SCHOOL PULSE PANEL

Why is the School Pulse Panel (SPP) important?

SPP is one of the nation’s few sources of near-time, quick turnaround data on a wealth of information focused on student and staff experiences in the school environment, as reported by leaders in U.S. public schools. The data collected in this survey will help to inform federal policy decisions around education.

How is SPP different from other NCES surveys?

SPP is a unique survey. While surveys like the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) produce benchmark statistics critical to monitoring progress over time, they are not designed to capture and produce data quickly. Findings from each SPP monthly survey are typically released within six weeks of data collection, producing a new source of "near time" statistics that shed light on what is happening in public schools across the country and allow policymakers to make decisions based on up-to-date information.

What schools are part of SPP?

The sampling frame for SPP is derived from the Common Core of Data (CCD), the universe of public schools supplied annually by state education agencies to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Only public schools in the 50 states and District of Columbia are included in the SPP sample. This includes regular public schools, virtual schools, charter schools, alternative schools, special education schools, vocational schools, and schools that have partial or total magnet programs. Newly closed schools, home schools, private schools, and schools with high grades of kindergarten or lower are excluded.

In addition to the sample, all schools from designated U.S. Outlying Areas, including Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, that meet SPP eligibility requirements are invited to participate.

Are schools' responses kept confidential?

Federal mandate requires the protection of schools' responses. Individual school responses will be combined with those from other participants to produce summary statistics and reports.

How will results be reported?

Results from the 2023-24 collection will be made available at this website on a monthly basis starting in the fall of 2023.

Results from SPP 2021-22 are available at https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/.

Other questions?

If you are a school that was contacted about participating in SPP and have questions about your participation, contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-844-868-3661 or via e-mail at [email protected]. The U.S. Census Bureau collects data on behalf of NCES.

For all other questions about SPP, please email [email protected].