Project Survey

Study of Enhanced College Advising in Upward Bound

Appendix H. Project Survey

Table of Contents

Consent Page 1

Introduction 2

Your Role 2

College Advising Staff 3

Participation in Trainings 4

College Advising Approaches and Activities 5

Applications to Host/Affiliated Institution 9

Experiences with Find the Fit—TREATMENT GROUP ONLY 10

Concluding Remarks 13

Consent Page

Your Upward Bound project is participating in an important study about college planning and advising, and your responses to this survey are an integral piece of the study.

The survey asks about your Upward Bound project’s practices, experiences, and approaches to college advising, including activities focused on college search, application assistance, financial aid, and college selection.

The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete.

Your answers could help improve the college advising provided in Upward Bound programs across the country.

The U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring this study and has hired Abt Associates and Decision Information Resources (DIR) to conduct the study.

This survey is voluntary and you may choose to not answer a question or to stop the survey at any point. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. None of your answers will affect your funding eligibility or program status.

Your name or the name of your project will not be included in any reports or data produced by this study. We will not share information from this survey that identifies you to anyone outside of the study team, except as required by law.

We know your time is valuable, and we thank you in advance for the time spent completing this questionnaire! Your responses are vital to the success of this important U.S. Department of Education study.

By pressing the continue button you agree to participate in this survey.

Continue

Information collected for this study comes under the confidentiality and data protection requirements of the Institute of Education Sciences (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183). Per the policies and procedures required by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183, 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 program, district or individual. Any willful disclosure of such information for nonstatistical purposes, except as required by law, is a class E felony.

Paperwork Burden Statement: 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-xxxx. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, application or survey, please contact (National Center for Education Evaluation/Institute of Education Sciences U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, SW Room 502i, Washington, DC 20208) directly. (Note: Please do not return the completed instrument, form, application or survey to this address.)

Introduction

In responding to this survey, please focus on your regular Upward Bound project’s college advising activities with 2015-2016 seniors and the staff who are primarily responsible for providing college advising to 2015-2016 seniors. By college advising activities we mean providing guidance on and assistance in:

• Searching for colleges,

• Applying to colleges,

• Identifying and applying for financial aid, including loans, grants, and scholarships, and

• Selecting a college.

Your Role

First, please answer some questions about your role in Upward Bound.

1. Did you deliver college advising services to 2015-2016 seniors to help them prepare for and apply to college?

• Yes

• No [SKIP TO Q3]

Source: Author Developed

2. On average, how many hours of your time were spent providing college advising services to 2015-2016 seniors?

	Average Hours Per Week [ALLOWABLE RANGE = 0-99]
Summer 2015
	Average Hours Per Month [ALLOWABLE RANGE = 0-80]
2015-2016 School Year

Source: Author Developed

3. What is your Upward Bound job title?

• Project director

• Assistant project director

• Advisor/Counselor/Educator

• Other:_______________

Source: Author Developed

4. Do you work full-time or part-time for Upward Bound?

• Full-time (30 hours or more per week)

• Part-time (less than 30 hours per week)

• Unpaid, volunteer

Source: Author Developed

5. How long have you been working at your current Upward Bound project?

• Less than 1 year

• 1 to 3 years

• 4 to 6 years

• 7 to 9 years

• 10 or more years

Source: Author Developed

College Advising Staff

This next question asks about the staff from your regular Upward Bound project who provided college advising to seniors since the beginning of summer 2015.

6. How many staff (volunteers, part-time, and full-time) provided Upward Bound college advising services to rising seniors in summer 2015 and/or seniors in the 2015-2016 school year. 

Count all staff (including yourself, if applicable) who provided Upward Bound college advising services.

Staff Type	Advised seniors in summer 2015 [ALLOWABLE RANGE 0-99]	Advised seniors during the 2015-2016 school year [ALLOWABLE RANGE 0-99]
Volunteer	_____	_____
Part-Time	_____	_____
Full-Time	_____	_____
Total	_____	_____

Source: Author Developed

Participation in Trainings

These next questions ask about professional development or training workshops in which college advising staff from your project may have participated.

7. In the past 12 months, did any of your project’s college advising staff who work with 2015-2016 seniors participate in any professional development (PD) as part of Upward Bound?

