School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) 

2016 and 2018 

OMB #1850-0761 v.7 

Appendix A – Communication Materials 

National Center for Education Statistics 

Institute of Education Sciences 

U.S. Department of Education 

March 31, 2015

1
Contents 

Special District Contact Call Script .................................................................................................................................... 3

Special District Generic Cover Letter ................................................................................................................................. 5

Special District Generic Research Application .................................................................................................................. 6

Letter to Superintendents .................................................................................................................................................... 16

Letter to Chief State School Officers ..................................................................................................................................17

Advance E-mail to Principals ..............................................................................................................................................18

Advance Letter to Principals ............................................................................................................................................. 19

Advance Letter to Principals in Special Permission Districts ......................................................................................... 20

Postcard for Schools in Special Permission Districts ....................................................................................................... 21

Cover Letter to Principals .................................................................................................................................................. 22

Letter to Principals - Remail Request............................................................................................................................... 23

Reminder Letter to Nonresponding Principals............................................................................................................... 24

Special District Approval Thank You Letter.................................................................................................................... 32

Thank You Letter to Schools..............................................................................................................................................33

Reminder E-mails to Respondents.................................................................................................................................... 25

Voice-mail Left by Interviewers........................................................................................................................................ 31

SSOCS Brochure .................................................................................................................................................................. 14

2
Special District Contact Call Script 

Special District Contact Call Script 

2015-16 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) 

Label Information

A. Special District Research Application - Contact Person’s Information

Contact Name: Contact Title:

Contact Phone Number: Contact E-mail:

Notes

A. INTRODUCTION and CONTACT INFORMATION 

A1. Hello, this is _____ from the U.S. Census Bureau. Have I reached (district name)?

_ Yes  GO TO item A2. 

_ Different district name  Probe for district name if necessary and correct the district name in the address 

area above. If the difference is significant, record the change in the Notes section. Try to confirm the name 

change (e.g., respondent says, “We used to be Jefferson District but are now Washington District.”). GO 

TO item A2.

_ No  Verify that you dialed correctly. 

_ Correct number dialed  Probe for the respondent’s name, location, and whether the person or 

organization reached is related to the district in any way. Record information in the Notes section. 

Thank respondent and end call. 

_ Wrong number dialed  Dial correct number. GO TO item A1 above.

_ District closed  Probe for the respondent’s name, former position, the closing date, and any other 

information to confirm that it is a closure rather than change in status. Record information in the Notes 

section. Thank respondent and end call. 

_ District merged  Probe for the name of the merged districts, location and the date of the merge. Record 

information in the Notes section. GO TO item A2. Refer case to supervisor following the call. 

A2. This call may be monitored to evaluate my performance and should only take a few minutes. 

During the upcoming school year we will be conducting the School Survey on Crime and Safety 

(SSOCS) for the National Center for Education Statistics (or NCES) which is part of the U.S. 

Department of Education. 

SSOCS is an important national study that collects information about crime and safety in public 

schools from school principals. 

3
Special District Contact Call Script 

NCES is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA; 20 

U.S. Code §9543). The Office of Management and Budget approval number for this study is 1850-0761. 

The data provided by the school and staff may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be 

disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C., 

§9573).

A3. I would like to verify your mailing address for the purposes of delivering a research application. Is the 

following address correct?

Read address from label on cover page. Make any necessary corrections on the label. Then GO TO item A4. 

A4. Can you tell me the name of the person most appropriate to receive this request (for research 

approval)? 

_ Yes  Record contact name and title in the appropriate spaces of the Contact Information section on the 

cover page. Probe for the contact person’s direct phone line and email address and record it in the Contact 

Information section. GO TO item A5.

_ No  Try to probe for a contact name. If unsuccessful, set appointment and record on the call record. GO 

TO item A5. 

A4. Can you tell me about how long the district spends reviewing research applications?

_ Yes  Record information in the Notes section. Thank respondent and end call.

_ No  Thank respondent and end call. 

4
 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES 

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS 

 {DATE}

Dear {DISTRICT CONTACT NAME},

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

of Education is requesting approval for the administration of the 2015-16

School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) to # sampled schools within 

the {DISTRICT NAME} School District. SSOCS is administered to a sample 

of U.S. public schools on a recurring basis. The survey only entails the 

completion of a brief questionnaire that is estimated to take 52 minutes to 

complete. No student, faculty, or classroom time is involved.

SSOCS is one of the nation’s few sources of national information on school 

crime and safety, as reported by principals, in U.S. public schools. By 

participating, information from schools in your district allow for comparisons 

among different types of schools across the nation that are valuable to 

governing agencies, policy makers, educators and the general public. Further 

information about SSOCS is available on the NCES website 

at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs/. 

The Research Proposal for SSOCS, a copy of the advance letter that will be 

sent to sampled school principals, and a copy of the questionnaire are 

enclosed. 

We appreciate your review of our research proposal for this important 

survey. If you have any questions, please contact Teresa Thomas, the 

SSOCS Communications Director at the U.S. Census Bureau, by e-mail 

at addp.education.surveys@census.gov or by telephone at 1-800-221-1204.

Sincerely,

Rachel Hansen

Project Director

National Center for Education Statistics

WASHINGTON, DC 20208–5652

5

Special District Generic Cover Letter
Special District Generic Research Application 

2015–16 SSOCS Generic Research Application 

Contact 

Applicant: Rachel Hansen 

Title: Project Director 

Affiliation: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 

Institute of Education Sciences (IES) 

United States Department of Education 

Address: 1990 K Street NW, Suite #9034 

Washington, DC 20006 

E-mail: school.crime@ed.gov 

U.S. Census Bureau Contact: 

Teresa Thomas, Communications Director 

4600 Silver Hill Road, Stop ADDP-0080 

Washington, DC 20233-8400 

1-800-221-1204 

addp.education.surveys@census.gov 

Date: March 31, 2015 

Title of Study: 2015–16 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS:2016) 

Anticipated Start Date: February 2016 

Anticipated End Date: June 2016 

Purpose of Study: 

The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) is conducted by the National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES), part of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), within the United 

States Department of Education, in order to collect extensive data on issues of crime and safety 

in U.S. public primary, middle, high, and combined schools. The survey asks school principals 

about topics such as incidents of crime and violence; disciplinary actions; discipline problems; 

use of security measures; school policies and practices related to school crime and violence; 

violence prevention programs and activities; the presence and role of school security staff; parent 

and community involvement; staff training, availability of mental health services; as well as 

other school characteristics. NCES is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education 

Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA; 20 U.S. Code §9543).

