Appendix C - revised

OMB No. xxxx-xxxx

Exp. xx/xx/xx

National Evaluation of the Comprehensive Technical Assistance Centers

Survey of Senior State Managers

Dear Colleague,

This survey is designed to gather data on technical assistance received by your state from a variety external sources, including federally funded technical assistance centers, colleges and universities, professional associations, colleagues in other states, consulting firms, and private contractors.

In particular, the survey asks about assistance your state has received from the federally supported network of Comprehensive Technical Assistance Centers, which includes in your region the following Regional Comprehensive Center:

• [Name of Regional Comprehensive Center], which is directed by [Name of Director] at [name of host organization] in [city].

Survey results will inform the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Centers being conducted for the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education by Policy Studies Associates (PSA).

Per the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183, responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes.  The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district or individual.  We will not provide information that identifies you or your organization to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. 

[Insert instructions for returning surveys here, if applicable.]

Thank you in advance for your feedback!

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this survey is xxxx-xxxx. The time required to complete this survey is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather the data needed, and respond to the survey questions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651.

A Note on the Comprehensive Center Network

This survey contains a number of questions about the assistance your state has received from the federally supported network of Comprehensive Technical Assistance Centers, which includes in your region the following Regional Comprehensive Center:

• [Name of Regional Comprehensive Center], which is directed by [Name of Director] at [name of host organization] in [city].

This regional center often collaborates with one or more content centers, which may also work directly with states:

• The Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center (AACC), which is directed by Dr. Stanley Rabinowitz at WestEd in San Francisco, California.

• The National High School Center (NHSC), which is directed by Dr. Joe Harris at the American Institutes of Research in Washington, DC.

• The Center on Innovation and Improvement (CII), which is directed by Dr. Sam Redding at the Academic Development Institute, in Lincoln, Illinois.

• The Center on Instruction (COI), which is directed by Ms. Angela Penfold at RMC Research Corporation in Portsmouth, NH.

• The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (NCCTQ), which is directed by Dr. Sabrina Laine at Learning Point Associates in Naperville, Illinois.

Questions about the Comprehensive Center network in this survey refer to all of the Comprehensive Centers that have served your state, including the regional center and any content centers with which your state has worked.

The term “technical assistance,” as used in this survey, includes print and electronic information and other resources, consultation, advice, facilitation, and training.

Priorities for Technical Assistance

1. When your state requests technical assistance from outside sources, what are its priorities? To what extent is each of the following state tasks related to NCLB implementation a priority for the technical assistance the state requests? (Select one response in each row.)

Note: Please consider the technical assistance that your state has sought from all sources, including federally funded technical assistance centers, colleges and universities, professional associations, colleagues in other states, consulting firms, and private contractors.

State Tasks	Major priority	Moderate priority	Minor priority	Not at all a priority
Formulating or refining state policies to respond to NCLB requirements	4	3	2	1
Building or managing a statewide system of support for districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	4	3	2	1
Training or managing the state-level staff or school support teams who provide support to districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	4	3	2	1
Designing or implementing state assessment and accountability systems	4	3	2	1
Aligning state accountability systems with NCLB accountability systems	4	3	2	1
Supporting use of assessment data by schools and districts	4	3	2	1
Disseminating information on scientifically-based research to districts and schools	4	3	2	1
Identifying and/or developing programs or models that address district and/or school needs	4	3	2	1
Providing training and other professional development to local educators in academic subjects (reading language arts, mathematics, science)	4	3	2	1
Monitoring compliance with NCLB requirements in districts and schools	4	3	2	1
Communicating with the public about NCLB requirements or report cards	4	3	2	1
Other (Specify: ________________)	4	3	2	1
Other (Specify: ________________)	4	3	2	1

Sources of Technical Assistance

2. During the 2006-07 school year (beginning July 2006 and ending June 2007), to what extent has your state relied on each of the following sources of technical assistance? (Select one response in each row.)

Sources of Technical Assistance	One of the state’s most important resources	To a great extent, but not one of the state’s most important resources	To a moderate extent	Minimally	No contact
U.S. Department of Education (Specify office: _________________________)	4	3	2	1	0
Doing What Works web site (Note: To be included in the second and third years of survey administration only)	4	3	2	1	0
Professional associations (e.g., CCSSO, ASCD)	4	3	2	1	0
Colleges and universities	4	3	2	1	0
Consulting firms or private contractors	4	3	2	1	0
Your counterparts in other SEAs	4	3	2	1	0
Comprehensive Center network	4	3	2	1	0
Regional Educational Laboratory	4	3	2	1	0
Other federally funded technical assistance providers (Specify: ________________________)	4	3	2	1	0
Other (Specify ______________)	4	3	2	1	0
Other (Specify ______________)	4	3	2	1	0

3. For what purpose(s) does your state seek assistance from each of the following sources? (Select all that apply for each source.)