• Yes

• No [SKIP TO Q10]

• I don’t know [SKIP TO Q10]

Source: Author developed

8. In the past 12 months, did any of the PD activities include topics that would help students…? (Check all that apply)

College Search Topics

• Use college search engines such as the U.S. Department of Education’s College Navigator or College Scorecard

• Assess graduation rates or other student outcomes at colleges of interest

• Understand the concept of academic fit or match

• Determine the number and mix of colleges students should apply to

• Develop strategies to reduce students’ socio-emotional concerns about applying to unfamiliar colleges

• Identify support services offered at a variety of colleges

College Application Assistance Topics

• Write college essays

• Plan for common college application deadlines

• Prepare for the SAT/ACT

• Understand the Common Application

• Use college application fee waivers

Financial Aid Topics

• Understand the concept of college net cost

• Search and apply for scholarships and grants

• Understand student loans, including income-based repayment options

• Complete the FAFSA

• Understand college financial aid award letters

• None of the above

• I don’t remember

Source: Author Developed

[SHOW IF Q8 = 4 OR MORE ITEMS CHECKED, OTHERWISE SKIP TO Q10]

9. What were the three most common topics covered during the PD activities?

PREPOPULATE LIST WITH ONLY CHOICES SELECTED IN Q8.

College Advising Approaches and Activities

These next questions ask about the features or emphasis of your project’s college advising activities with 2015-2016 seniors.

10. What institutional factors does your project think are most important for participants to consider when selecting colleges to apply to?

Please rank the following factors in order of importance from 1 to 9, where 1 is the most important to your project and 9 is the least important to your project:

[RANDOMIZE ORDER]

[ALLOWABLE RANGE 1-9, WHOLE NUMBERS]

• Location

• Ranking/selectivity of the school

• Demographic composition of the student body

• Net cost of attendance (i.e., tuition, room and board, and fees, minus financial aid)

• Strength of specific program/major

• Availability of support services

• Likelihood of acceptance

• Graduation rate

• Opportunity to continue relationship with, and support from, UB host institution

Source: DIR Study of Upward Bound Implementation, adapted

11. During the 2015 summer program, how often did the typical 2015-2016 senior meet with you or someone from your project for the purpose of college advising?

• Never

• 1-3 times

• 4-6 times (about weekly)

• More than 6 times

Source: Author Developed

12. During the 2015-2016 school year, how often did the typical 2015-2016 senior meet with you or someone from your project for the purpose of college advising?

• Never

• Once or twice

• Every other month

• Once a month

• Twice a month

• Once a week

• Multiple times per week

Source: Author Developed

13. When did your project provide college advising to your 2015-2016 seniors about the following specific topics? [PROGRAMMING NOTE: CHECK ONLY ONE PER ROW]

	My project did not provide college advising on this topic	Summer 2015 only	2015-16 school year only	Both summer 2015 and 2015-16 school year
Understanding the concept of net cost
Identifying colleges that match participants’ academic qualifications
Identifying a mix of “safety,” “reach,” and “match” colleges
Planning and setting goals for their application timeline
Narrowing college choices based on student outcomes (e.g., graduation or employment rates)
Addressing seniors’ socio-emotional concerns about going to college
Obtaining college application fee waivers
Identifying college scholarship opportunities
Completing the FAFSA

Source: Author Developed

14. [SHOW IF Q13 SUMMER = 4 OR MORE ITEMS CHECKED, OTHERWISE SKIP TO Q15]

During summer 2015, what were the three college advising topics you discussed most often with rising seniors? [POPULATE ONLY WITH TOPICS IN Q13 = YES DURING SUMMER; RANDOMIZE ORDER]

• Identifying colleges that match participants’ academic qualifications

• Understanding the cost of college after scholarships, grants, and financial aid are taken into account

• Identifying a mix of “safety,” “reach,” and “match” colleges

• Planning and setting goals for their application timeline

• Narrowing college choices based on student outcomes (e.g., graduation or employment rates)

• Addressing seniors’ socio-emotional concerns about going to college

• Obtaining college application fee waivers

• Identifying college scholarship opportunities

• Completing the FAFSA

Source: Author Developed

15. [SHOW IF Q13 SCHOOL YEAR = 4 OR MORE ITEMS CHECKED, OTHERWISE SKIP TO Q16]

During the 2015-2016 school year, what were the three college advising topics you discussed most often with rising seniors? [POPULATE ONLY WITH TOPICS IN Q13 = YES DURING SCHOOL YEAR RANDOMIZE ORDER]

• Identifying colleges that match participants’ academic qualifications

• Understanding the cost of college after scholarships, grants, and financial aid are taken into account

• Identifying a mix of “safety,” “reach,” and “match” colleges

• Planning and setting goals for their application timeline

• Narrowing college choices based on student outcomes (e.g., graduation or employment rates)

• Addressing seniors’ socio-emotional concerns about going to college

• Obtaining college application fee waivers

• Identifying college scholarship opportunities

• Completing the FAFSA

Source: Author Developed

16. How many college applications does your project encourage the typical 2015-2016 senior to submit? Please provide your best estimate:

­­	Number of schools your project recommends the typical senior apply to [ALLOWABLE RANGE 0-99]
Total
Match colleges
Safety colleges
Reach colleges

• We do not encourage a particular number of college applications

Source: DIR Study of Upward Bound Implementation, adapted

17. Does your project encourage your 2015-2016 seniors to complete the FAFSA by a certain date?

• Yes

• No (SKIP TO Q19)

Source: Author Developed

18. By what date does your project encourage seniors to complete the FAFSA? JANUARY TO JULY CALENDAR

Source: Author Developed

Applications to Host/Affiliated Institution

These next two questions ask you to consider the college or university hosting or affiliated with your Upward Bound project and to estimate how many of your 2015-2016 seniors will apply to this institution.

19. How many 2015-2016 seniors participate in your project?

___ Number [ALLOWABLE RANGE = 0-150]

Source: Author Developed

20. How many of your 2015-2016 seniors did your project recommend apply to your host or affiliated institution? Please provide your best estimate:

____ Number

Source: Author Developed

Experiences with Find the Fit—TREATMENT GROUP ONLY

Last spring college advising staff from your project may have participated in the U.S. Department of Education’s Demonstration of Find the Fit practices. These questions ask about experiences with Find the Fit.

21. How many of your project’s college advising staff, who work with 2015-2016 seniors, participated in the Find the Fit webinars? (Check one box for each row)

Participation includes either attending live webinars or viewing the recorded webinars online.

	No advising staff	Some advising staff	Most advising staff	All advising staff
Webinar 1: Why We Want to Find the Fit				
Webinar 2: Breaking Beyond the Familiar: Empowering Participants to Succeed in New Environments				
Webinar 3: Making it Manageable: Timing, Tips and Tools to Meet Logistical Challenges				

Source: Author Developed

[IF NOT ALL STAFF ATTENDED EACH WEBINAR, PROCEED TO Q22; OTHERWISE SKIP TO Q23]

22. Did any your project’s college advising staff, who work with 2015-2016 senior receive training and support on the Find the Fit program from other staff who attended the webinars? [PROGRAMMING NOTE: POP-UP REMINDER BOX IF QUESTION LEFT BLANK]

• Yes

• No

Source: Author Developed

23. How did your project distribute the Find the Fit Parent Handouts to your participants’ parents?

• My project did not distribute the Parent Handouts

• Sent them in the mail

• Sent them home with participants

• Provided them as part of group meetings to parents who attended

• Provided them as part of meetings with individual parents

• I don’t know

Source: Author Developed

24. Did your project use any of the following Find the Fit materials and activities with your 2015-2016 seniors? (Check one box for each row)

	Yes	No
Shuffle, Sort and Stack Activity		
Four Factors of Fit Handout		
College Application Timeline		
My College Planner		
How Much Does College Cost Video		
Sample Cost, Outcomes and Opportunities (SCOOP) Sheet		
Scholarships and Grants List		
My College Search Booklet		
Breaking Beyond the Familiar Activity		
Discover Campus Support Services Handout		
2+2 Transfer Planning Handout		
The Common Application Information Sheet		
Information about Fee Waivers Handout		
NACAC Fee Waivers		

Source: Author Developed

25. How helpful are each of the Find the Fit materials in supporting participants to find colleges to apply to that are the right fit for them academically, financially, and personally? (Check one box for each row)

[POPULATE ONLY WITH ITEMS IN Q24 =YES]

	Not Very Helpful	Somewhat Helpful	Very Helpful
Shuffle, Sort and Stack Activity			
Four Factors of Fit Handout			
College Application Timeline			
My College Planner			
How Much Does College Cost Video			
Sample Cost, Outcomes and Opportunities (SCOOP) Sheet			
Scholarships and Grants List			
My College Search Booklet			
Breaking Beyond the Familiar Activity			
Discover Campus Support Services Handout			
2+2 Transfer Planning Handout			
The Common Application Information Sheet			
Information about Fee Waivers Handout			
NACAC Fee Waivers			

Source: Author Developed

26. How often did college advising staff from your project engage 2015-2016 seniors with SCOOP sheets and the Breaking Beyond the Familiar activity? [PROGRAM TO ALLOW ONLY ONE CHECK PER COLUMN]

	SCOOP sheets	Breaking Beyond the Familiar activity
Once		
Twice		
A few times		
Many times		
Never		

Source: Author Developed

Concluding Remarks

Thank you for completing the survey! If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact the study team at: UBDemo@abtassoc.com or toll-free at 1-855- 489-0480.

Abt Associates Inc. Appendix H. Project Survey  ▌ pg H-