June 18, 2014

Fourth Draft OMB Package, Version Two

Appendix E – Student Notification Letters

PPSS TO 10: Studies of Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) Grantees

Subtask 3.5: Prepare Fourth Draft OMB Clearance Package

Contract Number GS-10F-0554N; Order Number ED-PEP-11-O-0090

SRI Project #P21494

Submitted to:

Andrew Abrams

Policy and Program Studies Service

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202

Prepared by:

SRI International

Kyra Caspary, Chris Padilla, Nancy Adelman, Rebecca Schmidt, Erica Harbatkin, and Kaily Yee
1

Appendix E: Study Notification Letters1

Exhibit 1: Chief State Schools Officer (CSSO) Notification Letter2

Dear {Chief State Schools Officer name}:

3

I am writing to inform you about our upcoming Study of Experiences and Needs of REAP Grantees. The study will 

document and analyze practices funded by the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) and Rural and Low-Income 

Schools (RLIS) programs — the two components of the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) — which 

provide funding for rural districts to help to effectively serve students in a rural setting. I would like to take this 

opportunity to explain the purposes of the study and to ask for your cooperation and support in this important 

endeavor.

The study is charged with collecting and analyzing information from rural districts that receive either SRSA or RLIS 

funds about the eligibility determination process for REAP, administration of REAP, and challenges and technical 

assistance needs related to REAP. Data for the study include: 1) a survey of a nationally representative sample of 

the approximately 6,000 SRSA grantees and RLIS subgrantees; 2) telephone interviews with a sample of 30 SRSA 

and RLIS subgrantee districts; and 3) telephone interviews with REAP coordinators in all states, including yours, 

receiving REAP funds. The survey takes approximately 30 minutes, and the interview takes approximately one 

hour.

The results of this study will help to inform the next reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act (ESEA), which provides over $24 billion annually to school districts and schools. Participation of REAP districts 

in this evaluation study is required under the U.S. Department of Education General Administrative Regulations 

(EDGAR Sections 75.591 and 76.591). The study will keep individual responses confidential, except as may be 

required by law. The study will assign unique identification numbers to individuals and to sites for the data 

collected.

I hope that you will encourage your districts to cooperate with this important study. The study will administer 

surveys to districts between December 2014 and March 2015, with follow-up interviews conducted in late January 

through February in 30 districts. Interviews with state coordinators will be conducted beginning in December 2014.

The study is being conducted by SRI International (SRI) and Impaq International under contract to the U.S. 

Department of Education. If you have any questions, you may contact the research team at reap@sri.com or by 

calling our study toll-free number at 800-xxx-xxxx, or you may call ____________ on my staff at (202) 401-xxxx.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation in making these studies a useful source of information for Congress, the 

U.S. Department of Education, and other policymakers and educators. We thank you and your staff for providing 

the expertise and time needed for their success.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Eisner Jenelle Leonard

Acting Director, Policy and Program Studies Service Director, Office of School Support and Rural Programs

Cc: [Name of State REAP Coordinator]

 

1

Notification letters shown in Exhibit 1 and 3 will appear on U.S. Department of Education letterhead and include 

the signature of the PPSS director and REAP program director. Notification letters shown in Exhibit 2 and 4 will 

appear on SRI letterhead and include the signature of the SRI project director.

2

This letter and the State REAP coordinator letter (Exhibit 2) will be sent 3 business days before the district letters 

(Exhibits 3 and 4).

3

All letters will be customized with names of individuals.
2

Exhibit 2: State REAP Coordinator Notification Email

Dear {State REAP Coordinator name}:

I am writing to inform you about our upcoming Study of Experiences and Needs of REAP Grantees. The study will 

document and analyze practices funded by the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) and Rural and Low-Income 

Schools (RLIS) programs — the two components of the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) — which 

provide funding for rural districts to help to effectively serve students in a rural setting. I would like to take this 

opportunity to explain the purposes of the study and to ask for your cooperation and support in this important 

endeavor.

The study is charged with collecting and analyzing information from rural districts that receive either SRSA or RLIS 

funds about the eligibility determination process for REAP, administration of REAP, and challenges and technical 

assistance needs related to REAP. Data for the study include: 1) a survey of a nationally representative sample of 

the approximately 6,000 SRSA grantees and RLIS subgrantees; 2) telephone interviews with a sample of 30 SRSA 

and RLIS subgrantee districts; and 3) telephone interviews with REAP coordinators in all states receiving REAP 

funds, including you. 

The results of this study will help to inform the next reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act (ESEA), which provides over $24 billion annually to school districts and schools.. Participation of REAP districts 

in this evaluation study is required under the U.S. Department of Education General Administrative Regulations 

(EDGAR Section 75.591 and 76.591). The study will keep individual responses confidential, except as may be 

required by law. The study will assign unique identification numbers to individuals and to sites for the data 

collected The results will never be presented in any way that would permit any response to be associated with a 

specific state, district, or individual.

