WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006-

July 20, 2010

(Header Information)

 

Dear :

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education requests 

your assistance in improving the coverage and quality of our private school listings and statistics. Every 2 

years, the 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; 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 2011-12 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 

that 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 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.

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 August 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. 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. If 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 program:

Sending the list