version 8 and above

• Google Chrome: Version 25 and above

• Safari (Mac version): versions 6 and above

What is done with the information you collect from me?

Where can I go for help or technical support?

If you have any questions or experience any difficulties, please contact the PISA U.S. home office at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHelp@westat.com.

For more information on PISA, including results from previous data collections, please visit http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa.

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PISA 2018 FAQ for Students – Private Schools

Program for International Student Assessment

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Information for Students

What is PISA?

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment of students nearing the end of compulsory education that measures how well students apply their knowledge and skills in solving problems in reading, mathematics, science, and financial literacy. Conducted every three years, PISA presents problems that students are likely to encounter in the real world. This fall, students like you from more than 70 countries and education systems, including the United States, will participate in PISA.

Why should I participate in PISA?

• Receive a certificate for 4-hours of volunteer service from the U.S. Department of Education.

• Represent students like you across the country.

Make an important contribution to this global measurement of educational progress by representing other students just like you across the United States.

What subjects are assessed in PISA?

Each student participating in PISA will be assessed in various combinations of the following subjects: reading, mathematics, science, and financial literacy.

How long does PISA take?

The PISA assessment takes approximately 3 hours to complete. This includes time for instructions, the assessment, breaks, and a survey about you.

How did my school get selected to take PISA?

How did I get selected to take PISA?

What types of questions will I see on PISA?

What is done with the information you collect from me?

Where can I find more information?

Visit the PISA website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa. For additional questions about PISA, contact the PISA U.S. home office at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHELP@westat.com.

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PISA for Private Schools Information Sheet

ISA for Private Schools brochure

PISA: Measuring Global Educational Progress

Why PISA Needs Private Schools

Most importantly, private schools are a critical component of the American education system. For PISA to accurately reflect the proficiency of all U.S. students in reading, mathematics, and science literacy, it must include a representative sample of both public and private school students.

What You Get Back

There are concrete benefits for schools, students, and teachers that volunteer to take part, including access to critical school-wide data, incentives, and service time.

Following the release of the assessment results in 2019, participating private schools may receive a detailed school-level report, explaining how students’ performance compares to students in other private schools, the U.S. at large, and international education systems (pending sample and response rate requirements).

Private schools across the U.S. provide students with an education that helps to teach them critical life skills and prepares them for postsecondary education and beyond. But are they able to take what they learn and apply it outside of the classroom? Will they be competitive in the global workforce? How do they stack up against 15-year-olds in Singapore, Finland, or the U.K.? The PISA school-level report helps administrators answer questions like these.

Sections of the school-level report include:

An explanation of what students at your school know and can do in reading, mathematics, and science.
Contextual data that sheds light on students’ reading habits, attitudes to mathematics, and self-belief and interest in science, and if/how these data relate to students’ performance.
Insights into student perceptions of other environmental factors, such as their school’s disciplinary climate and teacher-student relations.

The school report would be provided only to your school and any published reports from PISA 2018 will not identify participating schools.

Additionally, participation in PISA provides professional development opportunities for educators and administrators through the online community at PISA4U.org, including:

Opportunities for collaboration with top-performing classrooms from around the world.
The chance to learn from international education experts.
Resources that can help improve teaching and solve real problems educators face in their daily work.

Where We Are Now: PISA 2015 at a Glance

In 2015, PISA results indicated the following:

The United States’ reading and science literacy scores were not measurably different from the international OECD average.
Nine percent of U.S. students scored at the top proficiency level in science, while 10 percent of students scored at the top proficiency level in reading. These percentages were not measurably different than the OECD average of 8 percent for both science and reading.
U.S. mathematics scores were below the OECD average.
Six percent of U.S. students scored at the top proficiency level in mathematics, which was lower than the OECD average of 11 percent. Twenty-nine percent of U.S. students scored at the lowest proficiency levels in mathematics, which is higher than the OECD average of 23 percent.
The U.S. placed among the top half of participating countries in reading and science, and 38 out of 69 participating education systems in mathematics.
There were measurable gender gaps in all three subjects. U.S. male students scored higher on average in math and science than female students, while U.S. female students scored higher on average in reading.

