Center manager survey

OMB No.: xxxx-xxxx

Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION LEADERSHIP STUDY (ExCELS)

Center Manager Survey

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INTRODUCTION

Mathematica is conducting the Early Care and Education Leadership Study (ExCELS) with the Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation at the University of Massachusetts Boston for the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation within the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Thank you in advance for your participation in ExCELS!

The survey asks about the people in your center who make decisions about what happens in the center, center operations, how staff work together in the center, and how your center works with families and the community. We will also ask about your background, work experience, and your job satisfaction and stress.

Taking part in this study is voluntary. You may refuse to answer any questions you are not comfortable answering. The purpose of this study is to learn about leadership in early care and education centers. There are no risks or direct benefits from taking part in the study. We will use the information the study collects only for research purposes and in ways that will not reveal who you are or identify your center or its staff. We have a certificate of confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health. It helps us protect your privacy. This means no one can force the study team to give out information that identifies you, even in court. However, in some cases federal or state laws might require us to show information to government officials (or sponsors) who monitor the safety of the study. Publications about the study will not identify anyone from the center. Nor will they identify the center itself. We will share some of the data the study collects with qualified individuals for research purposes. Nothing we share will identify people or specific centers. If you have questions about ExCELS, please contact Annalee Kelly, the survey director, at [STUDY PHONE] or by email at [STUDY EMAIL].

The survey will take about 25 minutes to complete. As a thank you, we will offer you a $25 electronic gift card for completing the survey!

We hope that you will take part in ExCELS. Please place an “X” in the box below if you agree to take the survey.

By placing an “X” in the box to the left, I agree that I understand the purposes of this study, including any privacy assurances, and that my participation is voluntary.

The next page provides you with general instructions on how to complete the survey.

HOW TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY

There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. Please answer questions in the order they appear, regardless of the question number. You may be asked to skip some questions that don’t apply to you.

For most questions in the survey, you will answer by simply placing a check mark or “X” to select your response, or by entering a number in the appropriate box.

If you oversee more than one center, please complete this survey thinking about the center listed on the front of this survey.

Some of the questions in the survey ask about meetings, collaborations, trainings, or other types of interactions that may be occurring at your center. Please think about in-person and virtual activities when answering these questions.

KEY TERMS

Here are a few words and phrases used throughout the survey. Please read these before beginning the survey. Please come back to this page as you complete the survey if you need a reminder of what these words and phrases mean.

• Center management refers to center staff who have oversight and supervisory roles and responsibilities for what happens at the center. Such staff may include directors, education program leads, coordinators, or other managers who oversee center operations, educational programs, center finances, human resources, family or special services, or other areas (such as marketing and enrollment or information technology).

• Children whose ages are from birth to age five refers to children within that age range and not yet in kindergarten.

• Classroom refers to a group of children who are instructed or cared for together.

• Decision-making refers to weighing options and making a choice related to policies and practices about the early care and education of children.

• Staff includes anyone in the building who is paid to work with or support the care and education of children from birth to age five. This could include contracted staff or service members from organizations like Teach for America or AmeriCorps if they are paid to work with or support the care and education of children from birth to age five.

• Standards refers to benchmarks or guidelines around classroom practices and children’s development providers are expected to meet.

• Teachers include lead, head, or co-teachers who are regularly in charge of a group or classroom of children.

• Teaching staff refers to all staff who provide care and education to children in the classroom including lead, head, or co-teachers and assistant teachers. This may include short-term positions or service members from organizations like Teach for America or AmeriCorps if they are paid to provide care and education to children in the classroom.

A. LEADERSHIP ROLES AND PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING

First, please answer a few questions about leadership roles and decision-making in your center.

Decision-making refers to weighing options and making a choice related to policies and practices about the early care and education of children.

A1. Which of the following comes closest to describing your position in the center?

Please think about your current position when answering this question.

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  Director (center director, executive director, program director, etc.)

2  Assistant director

3  Education program lead (education or program coordinator, curriculum coordinator, etc.)

4  Other supervisor or manager

5  Lead, head, or co-teacher

6  Assistant teacher

99  Other (specify)

A2. Who is involved in developing specific actions to improve the way the center provides care and education to children?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  Director (center director, executive director, program director, etc.)

2  Other managers

3  Lead, head, or co-teachers

4  Assistant teachers

5  Families

6  Staff from a larger organization that the center is a part of

7  Board members

99  Other (specify)

A3. How true are the following statements?

