Attachment F - Fall 2021 Survey Outreach

ATTACHMENT F.1

CENTER RE-ENGAGEMENT EMAIL/LETTER

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[DATE]

TO: [EMAIL]

FROM: [RECRUITER]

SUBJECT: Study on the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education—FALL SURVEY!

Dear [CENTER DIRECTOR]:

Thank you for your center’s participation in the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) study. I hope this email finds you well. I have exciting news to share! [IF SPRING-SUMMER TUS RELEASED: We recently received approval to add a fall survey to the ECE-ICHQ study./IF SPRING-SUMMER TUS NOT RELEASED: The ECE-ICHQ survey is ready for your center to complete, and we recently received approval to add a few additional questions!] This two-part survey is for your administrators and teaching staff [IF SPRING-SUMMER TUS RELEASED: that were invited to complete our time-use survey]. The first part of the survey will ask your administrators and teaching staff about how they spend their time on different center activities and will take about 15 minutes to complete. The second part of the survey is just for teaching staff and will take about 30 minutes to complete. It will ask about teaching and professional growth supports for teaching staff at your center. The survey can be completed on the web [IF SPRING-SUMMER TUS RELEASED:, just like the time-use survey]. Your staff would receive a gift card with their survey invitation letters, and an additional Amazon gift code after they complete the survey.

We are excited about this new survey and hope you are too! It will provide important information to help us connect the information your center already provided about center practices and costs to the activities staff engage in and to the types of supports that teaching staff receive.

Participation in the survey is completely voluntary. As you may remember, the purpose of ECE-ICHQ is to help identify improvements in early childhood services; there are no risks from taking part in the study. The information in this study will be used only for research purposes and in ways that will not reveal who you are or identify your center. Federal or state laws may require us to show information to government officials (or sponsors) who are responsible for monitoring the safety of this study. Neither you nor your center will be identified in any publication from this study. If you have questions about ECE-ICHQ, please call Annalee Kelly, the survey director, toll-free, at 833-616-0137 or by email at eceichq@mathematica-mpr.com.

I would like to schedule a time to talk with you by phone about the fall survey. If you can email me some times you would be available to talk with me by phone that would be great. Otherwise, I will call you in the next few days.

Thank you for your time and for your participation in the ECE-ICHQ study. I look forward to speaking with you soon. If you have any questions prior to our call, please contact me at [RECRUITER PHONE] or by email at [RECRUITER EMAIL].

Sincerely,

[RECRUITER NAME]

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ATTACHMENT F.2

FALL SURVEY CENTER DIRECTOR COVER LETTER

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[DATE]

Dear [CENTER DIRECTOR]:

Thank you for your continued help and participation in the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) study.

Enclosed, please find sealed fall survey invitation packets we would like you to distribute; packets are addressed to the eligible staff from the list you reviewed and updated for us. Each packet contains a gift card and instructions for accessing the survey on the web.

As a reminder, the first part of the survey asks about how administrators and teaching staff spend their time on different center activities. It should only take about 15 minutes to complete. The second part of the survey for teaching staff only asks questions about the teaching supports and learning community in the center, as well as adult well-being. It should take about 30 minutes to complete. Eligible administrators and teaching staff will receive a gift card with their survey invitation as a thank you. We ask that teachers complete this survey within one week of receiving their invitation. We will email each staff member an Amazon gift code as soon as they complete the survey.

The fall survey is an important part of the study and we appreciate your continued support. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me by phone at [RECRUITER PHONE] or email at [RECRUITER EMAIL].

Thank you again for your continued help with this important study.

Sincerely,

[RECRUITER NAME]

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ATTACHMENT F.3

FALL SURVEY INVITATION LETTER/EMAIL

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[DATE]

TO: [RESPONDENT EMAIL ADDRESS]

ATTACHMENT: SURVEY FAQS

RE: Invitation to Complete the ECE-ICHQ Fall Survey

Dear [First Name] [Last Name]:

Thank you for [IF SPRING-SUMMER TUS RELEASED: participating/ IF SPRING-SUMMER TUS NOT RELEASED: your interest] in the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) study. As you know, high quality early care and education in childhood builds a strong foundation of emotional, social, language, and cognitive skills that are key for future success in school. Your center is helping us gather important information about how centers use their resources to support quality in early care and education. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation has partnered with Mathematica, an independent research firm, to conduct the study.

[IF SPRING-SUMMER TUS RELEASED AND ADMINISTRATOR: Earlier this year we invited you to complete a time-use survey.] This fall, as part of this study, we are asking you to complete a new survey about how you spend your time on different center activities including teaching, working with families, staff development, communication, and management, and if that differs from before the COVID-19 pandemic. It will take about 15 minutes to complete.

