Survey of Language Resource Centers Program

Assessment of the Language Resource Centers Program

Survey of LRC Project Directors

—

U.S. Department of Education

International Education Programs Service (IEPS)

LRC Project Directors Survey

Introduction

The International Education Programs Service (IEPS) of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is conducting an assessment of the Language Resource Centers (LRC) Program. As part of this assessment, this survey asks you about various aspects of your LRC’s activities and products aimed at promoting foreign language instruction, pedagogy, and research. Your input is critical to understanding what is being done across all LRCs to help build the foreign language capacity of the United States.

Survey Instructions

The survey will take approximately 90 minutes to complete. Not all questions in the survey may apply to your LRC. Please follow the skip patterns noted next to particular questions as you complete the survey – they will tell you whether or not you should skip ahead to a later question. If there is no arrow next to your response and there is no indication that you should skip ahead, then just continue to the next question.

When completing the survey, please respond from the perspective of your LRC generally rather than from the perspective of an administrator or staff member. If necessary, please share the survey with other staff members in your LRC to ensure that the most complete and accurate information is recorded.

We are interested in collecting information about LRCs over the past two funding cycles, from 2002 to the present. Unless otherwise noted, please answer all survey questions with reference to activities conducted over the past two funding cycles.

Your participation in this survey is voluntary and responses will be aggregated when presenting findings to ED and for reporting purposes.

Returning the Survey

When you have completed the survey, please return it to the email address provided no later than DATE. If you have any questions about the study or would like to request a paper copy of the survey with a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope, please feel free to contact Ms. Andrea Coombes, Survey Coordinator, by mail, phone, or email:

Andrea Coombes

American Institutes for Research

1000 Thomas Jefferson St., NW

Washington, DC 20007

(202) 403-5278

acoombes@air.org

We look forward to receiving your responses and thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Program Administration

1.	How many full-time equivalency (FTE) employees are employed by your LRC? Please sum all partial FTEs in order to calculate the total number of FTEs (e.g., 3 staff members employed half time = 1.5 FTEs).
		Total FTEs
			Faculty FTEs
			Professional Administrative FTEs (non-student)
			Student FTEs

2.	Of the total number of FTEs, what percentage are funded directly from LRC grant monies?
		percent of FTEs funded directly from the LRC grant

3.	Over the past 2 funding cycles, what percentage of all employees have transitioned from funding directly from the LRC grant to funding from other sources?
		percent of employees that have transitioned from LRC funding to funding from other sources

4.	Has your LRC received internal financial support from any departments, colleges, or institutes within your university over the past 2 funding cycles?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 5

4.1	Please describe the sources of internal financial support.

	Department/College/Institute	Total Amount	Duration	Use of Funds
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

5.	Has your LRC received external financial support from sources other than the LRC grant over the past 2 funding cycles?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 6

5.1	Please describe the sources of external financial support.

	Department/College/Institute	Total Amount	Duration	Use of Funds
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

6.	Has your LRC received internal non-financial support from any departments, colleges, or institutes within your university (e.g., computers, office space, printing services) over the past 2 funding cycles?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 7

6.1	Please describe the sources of internal non-financial support.

	Department/College/Institute	Form of Support
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

7.	Has your LRC received external non-financial support from any organizations or institutions outside of your university (e.g., computers, office space, printing services) over the past 2 funding cycles?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 8

7.1	Please describe the sources of external non-financial support.

	Organization/Institute	Form of Support
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

8.	Does your LRC have an Advisory Board, Board of Directors, or similar body that oversees the LRC’s activities?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 9

8.1	What is the name of this oversight body?

8.2	What role does the oversight body play in relation to the LRC?

Role of oversight body	Check all that apply
a. Identify areas of focus for the LRC and help establish priorities	
b. Review products disseminated by the LRC	
c. Evaluate the activities conducted by the LRC	
d. Review program administration, staffing, funding and reports	
e. Make presentations to the LRC on key topics in foreign language instruction and research	
f. Other (please specify):	

8.3	How frequently does the oversight body convene each year?
	Convenes in person		times per year
	Convenes via conference call/video		times per year

8.4	In addition to the meetings listed in question 8.3, does the oversight body communicate informally through other means throughout the year, such as email?
	a. Yes	
	b. No	

8.5	How many members serve on the oversight body?
		members

8.6	Of the members of the oversight body, what percent are affiliated with your university and what percent are affiliated with an external organization or institution?
		percent affiliated with university
		percent affiliated with an external organization or institution

8.7	Please briefly describe the occupations and areas of expertise of the members of the oversight body (e.g., university professors, K-8 instructors):

9.	Excluding other LRCs, how frequently do you communicate with other organizations, businesses, and schools about the types of projects in which your LRC is engaged (both internal and external to your university)?
		per month

10.	Please describe the types of projects and activities with which you collaborate on with other organizations, business, and schools (excluding other LRCs).

