Change Memo

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Center for Education Statistics

December 9, 2021

MEMORANDUM

To: Dominic Mancini, Acting Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

From: Peggy Carr, NCES

Through: Carrie Clarady, NCES

Re: Emergency Clearance Request for School Pulse Panel Winter Collections Revision (v. 7)

The purpose of this memo is to request an emergency review under 5 CFR 1320.13(a) to collect voluntary responses from a nationally representative sample of public schools to better understand how schools, students, and educators are responding to the ongoing stressors of the coronavirus pandemic through the collection of the School Pulse Panel (SPP). In October, the SPP was suspended for the months of October, November, and December due to low response rates for the first month of the collection (OMB 1850-0963 v6). During that pause, the Institute of Education Sciences used that time to redesign the study to improve response rates. A primary strategy for that was to reduce burden in each month’s collection and to rotate content to address data needs of the agencies across months. Additionally, we are actively recruiting schools in a more comprehensive manner in order to start the January collection with a more robust, committed panel of schools. The SPP study itself is extremely important particularly now that COVID-19 has not waned, and the pulse model is one that the agency will need after the pandemic subsides for other quick-turnaround data needs.

The SPP monthly data collection was originally cleared under emergency review under 5 CFR 1320.13(a) (OMB 1850-0963 v5). NCES requested emergency clearance to allow us to comply with the January 21, 2021 EO 14000 Executive Order on Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers which states that the Secretary of Education must “coordinate with the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences to facilitate, consistent with applicable law, the collection of data necessary to fully understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and educators, including data on the status of in-person learning. These data shall be disaggregated by student demographics, including race, ethnicity, disability, English-language-learner status, and free or reduced lunch status or other appropriate indicators of family income.” The SPP intends to continue to collect this critical information, along with other priority items for the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Education program offices, throughout the 2022 calendar year.

Normal clearance procedures would not allow IES to comply with the intent of this EO. Because this data collection is extremely high priority and time sensitive, it will undergo Emergency Clearance. It will not go through a 60-day public comment period and will only undergo a 30-day public comment period after clearance has been granted. NCES has also submitted a parallel ICR package to undergo the usual 60-day and 30-day clearance processes so that data collection can continue beyond the expiration of the emergency clearance. In order to extend this research beyond the 6 months allowed for research activities cleared under 5 CFR 1320.13(a), NCES has simultaneously publish a Federal Register Notice soliciting both 60-day and 30-day public comment on this collection concurrent with data collection. Furthermore, we anticipate that new content will be rotated in (and some rotated out) on a monthly basis. Moving forward, we plan to submit requests for new content quarterly to OMB for 30-day public comment.

The costs to the government have not changed as a result of this amendment. This package includes responses to public comments from a previous submission (OMB# 1850-0963 v4). Updates to supporting documents are detailed below. Planned communication materials and items to be collected in January, February, and March are provided in Appendices A and B and below. The table below outlines planned topic areas for each month.

Proposed schedule as of 11/16/21

Modules	Total # of Items*
January
Learning Mode	15
Quarantine	23
Staffing	10
February
Learning Mode [Subset of Learning Mode items]	15 [3]
Subset of Quarantine items	6 [2]
Staffing?	10
Mitigation	39
Food-Related	12
Suggestions for Future Items	1
March
Learning Mode [Subset of Learning Mode items]	15 [3]
Subset of Quarantine items	6 [2]
Internet/Technology	6
Parent Concerns	11
Suggestions for Future Items	1

*Total number of items DOES NOT include skip pattern logic, so in most cases, the number of items respondents would see for a given section is fewer than the amount listed here. Sizes of subsets of Learning Mode and Quarantine items in February and March will be guided by previous findings and the needs of stakeholders and will be determined at the time. We do not anticipate that decision to affect respondent burden.

Enrollment Items may take the place of any or all modules for a particular month, pending directions from the White House or Office of the Secretary

Changes to Part A

A.1 Circumstances Making Collection of Information Necessary

This is an emergency request to collect voluntary responses from a nationally representative sample of public schools to better understand how schools, students, and educators are responding to the ongoing stressors of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the third second of two emergency requests that will be required to allow the new School Pulse Panel study to begin data collection on time in January of 2022 to satisfy the requirements of EO 14000.

The School Pulse Panel is a new study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), within the United States Department of Education, to collect extensive data on issues concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and staff in U.S. public primary, middle, high, and combined-grade schools. The survey will ask school staff about topics such as instructional mode offered; enrollment counts of subgroups of students using various instructional modes; strategies to address pandemic-related learning needs; safe and healthy school mitigation strategies; mental health services; use of technology; and information on staffing, nutrition services, and parental concerns. Because this data collection is extremely high priority and time sensitive, it will undergo Emergency Clearance. It will also simultaneously go through 60-day public and 30-day public comment periods. Furthermore, we anticipate that some new content will be rotated in (and some rotated out) on a quarterly monthly basis. We have items developed for the January, February, and March collections. Therefore, We plan for proposed new content to be collected in the second quarter April, May, and June (December through February) to be added as part of the 30-day public comment period. Subsequent new content additions (estimated to take place on a quarterly basis) will take place as revisions with 30-day public comment periods for each subsequent quarterly collection.

A.1.1 Purpose of This Submission

The purpose of this submission is to obtain clearance to begin the School Pulse Panel study which will collect extensive data on issues concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and staff in U.S. public primary, middle, high, and combined-grade schools. The survey will ask school staff about topics such as instructional mode offered; enrollment counts of subgroups of students using various instructional modes; strategies to address pandemic-related learning needs; safe and healthy school mitigation strategies; mental health services; use of technology; and information on staffing, nutrition services, and parental concerns. Specifically, this submission will include communication materials to request sampled schools to participate in the monthly collections, as well as the instrument that will be administered for the first three months of collections.

A.1.4 Study Design

The U.S. Census Bureau will collect the School Pulse Panel data on behalf of NCES. The School Pulse Panel will be a self-administered, online survey (as built in Qualtrics). It is estimated for the survey to require, on average, about 30 minutes of school staff time.

The sampled school will be offered a reimbursement of $400 a month for their participation in the study over the course of 12 months. The reimbursement will be paid out quarterly in the form of a debit cards and will be prorated to include the dollar amount that reflects the number of months of participation for that quarter. Additionally, a non-monetary incentive (tote bag) will may be sent to sampled schools as part of the January or February one of the recruitment communications. If a school district does not permit its schools to receive any form of incentive, the reimbursement will be sent to a point of contact in the district or the reimbursement and any non-monetary incentives will be withheld. Principals, or the school staff most knowledgeable about COVID-19 impacts on the school environment and instructional offerings, can complete the survey, however it is encouraged for school staff to seek assistance in responding from other school staff or district staff to help reduce burden. No classroom time is involved in the completion of this survey.

The School Pulse Panel will provide aggregate estimates for public schools across the nation. A stratified sample design was used to select approximately 1,200 U.S. public schools. In addition, a reserve sample of an additional 1,200 replacement schools was selected to boost the number of responses if any schools from the initial sample do not respond. The sample is designed to provide national estimates of primary, middle, and high schools taking into account the type of locale (urbanicity) and racial/ethnic student enrollment.

