#6. Classroom/Group Staff Interview

Workforce [Classroom Staff] Questionnaire – revised 6/21/11

Classroom Staff Questionnaire

QUEXLANG

PLEASE SELECT THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONDUCT THE INTERVIEW

ENGLISH

SPANISH

INTRODUCTION

This study is about the experiences of people who work in early care and education programs for children under age 13.  It is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. Your participation in this study will help the government better support the people who care for our nation’s children.

This interview takes about 20 minutes, and your participation is voluntary. You may choose not to answer any questions you don’t wish to answer, or end the interview at any time.  We have systems in place to protect your identity and keep your responses private. There is only a small chance that your information could be accidentally disclosed. For that reason we avoid questions that could cause difficulty for you. This study also has a Federal Certificate of Confidentiality from the government which protects researchers and other staff from being forced to release information that could be used to identify participants in court proceedings.  You should understand, however, that we would take necessary action to prevent serious harm to children, including reporting to authorities.

Parts of this interview may be recorded for quality control purposes. This will not compromise the strict confidentiality of your responses.  May I continue with the recording?

                                                R CONSENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY................................. 1

                                                R CONSENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY BUT

                                                DOES NOT WANT TO BE RECORDED................................. ............................... 2

WEB: Thank you for taking part in this study, which is about the experiences of people who work in early care and education programs for children under age 13.  It is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. Your participation in this study will help the government better support the people who care for our nation’s children.

This interview takes about 20 minutes, and your participation is voluntary. You may choose not to answer any questions you don’t wish to answer, or end the interview at any time.  We have systems in place to protect your identity and keep your responses private. There is only a small chance that your information could be accidentally disclosed. For that reason we avoid questions that could cause difficulty for you. This study also has a Federal Certificate of Confidentiality from the government which protects researchers and other staff from being forced to release information that could be used to identify participants in court proceedings.

Please enter your login ID and password below.

Section A. Qualifications

A1. This questionnaire asks about your work at [PROGRAM].We selected you for this survey based on time you spent in a classroom or group for [INSERT AGE GROUP] children. Is that the age group that you work with most often?

1  YES (GO TO A2)

2  NO (ASK A1A)

A1a. What age group do you work with most often?

1.  Infant and Toddler (birth to age 3)

2.  Pre-school (age 3 years to kindergarten)

3.  School-age (kindergarten and older)

A2. The first questions are about your experiences providing early or school-age care and education and your training to do this work. How long have you worked in your program?

Years

Months

A3. How many years of paid experience do you have working with children other than your own, who are under age 13? Please include any paid experience in a home or center-based setting, including relatives, or paid experience you may have from another country.

Years

Months

A4. Have you ever done paid work with children under age 13 in a home-based setting?

1  YES

2  NO

A5. What is the highest grade or level of schooling that you have ever completed?
INTERVIEWER: READ IF NECESSARY

1  8th GRADE OR LESS (SKIP TO A7)

2  9th-12th GRADE NO DIPLOMA (SKIP TO A7)

3  GED OR HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY (SKIP TO A7)

3  HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE (SKIP TO A7)

4  SOME COLLEGE CREDIT BUT NO DEGREE (ASK A6)

5  ASSOCIATE DEGREE (AA, AS) (ASK A6)

6  BACHELOR’S DEGREE (BA, BS, AB) (ASK A6)

7  GRADUATE OR PROFESSIONAL DEGREE (ASK A6)

A6. What was your major for the highest degree you have or have studied for?

1  ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

2  SPECIAL EDUCATION

3  CHILD DEVELOPMENT OR PSYCHOLOGY

4  EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION OR EARLY OR SCHOOL-AGE CARE

5  OTHER ________________________________

A7. Do you have a state certification or endorsement for early care and education/school-age care such as a certificate from the state or a Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate?

1  YES

2  NO

A8. In the past 12 months, have you done any of the following to improve your skills or gain new skills in working with children?

1. Participated in any workshops, for example, those offered by professional associations, resource and referral networks, etc.?

1  YES 2  NO

2. (In the past 12 months, have you done any of the following to improve your skills or gain new skills in working with children?) Participated in coaching, mentoring or ongoing consultation with a specialist?