In my center, the staff who help make decisions that affect the care and education of children are…

Staff includes anyone in the building who is paid to work with or support the care and education of children from birth to age five. This could include contracted staff or service members from organizations like Teach for America or AmeriCorps if they are paid to work with or support the care and education of children from birth to age five.

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	True	Somewhat true	Somewhat untrue	Not true
a. Limited to the same people	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Different people over time as staff develop skills or get experience	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. People with a variety of races and ethnicities	1 	2 	3 	4 

These next few questions reference center management and teaching staff.

Center management refers to center staff who have oversight and supervisory roles and responsibilities for what happens at the center. Such staff may include directors, education program leads, coordinators, or other managers who oversee center operations, educational programs, center finances, human resources, family or special services, or other areas (such as marketing and enrollment or information technology).

Teaching staff refers to all staff who provide care and education to children in the classroom including lead, head, or co-teachers and assistant teachers. This may include short-term positions or service members from organizations like Teach for America or AmeriCorps if they are paid to provide care and education to children in the classroom.

A4. How much do you agree with each of the following statements about roles and responsibilities in your center?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. Including teaching staff in the center’s decision- making creates tension among teaching staff.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Our center operates best when center management makes most of the decisions for the center without broad input.	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Center management and teaching staff who participate in center decisions about the care and education of children reflect the diversity of children and families we serve.	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. I see myself as a leader in my center.	1 	2 	3 	4 

A5. How much do you agree with each of the following statements about teaching staff at your center?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. Teaching staff take initiative to play an active role in center decisions that affect the care and education of children.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Teaching staff have told me they have too much work to do to seek an active role in center decisions that affect the care and education of children.	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Teaching staff do not have the knowledge or skills to contribute to decisions that affect the care and education of children.	1 	2 	3 	4 

A6. How much do teaching staff contribute to the following?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Contribute a lot	Contribute some	Contribute a little	Do not contribute
NEW a. Determining care and instructional practices across classrooms in the center (for example, by doing joint planning with other teaching staff, or developing training and guidance materials)	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Selecting curriculum or instructional materials that are common across classrooms serving children of similar ages	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Hiring other teaching staff	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. Providing input on other teaching staff performance reviews	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. Providing input on center management staff performance reviews	1 	2 	3 	4 

A7. How much influence do teaching staff have on the following?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	A lot of influence	Some influence	A little influence	No influence
a. Developing strategic goals for the center	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Developing center-wide initiatives (for example, promoting healthy habits for children, supporting the transition to kindergarten, or supporting children with special needs)	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Developing plans for involving families in center activities	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. Developing solutions to problems the center faces so that the center can provide the best services it can	1 	2 	3 	4 

A8. How much influence do you think families have on the following?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	A lot of influence	Some influence	A little influence	No influence
a. Developing strategic goals for the center	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Curriculum planning or development	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Evaluating center staff	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. Developing center-wide initiatives (for example, promoting healthy habits, supporting the transition to kindergarten, or planning for how to include children with special needs)	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. Developing plans for involving families in center activities	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. Developing solutions to problems the center faces so that the center can provide the best services it can	1 	2 	3 	4 

B. CENTER OPERATIONS, VISION, AND PLANNING

Next, we have a few questions about your center’s operations, vision, and planning.

B1. How much do you agree with each of the following statements about how you manage operations and performance?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. I work to respond to the resource needs that teaching staff tell me about (such as supplies, teaching materials).	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. I encourage teaching staff to tell me about any concerns they have about meeting licensing requirements or program standards (such as maintaining correct ratios). Standards refers to benchmarks or guidelines around classroom practices and children’s development providers are expected to meet.	1 	2 	3 	4 

B2. Do you do any of the following to make sure everyone working in the center has the same understanding of what the center’s mission and values are?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  Our mission statement is posted in the center.

2  I discuss the mission and values with teaching staff during hiring and/or orientation.

3  I often talk with teaching staff about how center practices and policies support the mission.

4  I include teaching staff in reviewing and updating the mission statement.

0  None of these

NA  This center does not have a mission statement.

Please think about your work since September 2021 in answering the next few questions.

B3. How often do you…?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
a. Work with teaching staff to develop their own professional development plan	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Address performance problems when teaching staff do not meet expectations (for example, not meeting standards for teaching and classroom management practices, not showing up for work or being late, having poor communication with families)	1 	2 	3 	4 

B4. How much do you emphasize the following with teaching staff?

