Search

This report serves as the survey documentation for the design and implementation of the 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey. Topics covered include the sample design, survey methodology, data collection procedures, data processing, response rates, imputation procedures, weighting and variance estimation, review of the quality of data, the types of SASS data files, and user notes and cautions. Appendixes include: (1) Key Terms for SASS [Schools and Staffing Survey]; (2) Questionnaire Availability; (3) Report on 2001-02 SASS Pretest and Recommendations for 2003-04 SASS; (4) Report of Findings from a Test on the SASS Teacher Listing Instrument; (5) Report on SASS Cognitive Interviews of Teachers in Two Panels; (6) Report on a Follow-Up Cognitive Testing to the 2003-04 SASS Teacher Questionnaire; (7) Report on SASS Focus Groups; (8) Results of the Cognitive Pretest on SASS Public School Questions; (9) Report on a Follow-Up Cognitive Testing to Select 2003-04 SASS Principal Items; (10) Results of the Cognitive Pretest on SASS School Library Media Center Questions; (11) Details of SASS Frame Creation and Sample Selection Procedures; (12) Report on Results of Special Contact Districts; (13) School District Experiment Findings; (14) Results From the Quality Control Reinterview of the 2003-04 Schools and Staffing; (15) Quality Assurance for Keying and Mailout Operations Survey; (16) Changes Made to Variables during the Computer Edit, by Data File; (17) Imputation Changes to Variables, by Data File; (18) Weighting Adjustment Cells; (19) Response Variance in the 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey; (20) Frame and Created Variables; (21) Crosswalk among Items in the 1987-88, 1990-91, 1993-94, 1999-2000, and 2003-04 SASS; and (22) Main Teaching Assignment Variable.

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) on behalf of the United States Department of Education in order to collect extensive data on American public and private elementary and secondary schools. SASS provides data on the characteristics and qualifications of teachers and principals, teacher hiring practices, professional development, class size, and other conditions in schools across the nation. SASS is the largest, most extensive survey of K-12 school districts, schools, teachers, and administrators in the United States today. It includes data from public, private, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and public charter school sectors. Therefore, SASS provides a multitude of opportunities for analysis and reporting on elementary and secondary educational issues. This document is organized into the following sections: (1) Overview; (2) Changes in SASS Design, Content, and Methodology from 1993-94 to 1999-2000; (3) Preparation for the 1999-2000 SASS; (4) Sample Design and Implementation; (5) Data Collection; (6) Response Rates; (7) Data Processing; (8) Imputation Procedures; (9) Weighting and Variance Estimation; (10) Reviewing the Quality of SASS Data; (11) Restricted-Use vs. Public-Use Data Files; (12) Sampling, Created, Weighting, and Imputation Flag Variables; and (13) User Notes and Cautions. Twelve appendices include items such as: (1) Key Terms for SASS; (2) Questionnaire Availability; and (3) Selected Unweighted and Weighted Response Rate Tables. (Contains over 125 tables and 1 exhibit.)