For more information about PISA in the United States, international data and trends, and collaborative resources, visit:

PISA U.S. Website: https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/

OECD PISA Website: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/

OECD Education Twitter: https://twitter.com/OECDEduSkills

A Catalyst for Reform and a Benchmark for Progress:

The Role of PISA in Education Policy

When results from the 2000 assessment were released, Germany found that more than 1-in-5 of its students were not proficient in reading, and that performance disparities among its poorest and wealthiest students were some of the highest in the OECD. As a result, the country raised its education standards and increased school hours. During the past 15 years, Germany has seen its reading scores increase relative to other OECD countries.
In Brazil, more than half of students scored at the lowest proficiency levels in the 2003 mathematics assessment. The country prioritized reaching average OECD score levels by 2021, and measures its progress based on PISA benchmarks. By 2015, the countries lowest performers had increased their math scores by 34 points.
Prior to 2000, Poland had one of the lowest levels of college attainment among OECD countries, and its eight-year secondary education program wasn’t adequately preparing students for the real world. The country worked to overhaul its education system, adding an additional year of secondary schooling, and raising education standards, quality, and equity. Poland’s average reading score increased 21 points between 2000 and 2009. By 2015, the country had raised its performance to levels similar to the United States and Norway.

PISA Learning Community Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OECDPISA

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Teacher Invite Email – Private Schools

Dear [Teacher Name]:

PISA is administered worldwide in order to help participating school systems and countries understand their strengths and areas for improvement, with the ultimate goal of increasing both the quality and equity of education worldwide. As such, PISA fosters engagement among international education systems, allowing teachers, education professionals, and policy experts to compare shared experiences in the global learning community. Participating in PISA presents a unique opportunity to contribute to this vital measurement of U.S. educational progress and collaboration with our economic peers and competitors. If you have any questions about how you were selected for this survey, please contact your PISA school coordinator, «SC_FNAME» «SC_LNAME».

You will receive $25 for completing the questionnaire, if allowed by your school’s policy. Use the provided link and unique account information below to complete your questionnaire.

Shape25 Link: https://portal.mypisa.us /TeacherQuestionnaire
Username: «KQID»
Password: «TEACHPWD»

Thank you for your time and for supporting this important international study.

Sincerely,

The PISA USA Team

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School Coordinator Email announcing E-Filing for Main Study

Subject: PISA E-Filing open

Attachment: PISA 2018 E-Filing Instructions

Dear,

Thank you for your time and effort working on PISA 2018!

We are pleased to announce that WWW.MYPISA.US is now ready to receive student and teacher electronic listing files (e-files).

The instructions for preparing and submitting your school’s student and teacher listing files are attached to this email. The PISA E-filing Instructions can also be accessed online from the website. Along with the instructions, we’ve prepared a formatted Excel template to make preparing the e-file more convenient.

If you have yet to register on WWW.MYPISA.US, please let us know so we can send you the registration ID for your school.

Reach out to the PISA help desk by phone between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-855-545-1163 or email PISAHelp@westat.com.

Thanks again for your support.

All the best,

The U.S. PISA Team

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Instructions for School Coordinators to E-file student and teacher lists

1. PREPARE ELECTRONIC STUDENT FILE (E-FILE)........................................................ 1

Steps for preparing an Electronic Student File (E-File)........................................................................ 1

Step 1: Identify ALL students at your school who meet the eligibility criteria...................................... 1

Step 2: List each of the eligible students................................................................................................ 1

Submitting your Electronic Student File............................................................................................ 2

Student E-File Step 1: Upload your file..................................................................................................... 3

Student E-File Step 2: Identify your column contents.............................................................................. 4

Student E-File Step 3: Match your values to PISA codes.......................................................................... 5

Student E-File Step 4: Verify your E-File............................................................................................... 6

E-File Complete!.................................................................................................................................... 7

2. PREPARE ELECTRONIC TEACHER FILE (E-FILE) ....................................................... 8

Steps for preparing an Electronic Teacher File (E-File)...................................................................... 8

Step 1: Identify ALL teachers at your school who are eligible to teach 10th grade.................................. 8

Step 2: List each of the eligible teachers................................................................................................. 8

Submitting your Electronic Teacher File............................................................................................ 9

Teacher E-File Step 1: Upload your file................................................................................................. 10

Teacher E-File Step 2: Identify your column contents................................................................................ 11

Teacher E-File Step 3: Match your values to PISA codes............................................................................ 12

Teacher E-File Step 4: Verify your E-File.................................................................................................... 13

E-File Complete!.................................................................................................................................... 14

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 voluntary survey is 1850-0755. The time required to complete this survey is estimated to average no more than 60 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the survey. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this survey, or any comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this survey, please write to: Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), National Center for Education Statistics, Potomac Center Plaza, 550 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20202.

OMB No. 1850-0755, Approval Expires xx/xx/2019.

