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The overall objective of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is to collect the information necessary for a comprehensive picture of elementary and secondary education in the United States. The abundance of data collected permits detailed analyses of the characteristics of schools, principals, teachers, school libraries, and public school district policies. The linkage of the SASS questionnaires enables researchers to examine the relationships among these elements of education. The 2011-12 SASS consisted of five types of questionnaires: (1) a school district questionnaire; (2) principal questionnaires; (3) school questionnaires; (4) teacher questionnaires; and (5) a school library media center questionnaire. The principal, school, and teacher questionnaires were modified slightly between the public school versions (Principal Questionnaire, School Questionnaire, Public School Questionnaire (With District Items), and Teacher Questionnaire) and private school versions (Private School Principal Questionnaire, Private School Questionnaire, and Private School Teacher Questionnaire) to refer to either the public or private sector correctly. The Private School Questionnaire also incorporated the Private School Universe Survey (PSS) items that were collected at the same time as SASS in 2011-12. The School Library Media Center Questionnaire was administered to public (including public charter) schools in 2011-12. This report contains chapters on the following topics: (1) changes in SASS design, content, and methodology from 2007-08; (2) preparation for the 2011-12 SASS; (3) frame creation and sample selection; (4) data collection; (5) response rates and bias analysis; (6) data processing; (7) weighting and variance estimation; and (8) data quality. The following are appended: (1) Key Terms for SASS; (2) Questionnaire Availability Online, Downloadable PDF Files; (3) Poverty Analysis for SASS 2011--12 Public School Sample; (4) Bureau of Indian Education-Funded Schools and Career and Technology Centers Sampling Change; (5) 2011-12 SASS Redesign--Precision Analysis; (6) Summary of the 2009 Field Test Findings and Recommendations for the 2011--12 SASS Methodology; (7) Cognitive Testing of Schools and Staffing Survey Items Summary of Findings and Recommendations, September 2010; (8) Cognitive Testing of Schools and Staffing Survey Items Summary of Findings and Recommendations, May 2011; (9) School and Teacher Sample Allocation Procedure; (10) Report on Results of Special Contact Districts; (11) 2011-12 SASS Unit Nonresponse Bias Analysis; (12) Quality Assurance for Data Capture and Mailout Operations; (13) Crosswalk of Public School Questionnaire (With District Items) Items onto the Public School Questionnaire and School District Questionnaire; (14) Changes Made to Variables During the Computer Edit, by Data File; (15) List of Matching Variables for the 2011-12 SASS; (16) Imputation Changes to Variables, by Data File; (17) Weighting Adjustment Cells; and (18) Crosswalk Among Items in the 1987-88, 1990-91, 1993-94, 1999-2000, 2003-04, 2007-08 and 2011-12 SASS and Crosswalk of Variables Across the 2011-12 SASS Questionnaires.

The Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education and is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. TFS is a follow-up survey of selected elementary and secondary school teachers who participated in the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). SASS is the largest, most extensive survey of K-12 school districts, schools, teachers, and administrators in the United States today. It provides extensive 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. TFS focuses on a sample of teachers who participated in SASS, including both teachers who left and teachers who remained in the K-12 teaching profession. This report covers all phases of the Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), from survey planning through data file availability. The TFS determines how many teachers remained at the same school, moved to another school, or left the profession in the year following the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) administration. This report contains chapters on preparation for the 2008-09 TFS, frame creation and sample selection procedures, data collection, response rates, data processing, imputation procedures, weighting and variance estimation, a review of the quality of TFS data, structure of TFS data files and information on merging data files, and user notes and cautions. Appended are: (1) Key Terms for TFS; (2) Questionnaire Availability; (3) First Cognitive Testing of TFS Items: Summary of Findings and Recommendations; (4) Second Cognitive Testing of TFS Items: Summary of Findings and Recommendations; (5) Teacher Status Form (Form TFS-1); (6) Results of the Unit Nonresponse Bias Analysis; (7) Quality Assurance for Keying and Mailout Operations; (8) Changes Made to Variables During the Consistency and Logic Edits, by Data File; (9) Imputation Changes to Variables, by Data File; (10) Weighting Adjustment Cells; (11) Evaluation of an Alternative Nonresponse Adjustment Method; (12) Frame and Created Variables; and (13) Crosswalk Among Items in the 2000-01, 2004-05, and 2008-09 TFS and With the 2007-08 SASS. (Contains 40 tables and 14 exhibits.)

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.)