1 YES 2  NO

3. (In the past 12 months, have you done any of the following to improve your skills or gain new skills in working with children?) Made visits to classrooms in other programs?

1 YES 2  NO

4. (In the past 12 months, have you done any of the following to improve your skills or gain new skills in working with children?) Attended a meeting of a professional organization (such as Zero-to-Three, Association for Education of Young Children; Association for Family Child Care, National After School Association, or another group)?

1 YES 2 NO

5. (In the past 12 months, have you done any of the following to improve your skills or gain new skills in working with children?) Enrolled in a course at a community college or four-year college or university relevant to your work with children under age 13?

1 YES 2  NO

IF YES TO A8A TO A8E, ASK A9. ELSE GO TO A12.

A9. Did you participate in any of these activities as part of a group from your program?

1 YES

2 NO

A10: During the past 12 months, did you receive any of the following types of assistance with the costs of improving your skills, either from your employer or from a local or state agency, college or university?

1. Assistance with direct costs such as tuition or registration fees

1 YES 2  NO

2. (During the past 12 months, did you receive any of the following types of assistance with the costs of improving your skills, either from your employer or from a local or state agency, college or university?) Help with other costs of participation such as travel or child care for your own children

1 YES 2  NO

3. (During the past 12 months, did you receive any of the following types of assistance with the costs of improving your skills, either from your employer or from a local or state agency, college or university?) Release time to participate in the activity

1  YES 2  NO

A11. What would you say was the main topic of the most recent activity you participated in to improve or gain skills in working with children? For example, was it focused on health and safety, working with families, preparing children to do well in school, techniques for discipline and classroom management, or some other topic?

1.  HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE CLASSROOM

2.  COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING EARLY READING OR MATH

3.  DOING WELL IN SCHOOL, INCLUDING HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE, INSTRUCTION OR CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.

4.  HELPING CHILDREN’S SOCIAL OR EMOTIONAL GROWTH, INCLUDING HOW TO BEHAVE WELL.

5.  PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH

6.  HOW TO WORK WITH FAMILIES

7.  SERVING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL OR BEHAVIORAL NEEDS.

8.  WORKING WITH CHILDREN WHO SPEAK MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE

9.  PLANNING ACTIVITIES THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE WHOLE CLASS

10.  OTHER(Please specify what the main topic of the most recent activity you participated in to improve or gain skills in working with children was._________________)

A12. Are you a member of a professional association focused on caring for children (such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Family Child Care Association, the National Institute on Out of School Time, a religiously identified child care organization, or a similar organization)?

1  YES

2  NO

A13. Are you a member of a union (such as Service Employees International Union, American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) or the Teamsters)?

1  YES

2  NO

A14. Which one of the following best describes the main reason that you work with young children? CODE ONE ONLY.

1.  It is my career or profession

2.  It is a step towards a related career

3.  It is my personal calling

4.  It is a job with a paycheck

5.  It is work I can do while my own children are young

6.  It is a way to help children

7.  It is a way to help parents

Section B. Employment schedule and compensation

These next questions are about your work hours and compensation.

B1. Approximately how many hours per week do you usually work at this program?

Number of hours

B1a. How many different classrooms or groups do you work with during a usual week?

_____________ Number of classrooms or groups

B2. How many months out of the last twelve have you worked at this or another child care program?

________________NUMBER (RANGE: 0 TO 12)

B3. How much are you paid before taxes and deductions? Is it per….PROBE FOR BEST ESTIMATE IF NEEDED.

$ ______ per

1 hour

2 day

3 week

4 month

5 year

6 other________________

B4. In this job, do you work mostly with children who have mental, physical or other disabilities or delays?

1.  YES

2.  NO

B5. What is your title at this program?

1 Director/Teacher

2 Program Coordinator

3Lead Teacher or Lead Instructor

4 Teacher or Instructor

5Assistant Teacher or Instructor

6 Aide

7 Other (please specify: ________________________________)

B6. What kind of health insurance or health care coverage do you have for yourself? (CODE ALL MENTIONS, USE CATEGORIES TO PROBE AS NEEDED).

1. PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN FROM YOUR EMPLOYER OR WORKPLACE

2. PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN PURCHASED DIRECTLY

3. PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN THROUGH A STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR COMMUNITY PROGRAM

4.  Private health insurance plan through your spouse or partner’s employment

5.  MEDICAID

6. MEDICARE

7. MILITARY HEALTH CARE/VA OR CHAMPUS/TRICARE/CHAMP-VA

8. NO COVERAGE OF ANY TYPE

9. OTHER (SPECIFY)

B7. In the past 3 months, have you done anything to look for a new job or an additional job?

1  YES (ask B7a)

2  NO (Skip to Section C)

B7a. What is the main reason you have looked for work? [IF INTERVIEWER ADMINISTERED, USE CATEGORIES ONLY TO PROBE. IF SELF-ADMINISTERED, RECORD VERBATIM WITH NO FRAME PRESENT.]

1  TO FIND A SECOND JOB

2  TO FIND A JOB THAT PAYS MORE

3  WORRIED THAT THIS JOB MAY END

4  HOPE TO REDUCE COMMUTE OR IMPROVE SCHEDULE

5 TO FIND IMPROVED WORK CONDITIONS IN PROGRAM

6  WANT TO LEAVE THIS FIELD

7  TO SEE WHAT ELSE IS AVAILABLE

8  TO FIND SUMMER EMPLOYMENT

9 OTHER _________________________

Section C. Activities

These next questions are about your activities with children.

C1. Last week, how many days did you work at this program?

____ days (range 0-7)

C1A. Do you use a curriculum or prepared set of learning and play activities?

1. YESASK C1B

2. NOSKIP TO C3

C1B. What is the name of the curriculum or approach used?

[IF LT 36 MONTHS (INFANT/TODDLER CLASSROOM)]

0. A curriculum we developed ourselves

1. The Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers

2. The High/Scope Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers

3. Innovations Series Curriculum

4. Montessori Infant/Toddler Curriculum

5. The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC) Curriculum

6. Other (specify__________)

7. None

[IF 36 months LE F3b le 66 months (preschool classroom)]

0. A curriculum we developed ourselves

1. Bank Street Developmental Interaction Approach

2. The Creative Curriculum for Preschool

3. Galileo

4. The High/ Scope Curriculum for Preschool

5. LearninGames

6. Montessori Preschool Curriculum

7. Opening the World of Learning (OWL)

8. Preschool PATHS

9. Project Approach

10. Reggio Emilia Approach

11. Scholastic Early Childhood Program (SECP)

12. Waldorf Approach

13. Other

14. None

[IF SCHOOL-AGE CLASSROOM]

0. A curriculum we developed ourselves

1. Afterschool Toolkit

2. Academic Content, Afterschool Style

3. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports

4. Positive Action

5. Beyond the Bell

6. Other (specify__________)

7. None

C3. Do you plan or help plan the daily activities of the children in this classroom or group?

1  YES ASK C3A

2  NO  (SKIP TO C4)

C3a. When do you plan daily activities?

1  While caring for children

2  TIME WHILE AT WORK, BUT NOT CARING FOR CHILDREN

3  Don’t make specific plans

4 personal TIME WHEN i AM NOT AT WORK

C3b. How much time do you spend each week planning children’s activities?

Hours per week

Range: 0-168

C4. Last week, when children were with you, how many days did they use something with a screen, such as a TV, computer or electronic game, even if it was for a short time?

_______ Number of days

 We never use anything with a screen

C4a.How many days in the past week did you do any of the following with the children as a planned activity? Please enter 0 if you did not do these things with children any day last week, or if they were done, but they had not been planned.

(Children not yet school-age) Days

a. Reading and discussing a book ____

b. Learning about letters and sounds in words ____

c. Numbers, counting, measuring or patterns ____

d. Science or nature ____

e. Art materials like paints or clay ____

g. Singing and movement ____

j. Vigorous physical activity, either indoors or outdoors ____

k. Helping children with basic needs such as eating, ____

toileting/diapering, or getting dressed.