Preparing the PISA Electronic Student File (E-File)

Step 1: Identify ALL students at your school who meet the eligibility criteria

Criteria for PISA student eligibility are:

Enrolled in Grade 7 or higher, AND
Born on or between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2003.

PISA needs accurate information about all students at your school who meet the above criteria for student eligibility. Include all eligible students, even those who typically may be excluded from other testing programs, such as students with IEPs or 504 plans (SD), English language learners (ELL), or students with limited English proficiency (LEP). If selected, their participation will be determined with the Test Administrator. Do not include on your list students who are known to be withdrawn. All other eligible students must be added to your list of students.

Step 2: List each of the eligible students along with their demographic information (see Figure 1 below for an example)

Using the Excel template provided on the MyPISA.us website (www.MyPISA.us), list students in your school who are eligible for PISA along with their demographic information.

Student first name
Student middle name (not required)
Student last name
Grade in school (Grade 7 – Grade 12 as applicable)
Month of birth (M or MM; must be submitted in numeric format, not text (7 or 07 for July; 6 or 06 for June))
Year of birth (YYYY: 2002, 2003)
Sex (numeric or text (1=Female, 2=Male))

Figure 1: Example of Electronic Student File

Student First Name	Student Last Name	Grade	Month of Birth	Year of Birth	Sex
Ted	Brooks	10	12	2002	2
Jeffrey	Jenkins	9	11	2002	2
Rose	Matthews	10	12	2002	1
Jennifer	Trader	12	5	2003	1
Jose’	Rodriguez	10	5	2003	2
Roy	Zastrow	9	11	2002	2
Sam	Walker	10	7	2002	2
Julie	Walters	9	6	2003	1

Submitting the PISA Electronic Student File (E-File)

Step 1: Upload file. After you have created and saved your student E-File, proceed to www.MyPISA.us. Once you have logged in, click the ‘Submit Student List’ link on the left side of the page (Box 1 below). Then click the “Browse” button to locate your file (box 2 below). Once you’ve located the file and clicked ok, click “Upload” (box 3 below).

Exhibit 1. Submit Student List - initial screen

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Step 2: Map Columns. The column headings in your file are shown in rows on the left side of the page. In each row, for each heading on the left, click on the down arrow next to the words in the table that read "Column Contains..." on the right. If there is no appropriate description in the drop-down list for your column heading, select N/A.

Exhibit 2. Submit Student List – Identify Your Columns

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Step 3: Match Values to PISA Codes. The next step is matching the values on your file to PISA codes. The values in your columns will again be displayed on the left. Select the corresponding PISA code from the drop down list on the right (see exhibit 3). If there is no appropriate description in the drop-down list for your column heading, select N/A. When you are finished matching your values to PISA codes, click next. Repeat the above instructions to assign male/female codes and click next (see exhibit 4).

Exhibit 3. Submit Student List - Match your Values to PISA Codes (grade mapping)

Exhibit 4. Submit Student List - Match your Values to PISA Codes (sex mapping)

Step 4: Verify your E-file. The final step is to verify that the information is correct and submit your file. Check that the distribution of students by grade and sex match the total number of students you submitted. Indicate whether this information is correct and click “Submit.” If the information is incorrect click “Incorrect” and then click on the “Submit Student List” link on the left side of the screen. This will save your progress and exit the current e-file. You can access this file again or upload a new corrected file and start over using the same file upload process described in Step 1.

Exhibit 5. Submit Student List –Verify your E-file

Online Student Data Checks - After you click “Submit” a number of online data validation checks are performed by our programs. These checks include checking the number of listed students against statistical estimates, making sure there is an accurate distribution of students by grade based on statistical estimates, checking that all students included are birth-year eligible (born on or between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003), and checking for any missing data. If the data fail these online checks, you will be presented with a screen that describes the issue, the location of the row(s) in your file that contains the errant data, and will need to correct the file and upload a new version. Exhibit 6 (below) provides an example of a file with missing data. Notice that the affected row is provided for each instance where the check failed. This is designed to help you efficiently locate and ameliorate any issues. Exhibit 7 provides an example of a file where ineligible students were included.

Exhibit 6. Online data check – missing data

Exhibit 7. Online data check – ineligible birth year

Along with the file validation checks, the total number of students is compared to the statistical estimate of eligible students. If there is a 10% or more difference in enrollment, which is typical for most every school, international standards for data collection require that we ask school coordinators for a possible reason. Typical reasons include redistricting, the schools being located within a growing or shrinking community, or near an army base. Exhibit 8 provides a screen shot of the enrollment verification check and comment box. This check does not prohibit you from completing your e-file. Simply provide a comment in the box and continue.

