Teaching staff survey

OMB No.: xxxx-xxxx

Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION LEADERSHIP STUDY (ExCELS)

Teaching Staff 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, how your center works with families and the community, and your center’s culture and work environment. 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 this study. Publications about the study will not identify anyone from the center. Nor will they identify the center itself. We will share some of information 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 60 minutes to complete. The survey invitation packet we sent you had a $5 gift card as a thank you for helping us. We will offer you a $35 electronic gift card after you complete 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.

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 your position and responsibilities at your center. Please think about your current position when answering these first few questions.

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

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. Do you work in one classroom or more than one classroom?

A classroom is a group of children who are instructed or cared for together.

1  One classroom  CONTINUE TO QUESTIONS A3 AND A4

2  More than one classroom  SKIP TO QUESTIONS A5 AND A6 ON PAGE 5

STOP

IF YOU WORK IN ONE CLASSROOM ONLY ANSWER QUESTIONS A3 AND A4, OTHERWISE SKIP TO QUESTIONS A5 AND A6 ON PAGE 5.

A3. Do you supervise teaching staff in your own classroom?

1  Yes

0  No

A4. Do you supervise teaching staff in classrooms besides your own?

1  Yes  SKIP TO QUESTION A7 ON PAGE 5

0  No  SKIP TO QUESTION A7 ON PAGE 5

STOP

IF YOU WORK IN MORE THAN ONE CLASSROOM ANSWER QUESTIONS A5 AND A6, OTHERWISE SKIP TO QUESTION A7.

A5. Do you supervise teaching staff who work in the same classrooms at the same time that you do?

1  Yes

0  No

A6. Do you supervise teaching staff who work in classrooms that you don’t usually work in?

1  Yes

0  No

A7. What are the ages of the children from birth to age five you work with in your classroom?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1  Children less than 18 months

2  Children ages 18 months to less than 36 months

3  Children ages 36 months or older

IF YOU WORK WITH CHILDREN ACROSS MORE THAN ONE AGE GROUP ANSWER QUESTION A8, OTHERWISE SKIP TO QUESTION A9.

STOP

A8. A majority of the children in your classroom are…?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Children from birth to less than 36 months

2  Children ages 36 months or older

Next, please answer a couple of 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.

A9. 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)

A10. 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.

A11. 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 

A12. How much do you agree with each of the following statements as they apply to you?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. It’s hard for me to have an active role in center decisions that affect the care and education of children because I already have too much work to do.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. It’s hard for me to have an active role in center decisions that affect the care and education of children because I am not confident about my own knowledge and skills.	1 	2 	3 	4 

A13. How much do you 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 

A14. How much influence do teaching staff have on the following?

Think about the amount of influence that you and other teaching staff have.

	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 

A15. 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 your center manages operations and performance?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. Center management is responsive and works to meet the resource needs that teaching staff tell them about (such as supplies, teaching materials).	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Center management encourages teaching staff to tell them about concerns teaching staff 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. Does your center management 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  Center management discusses the mission and values with teaching staff during hiring and/or orientation.

3  Center management often talks with teaching staff about how center practices and policies support the mission.

4  Center management includes teaching staff in reviewing and updating the mission statement.

0  None of these

NA  This center does not have a mission statement.

88  I do not know if this center has a mission statement.

Please think about your center management or your own work since September 2021 in answering the next few questions.

B3. How often does center management …?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
a. Work with me to develop my 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 does your center management 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 

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 
d. I have the potential to be a leader in an early care and education center.	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
a. Center management has created a safe environment for staff to question each other’s views in a respectful way.*	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. I believe center management respects me.	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. I believe the other teaching staff respect me.	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. I believe center management values my opinions.	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. I believe the other teaching staff value my opinions.	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. Families of children in my classroom 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 the center approaches children’s care and education?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
a. Center management holds teaching staff accountable for meeting the center’s expectations for children’s learning and development.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Center management supports teaching staff in figuring out how to help children meet the center’s expectations for learning and development.	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Center management promotes 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 
d. Center management sets expectations about including materials from different cultures in classroom activities.	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. Center management provides training to teaching staff in how to help children from all backgrounds meet expectations for children’s positive behavior.	1 	2 	3 	4 

C5. How much do you agree with the following statement about how you approach children’s care and education?

I support other teaching staff in figuring out how to help children meet the center’s expectations for learning and development.

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Strongly agree

2  Agree

3  Disagree

4  Strongly disagree

This set of questions is about your center’s actual practices and practices you conduct at your center. Please think about your work since September 2021 in answering the next few questions.

C6. How often does center management 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  Does not encourage

C7. How often does center management 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  Does not encourage

C8. How often do you meet with center management 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

Some of these next questions will ask about your center management or teaching staff generally while other questions will ask about yourself.

C9. How many hours of paid planning time does your center management 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

C10. How many hours of paid planning time does your center management 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

STOP

IF YOUr center management GIVEs TEACHERS OR ASSISTANT TEACHERS PAID PLANNING TIME ANSWER QUESTION C11, OTHERWISE SKIP TO C12.

C11. 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

C12. How often does your center management 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 center management do things)	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.

C13. Now thinking about your own work, how often do you do any of the following activities with other teaching staff, either staff in your classroom or in other classrooms?