(School-age children) Days

1 Academic activities (tutoring, homework help, college prep, etc.) ____

2 Arts/Cultural enrichment (arts, music, multicultural awareness, etc.) ____

3 Physical or Athletic or Recreational activities ____

4 Social activities or socializing with other children ____

5 Community service/civic engagement ____

6 Technology (computer programming/web site design) ____

7 Dealing with discipline issues

Section D. Staff attitudes and orientation to caregiving:

D1. People have very different views towards education and caregiving. For each of the following statements, please indicate how much you personally agree or disagree with it. Would you say you strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree or disagree, agree, or strongly agree with it?

		STRONGLY DISAGREE	DISAGREE	NEITHER AGREE NOR DISAGREE	AGREE	STRONGLY AGREE
A	In my opinion, children should always obey their parents.	1	2	3	4	5
B	In my opinion, children will not do the right thing unless they must.
C	In my opinion, the most important thing to teach children is absolute obedience to whomever is the authority.
D	In my opinion, a child’s ideas should be considered in family decisions.
E	In my opinion, children have a right to their own point of view and should be allowed to express it.
F	In my opinion, children should be allowed to disagree with their parents if they feel their own ideas are better.
G	In my opinion, children will be bad unless they are taught what is right.
H	In my opinion, children should always obey the teacher.
I	In my opinion, it is alright for a child to disagree with his or her own parents.
J	In my opinion, parents should go along with the game when their child is pretending something.

D2A. (Please indicate the degree to which you agree/disagree with the following statements.)

Preschool children are too young to benefit from activities that teach them how to read. (Would you say your strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree?)

1.  STRONGLY AGREE

2.  AGREE

3.  NEITHER AGREE NOR DISAGREE

4.  DISAGREE

5.  STRONGLY DISAGREE

D2B. (Please indicate the degree to which you agree/disagree with the following statements.) Young children do best when teachers are actively involved in organizing their play and activities, rather than letting them decide their own activities. (Would you say your strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree?)

1.  STRONGLY AGREE

2.  AGREE

3.  NEITHER AGREE NOR DISAGREE

4.  DISAGREE

5.  STRONGLY DISAGREE

D2C. (Please indicate the degree to which you agree/disagree with the following statements.)

After-school programs help children most when they focus on help with homework and other academically-oriented activities. (Would you say your strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree?)

1.  STRONGLY AGREE

2.  AGREE

3.  NEITHER AGREE NOR DISAGREE

4.  DISAGREE

5.  STRONGLY DISAGREE

D2D. (Please indicate the degree to which you agree/disagree with the following statements.)

Children gain the most from after-school activities that focus on recreation and social interaction. (Would you say your strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree?)

1.  STRONGLY AGREE

2.  AGREE

3.  NEITHER AGREE NOR DISAGREE

4.  DISAGREE

5.  STRONGLY DISAGREE

D3. How often did the following things happen to you last week at this program?
D3a. Parents came late to pick up their children. Would you say never, once, or more than once?

1.  Never

2.  Once

3.  More than once

D3b. Parents blamed their child’s bad behavior on the program. (Would you say never, once, or more than once?)

1.  Never

2.  Once

3.  More than once

D3c. There were children with behavior problems that were hard to deal with. (Would you say never, once, or more than once?)

1.  Never

2.  Once

3.  More than once

D3d. I knew the children are happy with me. (Would you say never, once, or more than once?)

1.  Never

2.  Once

3.  More than once

D3e. There were major sources of stress in the children’s lives that I couldn’t do anything about. (Would you say never, once, or more than once?)

1.  Never

2.  Once

3.  More than once

D3f. I knew that I was appreciated by the parents. (Would you say never, once, or more than once?)

1.  Never

2.  Once

3.  More than once

D3g. I had the chance to solve difficult problems. (Would you say never, once, or more than once?)

1.  Never

2.  Once

3.  More than once

D3h. I was moved to a different classroom or group of children. (Would you say never, once, or more than once?)

1.  Never

2.  Once

3.  More than once

D4. How often last week did you talk with a parent about something happening in the child’s family (e.g. child-parent relationships, stresses like parent’s finances and employment; family tensions)? Would you say not at all, once or twice, or three or more times?