Exhibit 8. Online data check – enrollment verification

If at any time you realize that every eligible student was not listed, you can exit e-filing, correct the file, and upload a new one. If you have any questions or would like to talk with someone about e-filing, please reach out to the PISA help desk by phone between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHELP@westat.com.

Note that neither students nor teachers can be sampled until your student and teacher lists are both submitted.

Preparing the PISA Electronic Teacher File (E-File)

Step 1: Identify ALL teachers at your school who are eligible to teach 10th grade students whether or not they currently do.

Criteria for PISA teacher eligibility are:

All teachers regardless of content specialty qualified to teach 10^th grade students whether or not they currently do.
Teacher-aides, assistants, and other school staff who are not certified to autonomously teach 10^th grade students are not eligible.

PISA needs accurate information about all teachers at your school who are eligible to teach 10^th grade students. In addition to listing all teachers who are eligible to teach 10^th grade students, PISA needs you to identify which ones are currently teaching 10^th grade students and which ones are currently teaching English/language arts.

Teachers who currently teach any 10^th grade students should be indicated as “Yes, teaches 10^th grade” (see exhibit 10 below).
Teachers who currently teach any level of English/language arts (e.g., writing, composition, language and literature, AP English) should be indicated as “Yes, teaches ELA.”

Step 2: List each of the eligible teachers.

Using the electronic listing form template provided on the MyPISA.us website (www.MyPISA.us), list teachers in your school who are eligible for PISA along with their other necessary information.

Teacher first name
Teacher middle name (not required)
Teacher last name
Whether or not they currently teach 10^th grade (20 indicates yes, they teach 10^th grade; 30 indicates they do not)

Whether or not they currently teach an English/language arts course (4 indicates yes, they currently teach English/language arts; 5 indicates they do not)

Exhibit 10. Example Teacher listing Form

Submitting the PISA Electronic Teacher File (E-File)

Step 1: Upload file. After you have created and saved your teacher E-File, proceed to www.MyPISA.us. Once you have logged in, click the ‘Submit Teacher List’ link on the left side of the page (box 1 below) underneath the “Submit Student Link.” Then click the “Browse” button to locate your file (box 2 below). Once you’ve located the file and clicked ok, click “Upload” (box 3 below).

Exhibit 11. Submit Teacher List - initial screen

Shape32 Shape34 Shape33 Shape36 Shape35 Shape37

Exhibit 12. Submit Teacher List – Identify Your Columns

Step 3: Match Values to PISA Codes. The next step is matching the values on your file to PISA codes. The values in your column will again be displayed on the left. Select the corresponding PISA code from the drop down list (see exhibit 13). If there is no appropriate description in the drop-down list for your column heading, select N/A. When you are finished matching your values to PISA codes, click next. Repeat the above instructions to assign ELA codes and click next (see exhibit 14).

Exhibit 13. Submit Teacher List - Match your Values to PISA Codes (Teaches grade 10? mapping)

Exhibit 14. Submit Teacher List - Match your Values to PISA Codes (ELA mapping)

Step 4: Verify your E-file. The final step is to verify that the information is correct and submit your file. Check that the distribution of teachers by “ELA” status and “Teaches grade 10?” status match the total number of teachers you submitted. Indicate whether this information is correct and click “Submit.” If the information is incorrect click “Incorrect” and then click on the “Submit Teacher List” link on the left side of the screen. This will save your progress and exit the current e-file. You can access this file again or upload a new corrected file and start over using the same file upload process described in Step 1.

Exhibit 15. Submit Teacher List –Verify your E-file

Online Teacher Data Checks. Similar to the student data, validation checks are run on the teacher data and the screens are almost identical to the student data check screens. Refer to Exhibits 6 and 7 for pictures of how the checks are displayed on the screen. If there is a difference of 20% or more between the number of teachers provided and the number of teacher expected, international standards for data collection require that we ask school coordinators for a possible reason. Typical reasons include redistricting, the schools being located within a growing or shrinking community or near an army base, budgetary reasons, or school reorganization. Exhibit 15 (above) provides a screen shot of the teacher verification check and comment box. This check does not prohibit you from completing your e-file. Simply provide a comment in the box and continue by indicating that the information is correct and clicking “Submit.”