Quality improvement refers to actions or steps taken to change classroom practices to support the care and education of young children.

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
a. Set goals for quality improvements for the center as a whole	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Implement classroom activities and teaching practices to meet the goals for quality improvement	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Make changes in the activities and practices based on data that show how much progress is being made toward goals	1 	2 	3 	4 

ONLY ASKED OF PRIMARY SITE LEADERS

B5. Which statement best describes the financial health of the center since September 2021?

MARK ONE ONLY

0  No concerns, we have cash reserves (for example, a capital improvements fund, an endowment, or bonus pool) that we can draw on when we need it for operations.

1  We are able to balance the budget every month, and sometimes we have a surplus that we can use for emergencies or major expenses that may come up later.

2  We are able to balance our budget every month, but there is no money left over to set aside for emergencies or major expenses that may come up later.

3  We have not had enough money coming in to pay for everything, so we had to reduce the center’s level of staffing or services to lower expenses or find ways to bring in more money (for example, increasing fees to parents).

4  We have not had enough money coming in to pay for everything, and we don’t have a way to fix it right now.

D  Don’t know

C. CENTER AND STAFF PRACTICES

The next set of questions are about your views on center and staff practices.

C1. The following are statements that some staff may express about early care and education centers. Remember all your responses are private. Please indicate whether each statement agrees or disagrees with your personal beliefs about staff roles and how centers may work best.

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. Teaching staff have the potential to be leaders in early care and education centers.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Teaching staff improve the quality of their practices in the classroom by collaborating with other teaching staff.	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Teaching staff need support from center directors and managers to improve the quality of their practices in the classroom.	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. To support children’s learning, it is important for teaching staff to incorporate feedback from families into classroom practice.	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. Center management should set high expectations for the performance of all staff in the center.	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. Being eager to learn new knowledge and skills is important for meeting the needs of children and families.	1 	2 	3 	4 
g. It is important for teaching staff to support children’s learning by incorporating different cultural views.	1 	2 	3 	4 

For the next questions please think about yourself and your work within this center.

C2. How much do you agree with each of the following statements?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. I contribute to my center by collaborating with my colleagues and supporting them to improve what they do.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. I play an important role in how the center helps children make progress in their learning and development.	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. I seek out ways to increase my knowledge or skills beyond required training.	1 	2 	3 	4 

C3. How much do you agree with each of the following statements?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree	Does not apply, I am the only center manager
a. I help create a safe environment for staff to question each other’s views in a respectful way.*	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. I believe other center management respect me.	1 	2 	3 	4 	NA 
c. I believe the teaching staff respect me.	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. I believe other center management value my opinions.	1 	2 	3 	4 	NA 
e. I believe the teaching staff value my opinions.	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. Families of children appreciate me.	1 	2 	3 	4 

*Modified Q10, School Leader Questionnaire 2003-2004, Study of Instructional Improvement.

C4. How much do you agree with each of the following statements about how you approach children’s care and education?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. I use state or program learning standards (for example, the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework) to set expectations for children's learning and development.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. I hold teaching staff accountable for meeting the center’s expectations for children’s learning and development.	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. I support teaching staff in figuring out how to help children meet the center’s expectations for learning and development.	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. I promote innovation among teaching staff to try new activities or methods to help children meet the center’s expectations for learning and development.	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. I set expectations about including materials from different cultures in classroom activities.	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. I provide training to teaching staff in how to help children from all backgrounds meet expectations for children’s positive behavior.	1 	2 	3 	4 

Next are questions about your own practices. Please think about your work since September 2021 in answering the next few questions.

C5. How often do you encourage teaching staff to publicly recognize other teaching staff showing positive practices or support of others?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Encourage a lot

2  Encourage some

3  Encourage a little

4  Do not encourage

C6. How often do you encourage teaching staff to share information with each other about practices that support children’s learning and development?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Encourage a lot

2  Encourage some

3  Encourage a little

4  Do not encourage

C7. How often do you meet with teaching staff to discuss learning activities and teaching strategies (for example, lesson planning, curriculum development, teaching methods, ways to support children’s development)?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Once a week or more

2  Once or twice a month

3  Three or more times a year, but less than once a month

4  Once or twice a year

5  Never

C8. How many hours of paid planning time do you give teachers to plan curriculum, activities, and lessons, including time to review assessment data?