SSOCS is one of the nation’s few sources of national information on school crime and safety, as 

reported by principals in U.S. public schools. SSOCS was first conducted during the 1999–2000 

school year and was conducted again during the 2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08, and 2009–10 

school years. A questionnaire was developed for the 2011–12 school year, but due to funding 

issues was never fielded. Many topics in the prior administrations are repeated in the 2015–16 

questionnaire to enable comparisons between the six survey periods. As data are collected on a 

recurring basis, we can assess whether our nation’s schools are becoming safer for students and 

6
Special District Generic Research Application 

educators. By participating, information from schools in your district allow for comparisons 

among different types of schools across the nation that are valuable to governing agencies, policy 

makers, educators and the general public. 

Hypotheses and Measurement: 

The SSOCS questionnaire is divided into 10 broad research objectives, each with a series of 

measurement items addressing a specific research question. Each research objective is briefly 

stated below in terms of the crime and safety issues in need of measurement, as well as the 

research questions we are seeking to answer. These measurement items and corresponding 

research questions are presented below:

I. Frequency of Crime and Violence at School: frequency and nature of crime at 

public schools 

a. What is the number of incidents, by type of crime? 

b. What are the characteristics of those incidents? 

i. How many incidents were reported to police? 

c. What is the number of hate-crime incidents? 

i. What biases motivated these incidents? 

d. How many arrests were made at school? 

e. How many schools report violent deaths? 

f. How many schools report school shootings? 

g. How many schools report disruptions for violent threats? 

II. Number of Incidents: frequency and nature of discipline problems and disorder at 

public schools 

a. What types of discipline problems and disorder occur at public schools? 

b. How serious are the problems? 

III. Disciplinary Problems and Actions: disciplinary actions used by public schools 

a. What types of disciplinary actions were available to principals? 

b. How many disciplinary actions were taken, by type of action and offense? 

IV. School Practices and Policies: practices to prevent/reduce crime and violence at 

public schools 

a. How do schools monitor student behavior? 

b. How do schools control student behavior? 

c. How do schools monitor and secure the physical grounds? 

d. How do schools limit access to the school? 

e. How do schools plan and practice procedures for emergencies? 

V. School Security Staff: involvement of law enforcement at public schools 

a. Do schools have sworn law enforcement officers present on a regular basis? 

i. How often are they available and at what times? 

ii. What activities do they participate in? 

7
Special District Generic Research Application 

iii. How many are present at the school? 

iv. How are sworn law enforcement officers armed? 

b. Is there written documentation outlining the roles and responsibilities of law 

enforcement in schools? 

c. Do schools have security guards or personnel other than law enforcement? 

VI. School Mental Health Services: availability and access to student mental health 

services at public schools 

a. Are mental health services, such as diagnostic assessment and treatment, available 

to students? 

i. Where are those services available? 

ii. Are services provided by school or district employees? 

b. What factors limit a school’s efforts to provide mental health services to students?

VII. School Programs: formal programs designed to prevent/reduce crime and violence 

at public schools 

a. Which programs target students, teachers, parents, and other community 

members? 

b. What are the characteristics of the programs? 

c. Do schools have threat assessment teams? 

i. How often do they formally meet? 

d. What student groups promote acceptance of student diversity? 

e. What training is provided to staff? 

VIII. Parent and Community Involvement at School: efforts used by public schools to 

prevent/reduce crime and violence involving various stakeholders (e.g., law 

enforcement, parents, juvenile justice agencies, mental health agencies, social 

services, and the business community) 

a. In what activities are stakeholders involved? 

b. How much are stakeholders involved? 

IX. Limitations on Crime Prevention: the problems principals encounter in 

preventing/reducing crime and violence in public schools 

X. School Characteristics school characteristics which are related to the research 

questions above 

a. What are the demographic characteristics of schools? 

b. What are the characteristics of the student population? 

c. What is the average student/teacher ratio? 

d. What are the general measures of school climate, such as truancy or student 

mobility? 

8
Special District Generic Research Application 

Content Design: 

In the 2015-16 administration, SSOCS will retain many of the topics covered in previous SSOCS 

administrations, maintaining the capability for trend analysis. At the same time, new items 

developed for SSOCS will collect information specifically on mental health services available 

for students. 

Significance of the Study: 

SSOCS is the only recurring federal survey that collects detailed information on the incidence, 

frequency, seriousness, and nature of violence affecting students and school personnel, as well as 

other indices of school safety from the schools’ perspective. As such, it fills an important gap in 

data collected by NCES and other agencies. With the help of survey participants, NCES is able 

to produce national estimates of school crime, discipline, disorder, programs, and policies. The 

ability of NCES to provide this beneficial service is contingent upon the voluntary participation 

of schools whose inclusion is dependent upon their districts’ approval. SSOCS provides 

respondents with the opportunity to participate in a unique national survey and thereby to 

contribute to data that are used by researchers interested in improving the education system in 

the United States. 

The [District Name] benefits from being a sampled district by representing itself and other 

districts like it. Consequently, your district’s participation will improve the estimates, which will 

result in higher quality data. By choosing to participate, the policies, experiences, and 

characteristics of the [District Name] will be reflected in SSOCS:2016. The important 

information provided by your district’s schools will better inform and shape future education 

policies.

Questionnaire: 

We have enclosed a copy of the 2015–16 SSOCS questionnaire.

Methodology and Sampling: 

The U.S. Census Bureau is the collection agent for SSOCS data on behalf of NCES of the U.S. 

Department of Education. SSOCS is a self-administered survey that is mailed to sampled 

participants. Sampled principals, or the staff most knowledgeable about school crime and 

policies for a safe environment, are requested to record their answers either on the printed 

questionnaire and return the questionnaire as directed (by mail to the U.S. Census Bureau). 

School districts and state educational agencies are not involved in the data collection in any way. 

Depending on the school’s data collection system, some principals may seek input from other 

school staff, such as school resource officers or guidance counselors. The survey does not require 

the participation of either students or faculty. 

SSOCS provides aggregate estimates for public schools across the nation. A stratified sample 

design was used to select approximately 3,230 U.S. public schools for SSOCS:2016. The sample 

is designed to provide national estimates of primary, middle, high, and combined schools taking 

into account the level of instruction, type of location, and size of the student enrollment. 

