The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is a periodic, integrated system of sample surveys on elementary and secondary schools in the United States that collects information on school and district administrators and teachers in public and private schools. This technical report is one in a series of methodological studies relating to the SASS of the National Center for Education Statistics. The report examines nonresponse, not as an indicator of survey data quality, but for the purpose of understanding potential biases in response data with an eye toward changing survey operations in the future. The analysis is exploratory in that it refers to the multivariate analysis of nonresponse. The four main goals of the report are: (1) summarizing known technical and evaluative information about response rates in the 1990-91 SASS round; (2) exploring the differences between respondents and nonrespondents through intensive study of the data; (3) identifying gaps in knowledge about nonresponse; and (4) suggesting priorities for future SASS research. Results indicate that the operation of the SASS is of the highest caliber, but that it can be improved in some ways. Notable among these is the suggestion that the SASS begin a methods test program to keep abreast of the changing nature of school reporting issues. Appendixes present a modeling example and basic response rate tabulations by SASS component. (Contains 87 tables, 7 appendix tables, 31 figures, and 79 references.) (SLD)

This report presents national data on teachers and teaching from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and other sources. Where data permit, the report compares findings from the early to mid-1990s with findings from the 1980s. The report addresses a wide range of topics related to teachers and teaching, including teachers' demographic characteristics and various characteristics of their schools and students, teachers' preparation and professional development experiences, teachers' workloads, teaching practices, compensation, perceptions of work environments and job satisfaction, and the supply and demand of teachers. Detailed tables, standard error tables, and technical notes are included in appendices. (Contains 108 references.) (ND)

Disrupting the cycle starts with you. No matter how conscientious we are, we carry implicit bias... which quickly turns into assumptions and then labels. Labels define our interactions with and expectations of students. Labels contribute to student identity and agency. And labels can have a negative effect beyond the classroom. It’s crucial, then, that teachers remove labels and focus on students’ strengths—but this takes real work at an individual, classroom, and schoolwide scale. Removing Labels urges you to take an active approach toward disrupting the negative effects of labels and assumptions that interfere with student learning. This book offers: 40 practical, replicable teaching techniques—all based in research and best practice—that focus on building relationships, restructuring classroom engagement and management, and understanding the power of social and emotional learning Suggestions for actions on an individual, classroom, and schoolwide level Ready-to-go tools and student-facing printables to use in planning and instruction Removing Labels is more than a collection of teaching strategies—it’s a commitment to providing truly responsive education that serves all children. When you and your colleagues take action to prevent negative labels from taking hold, the whole community benefits.