1. U.S. Department of Education (Specify office(s): _________________________)

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

2. Doing What Works web site (Note: To be included in the second and third years of survey administration only)

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

3. Professional associations (e.g. CCSSO, ASCD)

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

4. Colleges and universities

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

5. Consulting firms or private contractors

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

6. Counterparts in other SEAs

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

7. Comprehensive Center network

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

8. Regional Educational Laboratory

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

9. Other federally-funded technical assistance providers (Specify: ____________________)

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

10. Other (Specify ____________)

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

11. Other (Specify ____________)

• To gather information or to keep current with new ideas

• To plan the initial steps in solving a problem

 To complete tasks that the state could do itself if it had more staff or resources

 To complete tasks for which the state lacks expertise

 To develop the skills of SEA or intermediate education agency staff

 To work directly with districts and schools

 Not applicable; our state doesn’t seek assistance from this source

4. Are there other purposes for which your state seeks assistance from outside sources, not mentioned in question 3? To which sources do you turn for these purposes? Please describe briefly below.

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Technical Assistance Received from the Comprehensive Center Network

5. During the 2006-07 school year (beginning July 2006 and ending June 2007), with which tasks related to NCLB implementation did your state receive assistance from the Comprehensive Center network (your regional center and the content centers with whom your state has worked)? (Select one response in each row.)

State Tasks	Major assistance	Moderate assistance	Minimal assistance	No assistance at all	NA, technical assistance not sought by the SEA	NA, this task is not relevant to my unit’s work
Formulating or refining state policies to respond to NCLB requirements	4	3	2	1	95	98
Building or managing a statewide system of support for districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	4	3	2	1	95	98
Training or managing the state-level staff or school support teams who provide support to districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	4	3	2	1	95	98
Designing or implementing state assessment and accountability systems	4	3	2	1	95	98
Aligning state accountability systems with NCLB accountability systems	4	3	2	1	95	98
Supporting use of assessment data by schools and districts	4	3	2	1	95	98
Disseminating information on scientifically-based research to districts and schools	4	3	2	1	95	98
Identifying and/or developing programs or models that address district and/or school needs	4	3	2	1	95	98
Providing training and other professional development to local educators in academic subjects (reading language arts, mathematics, science)	4	3	2	1	95	98
Conducting, designing, or overseeing parent outreach	4	3	2	1	95	98
Monitoring compliance with NCLB requirements in districts and schools	4	3	2	1	95	98
Communicating with the public about NCLB requirements or report cards	4	3	2	1	95	98
Other (Specify: ________________)	4	3	2	1	95	98
Other (Specify: ________________)	4	3	2	1	95	98

6. During the 2006-07 school year (beginning July 2006 and ending June 2007), to what extent did your state receive the following types of assistance from the Comprehensive Center network (your regional center and the content centers with whom your state has worked)? (Circle one response in each row.)

	Major assistance	Moderate assistance	Minimal assistance	No assistance at all	NA, technical assistance not sought by the SEA
Reviewing state plans and policies	4	3	2	1	95
Designing, delivering, or convening professional development and conferences for local educators	4	3	2	1	95
Synthesizing and disseminating research findings	4	3	2	1	95
Collecting and disseminating information about policies and practices in other states	4	3	2	1	95
Analyzing data or conducting needs assessments	4	3	2	1	95
Responding to federal planning and reporting requirements	4	3	2	1	95
Developing tools for monitoring programs	4	3	2	1	95
Facilitating work groups or committees	4	3	2	1	95
Completing routine tasks more efficiently	4	3	2	1	95
Other (Specify:_____________)	4	3	2	1	95

Relevance and Usefulness

7. Please consider all of the technical assistance that your state has received from the Comprehensive Center network during the 2006-07 school year (beginning July 2006 and ending June 2007). Considering just this set of products and services, to what degree was this set of activities and resources relevant to your state, in each of the following respects? (Circle one response in each row.)

Comprehensive Center technical assistance:	To a very high degree	To a high degree	To a moderate degree	To a low degree	To a very low degree	Not able to judge
Addressed a need or problem that the state faces	5	4	3	2	1	95
Addressed an important state priority	5	4	3	2	1	95
Addressed a challenge that the state faces related to the implementation of NCLB	5	4	3	2	1	95
Responded flexibly to our state’s changing needs	5	4	3	2	1	95
Provided information, advice, and/or resources that could be applied to the state’s work	5	4	3	2	1	95
Addressed the particular context in which our state operates	5	4	3	2	1	95
Addressed the state’s specific challenges (e.g., policy environment, leadership capacity, budget pressures, local politics)	5	4	3	2	1	95
Provided information, advice, and/or resources that could be used to guide decisions about policies, programs, and practices	5	4	3	2	1	95
Highlighted the implications of research findings (or information about best practice) for policies, programs, or practices	5	4	3	2	1	95

8. Please consider all of the technical assistance that your state has received from the Comprehensive Center network during the 2006-07 school year (beginning July 2006 and ending June 2007). Considering just this set of products and services, to what degree was this set of activities and resources useful to your state, in each of the following respects? (Circle one response in each row.)