9
Special District Generic Research Application 

The sampling frame for SSOCS was derived from the Common Core of Data (CCD), the 

universe of public schools supplied annually by state educational agencies to NCES. Only 

public schools in the 50 states and the District of Columbia were included in the SSOCS 

sampling frame. Certain types of schools are excluded, including special education schools, 

vocational schools, alternative schools (e.g., adult continuing education schools and remedial 

schools), newly closed schools, home schools, ungraded schools, schools with high grades of 

kindergarten or lower, schools sponsored by the Bureau of Indian Education. Regular 

schools, charter schools, and schools that have partial or total magnet programs are included 

in the frame. For sample allocation purposes, strata were defined by instructional level, type 

of locale, and enrollment size. Both percent minority enrollment and region were used as 

sorting variables in the sample selection process to induce implicit stratification. 

Data Collection: 

The 2015–16 SSOCS data collection will begin in February of 2016. The U.S. Census Bureau, 

acting as a contractor for NCES, will handle the data collection. Schools that have been selected 

for participation will receive a letter notifying them of the survey in February. Principals of 

selected schools will be mailed the SSOCS questionnaire on or around February 22, 2016 and 

will be asked to return the questionnaire within two weeks. If the surveys are not returned or 

items are left incomplete, the school may receive follow-up telephone calls and emails. All 

follow-up data collection activities will end in June 2016. Again, school districts and state 

education agencies are not involved in the data collection in any way, nor does the survey require 

the participation of students or faculty. Completed questionnaires are mailed back to the NCES 

contractor, directly. 

SSOCS:2016 TIMETABLE

Questionnaires mailed to principals February 2016

Questionnaires due from principals March 2016

Phone and email follow-up with non-responders begins March 2016

All data collection efforts end June 2016

Response Burden: 

SSOCS relies on the voluntary participation of schools. The quality of national estimates is 

limited by the level of respondent participation. The data provided by individual schools are 

combined with the information provided by others in statistical reports to present estimates of 

school crime, discipline, disorder, programs, and policies for schools nationwide. Every 

effort is made to create questionnaires that collect in-depth data without putting an undue 

burden on the respondent. The response burden for the survey is estimated to be 52 minutes 

per school. # schools from your district were chosen to participate in SSOCS. 

SSOCS does not require the participation of either students or faculty. As is clearly stated on 

recruitment materials and in the questionnaires, SSOCS:2016 is a voluntary survey. The 

materials will also state that the data will only be reported in statistical summaries that preclude 

the identification of any individual principal or school participating in the survey. 

10
Special District Generic Research Application 

SSOCS has achieved a high response rate in previous administrations. Weighted response 

rates for the 2007–08 and 2009–10 SSOCS administrations are presented in Table 2 below. 

Table 1. Sample size and weighted response rate for 2007–08 and 2009–10 SSOCS 

administrations 

SSOCS administration Sample size Weighted response rate (%)

2007–08 3,484 77.2

2009–10 3,476 80.8

Confidentiality: 

NCES, the American Institutes for Research (a contractor to NCES), and the Census Bureau 

have developed a plan for protecting individual data from disclosure. Under this plan, 

SSOCS:2016 will conform to all applicable federal legislation and guidelines—specifically, 

Section 183 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002) Public Law 107-279, 

Section 183, the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a); the Privacy Act Regulations (34 CFR Part 

5b); Sections 444 and 445 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. Sections 1232g 

and 1232h); the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002; and the NCES

Statistical Standards handbook. 

From the initial contact with the participants in this survey through all of the follow-up efforts, 

potential survey respondents will be informed that the information they provide will be 

protected. The following language will be included recruitment materials, as appropriate, and on 

the survey instrument: 

Your answers may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in 

identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law [Education Sciences Reform Act of 

2002 (ESRA 2002) 20 U.S.C., § 9573]. Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify 

participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other 

participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a 

collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control 

number for this voluntary information collection is 1850-0761. The time required to complete this 

information collection is estimated to average 52 minutes per response, including the time to review 

instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the 

information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, 

suggestions for improving this collection, or comments or concerns about the contents or the status of 

your individual submission of this questionnaire, please write directly to: School Survey on Crime 

and Safety (SSOCS), National Center for Education Statistics, 1990 K Street, N.W., #9034, 

Washington, DC 20006.

A violation of the confidentiality restrictions is a felony, punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 

years and/or a fine of up to $250,000. 

11
Special District Generic Research Application 

All government or contracted staff working on the SSOCS project and having access to the data 

are required to sign the NCES Affidavit of Nondisclosure and have received public-trust security 

clearance. 

Analysis and release of information: 

The information collected in the 2015–16 SSOCS will be released in several ways. Many of the 

estimates will be included in statistical analysis reports published by NCES. In addition, the 

major findings will be included on the NCES website. 

NCES allows researchers to access the data through restricted-use licensing for other analyses. 

Only users who have official clearance from NCES may have access to the restricted-use data 

files. The data will be made available to the public as soon as possible after data collection. A 

dataset will be made available to the public on the Department of Education web site, and on a 

CD-ROM. In compliance with NCES confidentiality procedures, the dataset will not contain any 

information that can be used to identify an individual school or the state or district in which the 

school is located. 

Benefit to your school district: 

The U.S. Department of Education recognizes that safe schools are essential for learning: 

without a safe and secure environment, teachers cannot teach and students cannot learn. 

Effective data collection and analysis provides educators with a powerful set of tools for 

achieving the goal of school safety. Schools in your district also benefit from being sampled by 

representing not only themselves but other schools with similar characteristics across the nation. 

Information from participating schools allows comparability across the United States that is 

valuable to governing agencies, policy makers, educators and the general public. 

List of schools: 

We would prefer not to share the names of schools sampled in your district, as principals may 

feel that they can respond more truthfully if they are given assurances that the district does not 

know they are in the sample. The methodology of this survey requires the principal to send the 

questionnaire directly to the U.S. Census Bureau. If your district’s approval process requires a 

list of sampled schools, please contact Teresa Thomas, the 2015–-16 SSOCS Communications 

Director, at 1-800-221-1204 or at addp.education.surveys@census.gov. 

