January 30, 2013

Private School Universe Survey

(PSS)

August 2013—July 2016

Supporting Statement

Part A

Request for OMB Review

OMB# 1850-0641 v.5

Submitted by

National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education
1

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS........ 2

Bl. Respondent Universe ....................................................................................................... 2

B2. Procedures for Data Collection—Statistical Methods, Estimation Procedures, Accuracy, 

and Anticipated Problems................................................................................................ 2

B3. Methods for Maximizing Response Rates....................................................................... 2

B4. Test of Procedures and Methods...................................................................................... 3

B5. Statistical Consultants, Agency Staff, and Contractors ................................................... 3

C. ITEM JUSTIFICATION......................................................................................................... 4

APPENDIX A. STATE LIST REQUEST LETTER

APPENDIX B. ASSOCIATION LIST REQUEST LETTER

APPENDIX C. TELEPHONE SCRIPT

APPENDIX D. PSS QUESTIONNAIRE

APPENDIX E. EXAMPLES OF TABLE SHELLS
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B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

Bl. Respondent Universe

The target population for the survey consists of all private schools in the United States that provide 

instruction to any of grades Kindergarten-12, or comparable ungraded levels (approximately 30,000 

schools).

B2. Procedures for Data Collection—Statistical Methods, Estimation Procedures, Accuracy, 

and Anticipated Problems

The universe frame to be used by NCES for the 2013-14 PSS will be composed of the 2013-14 PSS list 

frame and the 2013-14 area-search frame. The list frame is based on the 2011-12 PSS and is updated with 

current membership lists from private school associations and private school lists from state departments 

of education and social services (for kindergarten programs)1. The area list is developed after a systematic 

search of approximately 124 randomly selected primary sampling units (PSUs). The list of schools found 

in this search is unduplicated with the list frame to yield the area-frame schools. The area frame is used to 

represent schools missing from the list frame. The 2011-12 area-frame search was conducted in 124 PSUs 

and identified 354 unduplicated schools, weighting up to represent 1,941 private schools. Similarly, the 

universe frame to be used by NCES for the 2015-16 PSS will be composed of the 2015-16 PSS list frame 

and the 2015-16 area-search frame.

A combination of mail/Internet, telephone follow-up, and personal visit follow-up will be used to ensure 

an anticipated 95 percent response rate for the 2013-14 and 2015-16 PSS2. The first mailout will be 

followed by a reminder card (1 week later) and by a second mailout to nonrespondents (1 month later). 

Six weeks after the second mailout, noninterview cases will be turned over to the CATI facility for 

telephone follow-up and, when necessary, to field staff for personal visit follow-up.

B3. Methods for Maximizing Response Rates

Several procedures will be employed to ensure high response rates. The following elements of the data 

collection plan will contribute to the overall success of the survey.

1. Visible support from top-level federal education officials.

Top-level education department officials addressed the representatives of a number of private school 

associations at an NCES-sponsored meeting that took place in November 2012. The officials 

demonstrated their support for the survey by informing the representatives of the timing and objectives of 

the survey and by soliciting the representatives’ cooperation to ensure the survey’s success.

2. Interactive field monitoring with extensive follow-up (by telephone and personal visits) of 

nonrespondents.

The survey will use mixed survey modes—mail/Internet, telephone, and personal interviews, as needed, to 

achieve high response levels in 2013-14 and 2015-16. Past experience indicates that the majority of the 

 

1

See appendices A and B for examples of letters used to request private school lists.

2 The response rate for the 2011-12 PSS was 92.1 percent.
3

school surveys will be completed by mail/Internet. Follow-up telephone or in-person interviews for the 

mail nonrespondents will be conducted to achieve an expected response rate of 95 percent.

In addition, the survey content is based upon administrative information that is commonly on file in 

private schools. The ease of answering the items should increase the respondent’s willingness to complete 

the questionnaire.

B4. Test of Procedures and Methods

The survey questionnaire and procedures will be based on those used in the 2011-12 PSS. See Appendix 

D for the 2013-14 (2015-16) PSS questionnaire. Since no new items are to be included in the 2013-14

PSS questionnaire (or planned for the 2015-16 PSS questionnaire), there is no need to test the 2013-14

PSS questionnaire.