11.	How frequently do you communicate with other LRCs about the types of projects in which your LRC is engaged?
		per month

12.	Have you communicated with other LRCs because you or another LRC’s administrator were concerned about the duplication of similar projects or activities between LRCs?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 13

12.1	What was the outcome of this communication?

Outcome	Check one
a. We determined that the projects/activities were dissimilar and proceeded as planned.	
b. We determined that the projects/activities were similar and proceeded as planned.	
c. We determined that the projects/activities were similar and one LRC altered its plans.	
d. Issue was never resolved.	
e. Other (please specify):	

	13.	Using the scale below, please indicate the importance of each of the following for learning about the activities conducted by other LRCs:
1 Not at all Important			2 Minor Importance	3 Moderate Importance	4 Significant Importance
		Methods of learning about LRC activities				Select one per row
		a. Email listserves				1	2	3	4
		b. Informal conversations with colleagues				1	2	3	4
		c. Conferences and meetings				1	2	3	4
		d. Review of websites				1	2	3	4
		e. Journal articles and conference papers				1	2	3	4
		f. Published reports/monographs				1	2	3	4
		g. Presentations (other than workshops)				1	2	3	4
		h. Toolkits and instructional materials				1	2	3	4
		i. Audio, video, and Podcasts				1	2	3	4
		j. Brochures				1	2	3	4
		k. Assessment materials and tools				1	2	3	4
		l. Curricula and textbooks				1	2	3	4
		m. Workshops and training sessions				1	2	3	4

14.	What are the greatest obstacles to communicating with other LRCs?

15.	What are the greatest obstacles to collaborating with other LRCs?

16.	Excluding other LRCs, what are the greatest obstacles to communicating with other organizations, businesses, and schools, both internally and externally?

17.	Excluding other LRCs, what are the greatest obstacles to collaborating with other organizations, businesses, and schools, both internally and externally?

Program Coverage

18.	Using the following scale, please indicate the degree to which your LRC emphasizes the following activities for K–8, 9–12, post-secondary, and professional audiences:

1 No Emphasis

2 Minor Emphasis

3 Moderate Emphasis

4 Significant Emphasis

Area of focus	K–8				9–12				Post- secondary				Professionals
a. Conducting and disseminating research on methods for teaching foreign languages	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
b. Use of educational technology for teaching foreign languages	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
c. Development and dissemination of new materials for teaching foreign languages	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
d. Assessments of foreign language proficiency	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
e. Teacher training and professional development	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
f. Teaching and disseminating materials focused on the less commonly taught languages	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
g. Development and dissemination of materials for elementary and secondary school teachers	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
h. Administering summer language institutes or workshops	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
i. Other (please specify):	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4

19.	Does your LRC pursue research and dissemination activities in areas other than those specified in the Title VI legislation?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 20

19.1	How does your LRC decide upon areas of focus to pursue beyond those areas specified in the Title VI legislation?

20.	Are there additional areas of interest your LRC would like to pursue under the current funding cycle as part of meeting the Title VI legislation?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 21

20.1	Please describe these areas of interest.

21.	Please describe your LRC’s process for 1) identifying and 2) pursuing new areas of focus for the LRC.

22.	What might help your LRC meet the activities required by the Title VI legislation?

Dissemination

23.	Using the following scale, please indicate the emphasis your LRC places on the following types of dissemination activities for K–8, 9–12, post-secondary, and professional audiences:

1 No Emphasis

2 Minor Emphasis

3 Moderate Emphasis

4 Significant Emphasis

Activity	K–8				9–12				Post-secondary				Professionals
a. Publishing reports and monographs	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
b. Publishing journal articles	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
c. Conference presentations, lectures, and seminars (in-person as well as video/distance)	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
d. Creating toolkits and instructional materials	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
e. Creating audio and video materials (CDs, DVDs, computer programs)	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
f. Creating web materials (e.g., moodles, wikis, databases, web portals, etc.)	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
g. Creating brochures (hard copies or posted online)	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
h. Developing assessment materials	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
i. Developing curricula and textbooks (hard copies or posted online)	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
j. Organizing and running workshops and training sessions	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
k. Presentations to stakeholders and policy makers	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
l. Other (please specify)	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4

24.	Does your LRC collaborate with any other LRCs on the development and/or dissemination of products and/or conferences?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 25

24.1	Please indicate the types of projects and activities with which you have collaborated with other LRCs:

Activity	Check all that apply
a. Publishing reports and monographs	
b. Publishing journal articles	
c. Co-hosting conferences, conference presentations, lectures, and seminars (other than workshops)	
d. Creating toolkits and instructional materials	
e. Creating audio and video materials (CDs, DVDs, computer programs)	
f. Creating web materials (e.g., moodles, wikis, databases, web portals, etc.)	
g. Creating brochures (hard copies or posted online)	
h. Developing and disseminating assessment materials	
i. Developing and disseminating curricula and textbooks (hard copies or posted online)	
j. Organizing and running workshops and training sessions	
k. Other (please specify)	

24.2	Are collaborative dissemination activities more effective, less effective, or equally effective in reaching their target audience compared to dissemination activities from individual LRCs?

Level of effectiveness	Check one
a. More effective	
b. Less effective	
c. Equally effective	

25.	Using the following scale, please indicate the degree to which the following are obstacles to collaborative dissemination activities between LRCs.

1 Not an Obstacle		2 Minor Obstacle	3 Moderate Obstacle	4 Significant Obstacle
	Obstacle				Select one per row
	a. Lack of information about the activities of other LRCs				1	2	3	4
	b. Dissimilarity in goals of dissemination between LRCs				1	2	3	4
	c. Dissimilarity in substantive focus of products to be disseminated				1	2	3	4
	d. Lack of money/resources to support collaboration				1	2	3	4
	e. Difficulty coordinating dissemination activities				1	2	3	4
	f. Lack of appropriate technology or technological know-how				1	2	3	4
	g. Challenge of collaborating with potential competitors				1	2	3	4
	h. Other (please specify)				1	2	3	4

26.	What steps has your LRC taken to measure the effectiveness of the methods of dissemination you utilize?

27.	Using the following scale, please indicate the degree to which the following are obstacles to your LRC’s dissemination activities.

1 Not an Obstacle		2 Minor Obstacle	3 Moderate Obstacle	4 Significant Obstacle
	Obstacle				Select one per row
	a. Lack of money/resources for production/publishing materials				1	2	3	4
	b. Lack of money/resources for promoting materials and activities conducted by LRC				1	2	3	4
	c. Lack of appropriate technology or technological know-how				1	2	3	4
	d. Other (please specify)				1	2	3	4

28.	Using the following scale, please indicate the difficulty your LRC has had disseminating its products to the following audiences.

1 No Difficulty		2 Minor Difficulty	3 Moderate Difficulty	4 Significant Difficulty
	Audience				Select one per row
	a. K–8 teachers and administrators				1	2	3	4
	b. 9–12 teachers and administrators				1	2	3	4
	c. Post-secondary instructors and professors				1	2	3	4
	d. Professionals				1	2	3	4
	e. Other (please specify)				1	2	3	4

29.	Please describe the greatest difficulties your LRC encounters in disseminating its products to the target audiences.

Evaluation Models

30.	Over the past 2 funding cycles, has your LRC conducted an internal or external evaluation of the role of its activities and products?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 31

30.1	Prior to the formal evaluation, did your LRC conduct a self-study of its activities and products?
	a. Yes	
	b. No	

30.2	How many evaluations have been conducted since the inception of your LRC?
		evaluations

30.3	When was your most recent evaluation conducted?

30.4	Who conducted the most recent evaluation? (e.g., internal staff, external evaluator)

30.5	During the most recent evaluation, which of the following were used as part of assessing the effectiveness of your LRC’s activities and products?

