ONLINE Survey for Educators (and Phone Survey for Educators)

Date: 5/15/2007

Establishing a Baseline for REL Southwest Performance and Identifying Customer Needs: Survey Tasks 1.1.1 and 1.1.2

<Phone Survey for Educators>

<Introduction script for phone survey>

Good Morning/Afternoon. My name is _____. I am calling on behalf of Edvance Research, Inc., a national research organization and would like to speak to <read name on list>.

(If respondent is available, continue with script. Otherwise call back later.)

We greatly value the opinion of educators such as yourself and are interested in obtaining your feedback. It should not take you more than 15 minutes to complete this survey.

Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your district to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

QA. Would you like to participate in this survey?

1. Yes <Continue with script>

2. No <Thank for time and terminate>

Q1. Are you currently employed in Pre-K/Kindergarten, Elementary, Secondary or Higher Education in your state? (Select only one)

1. Yes, I am a professional educator employed in Pre-K, Kindergarten, Elementary, Secondary or Higher Education.

2. No <Terminate and SKIP TO CLOSING STATEMENT>

Q2. At which level(s) of education are you primarily involved? (Select all that apply)

1. Elementary/Secondary Education

   1. Pre-K/Kindergarten

   2. Elementary

   3. Middle/Junior

   4. High

2. Higher Education

   1. Two Year College

   2. Four Year College

   3. Graduate School

3. Other/Don’t know <Terminate and SKIP TO CLOSING STATEMENT >

Q3. Please specify your primary professional title: (Select only one)

1. Superintendent

2. Principal

3. Teacher

4. College Admissions Director

5. College Student Affairs Director/Officer

6. Other (Specify title) __________________

7. Don’t know <Terminate and SKIP TO CLOSING STATEMENT>

Q4. How long have you been serving in your present role?

1. Year(s) ___________ (Round up to the closest year)

Q5. Do you fulfill any other professional role(s) in your educational institution/school district?

1. No

2. Yes (Please select any other professional titles/roles that you fulfill in your school/district. Select all that apply)

1. Superintendent

2. Special Education Director/Assistant Superintendent

3. Curriculum Director/Assistant Superintendent

4. Testing/Assessment Director/Assistant Superintendent

5. ELL/Bilingual Director/Assistant Superintendent

6. Principal/Assistant Principal

7. Teacher (Specify grade and subject area of focus from pull down list)

8. Librarian

9. College Department Chair

10. Graduate Dean/Assistant Dean

11. College Admissions Director

12. College Student Affairs Director/Officer

13. Other (Specify title(s))

Q6. How long have you been serving in your other professional role(s)? <This question will be asked for all titles selected in Q5>

1. Year(s) ___________ (Round up to the closest year)

Q7. Select your primary state of employment. <Participants who do not select at least one of the 5 REL SOUTHWEST states will be terminated from the survey process>

1. Arkansas

2. Louisiana

3. New Mexico

4. Oklahoma

5. Texas

6. Other <Terminate and SKIP TO CLOSING STATEMENT>

Q8. Specify your gender:

1. Male

2. Female

Q9a. Specify your ethnicity: (Select one)

1. Hispanic or Latino

2. Not Hispanic or Latino

Q9b. Specify your race: (Select one or more)

1. American Indian or Alaska Native

2. Asian

3. Black or African American

4. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

5. White

Q10. Prior to this survey, how aware were you of the Regional Educational Laboratories, also referred to as the REL Network? Please assign an awareness rating using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 = “Unaware” and 5 = “Aware”. _______________

Q11. How aware are you of SEDL (also referred to as the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory)? Please assign an awareness rating using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 = “Unaware” and 5 = “Aware”. _______________

Q12. How aware are you of REL Southwest or SWREL (also referred to as the Regional Educational Laboratory -- Southwest)? Please assign an awareness rating using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 = “Unaware” and 5 = “Aware”. _______________

Q13. Do you use/refer to educational research?