If at any time you realize that every eligible teacher was not listed, you can exit e-filing, correct the file, and upload a new one by clicking on the “Submit Teacher List” link and uploading a new file. If you have any questions or would like to talk with someone about e-filing, please reach out to the PISA help desk by phone between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-888-638-2597 or email PISAHELP@westat.com.

APPENDIX B-2

CONSENT LETTERS AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Sample Notification Letter 44

Sample Implicit Consent Letter for Parents 45

PISA Implicit Consent Form for Parents 46

Sample Explicit Consent Letter for Parents 47

PISA Explicit Consent Form for Parents 48

FAQ for Parents About PISA 2018 – Public Schools 49

FAQ for Parents About PISA 2018 – Private Schools 51

Sample Notification Letter

SCHOOL LETTERHEAD

Dear Parent or Guardian,

This letter is to inform you about an important international study of student learning being conducted in our school this fall. This study is called the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA. PISA provides important information for internationally benchmarking performance in reading, mathematics, and science of students in the United States nearing the end of compulsory education against their peers in countries around the world.

Our school has accepted an invitation from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education to participate in PISA. A select few of our students born on or between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003, along with your teenager, will take part in this study. The enclosed summary sheet provides some background on PISA, explains what is involved for each student selected to participate in the study, and gives a contact phone number and email address where you can find answers to any questions you might have.

To have an accurate picture of what U.S. students can do, it is critically important that each student selected take part in the study. The PISA assessment is taken on a computer. Also, students will be asked to complete a questionnaire about themselves. I urge you to support this effort by encouraging your teenager to take part; however, participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Previous experience suggests that students enjoy taking part, and all participating students will receive $25 and a certificate from the U.S. Department of Education for 4 hours of volunteer service.

The information provided by students will not be shared with the school. NCES is authorized to conduct PISA by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). All of the information provided by your teenager may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). Students and schools are never identified in any reports. All reported statistics refer to the United States as a whole. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0755.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about this important study.

Sincerely,

Enclosures:

Facts for Parents about PISA

Sample Implicit Consent Letter for Parents

SCHOOL LETTERHEAD

Dear Parent or Guardian,

This letter is to inform you about an important international study of student learning being conducted in our school this fall. This study is called the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA. PISA provides important information for internationally benchmarking performance in reading, mathematics, and science of 15-year-old students in the United States against top countries around the world.

Our school has accepted an invitation from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education, to participate in PISA. A select few of our students born on or between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003, along with your teenager, will take part in this study. The enclosed summary sheet provides some background to PISA, explains what is involved for each student selected to participate in the study, and gives a contact phone number and email address where you can find answers to any questions you might have.

To have an accurate picture of what U.S. students can do, it is important that each student selected takes part in the study. The PISA assessment is taken on a computer. Also, students will be asked to complete a questionnaire about themselves. I urge you to support this effort by encouraging your teenager to take part; however, participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Previous experience suggests that students enjoy taking part, and all participating students will receive $25 and a certificate from the U.S. Department of Education for 4 hours of volunteer service.

The information provided by students will not be shared with the school. NCES is authorized to conduct PISA by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C §9543). All of the information provided by your teenager may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0755. Students and schools are never identified in any reports. All reported statistics refer to the United States as a whole.

If you have an objection to your teenager joining in the PISA activities, please let us know by completing the attached consent form and returning it to the school.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about this important study.

Sincerely,

Enclosures:

Facts for Parents About PISA

Parent/Guardian Consent Form

PISA Implicit Consent Form for Parents

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

Parent/Guardian Consent Form

Your teenager has been asked to participate in an international study of student learning called the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Each student who participates will receive $25 and a volunteer service certificate of 4 hours from the U.S. Department of Education. This assessment will be administered by a team of researchers from Westat, who are operating under contract to the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education.

If you grant permission for your teenager to participate in PISA, you do not need to return this form.

If you do not consent to your teenager’s participation in PISA, please return this form to your teenager’s school as soon as possible.

I do not grant permission for my teenager, _______________________________, to participate in the Program for International Student Assessment.

__________________________________________________________________

(Signature of parent or guardian)

Date of signature: _______/_______/____________

PLEASE PRINT:

Student name: _____________________________________________

School name: ______________________________________________

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY:

Student ID: ________________________________________________

Sample Explicit Consent Letter for Parents

SCHOOL LETTERHEAD

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Our school has accepted an invitation from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education, to participate in PISA. A select few of our students on or born between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003, along with your teenager, will take part in this study. The enclosed summary sheet provides some background to PISA, explains what is involved for each student selected to participate in the study, and gives a contact phone number and email address where you can find answers to any questions you might have.