A.9 Provision of Payments or Gifts to Respondents

The sampled school will be offered a reimbursement of $400 for their participation in the study over the course of 12 months. The reimbursement will be paid out quarterly in the form of a debit cards and will be prorated to include the dollar amount that reflects the number of months of participation for that quarter. Additionally, a non-monetary incentive (tote bag) will may be sent to sampled schools as part of the January or February one of the recruitment communications. If a school district does not permit its schools to receive any form of incentive, the reimbursement will be sent to a point of contact in the district or the reimbursement and any non-monetary incentives will be withheld.

Changes to Part B

The U.S. Census Bureau will collect the School Pulse Panel (SPP) data on behalf of NCES. Data collection will be a self-administered, online survey. It is estimated for the survey to require, on average, 30 minutes of school staff time each month. The sampled school will be offered a reimbursement of $400 for their participation in the study over the course of 12 months. The reimbursement will be paid out quarterly in the form of a debit cards and will be prorated to include the dollar amount that reflects the number of months of participation for that quarter. Additionally, a non-monetary incentive (tote bag) will may be in the January or February one of the recruitment communications. If a school district does not permit its schools to receive any form of incentive, the reimbursement will be sent to a point of contact in the district or the reimbursement and any non-monetary incentives will be withheld. Principals, other school staff most knowledgeable about COVID-19 impacts on the school environment and instructional offerings, and district staff can help complete the survey. No classroom time is involved in the completion of this survey.

B2. Procedures for the Collection of Information

The School Pulse Panel data collection will begin in September of 2021. The U.S. Census Bureau, acting as a contractor for NCES, will handle the data collection. Starting in September, each sampled school will receive an email notifying them of the full survey, which will include information necessary to complete the online questionnaire. Respondents will have a two-week window to respond to the survey. Reminder emails will be sent during the data collection window. Data will be formally reviewed for disclosure prevention and released a several weeks after data collection ends for that month. This will be repeated monthly through August of 2022.

Due to a low response rate for the September collection, NCES plans to put the monthly collection on hold until January to focus on recruitment and building a more robust panel with committed schools.

Over the course of November and December, NCES restarted recruiting sampled schools by informing them of the reduced burden for the survey and requesting for them to complete a screener that captures pertinent information regarding contact materials and a mailing address for the debit cards. The response to this screener will be a way of capturing committed schools for the upcoming monthly collections that will resume in January, 2022. For January and subsequent months, respondents will have a two-week window to respond to the survey. An initial invitation email and reminder emails will be sent during this timeframe. After data collection has ended, the data will go through minimal data quality checks and will be released on a dashboard within 3-4 weeks of the end of collection.

Drawing the Sample

The samples of schools were drawn in the summer preceding data collection. Many districts (known as “special contact districts”) require research applications to be submitted and reviewed for approval before contact can be made with schools within their districts. Special contact district outreach was cleared in July (latest change request in August, OMB# 1850-0963 v.3) and recruitment has continued through August, 2021.

B3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates

NCES is committed to obtaining a high response rate in the SPP. In general, a key to achieving a high response rate is to track the response status of each sampled school, with telephone follow-up, as well as follow-up by e-mail, of those schools that do not respond promptly. To help track response status, survey responses will be monitored through an automated receipt control system. Telephone interviews will be conducted only by Census Bureau interviewers who have received training in general telephone interview techniques as well as specific training for SPP.

It is estimated that the survey will require, on average, about 30 minutes of school staff time each month. To encourage study participation, the sampled school will be offered a reimbursement of $400 a month for their participation in the study over the course of 12 months and will may be sent a tote bag as a token of appreciation as part of the January or February a monthly mailout.

B5. Individuals Responsible for Study Design and Performance

Several key staff responsible for the study design and performance of the School Pulse Panel. They are:

• Rachel Hansen, Project Director, National Center for Education Statistics

• Michelle McNamara, National Center for Education Statistics

• Rebecca Bielamowicz, National Center for Education Statistics

• Ryan Iaconelli, National Center for Education Statistics

• Cassandra Logan, U.S. Census Bureau

• Elke McLaren, U.S. Census Bureau

• Aaron Gilary, U.S. Census Bureau

• Alfred Meier, U.S. Census Bureau

• Kathleen Kephart, U.S. Census Bureau

• Jessica Holzberg, U.S. Census Bureau

Changes to Appendices

New Additions to Appendix A – Monthly Contact Materials

(All contact materials in this section will be updated with new dates every month and may also be used for additional reminder communications)

January Letter – Previous Respondents

Dear [POSITION] of [SCHOOL_NAME]:

Thank you for your previous response and commitment to the School Pulse Panel. This letter is your January survey invitation. As we mentioned a few months ago, starting this month the survey has been shortened and will take 30 minutes or less. Your school will receive $400 for each month that you complete the survey. The U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistic (NCES) need to hear about the challenges your school is facing this month during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please take this abbreviated, 30-minute survey by visiting the following link and entering your User ID:

[URL]

User ID: XXXXXXXX

You should also have received an email invitation that contains this link and User ID. Please submit your response no later than January 24, 2022. If you have already responded for the month of January, thank you. You may disregard this notice.

We understand the pandemic has placed exceptional demands on your school, staff, and students. To better understand this, we are interested in hearing more about your experiences. By participating in the Panel, the experiences of your school and other schools will be used to inform policy and funding decisions that will address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please be assured that by Federal mandate we are required to protect the responses of all schools included in the Panel. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports, and your individual responses will not be identifiable.

To learn more about the School Pulse Panel, visit www.census.gov/schoolpulse or you may also call 1-844-868-3661 if you have questions. As we prepare the inaugural data release, please feel free to review data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Monthly School Survey that was administered in spring 2021: https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/. This collection served as the predecessor to the School Pulse Panel and captured similar critical information for the 2020-2021 school year.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.
Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
U.S. Department of Education

January Letter – Nonrespondents

Dear [POSITION] of [SCHOOL_NAME]:

Over the past few months, your school has been sent information about participating in the School Pulse Panel study. The U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistic (NCES) need to hear about the challenges your school is facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting this month, the survey has been shortened to take 30 minutes or less. Your school will receive $400 for each month that you complete the survey.

Please take this abbreviated, 30-minute survey by visiting the following link and entering your User ID:

[URL]

User ID: XXXXXXXX

You should also have received an email invitation that contains this link and User ID. Please submit your response no later than January 24, 2022. If you have questions or need assistance, you may call 1-844-868-3661.

If you have already responded for the month of January, thank you. You may disregard this notice.

We understand the pandemic has placed exceptional demands on your school, staff, and students. To better understand this, we are interested in hearing more about your experiences. By participating in the Panel, the experiences of your school and other schools will be used to inform policy and funding decisions that will address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please be assured that by Federal mandate we are required to protect the responses of all schools included in the Panel. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports, and your individual responses will not be identifiable.