1. Yes <SKIP TO Q15>

2. No

Q14. Specify your reason(s) for not using/referring to educational research: (Select all that apply)

1. I have trouble finding research.

2. Research available is not relevant to my job.

3. I doubt the quality of research that is available.

4. Research available is difficult to understand.

5. Available research is relevant, but I don’t know how to apply to my job.

6. Other (Specify)

<SKIP TO Q23>

Q15. What type of educational research do you use currently (or have you used in the past)? (Select all that apply)

1. Programs (e.g., Reading Recovery, Accelerated Schools, etc.)

2. Products (e.g., A particular math textbook or a reading curriculum)

3. Practices (e.g., Phonics, Whole Language, etc.)

4. Policies (e.g., No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), Response to Intervention (RTI))

5. Testing/Assessment

6. Social issues affecting education (e.g., Teenage pregnancy, child obesity, etc.)

7. College Readiness

8. Other (Specify)

Q16. Why do you use/refer to educational research? (Select all that apply)

1. Better perform my job functions

2. Stay informed of education issues

3. Make decisions

4. Ensure that educational products/curriculum that are implemented (or are being implemented) in my institution are research based

5. To assess college readiness of high school and / or college students

6. Other (Specify)

Q17. Complete the following by selecting one of the choices below. “When I come across any educational research, I generally …

1. assume it to be of the highest quality.”

2. do not make any assumptions until I have reviewed it.”

Q18. Generally, after reviewing a research report on education, how comfortable do you feel in deciding on its quality?

1. Very comfortable

2. Somewhat comfortable

3. Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable

4. Somewhat uncomfortable

5. Very uncomfortable

Q19. Overall, how satisfied are you with the quality of education research that is currently available on topics that are important to you?

1. Very satisfied

2. Somewhat satisfied

3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

4. Somewhat dissatisfied

5. Very dissatisfied

Q20. Overall, how satisfied are you with the relevancy/applicability of education research in helping you to better perform your job functions?

1. Very satisfied

2. Somewhat satisfied

3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

4. Somewhat dissatisfied

5. Very dissatisfied

Q21. Please list any improvements that you would like to see made in the education research that is currently available.____________________________________________

Q22. How do you become aware of educational research? (Select all that apply)

1. Internet

2. Training/professional development

3. Direct mail notifications

4. Email notifications

5. Professional organization(s)

6. District resource(s)

7. School/district administrator(s)

8. Library

9. Colleague (Specify professional title(s) of colleague(s) used most)

10. Academic publications/journals

11. Newspapers

12. Conferences

13. Education publisher(s)

14. US Department of Education website/Institute of Education Sciences (IES) website

15. National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) publications

16. State Department of Education website

17. Regional Educational Laboratory website/publications

18. What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)

19. Local education agency (LEA)

20. Comprehensive Assistance Centers

21. Other (Specify)

Q23. I will now read a list of some education issues/research topics. Please evaluate the importance of each topic as it relates to improved academic performance and assign an importance rating to each topic using a scale of 1 – 5 where 1 = “Not at all Important” and 5 = “Extremely Important”. You may also indicate “Not Familiar or Don’t Know” for any item that you are not familiar with.

<Note for interviewer: After respondent has assigned an importance rating to each topic, read all the topics, if needed, and ask respondent to assign a rank of “1” to the one item that he/she find to be the most important.>

Assign Rank of "1" to only one item which is most important for you	Education Issues / Research Topics	Not at all important 1	2	3	4	Extremely Important 5	Not Familiar with Topic
	Assessment and Standards (e.g., diagnostic, formative, state and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) standards)
	College Readiness
	Early Childhood/Early Intervention & Prevention
	Education Infrastructure (e.g., leadership, cost-studies, teacher retention, organization development, & service coordination)
	Education Research on Curriculum (e.g., evaluating effectiveness of programs)
	English Language Learners (ELL), English as a Second Language (ESL), Bilingual Education
	Equity & Diversity (e.g., urban, rural, & special populations)
	Family & Community (e.g., parent involvement, substance abuse prevention in schools, obesity, after school programs, mentoring, worker training, & volunteer leadership)
	K-12 School & District Reform
	Legal Issues for Teachers/Administrators/Students (e.g., liability, teacher rights, harassment)
	Mathematics
	Policy & Legislation (e.g., No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA))
	Post-Secondary (e.g., P-16, college readiness, & teacher preparation)
	Professional Development
	Reading & Writing
	Response to Intervention (RTI)
	Safety (e.g. bullying, school violence)
	Science
	Special Education & Disabilities
	Teacher Incentive Pay
	Technology in Learning (e.g., use in professional development, instruction, & infrastructure)

Q24. Please specify any other education issues/research topics that relate to improved academic performance and are important for you: ____________________

Q25. Does your educational institution (school, college, university) provide you with internet access at your job?