Comprehensive Center technical assistance:	To a very high degree	To a high degree	To a moderate degree	To a low degree	To a very low degree	Not able to judge
Provided state staff with resources that were easy to understand and easy to use	5	4	3	2	1	95
Employed appropriate formats (e.g., work groups, conferences, individual consultation, written products)	5	4	3	2	1	95
Provided adequate opportunity to learn from colleagues in other states	5	4	3	2	1	95
Included adequate follow-up to support the use of new information and resources	5	4	3	2	1	95
Was timely	5	4	3	2	1	95
Helped the state to solve a problem	5	4	3	2	1	95
Helped the state to maintain or change a policy or practice	5	4	3	2	1	95
Helped the state take the next step in a longer-term improvement effort	5	4	3	2	1	95
Provided state staff with information or resources that they will use again	5	4	3	2	1	95
Helped state staff to develop skills that they will be able to exercise again	5	4	3	2	1	95

9. How fully has the technical assistance your state has received from the Comprehensive Center network during the 2006-07 school year served the state’s purposes for technical assistance? (Circle one.)

1. It served the state’s purposes completely (Skip to question 11)

2. It was a good start

3. It was a start, but some important priorities were not addressed

4. For the most part, it did not serve the state’s purposes

10. If the Comprehensive Centers’ assistance during the 2006-07 school year has been less helpful than it might be, what were the reasons? (Circle all that apply)

a. The state’s most important priorities for assistance fall outside the Comprehensive Center’s scope of work

b. The Comprehensive Center does not have the expertise the state needs

c. Comprehensive Center staff are not able to spend as much time working with the state as we would like

d. The process of negotiating a work scope and organizing projects takes too long

e. The state has been unable to develop a productive working relationship with the Center

f. The state secures most of the technical assistance it needs from other sources

g. The state would prefer to locate and contract directly with the experts or consultants from whom it needs assistance, rather than working through the Comprehensive Centers

h. A policy or priority shift at the state level caused the Center’s assistance to be less helpful than it might

i. Other (Specify _____________________________________________)

11. How could the technical assistance your state receives from the Comprehensive Center network be improved or made more useful to your state?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

12. Compared with the technical assistance your state has received from other sources, (see list of sources in question 2) how would you rate the usefulness of the technical assistance your state has received from the Comprehensive Center network for each of the following purposes? (Circle one response in each row.)

	Much more useful than assistance from other sources	Somewhat more useful	About the same	Somewhat less useful	Much less useful than assistance from other sources	Not able to judge	NA, the state has not sought assistance for this purpose
Formulating or refining state policies to respond to NCLB requirements	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Building or managing a statewide system of support for districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Training or managing the state-level staff or school support teams who provide support to districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Designing or implementing state assessment and accountability systems	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Aligning state accountability systems with NCLB accountability systems	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Supporting use of assessment data by schools and districts	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Disseminating information on scientifically-based research to districts and schools	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Identifying and/or developing programs or models that address district and/or school needs	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Providing training and other professional development to local educators in academic subjects (reading language arts, mathematics, science)	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Conducting, designing, or overseeing parent outreach	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Monitoring compliance with NCLB requirements in districts and schools	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Communicating with the public about NCLB requirements or report cards	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Other (Specify: ____________)	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Other (Specify: _____________)	5	4	3	2	1	95	98

State Capacity to Carry out Responsibilities Related to NCLB

13. To what extent has assistance from the Comprehensive Center network (your regional center and the content centers with whom your state has worked) expanded your state’s capacity to carry out state responsibilities related to NCLB? (Circle one response in each row.)

State Responsibilities	To a very great extent	To a great extent	To a moderate extent	To a small extent	To a very small extent	Too soon to tell	NA, state has not sought assistance for this purpose
Formulating or refining state policies to respond to NCLB requirements	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Building or managing a statewide system of support for districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Training or managing the state-level staff or school support teams who provide support to districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Designing or implementing state assessment and accountability systems	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Aligning state accountability systems with NCLB accountability systems	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Supporting use of assessment data by schools and districts	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Disseminating information on scientifically-based research to districts and schools	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Identifying and/or developing programs or models that address district and/or school needs	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Providing training and other professional development to local educators in academic subjects (reading language arts, mathematics, science)	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Conducting, designing, or overseeing parent outreach	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Monitoring compliance with NCLB requirements in districts and schools	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Communicating with the public about NCLB requirements or report cards	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Other (Specify: ____________)	5	4	3	2	1	95	98
Other (Specify: _____________)	5	4	3	2	1	95	98

Your Job Responsibilities

14. Please describe the functions of the office/division/department that you direct. (Select all that apply.)

1. School Improvement

2. Curriculum and Instruction

3. Assessment and Accountability

4. Special education

5. Federal programs (Specify: ____________________)

6. Other (Specify: _____________________________)

15. Which of the following statements describe your job responsibilities related to managing technical assistance resources from outside your organization? (Circle all that apply.)

1. Seeking out technical assistance providers for my organization

2. Identifying needs and priorities that will be addressed by technical assistance

3. Negotiating a scope of work with technical assistance providers

4. Managing others within my office/division/unit in their use of technical assistance services

5. Serving as point of contact or manager for specific technical assistance projects

6. Participating in specific technical assistance projects

7. Other (Specify: _________________)

8. None, I am not responsible for managing technical assistance resources

Senior Managers Survey (11-21-07)