Survey for Center (Site) Coordinators

21st CCLC Early Childhood

Best Practices Study

Survey for Center (Site) Coordinators

(Grades Preschool-Grade 3)

The following survey is a self-assessment intended to inform the U.S. Department of Education about your 21^st CCLC afterschool center (site) serving children in preschool through grade 3. We hope to learn more about how centers are structured and the types of early childhood services they deliver.

Since every site or center within a program varies, we need specific information from you, as the site coordinator, about your activities and curriculum, staffing, health and safety, and program challenges. If there is a lead teacher of the early childhood program who can help answer these questions, please feel free to ask his or her assistance. We recognize that some of these questions are also asked by the 21^st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS), but we need the most current data available on your program and appreciate your assistance.

It is extremely important that you answer each item honestly, with a perspective of “what is” rather than “what you wish”. Your answers will best inform us about what early childhood programs are currently doing and will suggest ways that we might improve programs nationwide. Please limit your responses to aspects of your early childhood programs only.

Last, please note that your 21^st CCLC grant funding is not, in any way, tied to the answers to these questions. Individual responses will be kept private, and the overall findings from the survey will be summarized and shared in aggregate form only with the U.S. Department of Education and with key stakeholders who are interested in the development of 21st CCLC programs. Your responses will be safeguarded in a secure environment and only aggregate, summarized data will be posted publicly to prevent identification of any individual participants. Six months after the overall results from the survey are released to the public; your responses will be destroyed in accordance with Federal disposition regulations. Thank you for your participation.

Topics addressed in the survey include:

1. Overall Description of Program

   1. Center Overview

   2. Communication with Families/Family Involvement

   3. Behavior Management and Child Abuse Policies and Procedures

2. Curriculum and Academic Support Activities

   1. General Policies

   2. Learning and Social Environment

   3. Physical Environment

3. Staffing

   1. Staff Roles and Qualifications

   2. Staff Assessment

   3. Staff Professional Development

   4. Staff Retention

4. Health and Safety Policies and Procedures

5. About You

21^st Century Community Learning Centers: Early Childhood Services

Self-Assessment Survey for Site Coordinators

1. Overall Description of Program

1. Center Overview

1. What is the date this center started to operate?

____(mo)/____(yr)

2. What grade levels are served by your 21^st CCLC center? (Select all that apply)

Preschool	1	5	9
Transitional (or readiness) Kindergarten	2	6	10
Kindergarten	3	7	11
	4	8	12

3. How many children are enrolled in your center?

__3 year olds	__Kindergarten	__Grade 2
__4 year olds	__Grade 1	__Grade 3

4. How many total children are enrolled in your entire center?

______

5. Which of the following services are available to preschool and Kindergarten children at your center? (Select all that apply)

• Before-school

• Afterschool

• During Preschool or Preschool center during traditional school hours (anytime between 7:30 AM and 3:30 PM)

• Summer school

• Half-day for children in half-day kindergarten

6. Which of the following services are available children in grades 1-3 at your center? (Select all that apply)

• Before-school

• Afterschool

• Summer school

7. a. On average, how many preschool and Kindergarten children show up on a typical day during the school year?

_______ children

b. What is the staff/child ratio for P/K activities?

_______staff / _______children

c. What is the maximum group size for activities that include P/K children?

_______ children

8. a. On average, how many children in grades 1-3 children show up on a typical day during the school year?

_______ children

b. What is the staff/child ratio for grade 1-3 activities?

_______staff / _______children

c. What is the maximum group size for activities that include children in grades 1-3?

_______ children

9. Please describe the placement of children in your center: (Select all that apply)

• P and K children are at the same site, but kept separate from older child programs

• P and K children are blended together with older children at the same site

• P and K children are at a site different from older children

• Other: ________________________________________________

10. Are any of the children in your center English Learners (EL)?

 Yes

 No

1. If yes, approximately what percentage of children are EL?

_______%

2. How many languages are spoken at your center?

_______

3. What are the primary languages spoken by your children in the home.

Spanish or Spanish Creole	 Russian	 Vietnamese	 Native North American Language
	 Polish	 Tagalog
French (including Patois, Cajun)	 Other Indo-European	 Other Asian /Pacific Island Language	 African Language
	 Chinese		 American Sign Language
French Creole	 Korean	 Arabic
Italian	 German	 Hebrew	 Other unspecified language: __________

11. Do you serve children with disabilities and developmental delays (i.e. learning deficits, physical challenges, behavioral problems) during the school year?