Yes

Date: 5/15/2007

Establishing a Baseline for REL Southwest Performance and Identifying Customer Needs: Survey Tasks 1.1.1 and 1.1.2

<Online Survey for Parent Teacher Association/Organization (PTA/PTO) Presidents>

<Introduction script for online survey>

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. This survey has been developed by Edvance Research, Inc., a national research organization. Information collected through this survey will be used to assist the United States Department of Education in learning more about your education research needs.

We greatly value the opinion of Parent Teacher Association/Organization (PTA/PTO) Presidents such as yourself and are interested in obtaining your feedback. It should not take you more than 15 minutes to complete this survey.

Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your district to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

Please click on “Next” to begin the survey.

Q1. Are you currently serving in the role of “President” of the Parent Teacher Association/ Organization (PTA/PTO)? (Select only one)

1. Yes, I am the current President of the PTA/PTO.

2. No <Terminate and SKIP TO CLOSING STATEMENT>

Q2. What grade level(s) do you represent in your role as PTA/PTO President? (Select all that apply)

1. Elementary/Secondary Education

   1. Pre-K/Kindergarten

   2. Elementary

   3. Middle/Junior

   4. High

2. Other/Don’t know <Terminate and SKIP TO CLOSING STATEMENT>

Q3a. In which state is your PTA/PTO located? <Participants who do not select at least one of the 5 REL SOUTHWEST states will be terminated from the survey process>

1. Arkansas

2. Louisiana

3. New Mexico

4. Oklahoma

5. Texas

6. Other <Terminate and SKIP TO CLOSING STATEMENT>

Q3b. Are you a parent?

1. Yes

2. No

Q4. Specify your sex:

1. Male

2. Female

Q5. Specify your ethnicity: (Select one)

1. Hispanic or Latino

2. Not Hispanic or Latino

Q6. Specify your race: (Select one or more)

1. American Indian or Alaska Native

2. Asian

3. Black or African American

4. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

5. White

Q7. Prior to this survey, how aware were you of the Regional Educational Laboratories, also referred to as the REL Network? Please assign an awareness rating using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 = “Unaware” and 5 = “Aware”. _______________

Q8. How aware are you of SEDL (also referred to as the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory)? Please assign an awareness rating using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 = “Unaware” and 5 = “Aware”. _______________

Q9. How aware are you of REL Southwest or SWREL (also referred to as the Regional Educational Laboratory -- Southwest)? Please assign an awareness rating using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 = “Unaware” and 5 = “Aware”. _______________

Q10. Do you use/refer to research that focuses on educational issues?

1. Yes <SKIP TO Q12>

2. No

Q11. Specify your reasons for not using/referring to research that focuses on educational issues: (Select all that apply)

1. I have trouble finding research.

2. Research available is not relevant.

3. I doubt the quality of research that is available.

4. Research available is difficult to understand.

5. Other (Specify)

<SKIP TO Q20>

Q12. What type of research that focuses on educational issues do you use currently (or have you used in the past)? (Select all that apply)

1. Research that will help students in a specific subject area (such as math, reading, etc.)

2. Research that will help me better understand government policy that affects students’ education (e.g., No Child Left Behind (NCLB), etc.)

3. Research about the tests/assessments given to students

4. Research that will help me learn more about a particular textbook or curriculum

5. Research about social issues affecting education (e.g., Teenage pregnancy, child obesity, etc.)

6. Research about how well prepared students are for college

7. Other (Specify)

Q13. Why do you use/refer to research that focuses on educational issues? (Select all that apply)

1. To understand what students are learning at school

2. To stay informed of education issues that I am interested in

3. To make decisions that affect students in the school where I am PTA/PTO President

4. To learn more about the educational textbooks/curriculum used in the school where I am PTA/PTO President

5. To assess college readiness of high school and/or college students

6. Other (Specify)

Q14. Complete the following by selecting one of the following choices. “When I come across any research that focuses on education, I generally …

1. assume it to be of the highest quality.”

