ECLS-K:2011 Spring 4th Grade Cognitive Interviews and Timing Tests

Appendix F:

Information Letters and Forms for the Teacher Cognitive Interviews

and Teacher Timing Tests

Letter for Telephone-based Cognitive Interviews with Teachers

March 2014

Dear Teacher:

Thank you for agreeing to participate in an interview regarding the teacher questionnaire for the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011). Your participation is very important because your feedback will improve the questionnaire for the spring fourth-grade data collection of the ECLS-K:2011.

The ECLS-K:2011 is a study of child development, early learning, and school progress that brings together information from multiple sources to provide rich data about the population of children who were in kindergarten in the 2010-11 school year as they progress through school. Currently the study is developing questionnaires to collect information about children’s experiences during their fourth-grade school year.

We are currently reviewing items that may be included in subject-specific questionnaires that will be completed by reading, math, and science teachers as part of the national study. Your input, while voluntary, will be essential in developing questionnaires that are clear and not overly burdensome to respondents like yourself. Your answers may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573).

We ask that you take 5 minutes to review the full questionnaire that accompanies this letter. You do not need to answer the questions, but just get a sense of what teachers will be asked to complete in the national study. You will then be contacted to complete a telephone interview about the questionnaire. The interviewer will ask you to read select questions and then “think aloud” about how you would go about providing an answer. For this reason it is important for you to have the questionnaire in front of you during the interview. The telephone interview should last about an hour. Westat and Shugoll Research are conducting these interviews for the National Center for Education Statistics, a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

As a thank you for your help with the questionnaire, following the interview, a check for $25 will be mailed to you.

If you have any questions, please call Shugoll Research at 301-215-7248.

Thank you for your much needed assistance!

Sincerely,

Karen Tourangeau

Project Director

Westat

Enclosures

The collection of information in this survey is authorized by 20 U.S. Code, Section 9543. Participation is voluntary. Your responses are protected from disclosure by federal statute (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law. Information from multiple individuals will be combined to produce statistical reports; no information that identifies you (e.g., name or address) will be included in any reports. Your school will not receive any information about you as a part of this study. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850-0803. Approval expires 9/30/2016.

The collection of information in this survey is authorized by 20 U.S. Code, Section 9543. Participation is voluntary. Your responses are protected from disclosure by federal statute (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law. Information from multiple individuals will be combined to produce statistical reports; no information that identifies you or your child (e.g., name or address) will be included in any reports. Your child’s school will not receive any information about you or your child as a part of this study. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850-0750. Approval expires 12/31/2016.

Letter for Telephone-based Timing Tests with Teachers

March 2014

Dear Teacher:

Thank you for agreeing to participate in a research study regarding the teacher questionnaires for the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011). Your participation is very important because your feedback will improve the questionnaires for the spring fourth-grade data collection of the ECLS-K:2011.

The ECLS-K:2011 is a study of child development, early learning, and school progress that brings together information from multiple sources to provide rich data about the population of children who were in kindergarten in the 2010-11 school year as they progress through school. Currently the study is developing questionnaires to collect information about children’s experiences during their fourth-grade school year.

We are currently reviewing items that may be included in a teacher background questionnaire and subject-specific questionnaires that will be completed by reading, math, and science teachers as part of the national study. Your input, while voluntary, will be essential in developing questionnaires that are clear and not overly burdensome to respondents like yourself. Your answers may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573).

We ask that you complete each of the enclosed questionnaires to the best of your ability. When completing the subject-specific questionnaire, please think of one child in your class and complete the entire questionnaire with that child in mind. As you complete each of the sections in each of the questionnaires (both the subject-specific questionnaire and the teacher background questionnaire), please record exactly how many minutes each section takes to finish. Use the enclosed form to record this information. Please also make a note of the total time it took to complete each questionnaire.

You will then be contacted to complete a brief telephone interview about the questionnaires. The interview will focus on collecting information about the time that it took to complete each of the questionnaire sections, as well as the overall time it took to complete each questionnaire as a whole. For this reason it is important for you to have the questionnaires and Questionnaire Timings Form in front of you during the interview. The telephone interview should last about 10 minutes. Westat and Shugoll Research are conducting these interviews for the National Center for Education Statistics, a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

As a thank you for your help with the questionnaire, following the interview, a check for $25 will be mailed to you.

If you have any questions, please call Shugoll Research at 301-215-7248.

Thank you for your much needed assistance!

Sincerely,

Karen Tourangeau

Project Director

Westat

Enclosures

The collection of information in this survey is authorized by 20 U.S. Code, Section 9543. Participation is voluntary. Your responses are protected from disclosure by federal statute (20 U.S. Code, Section 9573). All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law. Information from multiple individuals will be combined to produce statistical reports; no information that identifies you (e.g., name or address) will be included in any reports. Your school will not receive any information about you as a part of this study. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850-0803. Approval expires 9/30/2016.

Reading/Language Arts Questionnaire Timings Form

Instructions:

Please complete the two questionnaires that were mailed to you, recording the number of minutes it takes you to fill out each section of the questionnaires. When the interviewer calls you to gather your timings, you will need to refer to this form.

Teacher Background Questionnaire (light green cover)

Section	Fill in the number of minutes it took you to complete each section
Section A: Student, School and Staff Activities
Section B: Views on School Climate and School Environment
Section C: Teacher Background
TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME

Reading and Language Arts Questionnaire (white cover)

Section	Fill in the number of minutes it took you to complete each section
Section A: Social Skills
Section B: Classroom Behaviors
Section C: Peer Relationships
Section D: Student Information
Section E: Reading and Language Arts Instruction
Section F: Classroom and Student Characteristics
Section G: Classroom Instruction
Section H: Evaluation and Grading Practices
TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME

Mathematics Questionnaire Timings Form

Instructions:

Please complete the two questionnaires that were mailed to you, recording the number of minutes it takes you to fill out each section of the questionnaires. When the interviewer calls you to gather your timings, you will need to refer to this form.

Teacher Background Questionnaire (light green cover)

Section	Fill in the number of minutes it took you to complete each section
Section A: Student, School, and Staff Activities
Section B: Views on School Climate and School Environment
Section C: Teacher Background
TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME

Mathematics Questionnaire (white cover)

Section	Fill in the number of minutes it took you to complete each section
Section A: Student Information
Section B: Mathematics Instruction
Section C: Classroom and Student Characteristics
Section D: Classroom Instruction
Section E: Evaluation and Grading Practices
TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME

Science Questionnaire Timings Form

Instructions:

Please complete the two questionnaires that were mailed to you, recording the number of minutes it takes you to fill out each section of the questionnaires. When the interviewer calls you to gather your timings, you will need to refer to this form.

Teacher Background Questionnaire (light green cover)

Section	Fill in the number of minutes it took you to complete each section
Section A: Student, School, and Staff Activities
Section B: Views on School Climate and School Environment
Section C: Teacher Background
TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME

Science Questionnaire (white cover)

Section	Fill in the number of minutes it took you to complete each section
Section A: Student Information
Section B: Science Instruction
Section C: Classroom and Student Characteristics
Section D: Classroom Instruction
Section E: Evaluation and Grading Practices
TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME

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