 Yes

 No

1. If yes, approximately what percentage of children have disabilities or developmental delays?

_______%

2. Please specify the types of disabilities or developmental delays children served have (if known) served (if any): _______________________________

3. Describe any special supports, services or accommodations you provide to P/K children with disabilities or developmental delays: ____________________________________

12. During the school year, what percentage of the children attend…

a. All days? _______%

b. Most (90%)? _______%

c. Half the time? _______%

d. Less than half? _______%

e. Sporadically, irregularly? _______%

13. What policies regarding attendance does your center have for children? (Select one)

• a. Attendance is not required; children can drop in and out.

• b. We require children to attend at least 1 day per week.

• c. We require children to attend 2-3 days per week.

• d. We require children to attend every day we offer services.

• e. Other (specify): _______________________________________

14. If you are using attendance data from your center, how do you use it? (Select all that apply)

• a. We keep the attendance data on file for the grant director or evaluator to use.

• b. We track individual child attendance to ensure that they come regularly.

• c. We use data on attendance to adjust center offerings.

• d. We do not use attendance data

• e. Other (specify): _____________________________

15. Some centers have sought accreditation or licenses from early childhood organizations. Please tell us if you have received accreditation from any of these organizations: (Select any that may apply)

• a. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

• b. Pathways: National Early Education and Care Accreditation

• c. Council On Accreditation Afterschool Certification

• d. Licensed by the state or other organization

• e. Other: _______________________________________

• f. Not accredited

B. Communication with Families/Family Involvement

16. How important are the following strategies to increase family involvement in your center?

		Not Important	Somewhat Important	Important	Very Important
a.	Family members are welcome to visit any time throughout the day.	O	O	O	O
b.	Orientation sessions for new families are offered.	O	O	O	O
c.	Staff members encourage families to get involved in center events (e.g. volunteering in the center or at home, field trips, events, celebrations).	O	O	O	O
d.	Family input is considered in decisions about 21st CCLC programming.	O	O	O	O

C. Behavior Management and Child Abuse Policies and Procedures

17. How important are the following policies and procedures?

		Not Important	Somewhat Important	Important	Very Important
a.	Staff members are trained in behavior management guidelines for children.	O	O	O	O
b.	Staff members receive written behavior management policies based on developmentally appropriate expectations.	O	O	O	O
c.	Staff is trained to refrain from the use of harsh or severe physical, emotional, or verbal behavior management.	O	O	O	O
d.	In lieu of “time out”, staff uses non-punitive, respectful, supportive methods of behavior redirection.	O	O	O	O
e.	Staff members receive training in child abuse detection, prevention, and reporting.	O	O	O	O

2. Curriculum^ and Academic Support Activities

1. General Policies

18. Please respond to the following:

		No or Never	Sometimes	Often	Yes or always
a.	The center provides literacy instruction for children.	O	O	O	O
b.	The center provides numeracy instruction for children.	O	O	O	O
c.	The center provides direct social- skills training for children.	O	O	O	O
d.	The center promotes social-emotional development, including positive social relationships, for children.	O	O	O	O
e.	The center provides recreational activities for children.	O	O	O	O
f.	The center provides hands-on activities in educational development.	O	O	O	O

19. Please respond to the following:

		No or Never	Sometimes	Often	Yes or always
a.	Center has defined curricula for P/K children.	O	O	O	O
b.	If so, what type of curricula? (Check all that apply.)

Literacy Numeracy/Math Arts

Social-emotional Science Montessori

Creative Curriculum High/Scope Other, please specify: ______________________

c.	Center has defined curricula for children in grades 1-3.	O	O	O	O
d.	If so, what type of curricula? (Check all that apply.)