To learn more about the School Pulse Panel, visit www.census.gov/schoolpulse. As we prepare the inaugural data release, please feel free to review data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Monthly School Survey that was administered in spring 2021: https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/. This collection served as the predecessor to the School Pulse Panel and captured similar critical information for the 2020-2021 school year.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.
Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
U.S. Department of Education

Invitation Email – Previous Respondents

Dear [POSITION] of [SCHOOL_NAME]:

Thank you for your previous response and commitment to the School Pulse Panel. The U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistic (NCES) need to continue to hear about the challenges your school is facing!

• This email contains your January survey invitation.

• The survey has been shortened and will take 30 minutes or less.

• Your school will receive $400 for each month that you complete the survey.

• Please take this abbreviated, 30-minute survey by visiting the following link and entering your User ID:

[URL]

User ID: XXXXXXXX

Please respond by January 24^th. If you have already responded for the month of January, thank you. You may disregard this notice.

Please be assured that by Federal mandate we are required to protect the responses of all schools included in the Panel.

To learn more about the School Pulse Panel, visit www.census.gov/schoolpulse or you may also call 1-844-868-3661 if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.
Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
U.S. Department of Education

Reminder Email 1 – Previous Respondents

Dear [POSITION] of [SCHOOL_NAME]:

The National Center for Education Statistics is seeking your participation in the School Pulse Panel survey. We understand you are busy during these challenging times, but your participation will help ensure that the experiences of schools like yours inform future policy and funding decisions.

Your school will receive $400 for each month that you complete the survey. Please complete the School Pulse Panel January survey by 01/24/2021. The survey will take 30 minutes or less. You can complete the survey by visiting the following link and entering your User ID:

[URL]

User ID: XXXXXXXX

Please be assured that we are required by federal mandate to protect the responses of all schools included in the Panel, and your responses will not be identifiable.

To learn more about the School Pulse Panel, visit www.census.gov/schoolpulse or call 1-844-868-3661.

Thank you for your consideration of this important initiative!

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph. D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Reminder 2 Email – Previous Respondents

Dear [POSITION] of [SCHOOL_NAME]:

This is our final reminder to complete the School Pulse Panel summer survey by 1/24/22. We understand you are busy during these challenging times, but your participation will help ensure that the experiences of schools like yours inform future policy and funding decisions.

Your school will receive $400 for each month that you complete the survey. Please complete the School Pulse Panel January survey by the end of the day today. The survey will take 30 minutes or less. You can complete the survey by visiting the following link and entering your User ID:

[URL]

User ID: XXXXXXXX

Please be assured that we are required by federal mandate to protect the responses of all schools included in the Panel, and your responses will not be identifiable.

To learn more about the School Pulse Panel, visit www.census.gov/schoolpulse or call 1-844-868-3661.

Thank you for your consideration of this important initiative!

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph. D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Invitation Email – Nonrespondents

Dear [POSITION] of [SCHOOL_NAME]:

The U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistic (NCES) need to hear about the challenges your school is facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Starting this month, the survey has been shortened to take 30 minutes or less.

• Your school will receive $400 for each month that you complete the survey.

• Please take this abbreviated, 30-minute survey by visiting the following link and entering your User ID:

[URL]

User ID: XXXXXXXX

Please respond by January 24^th. If you have already responded for the month of January, thank you. You may disregard this notice. If you have questions or need assistance, you may call 1-844-868-3661.

Please be assured that by Federal mandate we are required to protect the responses of all schools included in the Panel.

To learn more about the School Pulse Panel, visit www.census.gov/schoolpulse.

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D.
Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
U.S. Department of Education

Reminder 1 Email – Nonrespondents

Dear [POSITION] of [SCHOOL_NAME]:

This is a reminder to please complete the School Pulse Panel January survey by 01/24/2021 about your school’s experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your school will receive $400 for each month that you complete the survey, including this month.

• Please take this abbreviated, 30-minute survey by visiting the following link and entering your User ID:

[URL]

User ID: XXXXXXXX

• If you need help or have questions, you may visit www.census.gov/schoolpulse or call 1-844-868-3661.

• The information you provide will be an invaluable resource to guide response and recovery from this unprecedented period for our schools.

• We understand the pandemic has placed exceptional demands on your school, staff and students. The information your school and other schools provide will be used to help make policy and funding decisions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Responses for your school will be protected and will not be publicly released in an identifiable form.

As we prepare the inaugural data release, please feel free to review data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Monthly School Survey that was administered in spring 2021. This collection served as the predecessor to the School Pulse Panel and captured similar critical information for the 2020-2021 school year: https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/.

Thank you for your consideration of this important initiative and we look forward to your school’s participation in January!

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph. D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Reminder 2 Email – Nonrespondents

Dear [POSITION] of [SCHOOL_NAME]:

The National Center for Education Statistics is seeking your participation in the School Pulse Panel survey. We understand you are busy during these challenging times, but your participation will help ensure that the experiences of schools like yours inform future policy and funding decisions.

Your school will receive $400 for each month that you complete the survey. Please complete the School Pulse Panel January survey by 01/24/2021. The survey will take 30 minutes or less. You can complete the survey by visiting the following link and entering your User ID:

[URL]

User ID: XXXXXXXX

Please be assured that we are required by federal mandate to protect the responses of all schools included in the Panel, and your responses will not be identifiable.

To learn more about the School Pulse Panel, visit www.census.gov/schoolpulse or call 1-844-868-3661.

Thank you for your consideration of this important initiative!

Sincerely,

Peggy Carr, Ph. D.

Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Updated FAQ/Brochure (images of updated brochure below)

What is the School Pulse Panel?

The School Pulse Panel is a monthly survey completed by a small group of schools to help education leaders understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education across the country. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is conducting this study with other federal agencies.

Every student in America deserves a high-quality education in a safe environment. This promise, which was already out of reach for too many, has been further threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are asking you and your school to participate in a study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The study is the School Pulse Panel, and the information you provide is essential to understanding the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 education – especially as new variants and challenges emerge.

Why should my school participate?

Your participation ensures that your school is included in important decisions regarding resource allocation as the country recovers from the pandemic. Your school’s responses provide national, state, and local education leaders with the information needed to make evidence-based decisions about policy and supporting recovery efforts. The ability of NCES to provide this valuable, real-time information is contingent upon the voluntary participation of selected schools like yours. The panel will not only help make decisions today but can also serve as a benchmark of the impact of the pandemic and changes to education policy for years to come. Each school in the School Pulse Panel sample was selected to represent schools with similar characteristics, making your participation critical. Beginning in January 2022, your school will be asked to complete a brief 30-minute survey every month for up to 12 months.

For each month of participation, the school will be offered $400. For most schools, these reimbursements will be paid out quarterly to you in the form of a debit card.

When will I be able to learn about the findings?

You will be able to learn about the findings in a matter of weeks. NCES will release reports 2-3 weeks after each monthly collection via an online dashboard, similar to the dashboard available at http://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/. This example features information on learning opportunities offered by schools that were selected for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). School Pulse Panel survey results will build on what NCES learned from this spring 2021 data collection.

Who completes the monthly survey? How much time does it take?

District and school staff can share this responsibility and work together to complete the online survey. Total response time each month is expected to take no more than 2-4 hours from September 2021 until August 2022. The data collection window will span two weeks each month.