Paid planning time refers to hours in teachers’ normal workdays dedicated to creating lesson plans, developing activities, and goal setting.

Teachers include lead, head, or co-teachers who are regularly in charge of a group or classroom of children.

Please indicate whether these hours are per week or per month. Please round your response to the nearest whole number. If no paid planning time is offered, enter 0.

| | | |  Per week  Per month

D  Don’t know

C9. How many hours of paid planning time do you give assistant teachers to plan curriculum, activities, and lessons, including time to review assessment data?

Please indicate whether these hours are per week or per month. Please round your response to the nearest whole number. If no paid planning time is offered, enter 0.

| | | |  Per week  Per month

D  Don’t know

NA  Not applicable, no assistant teachers in this center

IF YOU GIVE TEACHERS OR ASSISTANT TEACHERS PAID PLANNING TIME ANSWER QUESTION C10, OTHERWISE SKIP TO QUESTION C11.

STOP

C10. How much of that planning time is for staff from different classrooms to collaborate and plan together?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  More than half

2  About half

3  Less than half

4  None

C11. How often do you engage in any of the following activities with teaching staff?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Once a week or more	Once or twice a month	Three or more times a year, but not monthly	Once or twice a year	Never
a. Model practices for supporting children’s learning and development (that is, teaching staff watch you do things you expect of them)	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 
b. Observe teaching staff to see how they support children’s learning and development	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 
c. Share information with teaching staff about practices to support children’s learning and development	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 

Modified Q8, School Leader Questionnaire 2000-2001, Study of Instructional Improvement.

C12. Have you given your teaching staff trainings or guidance (for example, manuals, tools like video libraries, or lessons) in the following areas?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Yes	No
a. Connecting children’s real-world experiences to classroom activities	1 	0 
b. Including materials and activities from different cultures in classroom materials and activities (for example, books or toys that show children from different cultures, tasting food from different cultures)	1 	0 
c. Understanding biases and identifying them in their own behavior with children and families	1 	0 

These next few questions are about coaching or mentoring at your center.

C13. Do teaching staff receive coaching or mentoring, that is, someone who gives regular feedback, guidance, and training?

This may be formal or informal coaching or mentoring.

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Yes, coaching or mentoring provided to all teaching staff.  CONTINUE TO QUESTION C14

2  Yes, coaching or mentoring provided only to some teaching staff.  CONTINUE TO QUESTION C14

0  No coaching or mentoring provided.  SKIP TO TEXT ON THE TOP OF PAGE 17

IF TEACHING STAFF AT YOUR CENTER RECEIVE MENTORING OR COACHING ANSWER QUESTION C14, OTHERWISE SKIP TO TEXT ON THE TOP OF PAGE 17.

STOP

C14. Are you currently acting as a mentor or coach to teaching staff in this center?

This may be formal or informal coaching or mentoring, where you give teaching staff regular feedback, guidance, or training.

1  Yes

0  No

Next, please answer a few questions about classroom observations, center policies, and how your center uses data. Please think about your center’s practices or your own work since September 2021 in answering the next few questions.

C15. Do you conduct classroom observations of teaching staff? If so, how do you use the classroom observations?

By observations we mean watching teaching staff during classroom activities, either on a regular basis or to see a particular feature of their teaching and caregiving. These observations can be formal or informal.

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

0  No, I don’t conduct observations

1  To monitor compliance or ensure the center is meeting certain standards

2  To give individualized coaching on specific skills or practices

3  To learn about any needs for professional development

4  To measure the quality of the environment or interactions between teaching staff and the child

99  Other (specify)

C16. How many policies or other forms of support have you been able to establish to help teaching staff increase their education and training? I have established…

Policies may involve written procedures about providing help with tuition or course books/training materials, staff release time, or onsite trainings or courses.

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Many policies and other forms of support

2  Some policies and other forms of support

3  A few policies or forms of support

4  No policies or forms of support

C17. How often do you share or use data with teaching staff in the following ways to support children’s learning and development?

Data may include observations, work samples, anecdotal records, checklists, tests of developmental milestones or school readiness skills, or similar sources. These data may be shared or used in group or individual staff meetings.

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
a. I review individual children’s data with teaching staff to make decisions together about changing curriculum or classroom practices.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. I tell teaching staff what changes to make in curriculum or classroom practices based on individual children’s data.	1 	2 	3 	4 

D. FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS

This next section is about family partnerships. Please think about your work since September 2021 in answering the next few questions.