Literacy Numeracy/Math Arts

Social-emotional Science Montessori

 Technology Other, please specify: ______________________

B. Learning and Social Environment

20. Please respond to the following: How often are the following experiences provided to P/K children?

		Less than once per month	Once per month or more	About once per week	Daily or almost daily
a.	Learning letters of the alphabet or new words	O	O	O	O
b.	Reading stories	O	O	O	O
c.	Acting out stories	O	O	O	O
d.	Naming colors	O	O	O	O
e.	Counting or number concepts	O	O	O	O
f.	Playing with geometric forms or puzzles	O	O	O	O
g.	Participating in educational enrichment activities such as hands-on projects or self-selected reading time	O	O	O	O
h.	Cooking, helping with food preparation	O	O	O	O
i.	Participating in dramatic play such as dressing up or make believe	O	O	O	O
j.	Block building or other construction work	O	O	O	O
k.	Providing time for recreation, snacks, talking with friends	O	O	O	O
l.	Engaging in gross motor activities, such as running, dancing, or tumbling	O	O	O	O
m.	Individualized or small group learning activities	O	O	O	O
n.	Trips to the local library	O	O	O	O
o.	Other field trips	O	O	O	O
p.	Computer time, television, videos, DVDs	O	O	O	O
q.	Engaging in fine motor activities, such as drawing or painting	O	O	O	O
r.	Performing arts such as theater, singing or playing instruments	O	O	O	O
s.	Providing health, hygiene, or nutrition instruction	O	O	O	O
t.	Providing scientific or nature exploration	O	O	O	O
u.	Other (please specify):	O	O	O	O

21. Please respond to the following: How often are the following experiences provided to children in grades 1-3?

		Less than once per month	Once per month or more	About once per week	Daily or almost daily
a.	Learning new words	O	O	O	O
b.	Reading stories	O	O	O	O
c.	Acting out stories	O	O	O	O
d.	Naming colors	O	O	O	O
e.	Counting or number concepts	O	O	O	O
f.	Playing with geometric forms or puzzles	O	O	O	O
g.	Participating in educational enrichment activities such as hands-on projects or self-selected reading time	O	O	O	O
h.	Cooking, helping with food preparation	O	O	O	O
i.	Participating in dramatic play such as dressing up or make believe	O	O	O	O
j.	Block building or other construction work	O	O	O	O
k.	Providing time for recreation, snacks, talking with friends	O	O	O	O
l.	Engaging in gross motor activities, such as running, dancing, or tumbling	O	O	O	O
m.	Individualized or small group learning activities	O	O	O	O
n.	Trips to the local library	O	O	O	O
o.	Other field trips	O	O	O	O
p.	Computer time, television, videos, DVDs	O	O	O	O
q.	Engaging in fine motor activities, such as drawing or painting	O	O	O	O
r.	Performing arts such as theater, singing or playing instruments	O	O	O	O
s.	Providing health, hygiene, or nutrition instruction	O	O	O	O
t.	Providing scientific or nature exploration	O	O	O	O
u.	Other (please specify):	O	O	O	O

C. Physical Environment

In the following set of questions, please consider whether your center provides space, furnishings, and materials which are developmentally appropriate for young children. Indicate the extent to which you agree with each of the following statements about your schools’ environment.

22. This center’s indoor space:

		Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
a.	Has adequate storage space for equipment, materials, and personal possessions.	O	O	O	O	O
b.	Allows children to remove and return materials independently with ease.	O	O	O	O	O
c.	Provides space for staff to work or meet away from children.	O	O	O	O	O

23. This center’s outdoor space:

		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
a.	Provides children with regular opportunities to play outdoors.	O	O	O	O	O
b.	Provides a variety of outdoor equipment and games for both active and quiet play.	O	O	O	O	O

3. Staffing

1. Staff Roles and Qualifications

The following questions pertain to staff in your center.

24. How many total paid full-time or part-time staff members work with children?

_______

25. How many of the following types of staff are included in your center?

a. Certified teachers:

b. School or Education professionals providing in-kind*

services (e.g. principal, school nurse, counselor, dieticians,

special education teachers):

c. Paraprofessionals or Teaching Assistants:

d. Community volunteers:

e. College students:

f. College student interns:

g. High-school students:

h. Elementary-school students:

i. Middle-school students

j. Clerical staff

k. Bus drivers or custodians

(* In-kind services are those unpaid services provided to the afterschool center by traditional school-day staff.)

26. How many of your paid staff have the following as their highest educational credential? Please note that ‘ECE’ stands for Early Childhood Education.

a. PhD/ EdD in ECE:	_________	i. Associate’s degree in ECE:	_________
b. PhD/EdD	_________	j. Associate’s degree (other)	_________
c. Master’s degree in ECE:	_________	k. Valid Child Development Associate (CDA) credential	_________
d. Bachelor’s degree in ECE:	_________
e. Master’s degree in Elem. Ed.:	_________	l. Valid School Age credential	_________
f. Master’s degree (other):	_________
g. Bachelor’s degree in Elem. Ed.:	_________	m. 90-hour Child Care Certification offered in some states	_________
h. Bachelor’s degree (other)	_________	n. High School Diploma or GED:	_________
		o. Less than high school:	_________

2. Staff Assessment

27. How often does your center do each of the following?

		Rarely or Never	Once per year	2-3 times per year	4 or more times per year
a.	Assess the competence of new or existing employees.	O	O	O	O
b.	Conduct formal classroom observations.	O	O	O	O
c.	Prepare/provide written classroom evaluations	O	O	O	O
d.	Evaluation of leadership team members by supervisor or governing body.	O	O	O	O

C. Staff Professional Development

28. Does your 21^st CCLC program require paid staff to attend professional development training each year?

 Yes

 No

If Yes, how many hours of training per year does your program require? _____(hours)

29. Indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about staff development opportunities in your center (select one answer for each item).