Evaluation elements	Check all that apply
a. Review of products created by the LRC	
b. Observations of workshops or training seminars	
c. Interviews/focus groups with LRC staff	
d. Surveys administered to LRC staff	
e. Interviews/focus groups with users of products disseminated by the LRC	
f. Surveys administered to users of products disseminated by the LRC	
g. Number of website hits	
h. Tally of the number of products ordered/requested	
i. Tally of downloads from website	
j. Surveys administered to workshop/institute participants	
k. Number of workshops/conferences conducted	
l. Needs assessment for planning future activities	
m. Other (please specify)	

30.6	With regard to the previous question, how did the LRC or evaluators determine which measures were appropriate for assessing the effectiveness of the LRC’s activities and products?

30.7	What was the primary purpose of the most recent evaluation?

30.8	Which of the following topics were covered as part of the most recent evaluation?

Evaluation topics	Check all that apply
a. Indicators of institutional support	
b. Program administration (e.g., staffing and funding)	
c. Alignment between LRC activities and Title VI legislation	
d. New areas of focus for the LRC to pursue	
e. Overall effectiveness of the LRC on increasing foreign language capacity	
f. Effectiveness of specific products/activities on increasing foreign language capacity	
g Value of products and activities for audience	
h. Other (please specify)	

For questions 30.9 and 30.10, please consider all evaluations conducted over the past 2 funding cycles.

If you would like to provide a copy of the evaluation, please send the file as an attachment when emailing your survey. Please contact the Survey Coordinator (see instruction page) to arrange an alternative method of delivering the evaluation.

30.9	What did the evaluations identify as the chief strengths of your LRC?

30.10	What did the evaluations identify as the chief challenges faced by your LRC?
		Skip to 32

31.	Has your LRC contemplated conducting an evaluation?
	a. Yes	
	b. No	

Effectiveness

32.	Using the scale below, please indicate the degree to which your LRC agrees with the following statement: “The current Title VI legislation governing LRCs accurately captures the types of activities necessary for building the foreign language capacity of the U.S.” (Select one.)

	1	2	3	4	5
	Strongly Disagree	Somewhat Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Somewhat Agree	Strongly Agree

If 1 or 2, answer 32.1:

32.1. Please list the types of LRC activities not currently in the Title VI legislation that you think would better address what is necessary for building the foreign language capacity of the U.S.

If 3, 4, or 5  Skip to 33

33.	Using the scale below, please indicate the degree to which your LRC agrees with the following statement: “The IRIS reporting system accurately reflects the types of activities conducted by our LRC.” (Select one.)

	1	2	3	4	5
	Strongly Disagree	Somewhat Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Somewhat Agree	Strongly Agree

34.	Are there revisions that could be made to the IRIS database/interface that would better capture the types of activities conducted by your LRC?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 35

34.1	What changes would you suggest making to IRIS to better capture the types of activities conducted by your LRC?

35.	Using the scale below, please indicate the degree to which the following performance and efficiency measures used by the Department of Education are appropriate measures for assessing the effectiveness of LRCs on enhancing foreign language capacity in the United States.

1 Poor Measure

2 Fair Measure

3 Good Measure

4 Excellent Measure

Measure	Select one per row
a. Number of outreach activities that are adopted or disseminated within a year, divided by the total number of LRC outreach activities conducted in the current reporting period.	1	2	3	4
b. Percentage of Language Resource Center projects judged to be successful by the program officer, based on a review of information provided in annual performance reports.	1	2	3	4
c. Cost per high-quality, successfully-completed Language Resource Centers project.	1	2	3	4

36.	What, if any, additional measures of LRC effectiveness should be considered in future LRC program assessments?

37.	Please identify 3 activities conducted by your LRC since its inception that you believe have had the greatest role on increasing the foreign language capacity of the U.S. and indicate the year they were first initiated:

Activity	Year Initiated
a.
b.
c.

The following questions specifically refer to the LRC Program as a whole, rather than to the individual Centers. When answering the questions, please reflect on the broader LRC Program.

39.	Overall, how would you rate the effectiveness of the LRC Program on improving the foreign language capacity of the U.S.? (Select one.)

1 No Effectiveness

2 Minor Effectiveness

3 Moderate Effectiveness

4 Significant Effectiveness

40.	What do you see as the primary strengths of the LRC Program as a whole?

41.	What do you see as the primary challenges facing the LRC Program as a whole?

42.	What steps could be taken by the Department of Education to increase the effectiveness of the LRC Program as a whole?

Thank you very much for completing this survey!