1.  Not at all

2.  Once or twice

3.  Three or more times

D5. Do you ever need an interpreter or a child to help you speak with the parents of children in your program?

1.  YESASK D6

2.  NOSKIP TO D7A

D6. How many children in your program have parents that you speak with this way?

___________ Number of children

D7. How often have you and your supervisor (such as center director, program director, or lead teacher) discussed each of the following in the last 12 months?

a. How you can improve your skills helping children learn?

1.  Once a year

2.  Several times a year

3.  Once a month

4.  A few times a month

5.  Once a week or more

b. (How often have you and your supervisor (such as center director, program director, or lead teacher) discussed each of the following in the last 12 months? ) How you can improve your skills working with children’s behavior?

1.  Once a year

2.  Several times a year

3.  Once a month

4.  A few times a month

5.  Once a week or more

D8. Do you receive a formal review and feedback on your performance at least once a year?

1.  YES

2.  NO

D9. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about working in this program?

a. My co-workers and I are treated with respect on a day-to-day basis? Would you say you strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree with it?

1.  Strongly agree

2.  Agree

3.  Neither agree nor disagree

4.  Disagree

5.  Strongly disagree

b. Team work is encouraged. (Would you say you strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree with it?)

1.  Strongly agree

2.  Agree

3.  Neither agree nor disagree

4.  Disagree

5.  Strongly disagree

c. I have help dealing with difficult children or parents (Would you say you strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree with it?

1.  Strongly agree

2.  Agree

3.  Neither agree nor disagree

4.  Disagree

5.  Strongly disagree

D10. These questions are about feelings you may have experienced over the past 30 days. During the past 30 days, how often did you feel...

	All of the time	Most of the time	Some of the time	A little of the time	None of the time
...so sad that nothing could cheer you up?	1	2	3	4	5
...nervous?	1	2	3	4	5
...restless or fidgety?	1	2	3	4	5
...hopeless?	1	2	3	4	5
....that everything was an effort?	1	2	3	4	5
...worthless?	1	2	3	4	5

Demographics

We finish the interview with some questions about your personal characteristics.

E1. [IF INTERVIEWER ADMINISTERED: I am required to ask if you] Are you male or female?

1 Male

2 Female

E2. In what year were you born? __________ [RANGE = 1900…1999]

E3. Are you of Hispanic or Latinoorigin?

1 YES

2 NO

E4. Which of the following are you? Please select one or more.

1 White

2 Black or African American

3 Asian

4 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

5 American Indian or Alaska Native

6 OTHER

E5. Do you speak any languages other than English?

1  YesASK E6  No GO TO E7

E6. About what percent of the time that you are working with children do you speak English?

_______ % of time speaking English

E7. In what country were you born?

[DROP DOWN]

E8. (IF BORN OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.) In what year did you move to the U.S. to stay?

Range : [E2] to 2012.

E9. What is your current marital status?

1  Never married, not living with a partner

2  Married or living with a partner

3  Separated

4  Divorced

5  Widowed

E10. How many of children age 5 or less are living in your household?

_________________Number

E11. How many of children between 6 and 12 are living in your household?

_________________Number

E12. Approximately what was your total household income in 2011? Please include income from wages and salaries earned by you or other adults in your household before taxes or deductions. Also include government assistance, gifts, or other income you may have had.

DollarsGO TO E14

IF DK/REF, GO TO E13.

E13. It can be difficult to remember or report these numbers. An approximate range is fine. What was your total household income in 2011 before taxes or deductions? Was it…

1  0 to $7,500

2  $7,501 to $15,000

3  $15,001 to $22,500

4  $22,501 to $30,000

5  $30,001 to $45,000

6  $45,001 or more

E14. Approximately how much of your household income in 2011 came from your work with children under age 13?

1  All

2  Almost all
2  More than half
3  About half
4  Less than half
5  Very little

6  None

E15. Do you currently receive financial or in-kind assistance from any government programs for needy families, such as cash assistance for disabilities, housing assistance, free-reduced lunch for your children or food stamps?

1.  YES

2.  NO

THE END: Thank you for completing the NSECE questionnaire for classroom staff.

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