EXEMPTIONS 

IRB or Human Subjects Review: 

Title 34, Part 97, Subpart A, Section 97.101 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (Federal 

Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects) states that, “Research involving the collection or 

study of existing data, documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if 

these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in such a 

manner that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects” is 

exempt from federal policy pertaining to human subjects. SSOCS is exempt from IRB review 

12
Special District Generic Research Application 

because it utilizes survey procedures and is conducted in established or commonly accepted 

educational settings, involving normal educational practices. There is no potential for harm to 

human subjects. 

(For more information, please see http://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/humansub/part97-2.html.)

Informed Consent: 

The nature of this self-administered, cross-sectional survey is not considered intrusive and has 

been ruled to be exempt under the protection of human subjects’ provisions in federal research.

There is no individual student data (such as test scores or Social Security numbers) associated 

with any of the data acquired in this data collection. Since no data is collected about individual 

students, it is not necessary to obtain active, informed consent from students’ parents/guardians.

Participation in SSOCS is completely voluntary, and individual survey items can be left blank, at 

the discretion of each respondent. Furthermore, only principals are asked to participate. 

Therefore, a principal gives implied consent through the act of completing the SSOCS 

questionnaire. 

13
NCES 2015-045 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Safety (ssocs)

Crime

and

The School

Survey on

Do individual school 

data remain

confidential?

Your answers may be used only for statistical 

purposes and may not be disclosed or used in 

identifiable form for any other purpose except as 

required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). Your 

answers will be combined with those from others 

to produce summary statistics and reports. No 

individual data such as names or addresses will be 

reported. Any attempt on the part of a data user to 

identify a school or a specific respondent is prohibited 

by law and punishable with a fine of up to $250,000 

and/or a prison term up to 5 years.

Where can I find more 

information about the

SSOCS?

To see reports, publications, and other information 

on the SSOCS, please visit the SSOCS website at 

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/SSOCS. www.ed.gov ies.ed.gov

National Center for Education Statistics

Institute of Education Sciences

1990 K Street NW

Washington, DC 20006-5651

nces.ed.gov 

202-502-7300

Resources

« For helpful tips on emergency planning: 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/

oshs/news.html

« For more information on the prevention of 

bullying: http://www.stopbullying.gov

« For important school safety resources: 

http://nij.gov/topics/crime/school-crime

« More school safety resources:

http://www.cdc.gov/features/safeschools

14
What is

the School Survey

on Crime and 

Safety?

The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) 

is a national survey of elementary and secondary 

public school principals that collects information 

on school safety, including the frequency of school 

crime and violence, disciplinary actions, and school 

practices related to the prevention and reduction of 

crime. SSOCS is one of the nation’s primary sources 

of school-level data on crime and safety. Sponsored 

by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of 

Education Sciences, National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES), it has been administered five times 

since 1999 to nationally representative samples of 

schools and will be conducted again in the spring of 

the 2015–16 school year. Your school has been selected 

to participate in this new wave of data collection.

Why is the 

SSOCS 

important?

To address school crime, parents, school staff, 

and policymakers must understand the extent 

and nature of the problem. SSOCS is designed to 

provide measures of crime and safety in the nation’s 

public schools. Some findings from the most recent 

collection done in the 2009–10 school year:

« During the 2009–10 school year, the rate 

of violent incidents per 1,000 students was 

higher in middle schools (40 incidents) than 

in primary schools or high schools (21 

incidents each). 

« Some 25 percent of schools reported at least 

one incident of the distribution, possession, or 

use of illegal drugs, a higher percentage than 

that of the distribution, possession, or use of 

alcohol (14 percent of schools) or prescription 

drugs (12 percent of schools). 

« A higher percentage of middle schools reported 

that student bullying occurred at school daily 

or at least once a week (39 percent) than did 

high schools or primary schools (20 percent 

each). 

What topics are

covered in the

questionnaire?

« School policies and programs concerning crime 

and safety;

« Student and teacher involvement in efforts to 

prevent or reduce school violence;

« Frequency and types of disciplinary actions 

such as expulsions, transfers, and suspensions 

for selected offenses;

« Frequency and types of crimes at school, 

including rape, sexual battery, physical attack, 

robbery, theft, and vandalism;

« Student access to mental health services; and

« Responsibilities of sworn law enforcement 

officers and SROs.

Why was my school selected?

There are more than 80,000 public schools in the 

United States and only a small proportion are 

surveyed at one time. Your school was selected to 

represent schools similar to yours from across the 

nation. Your participation is important so that the 

results represent the diversity of America’s public 

schools.

15
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

SSOCS-10(L) NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

(12-2015)

WASHINGTON, DC 20006

D

EPARTMENTOFEDUCATION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SSOCS is endorsed by:

• American Association of School

Administrators

• American Federation of Teachers

• American School Counselors

Association

• Association of American Educators

• Center for the Prevention of

School Violence

• Council of Chief State School

Officers

• Criminal Justice Institute,

Safe Schools Initiative Division

• National Association of Elementary

School Principals

• National Association of School

Resource Officers

• National Association of School

Safety and Law Enforcement

Officers

• National Association of Secondary

School Principals

• National Association of State

Boards of Education

• National Education Association

• National Middle School Association

• National PTA

• National School Boards Association

• National School Safety Center

• Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

• Police Executive Research Forum

• School Safety Advocacy Council

Data collected by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Study conducted by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION 

STATISTICS

Dear Superintendent:

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

The U.S. Census Bureau is collecting data on behalf of the National 

Center for Education Statistics (NCES), of the U.S. Department of 

Education, for an important national study that collects information about 

crime and safety in public schools from school principals. The School 

Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) was previously conducted in the 

1999–2000, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08, and 2009–10 school years.

At least one school in your district has been selected to 

participate in SSOCS. For your information, we are enclosing the 

materials that are being sent to the school(s), including the letter asking them 

to participate, the questionnaire, and a brochure describing the survey. Please 

do not provide this questionnaire to any school or complete it with district 

information. This questionnaire is only for your reference; you do not need

to take any action regarding this survey.

We recognize that some schools may not want to share information related 

to crime for fear of receiving negative attention. Please be assured that by

federal mandate we are required to protect the identity of all schools included 

in our survey from public disclosure. NCES is authorized to conduct this 

survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA; 20 U.S.C., 

§ 9543). Information provided as part of this study may be used only for

statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form 

for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C., § 9573). 

Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, 

schools, or staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other 

participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

Though participation in the survey is voluntary, the success of any survey 

depends on the willingness of those selected to participate. The greater 

the level of participation, the better our survey data can provide a current 

picture of the full diversity of situations found across the nation’s schools.