[IF SPRING-SUMMER TUS RELEASED AND TEACHING STAFF: Earlier this year we invited you to complete a time-use survey.] This fall, as part of this study, we are asking you to complete a new two-part survey. The first part of the survey will take about 15 minutes to complete and asks about how you spend your time on different center activities including teaching, working with families, staff development, communication, and management, and if that differs from before the COVID-19 pandemic. The second part of the survey will take about 30 minutes to complete and asks about the teaching supports you receive, the learning community in your center, and your own well-being.

For your convenience, the survey is accessible on the web. We ask that you complete it within one week of receiving this message. [IF LETTER FORMAT: As a thank you we have enclosed a $[AMOUNT] gift card/ IF EMAIL FORMAT: We recently sent you a survey invitation letter with a $[AMOUNT] gift card enclosed as a thank you.] When you complete the survey, we will email you a $[AMOUNT] Amazon gift code as an additional thank you.

[IF LETTER FORMAT: To complete the survey, please visit the website and use the username and password below. The website, your username and the password are secure and should not be shared with anyone./ IF EMAIL FORMAT: To complete the survey, please click the secure link below. This link is unique to you and should not be shared with anyone.]

[IF LETTER FORMAT:] We encourage you to complete the survey online at: [Survey URL]

USERNAME: «WebUserName»

PASSWORD: «WebPassword»

[IF EMAIL FORMAT:] We encourage you to complete the survey online at: [Customized Survey URL]

Taking part in this study is voluntary. The purpose of the study is to help identify improvements in early childhood services; there are no risks from taking part in the study. The information in this study will be used only for research purposes and in ways that will not reveal who you are or identify your center. Federal or state laws may require us to show information to government officials (or sponsors) who are responsible for monitoring the safety of this study. Neither you nor your center will be identified in any publication from this study. If you have questions about ECE-ICHQ, please call Annalee Kelly, the survey director, toll-free, at 1-833-616-0137 or email us at eceichq@mathematica-mpr.com.

We have enclosed a list of frequently asked questions about the survey.

Thank you in advance for your continued help with this important study.

Sincerely,

Annalee Kelly

Survey Director

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The referenced collection of information is voluntary. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0499 and it expires 11/30/2022.

ATTACHMENT F.4

FALL SURVEY FOLLOW-UP LETTER/EMAIL

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[DATE]

TO: [RESPONDENT EMAIL ADDRESS]

ATTACHMENT: SURVEY FAQS

RE: Reminder to Complete the ECE-ICHQ Fall Survey

Dear [First Name] [Last Name]:

[IF ADMINISTRATOR: Recently, as part of the ECE-ICHQ study, you were invited to complete a survey about how you spend your time on different center activities including teaching, working with families, staff development, communication, and management, and if that differs from before the COVID-19 pandemic. It will take about 15 minutes to complete.]

[IF TEACHING STAFF: Recently, as part of the ECE-ICHQ study, you were invited to complete a two-part survey. The first part of the survey will take about 15 minutes to complete and asks about how you spend your time on different center activities including teaching, working with families, staff development, communication, and management, and if that differs from before the COVID-19 pandemic. The second part of the survey will take about 30 minutes to complete and asks about the teaching supports you receive, the learning community in your center, and your own well-being.]

As a reminder, participation is completely voluntary, but we hope you will complete the survey to help us continue to inform this important work. We ask that you complete this survey within one week of receiving this message.

We recently sent you a survey invitation letter with a $[AMOUNT] gift card enclosed as a thank you. When you complete the survey, we will email you a $[AMOUNT] Amazon gift code as an additional thank you.

[IF LETTER FORMAT: To complete the survey, please visit the website and use the username and password below. The website, your username and the password are secure and should not be shared with anyone. For your convenience we have enclosed a paper version of the survey with this letter. If you prefer, you may complete the paper survey, seal it in the enclosed envelope, and return it to your center director to send back to us. / IF EMAIL FORMAT: To complete the survey, please click the secure link below. This link is unique to you and should not be shared with anyone.]

[IF LETTER FORMAT:] We encourage you to complete the survey online at: [Survey URL]

USERNAME: «WebUserName»

PASSWORD: «WebPassword»

[IF EMAIL FORMAT:] We encourage you to complete the survey online at: [Customized Survey URL]

We have enclosed a list of frequently asked questions about the survey. If you have questions about the study or are having difficulty accessing your web survey, please call us toll-free at 1-833-616-0137 or email us at eceichq@mathematica-mpr.com.

Thank you in advance for your continued help with this important study.

Sincerely,

Annalee Kelly

Survey Director

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The referenced collection of information is voluntary. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0499 and it expires 11/30/2022.

ATTACHMENT F.5

FALL SURVEY FINAL REMINDER EMAIL

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[DATE]

TO: [RESPONDENT EMAIL ADDRESS]

ATTACHMENT: SURVEY FAQS

RE: Last Chance to Complete the ECE-ICHQ Fall Survey – Only 1 week left!