Due to the higher burden of this collection, participating schools will receive up to $5,000 for regularly completing the monthly survey. Compensation will be sent to the school district in the form of a debit card, which is to be distributed to the school. The card will have $1,250 added to it after the first three monthly survey submissions, and the same amount will be added.

What topics are included in the survey?

You will provide information on the following topics, focusing on how COVID-19 has affected schools. Survey content may change slightly on a quarterly basis.

How is the information being collected?

The School Pulse Panel is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The U.S. Census Bureau is collecting the information on behalf of NCES. The U.S. Census Bureau will combine individual responses with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports. Data collected will be used for statistical purposes only, and reports of the survey findings will not identify schools or districts by name.

Where can I find more information?

Visit www.census.gov/schoolpulse to learn more about the School Pulse Panel. For general questions, contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-844-868-3661 or via e-mail at addp.school.pulse.panel@census.gov.

How do I participate?

Your participation begins in January 2022 – and then every month for up to 12 months. Each school will designate a point of contact that will be responsible for completing the survey. Your school’s designated point of contact will receive an invitation to complete the School Pulse Panel survey via email. The email will include a link to the survey, which should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Census Bureau is collecting the information. A new survey invitation will be issued each month from the email address addp.school.pulse.panel@census.gov.

All participation is voluntary.

Does the person completing the School Pulse Panel have to be the principal?

No. We initially identified the principal at each school as the School Pulse Panel point of contact, but you are welcome to delegate completion of the survey to another staff member who is knowledgeable about student enrollment and other programs at the school.

Will you ask the same questions every month?

Some questions may remain on the survey from month to month to detect how schools are experiencing and adapting to change. Other questions may rotate in and out. Topics may include instructional mode, enrollment counts of subgroups of students, pandemic-related learning needs, virus spread mitigation strategies, services offered for students and staff, technology use or information on staffing.

Other important information

Please be assured that by federal mandate we are required to protect the responses of all schools included in our survey. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports. No teacher or student time is required to complete the survey.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the study, contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-844-868-3661 or via e-mail at addp.school.pulse.panel@census.gov. The Census Bureau is collecting the data for NCES.

Web Instrument Log-in Screenshot

Note: These pages will be updated upon complete of user acceptance testing of the instrument which is happening now. The text will remain the same, with the following exceptions:

• The time estimate for the information collection will be updated to 2-3 hours 30 minutes

• The OMB control number and expiry date will be updated upon emergency clearance

New Additions to Appendix B

Proposed schedule as of 11/16/21

Modules	Total # of Items*
January
Learning Mode	15
Quarantine	23
Staffing	10
February
Learning Mode [Subset of Learning Mode items]	15 [3]
Subset of Quarantine items	6 [2]
Staffing?	10
Mitigation	39
Food-Related	12
Suggestions for Future Items	1
March
Learning Mode [Subset of Learning Mode items]	15 [3]
Subset of Quarantine items	6 [2]
Internet/Technology	6
Parent Concerns	11
Suggestions for Future Items	1

*Total number of items DOES NOT include skip pattern logic, so in most cases, the number of items respondents would see for a given section is fewer than the amount listed here. Sizes of subsets of Learning Mode and Quarantine items in February and March will be guided by previous findings and the needs of stakeholders and will be determined at the time. We do not anticipate that decision to affect respondent burden.

Enrollment Items may take the place of any or all modules for a particular month, pending directions from the White House or Office of the Secretary

Questionnaire Items

Learning Mode Items

* indicates item is part of the Subset of Learning Mode Items that may be assessed monthly

*LEARNING1 1-1A. As of today, does your school offer full-time, in-person learning for any students? Full-time, in-person learning refers to students learning in the school building every day of the school week full-time. Include students who take remote classes while in the school building.

• Yes

• No

(Display if LEARNING1 1-1A=1) LEARNING2 1-1b. As of today, was full-time, in-person learning offered to all students or only some students?

• All students

• Some students

(Display if LEARNING2 1-1B = SOME STUDENTS) LEARNING3 1-1c. As of today, which students were offered full-time, in-person learning? Select all that apply.

• Students in certain grades

• Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) - not including students with 504 plans

• Economically disadvantaged students (such as those who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch)

• English Learner (EL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) students

• Students experiencing homelessness

• Migrant students

*LEARNING5 1-2a. As of today, does your school offer full-time, remote learning for any students because of the COVID-19 pandemic? Remote learning refers to students using online and/or paper materials to learn only from home or a location other than the school building. Include students who come into the building only for state testing or who come in for services no more than one day a month.

• Yes

• No

(Display if LEARNING5 1-2a = NO) LEARNING6 1-2b. As of today, does your district offer a full-time, remote academy or school because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

(Display if LEARNING5 1-2a = YES) LEARNING7 1-2c. Are students who attend the district remote academy or school still enrolled at your school?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

(Display if LEARNING5 1-2a or LEARNING7 1-2c = YES) LEARNING8 1-2d. As of today, was remote learning offered to all students or some students?

• All students

• Some students

(Display if LEARNING8 1-2d = SOME STUDENTS) LEARNING9 1-2e. As of today, which students were offered full-time, remote learning? Select all that apply.

• Students in certain grades

• Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) - not including students with 504 plans

• Economically disadvantaged students (such as those who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch)

• English Learner (EL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) students

• Students experiencing homelessness

• Migrant students

*LEARNING11 1-3a. As of today, does your school offer a hybrid of remote and in-person learning for any students because of the COVID-19 pandemic? Hybrid remote and in-person learning refers to students who are in the school building for less than a full school day or full school week on a regular basis. These students come into school for some days or classes but also stay at home for some days or classes.

• Yes

• No

(Display if LEARNING11 1-3a = YES) LEARNING12 1-3b. As of today, was hybrid of remote and in-person learning offered to all students or some students?

• All students

• Some students

(Display if LEARNING11 1-3B = SOME STUDENTS) LEARNING13 1-3c. As of today, which students were offered a hybrid of remote and in-person learning? Select all that apply.

• Students in certain grades

• Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) - not including students with 504 plans

• Economically disadvantaged students (such as those who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch)

• English Learner (EL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) students

• Students experiencing homelessness

• Migrant students

(Display if LEARNING11 1-3a = YES) LEARNING15 1-3e. How many days a week does your school offer in-person instruction for hybrid students?

(Display if LEARNING15 1-3e > 5) LEARNING16 1-3f. You indicated that your school offers in-person instruction more than 5 days a week for hybrid students. Is this because the school is open every day, but students have different schedules which allow them to attend school in person on alternate days or weeks?

• Yes

• No

LEARNING17 1-4. Some schools offer instruction in which students learn in person in the school building while the instructor teachers from another location and not in the same classroom as students. As of today, does your school offer this type of learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic? Exclude remote learning courses that were offered before the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Yes

• No

(Display if LEARNING1 1-1a, LEARNING5 1-2a, & LEARNING11 1-3a = NO) LEARNING18 1-5. You indicated that your school is not offering in-person, remote, or hybrid learning as of today. Would you briefly explain how your school is operating below? Please also note if your school is closed because of COVID-19. If your school is closed or not operating in any of the modes inquired above, you do not need to complete the remainder of this survey.