The research team will contact you in the next several weeks to provide you with the list of sampled districts in 

your state and to obtain contact information for the district REAP coordinator and/or superintendent in each of 

these districts. I hope that you will encourage your districts to cooperate with this important study. The survey will 

be administered to districts between December 2014 and March 2015, with follow-up interviews conducted in late 

January through February in 30 districts. Interviews with state coordinators will be conducted beginning in 

December 2014. The survey takes approximately 30 minutes, and the interview takes approximately one hour, 

including preparation time.

The study is being conducted by SRI International (SRI) and Impaq International under contract to the U.S. 

Department of Education. If you have any questions, you may contact the research team at reap@sri.com or by 

calling our study toll-free number at 800-xxx-xxxx, or you may call ____________ at the U.S. Department of 

Education at (202) 401-xxxx.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation in making these studies a useful source of information for Congress, the 

U.S. Department of Education, and other policymakers and educators. We thank you and your staff for providing 

the expertise and time needed for their success.

Sincerely,

Kyra Caspary

Senior Researcher, SRI International
3

Exhibit 3. District Superintendent Notification4

Dear {District Superintendent name}:

I am writing to notify you that your school district has been selected as part of a nationally 

representative sample to participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s Study of Experiences and 

Needs of REAP Grantees. The purpose of this study is to understand the uses of the Rural Education 

Achievement Program (REAP) funds and the district’s technical assistance needs related to REAP. The 

study includes a survey with district REAP coordinators that takes approximately 30 minutes to 

complete. [In addition, the study has selected your school district to participate in a follow-up interview

that takes approximately one hour. ]

5

The results of this study will help to inform the next reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act (ESEA), which provides over $24 billion annually to school districts and schools. 

Participation of REAP districts in this evaluation study is required under the U.S. Department of 

Education General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR Section 75.591 and 76.591). The study will keep 

individual responses confidential, except as may be required by law. The study will assign unique 

identification numbers to individuals and to sites for the data collected. The results will never be 

presented in any way that would permit any response to be associated with a specific state, district, or 

individual.

Your school district’s participation is important to enable this study to provide policymakers with 

accurate and complete information. The study is conducting a survey with only a sample of school 

districts throughout the nation. This greatly increases the importance of your response since it 

represents many other school districts. 

The study is being conducted by SRI International and Impaq International under contract to the U.S. 

Department of Education. Your Chief State School Officer and state REAP coordinators have been 

informed about this research effort. If you have any questions, you may contact the research team at 

reap@sri.com or by calling our study toll-free number at 800-xxx-xxxx, or you may call ___________ on 

my staff at (202) 401-xxxx.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation in making the results of this study a useful source of information 

for Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and other policymakers and educators. We thank you 

and your staff for providing the expertise and time needed for the success of the study.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely, 

Elizabeth Eisner Jenelle Leonard

Acting Director, Policy and Program Studies Service Director, Office of School Support and Rural Programs

Cc: [Name of District REAP Coordinator]

 

4

District superintendents may also be district REAP coordinators. In this case, they will receive two letters: this 

notification from the Policy and Program Studies office of their district’s selection, and the notification on the 

following page from SRI of their obligation to complete the survey.

5

The letter will include this sentence only for the districts selected to participate in the interviews.
4

Exhibit 4. District REAP Coordinator Notification6

Dear {District REAP Coordinator name}:

I am writing to notify you that your school district has been selected as part of a nationally 

representative sample to participate the U.S. Department of Education’s Study of Experiences and 

Needs of REAP Grantees. The purpose of this study is to understand the uses of the Rural Education 

Achievement Program (REAP) funds and the district’s technical assistance needs related to REAP.

The results of this study will help to inform the next reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act (ESEA), which provides over $24 billion annually to school districts and schools. 

Participation of REAP districts in this evaluation study is required under the U.S. Department of 

Education General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR Section 75.591 and 76.591). The study will keep 

Individual responses confidential, except as may be required by law. The study will assign unique 

identification numbers to individuals and to sites for the data collected. The results will never be 

presented in any way that would permit any response to be associated with a specific state, district, or 

individual.

Your school district’s participation is important to enable this study to provide policymakers with 

accurate and complete information. The study is conducting a survey with only a sample of school 

districts throughout the nation. This greatly increases the importance of your response since it 

represents many other school districts. 

The research team will contact you in December with a link to the survey. The survey is expected to 

take approximately 30 minutes. [The study has also selected you to participate in a follow-up interview 

after you complete your survey. The interviews are expected to take approximately one hour.]

7

The study is being conducted by SRI International and Impaq International under contract to the U.S. 

Department of Education. Your Chief State School Officer, state REAP coordinator, and superintendent

have been informed about this research effort. If you have any questions, you may contact the research 

team at reap@sri.com or by calling our study toll-free number at 800-xxx-xxxx, or you may call 

___________ at the U.S. Department of Education at (202) 401-xxxx.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation in making the results of this study a useful source of information 

for Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and other policymakers and educators. We thank you 

and your staff for providing the expertise and time needed for the success of the study.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely, 

Kyra Caspary

Senior Researcher, SRI International

 

6

In the event that the district superintendent is also the REAP coordinator, both letters will be sent with the 

appropriate signatures.

7

The letter will include this sentence only for the districts selected to participate in the interviews.