We hope that you will encourage the selected schools in your 

district to participate.

Thank you for your assistance. If you have any general questions about the 

study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1–800–221–1204. Someone 

will be available to take your call Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. 

and 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to 

answer your questions via e-mail at addp.education.surveys@census.gov.

Letter to Superintendents

16
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

SSOCS-11(L) NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

(12-2015)

WASHINGTON, DC 20006

D

EPARTMENTOFEDUCATION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SSOCS is endorsed by:

• American Association of School

Administrators

• American Federation of Teachers

• American School Counselors

Association

• Association of American Educators

• Center for the Prevention of

School Violence

• Council of Chief State School

Officers

• Criminal Justice Institute,

Safe Schools Initiative Division

• National Association of Elementary

School Principals

• National Association of School

Resource Officers

• National Association of School

Safety and Law Enforcement

Officers

• National Association of Secondary

School Principals

• National Association of State

Boards of Education

• National Education Association

• National Middle School Association

• National PTA

• National School Boards Association

• National School Safety Center

• Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

• Police Executive Research Forum

• School Safety Advocacy Council

Data collected by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Study conducted by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION 

STATISTICS

Dear [NAME]:

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

The U.S. Census Bureau is collecting data on behalf of the National 

Center for Education Statistics (NCES), of the U.S. Department of 

Education, for an important national study that collects information 

about crime and safety in public schools from school principals. The 

School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) was previously 

conducted in the 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08, and 2009–

10 school years.

At least one school in your state has been selected to 

participate in SSOCS. For your information, we are enclosing the

materials that are being sent to the school(s), including the letter asking 

them to participate, the questionnaire, and a brochure describing the survey.

This questionnaire is only for your reference; you do not need to take any 

action regarding this survey.

We recognize that some schools may not want to share information related 

to crime for fear of receiving negative attention. Please be assured that by 

federal mandate we are required to protect the identity of all schools 

included in our survey from public disclosure. NCES is authorized to 

conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 

(ESRA; 20 U.S.C., § 9543). Information provided as part of this study may 

be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in 

identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C., 

§ 9573). Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify

participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be

combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics 

and reports.

Though participation in the survey is voluntary, the success of any survey 

depends on the willingness of those selected to participate. The greater 

the level of participation, the better our survey data can provide a current

picture of the full diversity of situations found across the nation’s schools.

We hope that you will encourage the schools in your state to 

participate.

Thank you for your assistance. If you have any general questions about the

study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1–800–221–1204. Someone 

will be available to take your call Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. 

and 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to

answer your questions via e-mail at addp.education.surveys@census.gov.

Letter to Chief State School Officers

17
Advance E-mail to Principal

Advance email – February 2016 

Subject line: The School Survey on Crime and Safety will arrive soon! 

Dear (name): 

I am writing to invite you to participate in the 2016 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) 

by providing information about your school in a brief questionnaire. Data collection for this 

survey is being carried out by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the National Center for 

Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education. SSOCS is a recurring survey that 

focuses on the frequency of crime and violence in public schools and the programs and practices 

schools have developed to provide a safe school environment. It provides a unique opportunity to 

collect national data on crime and safety from the school’s perspective. SSOCS is the only 

survey of its kind!

Please expect to receive the SSOCS questionnaire within the next week. If you have any 

general questions about the study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1–888–595–1332. 

Staff will be available to take your call Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. 

(Eastern Time). The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at 

addp.education.surveys@census.gov.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important survey! 

Sincerely, 

Rachel Hansen 

Project Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

U.S. Department of Education 

1990 K Street, NW, Room 9034

Washington, DC 20006 

Email: school.crime@ed.gov

18
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

SSOCS-12(L) NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

(12-2015)

WASHINGTON, DC 20006

D

EPARTMENTOFEDUCATION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Data collected by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Study conducted by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION 

STATISTICS

Dear [NAME]:

Peggy G. Carr

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

Sincerely,

I am writing to invite you to participate in the 2016 School Survey on

Crime and Safety (SSOCS). Data collection for this survey is being 

carried out by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the National Center 

for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education. SSOCS is a 

recurring survey that focuses on the frequency of crime and violence in 

public schools and the programs and practices schools have developed to 

provide a safe school environment. It provides a unique opportunity to 

collect national data on crime and safety from the school’s perspective. 

SSOCS is the only survey of its kind.

Your response is critical to the success of this study because your 

school is one of only a small number invited to participate in SSOCS. 

Your school represents hundreds of similar schools nationwide. Your 

involvement will only require the completion of a questionnaire. The 

person most knowledgeable about school crime and school policies to 

provide a safe environment should complete this survey.

NCES is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences 

Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA; 20 U.S.C., § 9543). Your answers may be used 

only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in 

identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 

U.S.C., § 9573). Reports of the findings from the survey will not identify 

participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual responses will be 

combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics 

and reports.

The U.S. Census Bureau will be sending the SSOCS 

questionnaire to your school next week. If you have any general 

questions about the study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1–888–

595–1332. Someone will be available to take your call Monday through Friday, 

between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The U.S. Census Bureau is 

also available to answer your questions via e-mail at

addp.education.surveys@census.gov.

Thank you for giving this matter your attention. We look forward to your 

school’s participation in this important data collection effort.

SSOCS is endorsed by:

• American Association of School

Administrators

• American Federation of Teachers

American School Counselors

Association

• Association of American Educators

Center for the Prevention of

School Violence

• Council of Chief State School

Officers

• Criminal Justice Institute,

Safe Schools Initiative Division

• National Association of Elementary

School Principals

• National Association of School

Resource Officers

• National Association of School

Safety and Law Enforcement

Officers

• National Association of Secondary

School Principals

• National Association of State

Boards of Education

• National Education Association

• National Middle School Association

• National PTA

• National School Boards Association

• National School Safety Center

Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

• Police Executive Research Forum

• School Safety Advocacy Council

• 

• 

• 

Advance Letter to Principals

19
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

SSOCS-12(L)S NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

(12-2015)

D

EPARTMENTOFEDUCATION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SSOCS is endorsed by:

• American Association of School

Administrators

• American Federation of Teachers

• American School Counselors

Association

• Association of American Educators

• Center for the Prevention of

School Violence

• Council of Chief State School

Officers

• Criminal Justice Institute,

Safe Schools Initiative Division

• National Association of Elementary

School Principals

• National Association of School

Resource Officers

• National Association of School

Safety and Law Enforcement

Officers

• National Association of Secondary

School Principals

• National Association of State

Boards of Education

• National Education Association

• National Middle School Association

• National PTA

• National School Boards Association

• National School Safety Center

• Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

• Police Executive Research Forum

• School Safety Advocacy Council

Data collected by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Study conducted by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION 

STATISTICS

Dear [NAME]:

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr

Acting Commissioner 

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

I am writing to invite you to participate in the 2016 School Survey on Crime and

Safety (SSOCS). Data collection for this survey is being carried out by the 

U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics

(NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. SSOCS is a recurring survey that 

focuses on the frequency of crime and violence in public schools and the 

programs and practices schools have developed to provide a safe school 

environment. It provides a unique opportunity to collect national data on crime 

and safety from the school’s perspective. SSOCS is the only survey of its 

kind.

Your response is critical to the success of this study because your

school is one of only a small number invited to participate in SSOCS. Your

school represents hundreds of similar schools nationwide. Your involvement will

only require the completion of a questionnaire. The person most 

knowledgeable about school crime and school policies to provide a safe 

environment should complete this survey.

NCES is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences Reform 

Act of 2002 (ESRA; 20 U.S.C., § 9543).Your answers may be used only for 

statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for 

any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C., § 9573). Reports of the 

findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or staff. 

Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants to 

produce summary statistics and reports.

We know that your school district requires researchers to obtain approval to

conduct research in your district. The NCES is in the process of

obtaining permission to conduct SSOCS in your district. If you

have any questions about this process, please contact your district or the U.S. 

Census Bureau at 1-800-221-1204. Someone will be available to take your call 

Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). You 

may also e-mail questions to addp.education.surveys@census.gov.

The U.S. Census Bureau will be sending the SSOCS questionnaire

to your school next week. If you have any general questions about the

survey, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at the phone number or e-mail 

address provided above.

Thank you for giving this matter your attention. We look forward to your school’s 

participation in this important data collection effort.

Advance Letter to Principals in Special Permission Districts

WASHINGTON, DC 20006

20
SSOCS-13(I) (12-2015)

APPROVED SSOCS

SSOCS-13(I) (12-2015)

I would like to thank you in advance for your help in

completing this survey.

Sincerely,

Rachel Hansen

Project Director

National Center for Education Statistics

21
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

SSOCS-13(L) NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

(12-2015)

WASHINGTON, DC 20006

D

EPARTMENTOFEDUCATION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Data collected by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Study conducted by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION 

STATISTICS

Dear [NAME]:

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

Last week, I wrote to request your participation in the School Survey on Crime

and Safety (SSOCS), an important national study that collects information about

crime and safety in public schools. Data collection for this survey is being 

carried out by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education.

As we mentioned in our previous letter, SSOCS provides a unique opportunity 

to collect national data on crime and safety from the school’s perspective. We 

are confident that, with your participation, we can provide data to state and 

federal agencies about various types of crime and discipline that exist in 

schools today. Although SSOCS may ask some questions that appear similar 

to those on other surveys, this survey is not connected to any other state or 

federal data collection system. SSOCS is unique in that it provides 

national estimates of school crime and safety using common 

definitions across all states.

NCES is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Sciences 

Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA; 20 U.S.C., § 9543). We realize that data on 

school crime are highly sensitive, so we want to remind you that information 

provided as part of this study may be used only for statistical purposes and 

may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose 

except as required by law (20 U.S.C., § 9573). Reports of the findings from 

the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or staff. Individual 

responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce 

summary statistics and reports.

While your participation in this survey is voluntary and your decision will 

not affect any benefits or funding you receive from the U.S. Department of 

Education, we do hope that you will participate in this important national survey.

We would appreciate the return of the questionnaire within 

two weeks. A postage-paid return envelope has been enclosed for your 

convenience. If you have any general questions about the study, please 

contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1–888–595–1332. Someone will be 

available to take your call Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 

8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer

your questions via e-mail at addp.education.surveys@census.gov.

SSOCS is endorsed by:

• American Association of School

Administrators

• American Federation of Teachers

• American School Counselors

Association

• Association of American Educators

• Center for the Prevention of

School Violence

• Council of Chief State School

Officers

• Criminal Justice Institute,

Safe Schools Initiative Division

• National Association of Elementary

School Principals

• National Association of School

Resource Officers

• National Association of School

Safety and Law Enforcement

Officers

• National Association of Secondary

School Principals

• National Association of State

Boards of Education

• National Education Association

• National Middle School Association

• National PTA

• National School Boards Association

• National School Safety Center

• Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

• Police Executive Research Forum

• School Safety Advocacy Council

Cover Letter to Principals

22
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

SSOCS-14(L) NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

(12-2015)

WASHINGTON, DC 20006

D

EPARTMENTOFEDUCATION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SSOCS is endorsed by:

• American Association of School

Administrators

• American Federation of Teachers

• American School Counselors

Association

• Association of American Educators

• Center for the Prevention of

School Violence

• Council of Chief State School

Officers

• Criminal Justice Institute,

Safe Schools Initiative Division

• National Association of Elementary

School Principals

• National Association of School

Resource Officers

• National Association of School

Safety and Law Enforcement

Officers

• National Association of Secondary

School Principals

• National Association of State

Boards of Education

• National Education Association

• National Middle School Association

• National PTA

• National School Boards Association

• National School Safety Center

• Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

• Police Executive Research Forum

• School Safety Advocacy Council

Data collected by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Study conducted by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION 

STATISTICS

Dear [NAME]:

Sincerely,

Peggy G. Carr

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

Recently, someone from the U.S. Census Bureau spoke with you regarding the 

School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), an important national study that 

collects information about crime and safety in public schools. Data collection for 

this survey is being carried out by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the 

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

Education. Enclosed is the replacement questionnaire that you 

requested.

We realize that data on school crime are highly sensitive, so we want to remind

you that information provided as part of this study may be used only for 

statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for 

any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C., § 9573). Reports of 

the findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or 

staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants 

to produce summary statistics and reports.

While your decision to participate is voluntary and will not affect any benefits or 

funding you receive from the U.S. Department of Education, we do hope that 

you will participate in this important national survey. The data you provide are

combined with the information provided by others in statistical reports to present

estimates of school crime, discipline, disorder, programs, and policies for 

schools nationwide.

