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**Prenotification Letter**

Dear :

REL Midwest and Public Agenda would like to invite you to become part of
a select group of educators, education experts and other stakeholders to
participate in a survey designed to understand your views on the
challenges faced by school districts in your state. The results of this
survey will be used to help gain a fundamental understanding of which
education programs, practices, policies and approaches are effective.

The survey is brief; your responses are completely confidential and will
be combined and reported in statistical form only.

To take the survey online, please go to \[INSERT WEB ADDRESS\]

If you prefer to be interviewed by telephone, please call our
interviewing center toll-free at 1-888-310-0547

In order to ensure that each person takes the survey once you will be
asked for the ID code below:\
\
ID CODE: \[INSERT ID CODE\]

REL Midwest is part of a federally funded network of 10 regional
educational laboratories, and exists to bring the latest and best
research and proven practices into school improvement efforts. Serving
the seven states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio,
and Wisconsin, REL Midwest provides policymakers and practitioners with
resources based on the highest quality evidence as defined by
scientifically valid research principles. You can find out more at
[www.learningpt.org](http://www.learningpt.org/)

Public Agenda has over 30 years of experience in engaging the public in
productive and meaningful dialogue, conducting qualitative and
quantitative public opinion studies, and producing high quality citizen
education materials. Over the last decade, Public Agenda has acquired an
unmatched understanding of the viewpoints different groups bring to
public school reform and our reputation for fairness, balance, and
quality has stood the test of time. Our research is cited by groups with
very different perspectives on reform ranging from The American
Enterprise Institute, Manhattan Institute and Fordham Foundations to the
American Federation of Teachers, Public Education Network (PEN) and
Learning First. You can find out more information about Public Agenda at
www.publicagenda.org

We hope you will take a few minutes to share your perspectives and
respond to our questions. Your participation in our survey is completely
voluntary. If you have any questions about Public Agenda or this
research project, please contact Jon Rochkind at 212-686-6610, ext. 43
or send an email to <jrochkind@publicagenda.org> If you have technical
questions or have difficulty with the web form, please call Samantha
Daugherty at 1-888-310-0547or e-mail her at
samantha.daughtery@princetondatasource.com.

Sincerely:

**Letter of Encouragement**

Dear :

Recently, REL-Midwest and Public Agenda contacted you to become part of
a select group of educators, education experts and other stakeholders to
participate in a survey designed to understand your views on the
challenges faced by school districts in your state.

We understand that your time is very valuable, yet we hope that you can
participate in this important project; the results of which will be used
to help gain a fundamental understanding of which education programs,
practices, policies and approaches are effective.

The survey is brief; your responses are completely confidential and will
be combined and reported in statistical form only.

To take the survey online, please go to \[INSERT WEB ADDRESS\]

If you prefer to be interviewed by telephone, please call our
interviewing center toll-free at 1-888-310-0547

In order to ensure that each person takes the survey once you will be
asked for the ID code below:\
\
ID CODE: \[INSERT ID CODE\]

REL Midwest is part of a federally funded network of 10 regional
educational laboratories, and exists to bring the latest and best
research and proven practices into school improvement efforts. Serving
the seven states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio,
and Wisconsin, REL Midwest provides policymakers and practitioners with
resources based on the highest quality evidence as defined by
scientifically valid research principles. You can find out more at
[www.learningpt.org](http://www.learningpt.org/)

Public Agenda has over 30 years of experience in engaging the public in
productive and meaningful dialogue, conducting qualitative and
quantitative public opinion studies, and producing high quality citizen
education materials. Over the last decade, Public Agenda has acquired an
unmatched understanding of the viewpoints different groups bring to
public school reform and our reputation for fairness, balance, and
quality has stood the test of time. Our research is cited by groups with
very different perspectives on reform ranging from The American
Enterprise Institute, Manhattan Institute and Fordham Foundations to the
American Federation of Teachers, Public Education Network (PEN) and
Learning First. You can find out more information about Public Agenda at
www.publicagenda.org

We hope you will take a few minutes to share your perspectives and
respond to our questions. Your participation in our survey is completely
voluntary. If you have any questions about Public Agenda or this
research project, please contact Jon Rochkind at 212-686-6610, ext. 43
or send an email to <jrochkind@publicagenda.org> If you have technical
questions or have difficulty with the web form, please call Samantha
Daugherty at 1-888-310-0547or e-mail her at
samantha.daughtery@princetondatasource.com.

Sincerely:

  ------------------------------- -- -- -- --------------------- ---------------------- -----------------------------------
  **NCREL Regional Needs                                                                
  Assessment Budget**                                                                   

                                                                                        

  **Staff - % of annual salary**           **2006**                                     

  [Permanent Full-Time Project                                                          
  Staff]{.underline}                                                                    

  Director of Research                                           25%                    

  Research Associate                                             25%                    

  Executive Editor/Web master              13%                                          

  Technology Manager                                             13%                    

  Assistant Editor                                               13%                    

  Director, Education Insights             8%                                           

  Director of Public Engagement            25%                                          

  Manger of Public Engagement              25%                                          

  Vice President of                        4%                                           
  Communications                                                                        

  Director of                              4%                                           
  Communications/Writer                                                                 

  President                                                                             8%

  Executive Assistant                                            8%                     

  Administrator/Contract Manager           17%                                          

  Receptionist                                                   [8%]{.underline}       

  Sub-total                                                                             194,872

  Benefits at 25%                                                [48,718]{.underline}   

  Total                                                                                 243,590

                                                                                        

  **Consultants @ \$1,000 per                                                           
  day**                                                                                 

  Regional Manager                                               30,000                 

  Research consultant                                            10,000                 

  Copy editor/proofreader                  3,000                                        

  Online research consultant               [5,000]{.underline}                          

  Sub-total                                                                             48,000

                                                                                        

  **Focus Groups**                                                                      

  Focus Groups @ \$3,000 per               27,000                                       

  Transcribing @ \$260 per                 4,160                                        

  Roper                                                                                 [500]{.underline}

  Sub-total                                                                             31,660

                                                                                        

  **Survey**                                                                            

  Survey                                                                                10,000

  Software                                                                              [5,000]{.underline}

  Sub-total                                                                             15,000

                                                                                        

  **Travel @ \$1,500 per trip**            13,500                                       

                                                                                        

  **Production and Publication**           10,000                                       

                                                                                        

  **Interactive Online                     10,000                                       
  Distribution**                                                                        

                                                                                        

  **Miscellaneous**                                              1,000                  

                                                                                        

  **Sub-total direct costs**               372,750                                      

                                                                                        

  **Overhead @ 20%**                                             74,550                 

  **of direct costs**                                                                   

                                                                                        

  **Rent/Utilities/RE taxes\* @**          35,000                                       

  **17% of annual budget**                                                              

                                                                                        

  **Technology\* @ 17% of**                7,000                                        

  **annual budget**                                                                     

                                                                                        

  **Total**                                                                             489,300

                                                                                        

                                                                                        

  \*This percentage represents                                                          
  the ratio of the project budget                                                       
  to the annual rent and                                                                
  technology budgets.                                                                   
  ------------------------------- -- -- -- --------------------- ---------------------- -----------------------------------