The information provided by students will not be shared with the school. NCES is authorized to conduct PISA by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). All of the information provided by your teenager may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0755. Students and schools are never identified in any reports. All reported statistics refer to the United States as a whole.

Before we can allow your teenager to participate in PISA we must have your written consent. Please complete the attached form and return it to the school.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about this important study and considering your teenager’s participation in it.

Sincerely,

Enclosures:

Facts for Parents About PISA

Parent/Guardian Consent Form

PISA Explicit Consent Form for Parents

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

Parent/Guardian Consent Form

Your teenager has been asked to participate in an international study of student learning called the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Each student who participates will receive $25 and a volunteer service certificate of 4 hours from the U.S. Department of Education. This assessment will be administered by a team of researchers from Westat who are operating under contract to the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education.

Shape41

Yes, I grant permission for my teenager to participate in PISA.

Shape42

No, I do not grant permission for my teenager to participate in PISA.

__________________________________________________________________

(Signature of parent or guardian)

Date of signature: _______/_______/____________

PLEASE PRINT:

Student name: _____________________________________________

School name: ______________________________________________

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY:

Student ID: ________________________________________________

FAQ for Parents About PISA 2018 – Public Schools

Facts for Parents

About PISA

Between October and November of this year, your teenager’s school will be one of about 250 nationwide taking part in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. Schools were selected randomly to represent the nation’s schools and, within each school, up to 52 students were selected randomly to take part. Your teenager was among those students selected to take part in the study.

What is PISA?

PISA is the world’s largest international assessment that measures student learning in reading, mathematics, and science. More than 70 countries and education systems representing more than 90 percent of the world’s economy participate in PISA, which is coordinated through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The assessment occurs every 3 years (2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018) and provides information about how students in the U.S. compare in achievement with students in other countries. The National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education conducts PISA in the United States as authorized by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543).

Why is PISA important?

How did my teenager and their school get selected for PISA?

The schools that participate in PISA in the United States are randomly selected from a list of all schools in the country that enroll students born on or between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003 and in grade 7 or higher. This is done to ensure that U.S. participants accurately represent the entire population of eligible students in the United States and not just particular types of schools or groups of students.

The only criteria for students to be eligible to be selected for PISA are being born in the specific birth date range and being enrolled in grade 7 or higher. From a list of all eligible students provided by your school, up to 52 students are randomly selected to participate. Every eligible student enrolled in a PISA-selected school has an equal chance of being selected. Students in other countries are selected in exactly the same way to make sure each country is fairly represented and no country is advantaged or disadvantaged because of the types of schools or groups of students selected.

Why should I encourage my teenager to participate?

Each school and student who participates plays an important role in representing other schools and students that are similar to them. It’s vital that students in every kind of education system and environment—including public and private schools—contribute to PISA to ensure the U.S. sample is an accurate reflection of educational progress across the country. Only about 6,000 students will have the unique opportunity to participate in PISA in the United States. How often will your teenager have the opportunity to represent our country? Participating is an opportunity to have an impact on the bigger picture of education in the United States and around the globe.

What is involved?

PISA staff will visit the school and administer the assessment. The assessment will take approximately 3 hours; it includes time for instructions, the assessment, breaks, and a questionnaire that students complete about themselves.

What are the benefits?

The nation as a whole benefits from PISA by having a greater understanding of how the knowledge and skills of U.S. students compare with their peers in other countries. Schools that participate in PISA will receive $250, and each student who participates will receive $25 and a certificate from the U.S. Department of Education for 4 hours of volunteer service.

What is done with the information you collect from my teenager?

PISA is not designed to produce individual scores and your teenager’s individual performance is not shared with teachers, the school, or the district in any way. Student responses are combined with other student responses and are only used for statistical purposes. The data collected for PISA will be used to report on students’ knowledge and skills as group descriptions at the national level. All of the information provided by your teenager may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this data collection under OMB# 1850-0755.

Where can I find out more about PISA?

More information about PISA is available at the PISA website at http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa. If you have specific questions you can call PISA staff at 1-888-638-2597 or email us at PISAHelp@westat.com.

FAQ for Parents About PISA 2018 – Private Schools

Facts for Parents

About PISA

What is PISA?

Why is PISA important?

How did my teenager and their school get selected for PISA?

Why should I encourage my teenager to participate?

What is involved?

What are the benefits?

What is done with the information you collect from my teenager?

Where can I find out more about PISA?

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Author	Bill DeBaun
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