	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 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.

C14. Has your center management given 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 my own behavior with children and families	1 	0 

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

C15. 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 C16

2  Yes, coaching or mentoring provided only to some teaching staff.  CONTINUE TO QUESTION C16

0  No coaching or mentoring provided.  SKIP TO QUESTION C19 ON PAGE 19

IF TEACHING STAFF AT YOUR CENTER RECEIVE MENTORING OR COACHING ANSWER QUESTIONS C16—C18, OTHERWISE SKIP TO TEXT ON THE TOP OF PAGE 19.

STOP

C16. 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 other teaching staff regular feedback, guidance, or training.

1  Yes

0  No

C17. Is there someone who currently mentors or coaches you in your classroom; that is, someone who gives you regular feedback, guidance, and training?

A mentor or coach could be another teacher, an education program lead, a director, someone on the center staff who works full time as a mentor or coach, another specialist on the center staff, someone from outside your center, or someone else.

1  Yes  CONTINUE TO QUESTION C18

0  No  SKIP TO TEXT ON THE TOP OF PAGE 19

C18. Who is your mentor or coach who comes to your classroom the most?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Another teacher

2  Education program lead (education or program coordinator, curriculum coordinator, etc.)

3  Director (center director, executive director, program director, etc.)

4  Center staff person who is a full-time mentor or coach

5  Another specialist on the center staff

6  Someone from outside the center

99  Other (specify)

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

C19. Do you conduct classroom observations of other 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 classroom 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)

C20. Does center management observe classrooms of teaching staff? If so, how do they 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, center management doesn’t conduct classroom 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

88  Don’t know how observations are used

These next questions are about 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.

C21. How often does center management share or use data with you 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. Center management reviews individual children’s data with me to make decisions together about changing curriculum or classroom practices.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Center management tells me what changes to make in curriculum or classroom practices based on individual children’s data.	1 	2 	3 	4 

C22. Now thinking about your own work, how often do you share or use data with the staff in your own classroom or staff in other classrooms 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 other teaching staff to make decisions together about changing curriculum or classroom practices.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. I tell other 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 does center management emphasize the following topics about family/center partnerships with teaching staff?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Emphasize a lot	Emphasize some	Emphasize a little	Does 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 does center management 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 

D3. How often do you meet with or talk to families about the following?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
a. Goals or dreams that families have for their child	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Progress the child is making	1 	2 	3 	4 

D4. How often do you encourage families to give you feedback on your caregiving and teaching practices?

MARK ONE ONLY

1  Often

2  Sometimes

3  Rarely

4  Never

E. ABOUT YOURSELF

There are many reasons why people do the work they do. The next two questions are about your work with young children.

E1. What are the top three reasons why you work with young children?

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 with young children?

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 being an early care and education provider?

	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 I work with.	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. If I could start over, I would choose being an early care and education provider 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 26

2  High school diploma or equivalent (for example, a GED)  SKIP TO QUESTION E8 ON PAGE 26

3  Some college courses, but no degree  SKIP TO QUESTION E8 ON PAGE 26

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 26.

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 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)

E10. 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. Other teaching or director/administrator certificate or credential	1 	0 
IF YES, (specify) ___________________________________

E11. 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

E12. 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

E13. 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

E14. Since September 2021, have you participated in the following kinds of professional development?

	MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW
	Yes	No
a. A community of learners, 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 questions about yourself.

E15. How do you describe yourself?

MARK all that apply

1  Male

2  Female

3  Another gender identity (specify)

4  Prefer not to answer

E16. Are you of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino/a/x, or Chicano/a/x origin?

1  Yes  CONTINUE TO QUESTION E17

2  No  SKIP TO QUESTION E18

E17. 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)

E18. 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)

F. TEACHING STAFF EXPERIENCES

The next questions are about your center’s culture and work environment, and about how staff work together and with families.

All instruments used in ExCELS are publicly available with the exception of instruments that include items that are copyrighted. This section of the survey will include a copyrighted measure described below.

Measure: Copyrighted items from the Essential 0-5 Survey

Citation: Ehrlich, Stacy B., Debra M. Pacchiano, Amanda G. Stein, Maureen R. Wagner, Stuart Luppescu, Sangyoon Park, Elizabeth Frank, Holly Lewandowski, and Christopher Young. “Organizing Early Education for Improvement: Testing a New Survey Tool.” Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on School Research and the Ounce of Prevention Fund, 2018.

The Essential 0-5 Survey measure features a pair of teacher and parent surveys that measure the organizational conditions that support ECE teachers as well as teacher, child, and family relationships. ExCELS plans to use three of five scales (or “Essentials”) from the Essential 0-5 Survey teacher survey. Each of these three scales are comprised of 4 to 5 subscales (which the developer refers to as measures) as outlined below.

Scale	Subscale topics
Effective Instructional Leaders	Teacher-Principal Trust Instructional Leadership Teacher Influence Program Coherence
Collaborative Teachers	Socialization of New Teachers Teacher Collaboration Collective Responsibility School Commitment Teacher-Teacher Trust Supplemental measures Innovation Reflective Dialogue
Involved Families	Teacher-Parent Trust Parent Involvement Teacher Outreach/ Collaboration with Parents Parent Influence

Thank you for your participation in ExCELS!