Quarantine Items

* indicates item is part of the Subset of Quarantine Items assessed monthly.

** indicates item is part of [smaller] Subset of Quarantine items assessed monthly.

If QUAR1 = No, no other Quarantine items are displayed

(Display if LEARNING1 1-1a or LEARNING11 1-3a = YES) *Quar1. As of today, do you have a formal policy that indicates when students are required to stay home and not allowed to attend school in person for reasons related to COVID-19? This could be because they display COVID-19-like symptoms, have potentially been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or have tested positive for COVID-19.

• Yes

• No

MITIGATION18 4-13b. Which of the following are included in your school’s quarantine policy? Select all that apply.

• A definition of what counts as a potential exposure to COVID-19

• Requirements about who must be contacted in the event of a potential exposure to COVID-19

• Requirements about the length of time that exposed students or staff must remain out of the school building

• Requirements for COVID-19 testing of potentially exposed students and staff

• Requirements about when an entire classroom or school must quarantine

• Any exceptions in the policy for vaccinated individuals

• Other requirements

• Unsure what is included in policy

MITIGATION19 4-13c. Does this policy apply to any potential exposure to COVID-19, or only to exposures that occur within the school setting?

• Any potential exposure

• Only exposures that occur within the school setting

• Don’t know

*Quar2. Does your school have a way of tracking which students are required to stay home and not attend school in person for reasons related to COVID-19? This could be because they display COVID-19-like symptoms, have potentially been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or have tested positive for COVID-19.

• Yes

• No

*Quar3. Have students in your school been required to stay home and not attend school in person for any of the following reasons? Select all that apply.

• Student displayed COVID-19-like symptoms

• Student was potentially exposed to someone with COVID-19

• Student tested positive for COVID-19

• None of the above

*Quar4. Does your school have a way of tracking which students have received the COVID-19 vaccine?

• Yes

• No

(Display if Quar3 ≠ NONE OF THE ABOVE) **Quar5a. Today (or the most recent day you have information), are any students currently at home and not allowed to attend school in person because they have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, displayed COVID-19 like symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

(Display if Qua5 = YES) **Quar5b. Today (or the most recent day you have information), how many students are currently at home and not allowed to attend school in person because they have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, displayed COVID-19 like symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID-19?

students

(Display if Quar3 ≠ NONE OF THE ABOVE) Quar6. What type of instruction is offered to students who are required to stay home and not attend school in person because they have potentially exposed to COVID-19, displayed COVID-19 like symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID-19?

• Full-time remote learning or remote academy/school

• Paper worksheets and packets only

• No formal instruction is offered to these students

• Other, please specify: __________________

Quar7. Does your school’s policy on when students are required to stay home and not attend school differ for students who are fully vaccinated versus those who are not vaccinated?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

(Display if Quar7 = NO) Quar12. For students who are required to stay home and not attend school in person because they have displayed COVID-19-like symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19, what must they do in order to return to school? Select all that apply.

• Test negative for COVID-19 once

• Test negative for COVID-19 more than once

• Stay home for a fixed number of days (indicate in next question)

• No longer have COVID-19-like symptoms

• Obtain a doctor’s note indicating the student is no longer sick or displaying symptoms

• Other, please specify: __________

• There are no requirements for a student to return to school in person.

(Display if “Stay home…” is selected in previous item) Quar12#. How many days must these students stay home?

Dropdown with options 1-14+

days

(Display if Quar7 = NO) Quar13. For students who are required to stay home and not attend school in person because they have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, what must they do in order to return to school? Select all that apply.

• Test negative for COVID-19 once

• Test negative for COVID-19 more than once

• Stay home for a fixed number of days (indicate in next question)

• No longer have COVID-19-like symptoms

• Obtain a doctor’s note indicating the student is no longer sick or displaying symptoms

• Other, please specify: __________

• There are no requirements for a student to return to school in person.

(Display if “Stay home…” is selected in previous item) Quar13#. How many days must these students stay home?

Dropdown with options 1-14+

days

(Display if Quar7 = YES) Quar14. For vaccinated students who are required to stay home and not attend school in person because they have displayed COVID-19-like symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID-19, what must they do in order to return to school? Select all that apply.

• Test negative for COVID-19 once

• Test negative for COVID-19 more than once

• Stay home for a fixed number of days (indicate in next question)

• No longer have COVID-19-like symptoms

• Obtain a doctor’s note indicating the student is no longer sick or displaying symptoms

• Other, please specify: __________

• There are no requirements for a student to return to school in person.

(Display if “Stay home…” is selected in previous item) Quar14#. How many days must these students home?

Dropdown with options 1-14+

days

(Display if Quar7 = YES) Quar15. For vaccinated students who are required to stay home and not attend school in person because they have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, what must they do in order to return to school? Select all that apply.

• Test negative for COVID-19 once

• Test negative for COVID-19 more than once

• Stay home for a fixed number of days (indicate in next question)

• No longer have COVID-19-like symptoms

• Obtain a doctor’s note indicating the student is no longer sick or displaying symptoms

• Other, please specify: __________

• There are no requirements for a student to return to school in person.

(Display if “Stay home…” is selected in previous item) Quar15#. How many days must these students stay home?

Dropdown with options 1-14+

days

(Display if Quar7 = YES) Quar16. For unvaccinated students who are required to stay home and not attend school in person because they have displayed COVID-19-like symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID-19, what must they do in order to return to school? Select all that apply.

• Test negative for COVID-19 once

• Test negative for COVID-19 more than once

• Stay home for a fixed number of days (indicate in next question)

• No longer have COVID-19-like symptoms

• Obtain a doctor’s note indicating the student is no longer sick or displaying symptoms

• Other, please specify: __________

• There are no requirements for a student to return to school in person.

(Display if “Stay home…” is selected in previous item) Quar16#. How many days must a student stay home?

Dropdown with options 1-14+

days

(Display if Quar7 = YES) Quar17. For unvaccinated students who are required to stay home and not attend school in person because they have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, what must they do in order to return to school? Select all that apply.

• Test negative for COVID-19 once

• Test negative for COVID-19 more than once

• Stay home for a fixed number of days (indicate in next question)

• No longer have COVID-19-like symptoms

• Obtain a doctor’s note indicating the student is no longer sick or displaying symptoms

• Other, please specify: __________

• There are no requirements for a student to return to school in person.

(Display if “Stay home…” is selected in previous item) #. How many days must these students stay home?

Dropdown with options 1-14+

days

Quar18. If a student displays COVID-19-like symptoms or has tested positive for COVID-19, who is required to stay home and not attend school in person? Select all that apply.

• The student

• Those who have been in close contact with the student

• The student’s entire class

• No one is required to stay home

• Other, please specify: _______________

Quar19. If a student was potentially exposed to someone with COVID-19, who is required to stay home and not attend school in-person? Select all that apply.

• The student

• Those who have been in close contact with the student

• The student’s entire class

• No one is required to stay home

• Other, please specify: _______________

Quar20. We’d like to learn more about what schools are experiencing while continuing to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the space below, please share any other information you would like the U.S. Department of Education and other federal policymakers to know about how you have dealt with requiring students to stay home and not attend school in-person.

