## Appendix A -- State List Request Letter

July 20, 2014 (Header Information) Dear: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education requests your assistance in im

proving the coverage and quality of our private school listings and statistics. Every 2 years, NCES conducts the Private School Survey (PSS). The PSS data allow NCES to report on enrollment trends; counts of private schools, students, teachers, and high sc hool graduates; program emphasis; and types of private schools. The PSS also serves as a list of private schools for additional NCES studies. In order to conduct the 2015 - 16 PSS, we must compile a complete and accurate list of all private schools in the United States. Please help us to identify all private or nonpublic schools in your state.

 **A computer file (preferably a spreadsheet) of all private and nonpublic schools in your state tha t**  **provide instruction for at least one grade between kindergarten**  **and grade 12**  **.**  If a computer list is not available, a paper list is acceptable.

 Please include all private, nonpublic, or religious - exempt schools with any of the gr ades kindergarten through grade 12.  Kindergarten is defined as: An educational program for children (primarily 5 - year - olds) who would normally enter first grade in the following year, even if “kindergarten” is not in the name of the program.  Include pr ograms such as transitional or developmental kindergarten if children are expected to enter the first grade upon completing the program.  Please exclude all programs that  teach only adult education or postsecondary students;  are designed only for 3 - or 4 - year - old children and do not include kindergarten (e.g., Head Start programs, prekindergarten, or nursery schools);  provide only before or afterschool care for children who attend school in another facility;  provide only child care and do not include kindergarten. **What we request from you**

**Definition of eligible school** school name:  mailing address:  telephone number:  grade range:  enrollment: and  number of teachers. In addition to the information above that we have requested from you in the past, please also provide:  school location address. Please supply the date the list was last updated.

 The U.S. Census Bureau collects the private school lists for us. You may send your list to the U.S. Census Bureau by e - mail or regular mail. Please send your list by Augu st 21, 2010. To transmit your file via e - mail, please send a message to the following address: dsmd.private.school.lists@census.gov Note that e - mail attachments have a suggested size limit of 2MB (two megabytes). If you have difficulty sending your attachment because it is too large, please call 1 - 800 - 579 - 8520 to make alternative arrangements. To send your list on diskette or paper, please mail the file to the following address: U.S. Census Bureau ATTN: Lowell Allen Bldg. 66, Room 313 1201 E. 1 0th St. Jeffersonville, IN 47132 For additional information on the PSS and other surveys that NCES conducts, please visit our website: http://nces.ed.gov . I f you have any questions about our list updating, please contact Mr. Allen toll free at 1 - 800 - 579 - 8520. Thank you in advance for your assistance in improving the accuracy of our private school data collection. Sincerely yours, Jeffrey Owings Associate Commissioner for Elementary/Secondary and Library Studies **The file or list should include the following information for each progr am:** 

**Sending the list**

## Appendix B -- Association List R equest Letter

July 20 , 2010 Dear CONTACT NAME HERE : The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) requests your assistance in improving the coverage and quality of our private school listings and statistics. Every 2 years, NCES conducts the Private School Survey (PSS). The PSS data allow NCES to report on enrollment trends; counts of private schools, students, teachers, and high school graduates; progr am emphasis; and types of private schools. The PSS also serves as a list of private schools for updating the school search tool on the NCES website. In order to conduct the 2015 - 16 PSS, we must compile a complete and accurate list of all private schools in the United States and, new to this cycle, in Puerto Rico as well. Please help us to identify all private or nonpublic schools that currently belong to your association, including those in the United States and in Puerto Rico.

 **A computer file (prefera bly a spreadsheet) of all private and nonpublic schools that**  **currently belong to your association and provide instruction for at least one grade between kindergarten**  **and grade 12**  **.**  If a computer list is not available, a paper list is acceptable.

 Plea se **include** all private, nonpublic, or religious - exempt schools with any of the grades kindergarten through grade 12.  Kindergarten is defined as: An educational program for children (primarily 5 - year - olds) who would normally enter first grade in the following year, even if “kindergarten” is not in the name of the program. 

###  Include programs such as transitional or developmental kindergarten if children are expected to enter the first grade upon completing the program.  Please **exclude** all programs that  teach only adult education or postsecondary students;  are designed only for 3 - or 4 - year - old children and do not include kindergarten (e.g., Head Start programs, prekindergarten, or nursery schools);  provide only before or afterschool care for children who attend school in another facility;  provide only child care and do not include kindergarten;  are considered a homeschool that teaches family members only. **What we request from you**

**Definition of eligible school** school name;

 mailing address;  location address;  telephone number;  grade range;  enrollment;  num ber of teachers; and  school contact e - mail address. Please supply the date the list was last updated.

 The U.S. Census Bureau collects the private school lists for us. You may send your list to the U.S. Census Bureau by e - mail or regular mail. Please s end your list by August 21, 2013. To transmit your file via e - mail, please send a message to the following address: dsmd.private.school.lists@census.gov Note that e - mail attachments have a suggested size limit of 2MB (two megabytes). If you have dif ficulty sending your attachment because it is too large, please call 1 - 800 - 579 - 8520 to make alternative arrangements. To send your list on CD or paper, please mail the file to the following address: U.S. Census Bureau ATTN: **SMQAB -**  **SMS** Bldg. 66, Room 31 3 1201 E. 10th St. Jeffersonville, IN 47132 For additional information on the PSS and other surveys that NCES conducts, please visit our website: http://nces.ed.gov . I f you have any questions about our list updating, please contact **SMQAB** toll free at 1 - 800 - 579 - 8520. Thank you in advance for your assistance in improving the accuracy of our private school data collection. Sincerely yours, 

### Jeffrey Owings Associate Commissioner for Elementary

/Secondary

and L ibrary

Studies **The file or list should include the following information for each school:**

**Sending the list**

## Ap **pendix C --**  **Telephone Script PSS TRADITIONAL/ECC PHONE SCRIPT**  **USE 8**  **- Area Code**  **- Phone Number**  Hello, this is _________________ with the United States Census Bureau. We are updating our list of private schools and I would like to obtain or verify some information. **(1) Are you a private school?** 

If not private school = Thank them and hang up. If Private = Continue **(2) Do you teach**  **ANY grades Kindergarten through 12**  **th** 

### grade? (If they say they have Kindergarten = verify they TEACH Kindergart en and NOT a Day Care or Before/Afterschool Facility . If “No” = Thank them and hang up. If “Yes” **= What grades do you teach? (3)**  **What is the TOTAL number of teachers at your school?**  **(4) What is the total number of students at your school?**  a. Ask for number of students enrolled in any grades K - 12. (We do not want to include any O/S grades such as PreK or Postsecondary) 

## VERIFY while on phone : **NAME OF SCHOOL MAILING ADDRESS OF**  **SCHOOL Including**  **City, State, and ZIP** 

## THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
**NOTE: If you reach an answering machine or you need to leave a message for someone to return your call, leave this toll**  **- free number with your EXTENSION and/or NAME.** 



# 1 **- 800**  **- 579**  **- 8520 + Extension and/or name**