D1. How much do you emphasize the following topics about family/center partnerships with teaching staff?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Emphasize a lot	Emphasize some	Emphasize a little	Do not emphasize
a. Encouraging families to give feedback on caregiving and teaching practices	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Ensuring the center has a culture of inclusion, respect, and belonging for staff, children, and families	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Giving all families a voice in how we support their children’s development	1 	2 	3 	4 

D2. How often do you do the following related to family/center partnerships?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
a. Set specific time aside for center staff to plan and carry out activities that provide ways to involve families in the center	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Provide information and materials to families in languages spoken by families (written or through a translator)	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Greet families at drop-off and/or pick-up	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. Attend family board meetings, council meetings, or other family events/meetings	1 	2 	3 	4 

D3-D5 ONLY ASKED OF PRIMARY SITE LEADERS

Please answer a few questions about the children and families your center serves.

D3. Which of the following languages are spoken at home by the children and families who are part of your center?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  English

2  Spanish

3  Arabic

4  Cambodian (Khmer)

5  Chinese

6  French

7  Haitian Creole

8  Hmong

9  Japanese

10  Korean

11  Vietnamese

99  Other (specify)

D4. Which of the languages that are spoken at home by the children and families in your center are also spoken by teaching staff at your center?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  English

2  Spanish

3  Arabic

4  Cambodian (Khmer)

5  Chinese

6  French

7  Haitian Creole

8  Hmong

9  Japanese

10  Korean

11  Vietnamese

99  Other (specify)

D5. What percentage of children and families at your center are…?

	ENTER PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN/FAMILIES FOR EACH:
a. American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic	| | | | %
b. Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic	| | | | %
c. Black, non-Hispanic	| | | | %
d. Hispanic	| | | | %
e. White, non-Hispanic	| | | | %

D6. Which of the following sources of information did you use to determine the percentage of children and families in each racial or ethnic group?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  Administrative records

2  Parent enrollment or intake forms

3  Other parent-reported information

4  Visual observation

99  Other (specify)

E. ABOUT YOURSELF

There are many reasons why people do the work they do. The next two questions are about your work in early care and education.

E1. What are the top three reasons why you work in early care and education?

MARK THREE ONLY

1  It is my career or profession.

2  It is a step toward a related career.

3  It is my personal calling.

4  It is a way to help children learn and grow.

5  It is a way to earn money through a job or a business.

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

7  It is a way to help families support their young children.

99  Other (specify)

E2. Of the three reasons you selected above, which one best describes the main reason why you work in early care and education?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  It is my career or profession.

2  It is a step toward a related career.

3  It is my personal calling.

4  It is a way to help children learn and grow.

5  It is a way to earn money through a job or a business.

6  It is work I can do while my own children are young.

7  It is a way to help families support their young children.

99  Other (specify)

Next, please answer a few questions about your job and work environment.

E3. How strongly do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither disagree nor agree	Agree	Strongly agree
a. You are under too many pressures to do your job effectively.	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 
b. Staff members often show signs of stress and strain.	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 
c. The heavy workload at this center reduces effectiveness.	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 
d. Staff frustration is common at this center.	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 

Institute of Behavioral Research. (2005). TCU Survey of Organizational Functioning (TCU SOF). Fort Worth: Texas Christian University, Institute of Behavioral Research. Available at ibr.tcu.edu.

E4. How likely are you to continue working at this center the next program year (through 2022-2023)?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Very likely

2  Somewhat likely

3  A little likely

4  Not likely

E5. How much do you agree with each of the following statements about your work?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. I really enjoy my present job.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. I am certain I am making a difference in the lives of the children at my center.	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. If I could start over, I would choose early care and education work again.	1 	2 	3 	4 

Next, please tell us about your education and background.

E6. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Did not graduate high school  SKIP TO QUESTION E8 ON PAGE 24

2  High school diploma or equivalent (for example, a GED)  SKIP TO QUESTION E8 ON PAGE 24

3  Some college courses, but no degree  SKIP TO QUESTION E8 ON PAGE 24

4  Associate's degree

5  Bachelor's degree

6  Some graduate school or some professional school, but no degree

7  Master's degree (M.A., M.S., M.Ed.)

8  Doctoral degree in research (Ph.D., Ed.D.) or professional practice (Medicine: M.D.; Dentistry: D.D.S.; Law: J.D., L.L.B., etc.)