This item is optional.

Staffing Items

STAFFING 1a. As of today, how many full-or part-time teaching vacancies does your school have? Please include vacancies caused by attrition and new positions that were created. Count each part-time vacancy as a separate position; for example, if you have 3 part-time teaching vacancies, count this as 3 vacancies.

vacancies

(Display if STAFFING 1a > 0) STAFFING 1b. To the best of your knowledge, why do these teacher vacancies exist? Select all that apply.

• Teacher attrition due to resignation

• Teacher attrition due to retirement

• New teaching positions were created

• Other reason

• Don’t Know/Unsure

STAFFING 2a. As of today, how many full-or part-time non-teaching staff vacancies does your school have? Please include vacancies caused by attrition and new positions that were created. Count each part-time vacancy as a separate position; for example, if you have 3 part-time staff vacancies, count this as 3 vacancies.

vacancies

(Display if STAFFING 2a > 0) STAFFING 2b. To the best of your knowledge, why do these staff vacancies exist? Select all that apply.

• Staff attrition due to resignation

• Staff attrition due to retirement

• New staff positions were created

• Other reason

• Don’t Know/Unsure

(Display if STAFFING 1a > 0) STAFFING 3a. As of today, which of the following teaching positions have at least one current vacancy? Select all that apply.

• General elementary

• Special education

• Substitute teacher

• English Learner (EL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) education

• English or Language Arts

• Foreign languages

• Social studies

• Mathematics

• Computer science

• Physical sciences (e.g., chemistry, physics, earth science)

• Life sciences {e.g., biology)

• Music or art

• Career or technical education

• Physical education or health

• Other, please specify: ____________

(Display if STAFFING 2a > 0) STAFFING 3b. As of today, which of the following non-teaching staff positions have at least one current vacancy? Select all that apply.

• Mental health professional (e.g., counselor, psychologist, social worker)

• Medical professional (e.g., school nurse or nurse’s aide)

• Administrative staff

• Technology specialists

• Transportation staff

• Custodial staff

• Nutrition staff (e.g., food preparation, cafeteria workers)

(Display if “Administrative staff” selected in STAFFING 3b) STAFFING 3c. As of today, which of the following administrative positions do you have at least one current vacancy? Select all that apply.

• Principal

• Assistant or vice principal

• Superintendent

• Department chairs or supervisors

• There are no administrative vacancies

• Other, please specify: __________

(Display if STAFFING 1a or STAFFING 2a > 0) STAFFING 4. How have teacher and staff vacancies impacted your school? Select all that apply.

• Forced change in learning modes (e.g., switching from in-person to hybrid learning)

• Disruptions in student transportation

• Disruptions in administration of school meals

• Disruptions in administration of medical care or response

• Offering fewer extra-curricular opportunities (e.g., athletics, clubs)

• Offering fewer student services (e.g., counseling, guidance)

• Increased class sizes

• Sharing of teachers and/or staff with other schools

• Increased need to use teachers outside of their intended duties (i.e., needing teachers to cover duties they were not hired to do)

• Increased need to use non-teaching staff outside of their intended duties (i.e., needing staff to cover duties they were not hired to do)

STAFFING 5. To what extent do you agree with the following statement “The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of teacher and staff vacancies in my school”?

• Strongly Disagree

• Disagree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Agree

• Strongly Agree

STAFFING 6. We’d like to learn more about what schools are experiencing while continuing to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the space below, please share any other information you would like the U.S. Department of Education and other federal policymakers to know about how you have dealt with staff and teacher vacancies in your school.

This item is optional.

Mitigation Items

MITIGATION As of today, are there formal systems in place for the following?

MITIGATION1 4-1. A STAFF MEMBER to report if they have been clinically diagnosed with COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION2 4-2. A STAFF MEMBER to report if they have symptoms of COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION3 4-3. A STAFF MEMBER to report if they have a student with symptoms of COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION4 4-4. A STAFF MEMBER to report if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION5 4-5. A PARENT OR GUARDIAN to report if their child has been diagnosed with COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION6 4-6. A PARENT OR GUARDIAN to report if their child has symptoms of COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION7 4-7. A PARENT OR GUARDIAN to report if their child has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 outside of school?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION8 4-8a. To notify PARENTS OR GUARDIANS when their child may have been exposed to COVID-19 at school?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

(Display if MITIGATION8 8-4A = YES) MITIGATION9 4-8b. How soon after the school knows of the exposure does a notification go out to parents?

• Same day

• Next day

• Within a week

• Within a month

• More than a month

MITIGATION10 4-9a. Is there a formal system in place to notify STAFF when they may have been exposed to COVID-19 at school?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

(Display if MITIGATION10 4-9a = YES) MITIGATION11 4-9b. How soon after the school knows of the exposure does a notification go out to staff?

• Same day

• Next day

• Within a week

• Within a month

• More than a month

MITIGATION12 4-10. Is there a designated staff member(s) assigned to contact trace students who have tested positive for COVID-19?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION13 4-11. Does your district or school have any kind of publicly available tracker documenting all COVID-19 cases in a given school or district to date?  Do not include state-level case trackers. 

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

The next questions are about whether your school does screening or testing for COVID-19. Screening includes asking about COVID-19 symptoms and/or checking temperatures. Testing includes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid (antigen) COVID-19 testing. Do not include antibody testing.

MITIGATION As of today:

MITIGATION20 4-14. Does your school require daily COVID-19 symptom screening with STAFF? 

Screening includes asking about COVID-19 symptoms and/or checking temperatures. 

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION21 4-15. Does your school require daily COVID-19 symptom screening with STUDENTS? 

Screening includes asking about COVID-19 symptoms and/or checking temperatures. 

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION22 4-16. Does your school have on-site COVID-19 testing for STAFF when they have symptoms or possible COVID-19 exposure?
  
Testing includes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid COVID-19 testing (antigen testing). Do not include antibody testing. 

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION23 4-17. Does your school have on-site COVID-19 testing for STUDENTS when they have symptoms or possible COVID-19 exposure?
  
Testing includes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid COVID-19 testing (antigen testing). Do not include antibody testing. 

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION24 4-18. Does your school have on-site COVID-19 testing for STAFF even if they have no symptoms or known exposure?

Testing includes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid COVID-19 testing (antigen testing). Do not include antibody testing.   

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION25 4-19. Does your school have on-site COVID-19 testing for STUDENTS even if they have no symptoms or known exposure? 

Testing includes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid COVID-19 testing (antigen testing). Do not include antibody testing.  