We would appreciate the return of the questionnaire within two weeks. A 

postage-paid return envelope has been enclosed for your convenience. If you 

have any general questions about the survey, please contact the U.S. Census

Bureau at 1–888–595–1332. Someone will be available to take your call Monday

through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The U.S. 

Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via e-mail at

addp.education.surveys@census.gov.

Letter to Principals - Remail Request

23
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

SSOCS-15(L) NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

(12-2015)

WASHINGTON, DC 20006

D

EPARTMENTOFEDUCATION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SSOCS is endorsed by:

• American Association of School

Administrators

• American Federation of Teachers

• American School Counselors

Association

• Association of American Educators

• Center for the Prevention of

School Violence

• Council of Chief State School

Officers

• Criminal Justice Institute,

Safe Schools Initiative Division

• National Association of Elementary

School Principals

• National Association of School

Resource Officers

• National Association of School

Safety and Law Enforcement

Officers

• National Association of Secondary

School Principals

• National Association of State

Boards of Education

• National Education Association

• National Middle School Association

• National PTA

• National School Boards Association

• National School Safety Center

• Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

• Police Executive Research Forum

• School Safety Advocacy Council

Data collected by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Study conducted by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION 

STATISTICS

Dear [NAME]:

Sincerely,

Peggy G Carr

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

Enclosures

Submission Deadline Extended

As of today, we have not received your completed School Survey on Crime and 

Safety (SSOCS) questionnaire. If you have recently returned the questionnaire, 

thank you for your participation. If you have not yet completed the questionnaire, 

I encourage you to do so. We have extended the deadline to [<DATE>]

SSOCS is an important national study that collects information about crime and 

safety in public schools. Data collection for this survey is being carried out by 

the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education.

We appreciate that you are very busy and that you receive many survey 

requests. However, we urge you to take the time to respond. Principals who 

participated in past iterations of SSOCS reported that they benefited from 

filling out our survey because it encouraged them to set aside time to focus on 

crime and safety issues at their schools.

Information provided as part of this study may be used only for statistical 

purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any 

other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C., § 9573). Reports of the 

findings from the survey will not identify participating districts, schools, or 

staff. Individual responses will be combined with those from other participants 

to produce summary statistics and reports.

A postage-paid return envelope is enclosed for your convenience. If you have 

any questions about the study, please do not hesitate to contact the 

U.S. Census Bureau at 1–888–595–1332. Someone will be available to take 

your call Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern

Time). The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your questions via 

e-mail at addp.education.surveys@census.gov.

While your decision to participate is voluntary and will not affect any benefits or

funding you receive from the U.S. Department of Education, we do hope that 

you will participate in this important national survey. The data you provide are 

combined with the information provided by others in statistical reports to present

estimates of school crime, discipline, disorder, programs, and policies for

schools nationwide.

Reminder Letter to Nonresponding Principals

24
Reminder E-mails to Respondents 

Follow-up email – March 2016 

Subject line: Friendly Reminder – School Survey on Crime and Safety 

Dear (name): 

Recently, we sent you the 2016 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) questionnaire. If 

you have already completed SSOCS, thank you! 

If not, please complete and return your questionnaire as soon as possible. We will contact 

you shortly to determine the status of your questionnaire. If you have not received the 

questionnaire, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau to request a replacement copy by sending 

an e-mail to addp.education.surveys@census.gov or by calling 1–888–595–1332 between the 

hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). 

Your participation is critical to the success of our survey because your school was selected to 

represent hundreds of similar schools and cannot be replaced. Schools will not be identified by 

name in any reports. Please contact me if there is anything I can do to help you complete the 

questionnaire. We appreciate your participation in this valuable survey! 

Sincerely, 

Rachel Hansen 

Project Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

U.S. Department of Education 

1990 K Street, NW, Room 9034

Washington, DC 20006

Email: school.crime@ed.gov

25
Reminder E-mails to Respondents 

First email reminder – March 2016, approximately two weeks after follow-up email 

Subject line: School Survey on Crime and Safety 

Dear (name): 

Did you know that during the 2009-10 school year, the rate of violent incidents (rape, sexual 

battery other than rape, physical attack or fight with or without a weapon, threat of physical attack 

with or without a weapon, and robbery with or without a weapon) per 1,000 students was higher 

in middle schools than in primary schools or high schools? 

We need your help to gather statistics on the frequency of both violent and nonviolent incidents 

that occur in schools today, along with the policies and practices educators have instituted to 

provide a safer environment for students. 

The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) collects these valuable data. If you have 

already completed and returned your questionnaire, thank you very much for your participation. 

If not, I encourage you to take the time to do so. Your participation is critical to the success of 

our survey because your school was selected to represent hundreds of similar schools. Please 

note that schools will not be identified by name in any reports. 

Please contact me if there is anything I can do to help you complete the questionnaire. 

Sincerely, 

Rachel Hansen 

Project Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

U.S. Department of Education 

1990 K Street, NW, Room 9034

Washington, DC 20006 

Email: school.crime@ed.gov

26
Reminder E-mails to Respondents 

Second email reminder – April 2016, approximately two weeks after first reminder email 

Subject line: School Survey on Crime and Safety – We Need Your Help!

Dear (name):

We know that you are very busy, but we need your help! 

The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) collects valuable information on the frequency 

of crime and violence in public schools and the programs and practices schools have developed to 

provide a safe school environment.

The greater the level of participation, the better our survey data can provide a current picture of 

our nation’s schools. The data you provide are combined with the information provided by others 

in statistical reports to present estimates of school crime, discipline, disorder, programs, and 

policies for schools nationwide. Schools will not be identified by name in any reports.

If you have already completed and returned your questionnaire, thank you! If not, please 

complete and return your questionnaire as soon as possible. 

If you have any general questions about the study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 

1–888–595–1332. Staff will be available to take your call Monday through Friday, between 8:00 

a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your 

questions via e-mail at addp.education.surveys@census.gov. 

Sincerely,

Rachel Hansen 

Project Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

U.S. Department of Education 

1990 K Street, NW, Room 9034

Washington, DC 20006 

Email: school.crime@ed.gov

27
Reminder E-mails to Respondents 

Third email reminder – April 2016, approximately two weeks after second reminder email 

Subject line: Selected findings from the 2009-10 SSOCS! 

