Survey of State-Level Project Participants

OMB No. xxxx-xxxx

Exp. xx/xx/xx

National Evaluation of the Comprehensive Technical Assistance Centers

Survey of State-Level Participants

Dear Colleague,

This survey is designed to gather your feedback on a set of technical assistance activities and resources offered by [Name of Comprehensive Center(s)] and referred to as:

[Name of Project]

Your name was included in a list of participants in one or more of the following activities:

• List of key activities (include date, location, and key presenters)

(Additional detail about this set of activities and resources can be found on the first page of the survey.)

We need your feedback to inform the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Centers being conducted for the U.S. Department of Education by Branch Associates, Decision Information Resources (DIR), and Policy Studies Associates (PSA).

Every effort will be made to protect the confidentiality of the data collected through this survey. Responses to this survey will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize finding and will not associate responses with a specific organization or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or your organization to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

[On paper version of the survey, insert instructions for returning surveys here.]

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.

Glossary of Terms

[Name of project]. Please answer the following survey questions in regard to your experience with any of the following set of activities and resources. This set of activities [began in/occurred on] [month/year] and continued through [month/year], and included:

• List of activities (include date, location, and key presenters)

• Continue list

Participants may also have used the following materials and resources:

• List of publications and other resources

• Continue list

Participants may also have interacted with Comprehensive Center staff on:

• Advance planning

• Follow-up and action plans

• Ongoing consultation on this topic

Please answer the following survey questions based on your experience, whether you participated in all of the activities or received all of the resources listed above, or just a few. Reviewing the materials you received from this set of technical assistance activities and resources may help you answer these questions.

“State-level staff.” The term “state-level staff,” where it appears on this survey, refers to staff in state education agencies (SEAs), staff of other state offices (for example, governor’s offices), staff of intermediate education agencies, state task forces, and school support teams assigned to low-performing schools.

[Note: For the web-based version of the survey, this box will appear as a header at the top of several screens throughout the survey.]

Participation

1. Did you participate in any of the activities described in the box above? (Select one.)

1. Yes

2. No (STOP HERE)

3. Unsure/Don’t remember (STOP HERE)

2. How much time did you spend participating in each of the following types of activities or making use of each of the following types of resources, of those available to you through [Name of project]? (Select one response in each row.)

Type of activity or resource	More than 5 days	3-5 days	1-2 days	Less than 1 day	Not applicable; not part of [Name of project]
Conferences	4	3	2	1	99
Training	4	3	2	1	99
Task force meetings	4	3	2	1	99
Reviewing general or background information provided by the Content Center	4	3	2	1	99
Using tools and other resources provided by the Content Center	4	3	2	1	99
Advance planning	4	3	2	1	99
Ongoing consultation on this topic	4	3	2	1	99
Follow-up and action plans	4	3	2	1	99

3. Were you personally involved at all in determining the goals or designing the content or format of these activities and resources? In what ways? (Select all that apply.)

1. Identifying the problem or need to be addressed

2. Selecting or framing the content

3. Providing data or other background information during the planning phase

4. Identifying or recruiting project participants

5. Identifying or recruiting presenters or resources

6. Designing activities

7. Planning for or leading dissemination of new ideas and information

8. Coordinating this set of activities with other work that my organization does

9. Planning logistics

10. Other (Specify: ______________________________________)

11. I did not contribute at all to the design of this set of activities and resources

Relevance and Usefulness

4. Based on your experience, to what degree was this set of activities and resources relevant to your work, in each of the following respects? (Select one response in each row.)

The activities and resources:	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 my organization faces	5	4	3	2	1	99
Addressed an important priority of my organization	5	4	3	2	1	99
Addressed a challenge that my organization faces related to the implementation of NCLB	5	4	3	2	1	99
Provided information, advice, and/or resources that could be applied to my organization’s work	5	4	3	2	1	99
Addressed our particular state context	5	4	3	2	1	99
Addressed my organization’s specific challenges (e.g., policy environment, leadership capacity, budget pressures, local politics)	5	4	3	2	1	99
Provided information, advice, and/or resources that could be used to guide decisions about policies, programs, and practices	5	4	3	2	1	99
Highlighted the implications of research findings (or information about best practice) for policies, programs, or practices	5	4	3	2	1	99

5. Based on your experience, to what degree was this set of activities and resources useful to you, in each of the following respects? (Select one response in each row.)

The activities and resources:	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 resources that were easy to understand and easy to use	5	4	3	2	1	99
Employed an appropriate format (e.g., a work group, a conference, individual consultation, written products)	5	4	3	2	1	99
Provided adequate opportunity to learn from colleagues in other states	5	4	3	2	1	99
Included adequate follow-up to support the use of new information and resources	5	4	3	2	1	99
Were timely	5	4	3	2	1	99
Helped my organization to solve a problem	5	4	3	2	1	99
Helped my organization to maintain or change a policy or practice	5	4	3	2	1	99
Helped my organization take the next step in a longer-term improvement effort	5	4	3	2	1	99
Provided my organization with information or resources that we will use again	5	4	3	2	1	99
Helped my organization to develop a shared expertise or knowledge-base	5	4	3	2	1	99
Helped individuals in my organization to develop skills that they will use again	5	4	3	2	1	99

6. How could this set of activities and resources (described in the box on the first page) have been made more relevant or more useful for your organization?

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­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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Priorities for Technical Assistance

7. Please consider your organization’s priorities for the technical assistance that it receives from outside sources. With which of the following tasks related to NCLB implementation does your organization have the greatest need for technical assistance? Did the set of activities and resources described in the box on page 1 of this survey address any of the following tasks related to NCLB implementation?