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION26 4-20a. Does your school require that any STAFF wear a mask inside the school?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

(Display if MITIGATION27 4-20a = YES) MITIGATION27 4-20b. Are STAFF who are vaccinated against COVID-19 required to wear a mask?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

(Display if MITIGATION27 4-20b = YES) MITIGATION28 4-20c. Does your school require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to exempt STAFF from wearing a mask?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION29 4-21a. Does your school require that any PARENTS OR GUARDIANS wear a mask inside the school?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

• Not applicable - parents or guardians are not allowed inside the building at this time

(Display if MITIGATION30 4-21a = YES) MITIGATION30 4-21b. Are PARENTS OR GUARDIANS who are vaccinated against COVID-19 required to wear a mask?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

(Display if MITIGATION30 4-21b = YES) MITIGATION31 4-21c. Does your school require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to exempt PARENTS OR GUARDIANS from wearing a mask?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION32 4-22a. Does your school require that any STUDENTS wear a mask inside the school building?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

(Display if MITIGATION32 4-22 = YES) MITIGATION33 4-22b. Are STUDENTS who are vaccinated against COVID-19 required to wear a mask?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

(Display if MITIGATION32 4-22b = YES) MITIGATION34 4-22c. Does your school require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to exempt STUDENTS from wearing a mask?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION36 4-24. Has your school done any of the following to decrease the spread of COVID-19?
Please select all that apply. 

• Spaced desks and seating at least 3 feet apart

• Faced student desks and seating in the same direction

• Decreased class size

• Placed physical guides (e.g., tape, marks) and signs for distancing to account for movement of staff and students in the hallways or classrooms

• Encouraged social distancing during recess or physical education

• Installed physical barriers (i.e., plastic or other dividers) between students and staff

• Installed physical barriers (i.e., plastic or other dividers) between students

• Increased ventilation by opening windows and doors, using fans, and/or making improvements or upgrades to the school’s ventilation system

• Increased how often surfaces are cleaned

• Added additional handwashing stations or hand sanitizer stations

• None of the above

• Don't know

MITIGATION37 4-25. Has your school modified any of the following for food service? Please select all that apply. 

• Closed the cafeteria

• Changed lunch schedule to decrease the number of students in the cafeteria

• Offered only grab and go food items

• Blocked off seats in the cafeteria to increase distance between students

• Installed plastic or other dividers in the cafeteria

• Moved eating to classrooms for some or all students

• Moved eating outside for some or all students

• None of the above

• Don't know

MITIGATION39 4-27. Does your school or district require staff to be vaccinated unless they have a religious or medical waiver?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION40 4-28. To the best of your knowledge, what percentage of your school STAFF are fully vaccinated against COVID-19?

• 0-25%

• 26-50%

• 51-75%

• 76-100%

• Don't know

MITIGATION40 4-28x. To the best of your knowledge, what percentage of your school’s STUDENTS are fully vaccinated against COVID-19?

• 0-25%

• 26-50%

• 51-75%

• 76-100%

Don't know

MITIGATION41 4-29. Has your school offered, or is your school planning to offer, onsite COVID-19 vaccination or a mobile vaccination unit for staff or students who are eligible?

• Yes

• We are considering it but have not decided

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION42 4-30. Were eligible students required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend school in person?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION43 4-31. For the 2021-22 school year, does your school have a formal plan in place to prepare for and respond to a pandemic (including the COVID-19 pandemic)? 

Exclude plans that address only community or school-based outbreaks such as seasonal flu or chicken pox.

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION44 4-32. BEFORE the COVID-19 pandemic began in the 2019-20 school year, did your school have a formal plan in place to prepare for and respond to multi-country or worldwide pandemic diseases such as SARS or H1N1? 

Exclude plans that addressed only community or school-based outbreaks such as seasonal flu or chicken pox.

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

MITIGATION45. We’d like to learn more about what schools are experiencing while continuing to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the space below, please share any other information you would like the U.S. Department of Education and other federal policymakers to know about how you have dealt with mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in your school

This item is optional.

Food-Related Items

The School Nutrition Manager may be able to assist with the following questions.

SchLun_1. As of today, how does your school provide students with breakfast and lunch?

• Students can participate in the USDA School Meal programs (i.e., the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program)

• Students can buy meals at school but not part of the USDA school meal program

• All students must bring meals from home

(Display if SCHLun_1 ≠ ALL STUDENTS MUST BRING…) SchLun_2. As of today, about what percentage of students in your school participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP)?

• 0%

• 1 – 25%

• 26–50%

• 51–75%

• 76–99%

• 100%

(Display if SCHLun_1 ≠ ALL STUDENTS MUST BRING…) SchLun_3. As of today, how does your school operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP)? Select all that apply.

• Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

• Seamless Summer Option (SSO)

• Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)

• Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT)

• Partnerships or sponsorships with local food organizations

• District or school financial funding

• Other, please specify: _____

SchLun_4. As of today, what are the ways that your school has provided meals to students? Select all that apply

• Meals are provided in the school building

• Meals are picked up from school designated locations

• Meals are dropped off using bus routes

• Meals are delivered directly to households

• Meals are prepared and delivered through local partnerships

• Meals are not offered to students

• Other, please specify: _____

(Display if SchLun_4 ≠ MEALS ARE NOT OFFERED TO STUDENTS) SchLun_5a. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, how did your school operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)?

• All students in my school were offered the NSLP

• Individual eligible students were offered the NSLP

• Other, please specify: _____

• Not applicable; school does not operate the NSLP

(Display if SchLun_4 ≠ MEALS ARE NOT OFFERED TO STUDENTS) SchLun_5b. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, how did your school operate the School Breakfast Program (SBP)?

1. All students in my school were offered the SBP

2. Individual eligible students were offered the SBP

3. Other, please specify: _____

4. Not applicable; school does not operate the SBP

(Display if SchLun_4 ≠ MEALS ARE NOT OFFERED TO STUDENTS) SchLun_6. How easy or difficult was it for your school to operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) for the 2021-22 school year compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic?

1. Very difficult

2. Somewhat difficult

3. About the same

4. Somewhat easy

5. Very easy

6. Not applicable

SchLun_7. Is your school experiencing challenges with obtaining enough food, beverages, and/or meal service supplies for students participating in the school meals programs?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

SchLun_8. Is your school experiencing challenges with serving specific types of foods that were planned to be on the school meal program menus?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

(Display if SchLun_7 or SchLun8 = YES) SchLun_9. What category(s) are you experiencing issues with procuring?

• Fruit

• Vegetables

• Grains

• Whole Grain Rich Items

• Milk

• Meat/Meat Alternates

• Low sodium foods

• Meal service supplies (e.g., food trays)

(Display if SchLun_7 or SchLun8 = YES) SchLun_10. Are the challenges you are experiencing with school meal program food due to any of the following? Select all that apply.

• Shipment delays

• Limited product availability

• Food costs

• Labor shortages

• Contract cancelled by vendor

• Other

• Don’t know

SchLun11. We’d like to learn more about what schools are experiencing while continuing to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the space below, please share any other information you would like the U.S. Department of Education and other federal policymakers to know about how you have dealt with providing your students with breakfast and/or lunch.

This item is optional.  

Internet/Technology Items

INTERNET As of today: 

INTERNET1 7-1. Are students who need internet access provided internet access at home so students can access learning during the COVID-19 pandemic?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

INTERNET2 7-2. Are students who need internet access provided with internet or hot spot access at a location other than home so students can access learning during the COVID-19 pandemic?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

INTERNET3 7-3. Has your school or district provided digital devices, such as laptops, tablets, or Chromebooks, to students who need them so students can access learning during the COVID-19 pandemic?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

INTERNET4 7-4. Has your school or district provided IT or technical support for problems with students’ internet or computers so students can access learning during the COVID-19 pandemic? Include formal support or staff who are dedicated to help with IT. Do not include teachers who may help during lessons. 