Dear (name): 

The School Survey on Crime and Safety produces valuable data on crime and safety in public 

schools. Findings from the 2009-10 survey included:

 A greater percentage of schools reported at least one student threat of physical attack

without a weapon than with a weapon.

 A higher percentage of middle schools reported that student bullying occurred at school

daily or at least once a week than did high schools or primary schools.

 A higher percentage of suburban schools drilled students on a written plan describing

procedures to be performed during a shooting than did city schools or rural schools.

Your completed questionnaire will help us to produce statistics for the 2015-16 school year. If 

you have already completed the survey, thank you for your assistance and please disregard this email. If you haven’t had the opportunity to complete and return the survey yet, we encourage you 

to do so. You can also complete the survey over the phone by calling the U.S. Census Bureau at 

1–888–595–1332 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). Please note that 

schools will not be identified by name in any reports.

Sincerely, 

Rachel Hansen 

Project Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

U.S. Department of Education 

1990 K Street, NW, Room 9034

Washington, DC 20006 

Email: school.crime@ed.gov

28
Reminder E-mails to Respondents 

Fourth email reminder – May 2016, approximately two weeks after third reminder email 

Subject Line: Time is running out to participate in SSOCS! 

Dear (name): 

Time is running out for your school to participate in the School Survey on Crime and Safety 

(SSOCS)! 

If you have already completed and returned your questionnaire, thank you! If not, please 

complete and return it as soon as possible. You may also complete the survey over the phone by 

calling the U.S. Census Bureau at 1–888–595–1332. An interviewer will be available to assist 

you between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). Please note that schools will 

not be identified by name in any reports. 

Sincerely, 

Rachel Hansen 

Project Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

U.S. Department of Education 

1990 K Street, NW, Room 9034

Washington, DC 20006 

Email: school.crime@ed.gov

29
Reminder E-mails to Respondents 

Last Email reminder – June 2016, approximately two weeks after fourth reminder email 

Subject line: Last chance to participate in SSOCS! 

Dear (name): 

We need your help! Data collection for the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) is 

coming to a close. Don’t miss your opportunity to contribute to data that are used for making and 

changing policies. If you have not already done so, please complete and return your SSOCS 

questionnaire. Schools will not be identified by name in any reports. We appreciate your help in 

this important data collection effort! 

If you have any general questions about the study, please contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1–

888–595–1332. Staff will be available to take your call Monday through Friday, between 8:00 

a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The U.S. Census Bureau is also available to answer your 

questions via e-mail at addp.education.surveys@census.gov. 

Sincerely, 

Rachel Hansen 

Project Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

U.S. Department of Education 

1990 K Street, NW, Room 9034

Washington, DC 20006 

Email: school.crime@ed.gov

30
Voice-mail Left by Interviewers 

Voice-mail Left by Interviewers 

This is the United States Census Bureau’s Jeffersonville Contact Center. Please return our call at: 

(toll-free number). Refer to case number: (case ID). Thank You.

31
SSOCS is endorsed by: 

• American Association of School

Administrators

• American Federation of Teachers

• American School Counselors

Association

• Association of American Educators

• Center for the Prevention of

School Violence

• Council of Chief State School

Officers

• Criminal Justice Institute,

Safe Schools Initiative Division

• National Association of Elementary

School Principals

• National Association of School

Resource Officers

• National Association of School

Safety and Law Enforcement

Officers

• National Association of Secondary

School Principals

• National Association of State

Boards of Education

• National Education Association

• National Middle School Association

• National PTA

• National School Boards Association

• National School Safety Center

• Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

• Police Executive Research Forum

• School Safety Advocacy Council

Data collected by:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Study conducted by: 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION

STATISTICS

WASHINGTON, DC 20006

Dear [NAME]:

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

Education and the U.S. Census Bureau would like to thank you for making the 

2015–16 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) a success. 

SSOCS is the only nationally representative survey that collects data on crime and 

safety from a principal’s perspective, so we appreciate your approval of our 

application to conduct research within your district. This school year, we were able 

to gather data from over [TOTAL] schools. Your approval was crucial in helping us

achieve this success.

Please visit http://nces.ed.gov/newsflash and sign up to receive up-to-date alerts 

about a number of education topics, including crime and safety in schools. 

Tables based on data from the 2009-10 SSOCS and earlier SSOCS 

administrations are available on the NCES website. In addition to these data 

products, tables and reports based on the 2015-16 SSOCS will be posted to our 

website at http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs upon release. 

Again, thank you for your approval.

Sincerely,

Rachel Hansen

Project Director 

National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES 

 SSOCS-16(L)

 (12-2015) NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS 

Special District Approval Thank You Letter

32
SSOCS is endorsed by: 

• American Association of School

Administrators

• American Federation of Teachers

• American School Counselors

Association

• Association of American Educators

• Center for the Prevention of

School Violence

• Council of Chief State School

Officers

• Criminal Justice Institute,

Safe Schools Initiative Division

• National Association of Elementary

School Principals

• National Association of School

Resource Officers

• National Association of School

Safety and Law Enforcement

Officers

• National Association of Secondary

School Principals

• National Association of State

Boards of Education

• National Education Association

• National Middle School Association

• National PTA

• National School Boards Association

• National School Safety Center

• Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

• Police Executive Research Forum

• School Safety Advocacy Council

Data collected by: 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Study conducted by: 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION

STATISTICS

WASHINGTON, DC 20006

Dear [NAME]:

The National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education 

and the U.S. Census Bureau would like to thank you for making the 2015–16

School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) a success.

SSOCS is the only nationally representative survey that collects data on crime and 

safety from a principal’s perspective, so we appreciate you taking time out of your 

busy schedule to represent your school in this important effort. This school year, 

we were able to gather data from over [TOTAL] schools. Your participation was 

crucial in helping us achieve this success. 

Please visit http://nces.ed.gov/newsflash and sign up to receive up-to-date 

alerts about a number of education topics, including crime and safety in schools. 

Tables based on data from the 2009-10 SSOCS and earlier SSOCS 

administrations are available on the NCES website. In addition to these data 

products, tables and reports based on the 2015-16 SSOCS will be posted to our 

website at http://www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs upon release. 

Again, thank you for your time and participation.

Sincerely,

Rachel Hansen

Project Director 

National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES 

 SSOCS-18(L)

 (12-2015) NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS 

Thank You Letter to Schools

33