STOP

IF YOU HAVE AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE OR HIGHER ANSWER QUESTION E7, OTHERWISE SKIP TO QUESTION E8 ON PAGE 24.

E7. What was your major or field of study for the degree or degrees you have earned?

Please include Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and graduate degrees.

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  Child development or developmental psychology

2  Early childhood education

3  Elementary education

4  Special education

5  Education administration/management and supervision (including early childhood education administration)

6  Business administration/management and supervision

7  Other education-related field (bilingual education, reading/literacy, secondary education, educational counseling or social work, sociology, science education, music education, etc.)

99  Other (specify)

E8. In total, how many years have you worked in a classroom providing early care and education for children from birth to age 5 in any center?

Include time as a lead, head, or co-teacher, assistant teacher, or aide. Do not include time spent volunteering in classrooms.

IF LESS THAN ONE YEAR, WRITE IN NUMBER OF MONTHS

| | |  Month(s)  Year(s)

E9. In total, how many years have you been a director or manager in any early care and education center?

Include your time as the director/manager at this center.

IF LESS THAN ONE YEAR, WRITE IN NUMBER OF MONTHS

| | |  Month(s)  Year(s)

E10. In total, how long have you been working in this center in any position?

IF LESS THAN ONE YEAR, WRITE IN NUMBER OF MONTHS

| | |  Month(s)  Year(s)

E11. In total, how long have you been (the director/a manager) at this center?

IF LESS THAN ONE YEAR, WRITE IN NUMBER OF MONTHS

| | |  Month(s)  Year(s)

E12. Do you currently hold any of the following licenses, certificates, or credentials?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Yes	No
a. Teaching certificate, credential, or license that includes teaching any children from birth to age 5 including infant/toddler, preschool, or in family/home-based child care (this includes a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential)	1 	0 
b. Education director or administrator certificate or credential specifically for early childhood (birth to age 5)	1 	0 
c. Other teaching certificate, credential, or license (for example, credentials for teaching grades kindergarten or higher)	1 	0 
d. Other director/administrator certificate or credential (for example, credentials for administration for grades kindergarten or higher)	1 	0 

E13. Are you a member of an early care and education professional organization?

Examples include: the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) or local affiliates/chapters, National Head Start Association (NHSA), Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI), ZERO TO THREE, or other state or local professional organizations.

1  Yes

0  No

E14. How often do you give input to local or state government officials, agencies, or departments on early care and education policies and resources?

Input may be given through calls, written letters, meetings, or emails.

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Monthly or more often

2  Three or four times a year

3  Once or twice a year

4  Never

E15. Do you have a role on any of the following types of community boards or councils?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  Member of a board sponsored by a local or state entity (such as government or school district) that is focused on early care and education

2  Member of a board for an early care and education program

3  Member of a board for a community agency that provides services for children and families

4  Regularly attend community meetings that are sponsored by government entities or community service agencies and focus on early care and education issues

99  Other (specify)

0  No, I am not currently involved on community boards or councils

E16. Since September 2021, have you participated in the following kinds of professional development?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Yes	No
a. A network or community of early care and education center directors or managers, sometimes called a peer learning group (PLG) or professional learning community (PLC)	1 	0 
b. A leadership institute, course, coaching, or other leadership development program	1 	0 

Please answer a few final questions about yourself.

E17. How do you describe yourself?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  Male

2  Female

3  Another gender identity (specify)

4  Prefer not to answer

E18. Are you of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino/a/x, or Chicano/a/x origin?

1  Yes  CONTINUE TO QUESTION E19

2  No  SKIP TO QUESTION E20

E19. Which one of these best describes you?

MARK ONE OR MORE

1  Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano/a/x

2  Puerto Rican

3  Cuban

4  Another Spanish/Hispanic/Latino/a/x group (specify)

E20. What is your race? Select one or more.

MARK ONE OR MORE

1  White

2  Black or African American

3  American Indian or Alaska Native

4  Asian Indian

5  Chinese

6  Filipino

7  Japanese

8  Korean

9  Vietnamese

10  Other Asian

11  Native Hawaiian

12  Guamanian or Chamorro

13  Samoan

14  Other Pacific Islander (specify)

15  Another race (specify)

Thank you for your participation in ExCELS!