		No	Yes	Don’t Know
a.	We have a written mission statement.	O	O	O
b.	We provide written orientation materials for new staff.	O	O	O
c.	Staff is very active in planning professional development activities in this center.	O	O	O
d.	This center offers incentives for staff to improve their behavior management and instructional techniques.	O	O	O

30. How often does this center:

		4 or more times/year	2-3 times per year	Once per year	Rarely or Never
a.	Provide on-site professional development training for staff?	O	O	O	O
b.	Offer staff opportunities for off-site professional development training during their work day?	O	O	O	O
c.	Offer staff opportunities for off-site professional development training outside their work day?	O	O	O	O
d.	Provide other training opportunities (please specify)_______________________________________	O	O	O	O
e.	Provide on-line training opportunities	O	O	O	O

31. Who typically orients new staff? (Select all that apply)

 Director/supervisor

• Other staff

• No orientation

32. How often do the center staff meet to discuss center-related issues (without children) for at least 30 minutes?

• Never

• Once per year

• Every 2-3 months or once per semester

• Monthly

• Twice per month

• Weekly

D. Staff Retention

33. Please list the number of paid staff, aside from you, who have worked with the 21^st Century-funded center (at least 5 hours per week) for the following durations. (Write a number on each line)

	# of staff
a. Up to 1 school semester	__________
b. More than 1 school semester up to 1 year	__________
c. More than 1 year up to 2 years	__________
d. More than 2 years up to 5 years	__________
e. More than 5 years	__________

34. How many staff who work at least 5 hours per week have left the 21^st Century-funded center in less than one semester?

_______ staff

35. What are the primary reasons staff leave the center? (Select all that apply)

• a. We have not had staff leave our center.

• b. Low pay

• c. Lack of benefits

• d. Inability to offer a full-time position

• e. Completion/graduation from a program (e.g., Americorps) or from school

• f. Terminated or not rehired

• g. Other (specify: ) _____________________________________________

• h. Don’t know

4. Health and Safety Policies and Procedures

36. Please respond to the following:

		No, Never	Sometimes	Often	Yes, Always
a.	Space is organized so that staff can see and hear children at all times.	O	O	O	O
b.	Space accommodates enrolled children and staff with disabilities.	O	O	O	O
c.	The facility operates with 2 or more staff people on the premises at all times.	O	O	O	O
d.	Staff members are trained in the center's written policies and procedures to promote wellness and safeguard the health of children and staff.	O	O	O	O
e.	During operating hours, at least one staff has current certification in pediatric first aid and CPR.	O	O	O	O
f.	A written plan for emergency evacuation is posted in visible locations (e.g. floor plan and procedures).	O	O	O	O
g.	The center has a written, up-to-date policies and procedures to prepare for and respond to medical and dental emergencies for children and staff.	O	O	O	O
h.	The center accommodates children’s dietary restrictions, medical or cultural.	O	O	O	O
i.	The center prevents children with food allergies from coming into contact with allergen(s).	O	O	O	O

5. About You

37. Are you….

 Male  Female

38. How many years experience do you have in your current position?

_______ years

39. How many years experience have you had in an administrative role (overall)?

_______ years

40. How many years experience have you had in an administrative role in early childhood?

_______ years

41. What is the highest level of education you have completed? (Select one)

• High school diploma

• Associate’s degree

• Bachelor’s degree

• Additional coursework beyond the Bachelor’s degree, but not a graduate degree

• Master’s degree

• Education specialist or professional diploma based on at least 1 year of coursework past a Master’s degree level

• Doctorate

• Other ____________________________

42. Are you a certified teacher?

 Yes  No

43. Are you a full-time or part-time employee?

 Full-time employee  Part-time employee

44. If you are a part-time employee, what is your average number of hours you work each week?

_______

45. Are you a certified school administrator?

 Yes  No

Bredekamp and Rosegrant (1992) define curriculum as "an organized framework that delineates the content that children are to learn, the processes through which children achieve the identified curricular goals, what teachers do to help children achieve these goals, and the context in which teaching and learning occur"

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