Dear Parent:
We
[1] want to learn more about what parents think about conditions at your child's school (“school climate”). This study is funded by the National Institute of Justice.
We are asking you to take an online survey that might take 50 to 60 minutes. The questions will ask for your thoughts about student engagement, school environment, and school safety.
You will not benefit from taking the survey. However, by participating you will help us to understand the current conditions in your child's school.
You may have some negative thoughts about the school, but the questions should not make you uncomfortable. You can skip any questions you do not want to answer. The survey includes things you might talk about in a regular discussion about school. Taking the survey will not cost you anything except your time. It is up to you if you would like to participate. If you choose to participate, you can change your mind at any time.
The only people who will see your answers are the staff who are in charge of the survey. Your answers will be combined with the answers of other parents at the school and in the school district. The combined answers will be summarized in reports about the school climate. Reports will not include names of participants, or their survey answers. Information that we collect will only be used for research and statistics. De-identified data will be stored with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data.
If you have any questions about this survey, or about participating in it, please contact Jarred Bowman at (202) 704-5774.
[1] Specifically, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) in the District of Columbia.