(In Column A, rank your organization’s top three priorities for technical assistance, where “1” is your highest priority, “2” is your second highest, and “3” is your third highest.

In Column B, select “yes” or “no” for all rows, not only your organization’s top three priorities.)

Tasks Related to NCLB Implementation	Column A	Column B
	Rank your organization’s top 3 priorities for assistance	Did the set of activities and resources address this task?
Formulating or refining state policies to respond to NCLB requirements	_____________	Yes / No
Building or managing a statewide system of support for districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	_____________	Yes / No
Training or managing the state-level staff or school support teams who provide support to districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB	_____________	Yes / No
Working directly with low-performing schools or districts on school improvement activities	____________	Yes / No
Designing or implementing state assessment and accountability systems	_____________	Yes / No
Aligning state accountability systems with NCLB accountability systems	_____________	Yes / No
Supporting use of assessment data by schools and districts	_____________	Yes / No
Disseminating information on scientifically-based research to districts and schools	_____________	Yes / No
Identifying and/or developing programs or models that address district and/or school needs	_____________	Yes / No
Providing training and other professional development to local educators in academic subjects (reading language arts, mathematics, science)	_____________	Yes / No
Monitoring compliance with NCLB requirements in districts and schools	_____________	Yes / No
Communicating with the public about NCLB requirements or report cards	_____________	Yes / No
Other priorities (Specify: _____________________________)	_____________	Yes / No
Other priorities (Specify: _____________________________)	_____________	Yes / No

Capacity to Carry out Responsibilities Related to NCLB

8. To what extent has the set of activities and resources described in the box on the first page expanded the capacity of your office, division, or unit to carry out its responsibilities related to NCLB? (Select one response in each row.)

Expansion of organizational capacity:	To a great extent	To a moderate extent	To a small extent	Not at all	Too early to tell	Does not apply or unable to judge
Confirmed what we were already doing	4	3	2	1	88	99
Raised awareness of new developments in fields important to my organization	4	3	2	1	88	99
Helped my organization define or understand a problem in new ways	4	3	2	1	88	99
Helped my organization take steps toward accomplishing a goal or solving a problem	4	3	2	1	88	99
Helped my organization maintain or improve an ongoing program, policy, or practice	4	3	2	1	88	99
Helped my organization plan or initiate a new program, policy, or practice	4	3	2	1	88	99
Enhanced my organization’s ability to address NCLB requirements	4	3	2	1	88	99
Improved my organization’s ability to work with districts	4	3	2	1	88	99
Improved my organization’s ability to work with schools identified for improvement under NCLB	4	3	2	1	88	99
Put my organization in touch with other organizations engaged in similar tasks	4	3	2	1	88	99
Enabled my organization to carry out its work more effectively	4	3	2	1	88	99
Helped my organization complete NCLB-related applications, plans, and reports	4	3	2	1	88	99
Helped my organization make a tangible change to a policy or practice	4	3	2	1	88	99
Other (Specify below)	4	3	2	1	88	99

9. How could this set of activities and resources have better helped to expand your organization’s capacity to carry out responsibilities related to NCLB?

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­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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Your Job Responsibilities

Please consider all of your job responsibilities when responding to the questions in this section, not just those most closely related to the set of activities and resources described on the first page of this survey.

10. Please indicate the type of agency for which you work: (Select one.)

1. State education agency (SEA)

2. Governor’s office or other state agency (Specify: ____________________)

3. Intermediate education agency (a regional resource center or area education agency serving a region within the state)

4. Regional Comprehensive Center

5. Local education agency

6. School

7. Other (Specify: _____________________________)

11. Please select the response that most closely resembles the title of your office, division, or unit. (Select all that apply.)

a. School Improvement

b. Curriculum and Instruction

c. Accountability

d. Assessment

e. Federal Programs (Specify: ___________________________)

f. Special Education or Exceptional Students

g. School Support Team

h. Teacher Certification

i. Teacher Professional Development

j. Other (Specify: _____________________________)

12. Which of the following statements best describes your job responsibilities related to NCLB implementation? (Select all that apply.)

1. Formulating or refining state policies to respond to NCLB requirements

2. Building or managing a statewide system of support for districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB

3. Training or managing the state-level staff or school support teams who provide support to districts and schools identified for improvement under NCLB

4. Working directly with low-performing schools or districts on school improvement activities

5. Designing or implementing state assessment and accountability systems

6. Aligning state accountability systems with NCLB accountability systems

7. Supporting use of assessment data by schools and districts

8. Disseminating information on scientifically-based research to districts and schools

9. Identifying and/or developing programs or models that address district and/or school needs

10. Providing training and other professional development to local educators in academic subjects (reading language arts, mathematics, science)

11. Monitoring compliance with NCLB requirements in districts and schools

12. Communicating with the public about NCLB requirements or report cards

13. Other (Specify: _____________________________)

14. Other (Specify: _____________________________)

13. What percent of your time is spent on all the tasks you selected in Question 12 above, combined? (Select one.)

1. 0-25 percent

2. 26-50 percent

3. 51-75 percent

4. 76-100 percent

14. Have you received any other technical assistance provided by a Comprehensive Center, other than the set of activities and resources described at the beginning of the survey? (Select one.)

1. Yes

2. No

3. Unsure/Don’t remember

Thank you!

[On paper surveys, include instructions for returning.]

Project Participant Survey for State Staff (9-14-07)