B5. Statistical Consultants, Agency Staff, and Contractors

In addition to review within NCES, Aref Dajani and Sharon Stern of the U.S. Census Bureau reviewed the 

PSS sample design and related matters for statistical quality, feasibility, and suitability to the overall 

objectives of the survey. The following individuals have oversight of the data collection and analysis:

Stephen Broughman

PSS Project Director 

ESSSP/ESLSD/NCES

U.S. Department of Education

Washington, DC 20006

(202) 502-7315

Kathryn Chandler

Program Director

ESSSP/ESLSD/NCES

U.S. Department of Education

Washington, DC 20006

(202) 502-7486

Nancy Swaim

PSS Project Director

Demographic Surveys Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, DC 20233

(301) 763-2673

Aref Dajani

Chief, Longitudinal Surveys Branch

Statistical Methods Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, DC 20233

(301) 763-1797

Sharon Stern

Chief, Education Surveys Branch

Demographic Surveys Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, DC 20233

(301) 763-5638
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C. ITEM JUSTIFICATION 

The questionnaire is designed to collect information concerning the number of private schools, teachers, 

students, and high school graduates. In addition, the questionnaire contains several screening items that 

are necessary to establish that schools are bona fide schools or educational programs offering kindergarten 

programs and not day care centers, preschools, and the like. See Appendix D for a copy of the 2013-14

PSS questionnaire.

Item 1 seeks information to identify the respondent.

Item 2 lists statements that will be used to screen out schools that are not private schools or do not serve 

students in grades K-12.

Item 3 gives instructions to the respondent.

Item 4 asks when the survey was started and will help to determine the time required to finish the 

questionnaire.

Items 5 and 6 obtain information regarding the grades offered, enrollment by grade, and total enrollment. 

These questions will be used to determine the current grades taught in private schools and will be used to 

classify sampled schools as elementary, secondary, or combined. The total enrollment (Item 6) and 

enrollment by grade (Item 5) will be used to estimate the total enrollment in private schools and the 

number of private school students by grade or grade span. This data will be used in the sample selection 

design for other school surveys.

Item 7 asks the racial/ethnic distribution of the student body. This is a basic school descriptor and an 

important policy-relevant measure of minority group composition in the school. This data will be used in 

the sample selection design for other school surveys.

Item 8 asks if a school is coeducational, all female, or all male and, if coeducational, how many male 

students attend the school. This is a basic school descriptor. This data will be used in the sample selection 

design for other school surveys.

Item 9 asks for the number of regular high school graduates during the 2012-13 academic year and the 

percent that went to 4-year colleges. This is a basic school descriptor and an important policy-relevant 

measure.

Item 10 asks schools to indicate the existence of a kindergarten program, and for those schools with a 

kindergarten program, whether it is a full- or half-day program and the number of days per week of the 

kindergarten program. The characteristics of kindergarten programs in private schools are important 

policy-relevant measures. This data will be used in the sample selection design for other school surveys.

Item 11 asks schools to indicate their number of full- and part-time teachers. This information will allow 

estimates of both the total number of private school teachers and the total number of full-time-equivalent 

teachers in private schools. This data will be used in the sample selection design for other school surveys.

Item 12 seeks information regarding school type. This information will be used as a classification variable 

in analysis.
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Item 13 asks the extent to which private schools are supporting home schooling and whether the school is 

operated in a private home used as a family residence. This question will be used to determine the 

prevalence of schools in private residences and will also be used (in conjunction with Items 6 and 11) to 

screen out families that are homeschooling.

Items 14 and 15 ask schools to indicate whether they have a religious orientation and to indicate to what 

associations they belong. These data will be used to estimate the number of Catholic, other religious, and 

nonsectarian schools; and to determine if schools are members of school associations. The data will also 

be used as a classification variable in analysis and in the sample selection design for other school surveys.

Item 16 asks for the number of days in the school year for students. These data will be used to estimate the 

average length of the school year for students attending private schools.

Item 17 will obtain information about the length of the school day in private schools. These data will be 

used to estimate the average length of the school day for students attending private schools.

Item 18 asks schools to indicate the existence of a library/media center. This is a basic school descriptor 

and will be used in the sample selection design for other school surveys.

Item 19 will be used in conjunction with Item 4 to determine the time required to finish the survey.

Item 20 will be used by NCES to study survey response patterns.

Item 21 will be used for updating the school name and address. This data will be used in sample surveys 

and future PSS collections.

Item 22 will obtain the physical or street address of the school, if different from the mailing address. This 

information will be used in assigning a geocode to the school location and for unduplication.