1120 East Diehl Road, Suite 200 | Naperville, IL 60563-1486 | P: 866.730.6735 F: 630.649.6700

www.relmidwest.org

OMB Control Number XXXX-XXXX (Exp XX/XX)

REL Midwest Implementation Study of the Ramp-Up to Readiness Program—1

Extant Data Request

February xx, 2014

Dear [SCHOOL/DISTRICT STAFF MEMBER]:

Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest at American Institutes for Research (AIR) is 

the evaluator of the Ramp-Up to Readiness program at [SCHOOL]. REL Midwest is one of 10 

regional educational laboratories funded by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. 

Department of Education and tasked with providing technical assistance and research support to 

topic-focused groups of education-related stakeholders with the ultimate aim of learning what 

works for improving student academic outcomes 

In [MONTH/YEAR], our research team received approval from [SCHOOL/DISTRICT] to 

conduct this study. REL Midwest is beginning the data collection process. As a first step, we are 

sharing with you a list of student- and school-level data that we will need to collect for the study. 

The data that you share with our project team, in combination with data from the Minnesota 

Department of Education, will allow us to understand schools’ experience with implementing 

Ramp-Up.

A data request for this project is on the second page of this letter. It provides a general 

description of the data elements needed for this part of the project. You will see that the data 

request is organized according to these levels of data (i.e., student data and school data). We are 

requesting student-level data only for students enrolled in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade in fall 2013.

We have found that an initial phone discussion about the data elements being requested can help 

prevent misunderstandings about data availability and quality. That said, we would like to find a 

30-minute window of time next week, [DATES], when we can discuss the data request. Please 

let me know of your availability (or the availability of someone else who is familiar with the 

data), and we will arrange a phone conference.

We appreciate your support for this study. Please let me know when you are available next week. 

In the meantime, if there are other questions you have, feel free to contact me at the phone 

number below my name.

Best regards,

Jim Lindsay, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator, REL Midwest

630-649-6591
OMB Control Number XXXX-XXXX (Exp XX/XX)

REL Midwest Supporting Statement A: Implementation Study of the Ramp-Up to Readiness Program—2

REL Midwest Study of Ramp-Up to Readiness: Administrative Data Request

Student-Level Variables

Grade Level of Student

in Fall 2013–14

Student-Level Variables 10th 11th 12th 

Student MARSS ID in fall 2013–14   

Grade level in fall 2013–14   

Student leave code (e.g., to indicate transfer, dropout)   

Cumulative unweighted and weighted GPA in spring 2013   

EXPLORE score and date of administration   

PLAN score and date of administration  

Indicator of whether student took the ACT or SAT in 2012–13  

ACT composite scores with dates of administration  

SAT critical reading and mathematics scores with dates of administration  

Number of E-level courses enrolled in 2012–13 and fall 2013–14   

Number of D-level courses enrolled in 2012–13 and fall 2013–14   

Number of A-level courses enrolled in 2012–13 and fall 2013–14   

Number of C-level courses enrolled in 2012–13 and fall 2013–14   

Number of transcripts requested in fall 2013–14 

School-Level Variables 

School ID 

Number of 10th, 11th, and 12th graders (separately) in 2012–13

Percentages of 10th, 11th, and 12th graders (separately) who took an E-level course in 2012–13

Percentages of 10th, 11th, and 12th graders (separately) who took a D-level course in 2012–13

Percentages of 10th, 11th, and 12th graders (separately) who took an A-level course in 2012–13

Percentages of 10th, 11th, and 12th graders (separately) who took a C-level course in 2012–13

School average PLAN composite score in 2012–13

Percentages of 11th and 12th graders (separately) who took the ACT during 2012–13

Percentages of 11th and 12th graders (separately) who took the SAT during 2012–13

School average ACT composite score in 2012–13

School average SAT critical reading and mathematics scores in 2012–13

Percentage of 12th graders who submitted a college application in 2012–13