2. do not make any assumptions until I have reviewed it.”

Q15. Generally, after reviewing a research report that focuses on educational issues, how comfortable do you feel in deciding on its quality?

1. Very comfortable

2. Somewhat comfortable

3. Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable

4. Somewhat uncomfortable

5. Very uncomfortable

Q16. Overall, how satisfied are you with the quality of education research that is currently available on topics that are important to you?

1. Very satisfied

2. Somewhat satisfied

3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

4. Somewhat dissatisfied

5. Very dissatisfied

Q17. Overall, how satisfied are you with the relevancy of education research that is available currently?

1. Very satisfied

2. Somewhat satisfied

3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

4. Somewhat dissatisfied

5. Very dissatisfied

Q18. Please list any improvements that you would like to see made in the education research that is currently available.____________________________________________

Q19. How do you become aware of research that focuses on educational issues? (Select all that apply.)

1. Internet

2. Parents

3. Teacher(s)

4. Colleague(s)

5. Direct mail/Email

6. Professional organization(s)

7. District resource(s)

8. School/district administrator(s)

9. Library

10. Academic publications/journals

11. Newspapers/Conferences

12. Education publisher(s)

13. US Department of Education website/Institute of Education Sciences (IES) website

14. National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) publications

15. State Department of Education website

16. Regional Educational Laboratory website/publications

17. What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)

18. Local education agency (LEA)

19. Comprehensive Assistance Centers

20. Other (Specify)

Q20. How important are the following education issues/research topics to you, as they relate to improved academic performance? After selecting “importance ratings” for each item, please assign a rank of “1” to the one item that you find to be the most important.

Assign Rank of "1" to only one item which is most important for you	Education Issues / Research Topics	Not at all important 1	2	3	4	Extremely Important 5	Not Familiar with Topic
	Assessment and Standards (e.g., diagnostic, formative, state and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) standards)
	College Readiness
	Early Childhood/Early Intervention & Prevention
	Education Infrastructure (e.g., leadership, cost-studies, teacher retention, organization development, & service coordination)
	Education Research on Curriculum (e.g., evaluating effectiveness of programs)
	English Language Learners (ELL), English as a Second Language (ESL), Bilingual Education
	Equity & Diversity (e.g., urban, rural, & special populations)
	Family & Community (e.g., parent involvement, substance abuse prevention in schools, obesity, after school programs, mentoring, worker training, & volunteer leadership)
	K-12 School & District Reform
	Mathematics
	Policy & Legislation (e.g., No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), etc.)
	Post-Secondary (e.g., P-16, college readiness, & teacher preparation)
	Professional Development
	Reading & Writing
	Response to Intervention (RTI)
	Safety (e.g. bullying, school violence)
	School Legal Issues (e.g. student rights, liability, harassment)
	Science
	Special Education & Disabilities
	Technology in Learning (e.g., use in professional development, instruction, & infrastructure)

Q21. Please specify any other education issues/research topics that relate to improved academic performance and are important for you: ____________________

Q22. If there are any other comments that you would like us to receive (regarding the education research needs of your PTA/PTO), please enter them in the space provided below. ______________________________________

Q23. Would you like to receive educational research/research notifications through email?

1. Yes (“Please enter your professional email”)

2. No

Q24. Please provide the following education related information (optional):

• Name:

• Name of your PTA’s/PTO’s school district:

• City:

• State:

• Zip:

<Closing Statement>

Thank you for your time. Your responses will aid in the development and implementation of research that will be used to make evidence-based decisions and to positively impact student performance in your state.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is XXXX. The time required to complete this form is estimated to average 15 minutes per respondent, including the time to review instructions and complete the survey. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651. If you have any comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Edvance Research, Inc., Market Research Director, 9901 IH-10 West, Suite 700, San Antonio, TX, 78230.