Dear [First Name] [Last Name]:

[IF ADMINISTRATOR: A few weeks ago, as part of the ECE-ICHQ study, you were invited to complete a survey about how you spend your time on different center activities. It will take about 15 minutes to complete.]

[IF TEACHING STAFF: A few weeks ago, as part of the ECE-ICHQ study, you were invited to complete a two-part survey about how you spend your time on different center activities and how your workplace supports your teaching and professional growth. The first part of the survey should take about 15 minutes to complete and the second part should take about 30 minutes to complete.]

This is our last email request to you to complete the survey. Please complete the survey by [DATE 7 DAYS FROM EMAIL RELEASE]. As a reminder, participation is completely voluntary, but we hope you will complete the survey to help us continue to inform this important work.

We sent you a survey invitation letter with a $[AMOUNT] gift card enclosed as a thank you. When you complete the survey, we will email you a $[AMOUNT] Amazon gift code as an additional thank you.

To complete the survey, please click the secure link below. This link is unique to you and should not be shared with anyone.

We encourage you to complete the survey online at: [Customized Survey URL]

We have enclosed a list of frequently asked questions about the survey. If you have questions about the study or are having difficulty accessing your web survey, please call us toll-free at 1-833-616-0137 or email us at eceichq@mathematica-mpr.com.

Thank you in advance for your continued help with this important study.

Sincerely,

Annalee Kelly

Survey Director

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The referenced collection of information is voluntary. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0499 and it expires 11/30/2022.

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ATTACHMENT F.6

FALL SURVEY FLYER

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Your help is needed!

Mathematica, an independent research firm, will be emailing staff soon about completing a fall survey as part of the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) study.

What is the survey about?

The survey has two parts. The first part (about 15-minutes) will ask about how much time you spend doing various tasks, like teaching, working with families, staff development, communication, and management. The second part, that is just for teaching staff (about 30 minutes), will ask about teaching supports, the learning community in the center, and your own well-being.

Mathematica will send you an invitation letter with information about how to log into the survey. Your invitation letter will include a gift card as a thank you. Mathematica will email you an Amazon gift code once you complete the survey.

What is ECE-ICHQ?

ECE-ICHQ is a study funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families and conducted by Mathematica. The study aims to learn about how centers use their resources to maximize the quality of early childhood care and education.

Questions?

Contact Mathematica toll-free at 1-833-616-0137 or send an email to eceichq@mathematica-mpr.com.

OMB Number: 0970-0499

Expires: 11/30/2022

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ATTACHMENT F.7

FALL SURVEY FAQS

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Frequently Asked Questions about the Fall Survey

• What is the fall survey?

The fall survey is part of the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) study. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation has partnered with Mathematica, an independent research firm, to conduct this study.

Center administrators will be asked to complete a 15-minute survey which asks questions about how much time they spend on various tasks including teaching, working with families, staff development, communication, and management, and if that differs from before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teaching staff will receive a two-part survey. The first part of the survey will take about 15 minutes to complete and will also include questions about how much time they spend on various center activities, The second part of the survey will take about 30 minutes to complete and will ask questions about the teaching supports they receive, the learning community in their center, and their own well-being.

• What if none of the roles listed in the survey matches my role at the center?

We understand staff sometimes fill multiple roles at a center. If none of the listed roles match perfectly, please select the role that you spend most of your time doing.

• Should I count hours I spend working outside of the center?

We are interested in the time you spend on tasks regardless of where you do the work. However, we do want to make a distinction between paid and unpaid work hours. In sections where we ask the number of hours worked, please only count the hours for which you are paid to work

• How do I calculate hours for tasks that I do on an ongoing basis?

For tasks that you do frequently throughout a typical day, such as providing instruction or care, please think about how many times you do it each day and about how long it takes each time you do it. You may use this daily estimate to produce a weekly estimate by multiplying by the number of days you work per week.

• How do I calculate hours when I am doing more than one task at the same time?

If you are doing more than one task at a time, please count hours for the task that was your primary responsibility at the time.

• What timeframe should I think about when answering questions in the second part of the survey just for teaching staff?

When answering questions in the second part of the survey, please think about your last program or school year; from about September 2020 to June 2021.

• What will I receive for participating?

You will receive a gift card with your survey invitation letter. You will also receive an Amazon gift code emailed to you when you complete the survey. Staff who are eligible to complete just the first part of the survey will receive a total of $20. Teaching staff who complete both parts of the survey will receive a total of $50.

• What do I do if I have other questions or can’t access the survey?

If you have any questions about or have any trouble accessing the survey, please call Annalee Kelly, the survey director, toll-free at 1-833-616-0137 or email us at eceichq@mathematica-mpr.com.

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