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

INTERNET5 7-5. Has your school or district provided IT or technical support for problems with staff’s internet or computers so students can access learning during the COVID-19 pandemic? Include formal support or staff who are dedicated to help with IT. Do not include teachers who may help during lessons. 

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

INTERNET6. We’d like to learn more about what schools are experiencing while continuing to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the space below, please share any other information you would like the U.S. Department of Education and other federal policymakers to know about how you have dealt with providing internet and technology support or resources to your students, staff, and teachers.

This item is optional.

Parent Concern Items

ParCon1. Approximately what percentage of parents have expressed concerns with their children attending full-time in-person learning during the 2021-22 school year?

• 0-25%

• 26%–50%

• 51%–75%

• 76% or more

• Don’t know

ParCon2. Which of the following are parents concerned about for their children for the 2021-22 school year? Select all that apply.

• Meeting academic needs for their children

• Learning options for children who are immunocompromised

• Physical health and safety for their children in classrooms

• Social, emotional, and mental health for their children

• Mitigation and prevention strategies and policies for COVID-19 implemented in school

• Safe participation in extracurricular activities and sports

• Safe lunch, recess, or other activities that involve large number of students

• Safe transportation

• Other, please specify: _____

• Don’t know

(Rows display based on selections made in ParCon2)

ParCon3. How concerned are parents with the following for their children for the 2021-22 school year?

	Not at all concerned	A little concerned	Somewhat concerned	Very concerned	Don’t know/ Not sure
Meeting academic needs for their children	A	B	C	D	E
Learning options for children who are immunocompromised	A	B	C	D	E
Physical health and safety for their children in classrooms	A	B	C	D	E
Social, emotional, and mental health for their children	A	B	C	D	E
Mitigation and prevention strategies and policies for COVID-19 implemented in school	A	B	C	D	E
Safe participation in extracurricular activities and sports	A	B	C	D	E
Safe lunch, recess, or other activities that involve large number of students	A	B	C	D	E
Safe transportation	A	B	C	D	E

ParCon4. We’d like to learn more about what schools are experiencing while continuing to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the space below, please share any other information you would like the U.S. Department of Education and other federal policymakers to know about how you have dealt with parents’ concerns about their children. 

This item is optional.

Enrollment Items

ENROLLMENT0. As of today, please enter your total student enrollment count. Please enter the number of students.

________ Total number of students

ENROLLMENT1. As of today, please enter your total student enrollment count by ethnicity and race. Please enter the number of students in each cell. If none, enter 0.

	White, not Hispanic	Black or African American, not Hispanic	Hispanic, of any race	Asian, not Hispanic	American Indian or Alaskan Native, not Hispanic	Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, not Hispanic	Two or more races, not Hispanic	Students for whom race/ethnicity information not available
Total Enrollment Count

(Display if YES is answered to more than one of the following items: LEARNING1 1-a, LEARNING5 1-2a, LEARNING11 1-3a) ENROLLMENT2 2-2. As of today, what is the enrollment by learning environment for students in your school?  Please enter the number of students in each cell.  If none, enter 0. 

	Full-time in-person learning	Full-time remote learning	Hybrid of remote and in-person learning
White, not Hispanic
Black or African American, not Hispanic
Hispanic, of any race
Asian, not Hispanic
American Indian or Alaskan Native, not Hispanic
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, not Hispanic
Two or more races, not Hispanic
Students for whom race/ethnicity information not available

ENROLLMENT3 2-3a. As of today, how many students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) were in each learning environment?

Do NOT include students who only have a 504 plan.  (Columns display based on YES responses to: LEARNING1 1-a, LEARNING5 1-2a, LEARNING11 1-3a)

Please enter the number of students in each cell. If none, enter 0. 

	Full-time in-person learning	Full-time remote learning	Hybrid of remote and in-person learning
Number of students with an IEP

ENROLLMENT4 2-3b. Are students who are enrolled in full-time remote learning required to come into the school for testing if it is suspected they may need an Individualized Education Program (IEP)?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

For the next 5 questions, if a student is in two or more of these groups, please include them in both responses. For example, if a student is at high risk for COVID-19 and is also economically disadvantaged, include them in both responses. 

ENROLLMENT5 2-4. As of today, what is the enrollment count by learning environment for students with medical conditions, or in families with a medical condition, that put them at high risk for COVID-19? Please enter the number of students in each cell.  If none, enter 0.  (Columns display based on YES responses to: LEARNING1 1-a, LEARNING5 1-2a, LEARNING11 1-3a)

	Full-time in-person learning (1)	Full-time remote learning (2)	Hybrid of remote and in-person learning (3)
Number of students with medical conditions, or in families with a medical condition, that put them at high risk for COVID-19

ENROLLMENT6 2-5. As of today, what is the enrollment count by learning environment for economically disadvantaged students? Economically disadvantaged students are typically those who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch. Please enter the number of students in each cell.  If none, enter 0.  (Columns display based on YES responses to: LEARNING1 1-a, LEARNING5 1-2a, LEARNING11 1-3a)

	Full-time in-person learning (1)	Full-time remote learning (2)	Hybrid of remote and in-person learning (3)
Number of economically disadvantaged students (1)

ENROLLMENT7 2-6. As of today, what is the enrollment count by learning environment for English Learner (EL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) students? Please enter the number of students in each cell.  If none, enter 0.  (Columns display based on YES responses to: LEARNING1 1-a, LEARNING5 1-2a, LEARNING11 1-3a)

	Full-time in-person learning (1)	Full-time remote learning (2)	Hybrid of remote and in-person learning (3)
Number of students who are EL or ESL (1)

ENROLLMENT8 2-7. As of today, what is the enrollment count by learning environment for students experiencing homelessness? Please enter the number of students in each cell.  If none, enter 0. (Columns display based on YES responses to: LEARNING1 1-a, LEARNING5 1-2a, LEARNING11 1-3a)
 

	Full-time in-person learning (1)	Full-time remote learning (2)	Hybrid of remote and in-person learning (3)
Number of students experiencing homelessness (1)

ENROLLMENT9 2-8. As of today, what is the enrollment count by learning environment for migrant students?   (Columns display based on YES responses to: LEARNING1 1-a, LEARNING5 1-2a, LEARNING11 1-3a)
  
Migrant students are students who move from school to school because they are children of migrant agricultural workers, including migratory dairy workers and migratory fishers. 

Please enter the number of students in each cell.  If none, enter 0. 

	Full-time in-person learning (1)	Full-time remote learning (2)	Hybrid of remote and in-person learning (3)
Number of migrant students (1)

Suggestions for Future Items

FutCont. We want to ensure we are continuing to collect information that is relevant to the daily challenges that schools are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this space below, please share any other topics you believe are important for the U.S. Department of Education and additional federal policymakers to know as we continue this monthly survey collection.

This item is optional. 

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