### Attachment A**- 2**  **. School Principal Email** 

**Dear [High School Principal],** REL Southwest would like to invite your school to participate in a research study examining changes in the mathematics course requirements for high school graduation being implemented under Texas House Bill 5 (the Foundation High School Program). The stud y will investigate whether providing the parents of students entering grade 9 during the 2014

- 15 school year with information about the changes to the mathematics course requirements (as well as providing a comparison of the admissions requirements for mo st four

-year, public universities and colleges in Texas) has an impact on students’ mathematics course enrollment in high school. Specifically, the study will look at differences in the algebra II enrollment and completion between students whose parents re ceived this information and those students whose parents did not receive this information. **Who is eligible to participate?** We are looking for high schools that are willing to mail informational materials describing the changes to the high school graduatio n mathematics requirements to parents of students entering grade 9 during the 2014

- 15 school year. Materials will be distributed during the early spring of2016. **How will the study be conducted?** The study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial. At the beginning of the study, one - half of the participating high schools will be randomly assigned to receive study materials and asked to distribute these materials during the spring of 2016. The remaining high schools will conduct business

- as - usual duri ng this time period but will receive study materials at the conclusion of the study, if desired. **What are the study materials and how will they be distributed?** The study materials will consist of an information brochure
— provided in English and Spanish
— to be mailed to students’ homes. Schools randomly assigned to receive study materials will receive a box of prepaid, pre

- stuffed envelopes containing the informational brochure, and they will be asked to print and adhere mailing labels containing student addr esses to the envelopes and place them in the U.S. Mail. REL Southwest will reimburse schools up to $150 to cover the cost of staff time and address label printing materials. Schools will not be asked to provide any student data to REL Southwest. It is esti mated that it should not take more than 3 hours for schools to prepare and mail the envelopes.Schools will not be requested to provide any student data for this study. Most of the data

needed for the study will be received from extant data requested fr o m the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and will be kept confidential. All individually identifiable information about schools, students, and families will remain confidential in accordance with FERP A regulations (34 CFR Part 99) . All published reports will be presented in the aggregate

- with no individual school or student information provided. **How will you benefit?** Participating schools will receive informational brochures describing the new mathematics requirements being implemented under the new Foundation High School Program graduation plans and how the se requirements compare to the admissions requirements for most four

year, public universities and colleges in Texas to distribute to parents. The brochures will be available in English and Spanish. These bro chures are designed to help students in your schools make informed choices about th e mathematics courses they complete. **How can I receive more information or sign up for the study?** For more information or to participate in the study, contact Deborah Van Ku mmer at (512) 391

- 6551 or deborah.vankummer@sedl.org
. THANK YOU!
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850

-xxxx . Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes/hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. If you have comments or concerns regarding t he status of your individual submission of this form, application or survey, please contact Deborah Van Kummer at (512) 391

- 6551 or deborah.vankummer@sedl.org
.