Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 110: Use of Educational Technology for Instruction in Public Schools – Feasibility Calls

Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 110: Use of Educational Technology for Instruction in Public Schools – Feasibility Calls

OMB# 1850-0803 v.244

January 2019

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Attachment 3: FRSS 110 Interview Guide

INTERVIEW DATE AND TIME:

SCHOOL NAME:

SCHOOL INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL:

SCHOOL SIZE:

STATE:

RESPONDENT NAME:

RESPONDENT TITLE:

Introduction

[Introduce Laurie and Cindy]. Cindy and I will be asking you questions about the use of educational technology for instruction at your school.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. To give you some background, Westat is developing a survey for the National Center for Education Statistics, also known as NCES, and the Office of Educational Technology, within the U.S. Department of Education, on use of educational technology for instruction in U.S. public schools. As a first step in developing the new survey, we are collecting information from school administrators about the topics listed in the letter we sent to you.

1. We would like to get some general information about the technology available at your school for student and teacher use. Does your school have a 1:1 program that provides a district- or school-provided computer for every student [AS NEEDED: in at least some of the grades in your school]? Computers include desktop and laptop computers, as well as tablets with a virtual or physical keyboard.

   • IF YES:

     • Are the computers assigned to classrooms or to individual students?

     • Are they made available in some other way (e.g., laptops on carts that are brought into classrooms)?

     • [IF COMPUTERS ARE ASSIGNED TO INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS] Do the students take the computers home with them [AS NEEDED: in at least some of the grades in your school]?

     • [IF APPLICABLE] Which grades in your school are covered by the 1:1 program?

     • How long has your school had a 1:1 program?

   • IF NO:

     • In your estimation, about how many students per instructional computer does your school have?

     • Where in the school are the computers for student instructional use located? [AS NEEDED: Are they located in classrooms, on laptop carts brought into classrooms, in the library media center, in computer labs, or some other location?]

     • Does your school have plans for a 1:1 program within the next two years?

2. Does your school have a “Bring Your Own Device” or “Bring Your Own Technology” policy that allows students to use their own mobile devices at school for instructional purposes?

3. Does your school allow students to borrow computers to take home on a short-term basis?

4. Does every teacher at your school have an instructional computer assigned to him or her?

5. Is the quality of the instructional computers at your school sufficient to meet the instructional needs of the students and teachers at your school?

6. Is the quality of the instructional software on the computers at your school sufficient to meet the instructional needs of the students and teachers at your school?

7. Does your school have Internet access?

   • IF YES:

     • Do all the instructional computers in the school have Internet access? If not, what percentage do have Internet access?

     • Is the Internet access available in the instructional areas of your school sufficient to support a digitally enhanced curriculum?

     • How reliable is the Internet connection in the instructional areas of your school?

     • Is the Internet access wired or wireless (WiFi)?

     • Does your school have high-speed (broadband) Internet access?

     • [IF HIGH SPEED] Does the high-speed Internet access reach all classrooms and instructional areas of your school?

     • [IF WiFi AND HIGH-SPEED] Is there high-speed wireless (WiFi) access throughout the instructional areas of your school?

   • IF NO:

     • What are the reasons that your school does not have Internet access?

     • Does your school have plans to have Internet access within the next two years?

8. Is there a staff member at your school whose job it is to support teachers with integrating technology into instruction?

   • Is this staff member at your school full time? If not full-time, how often is this staff member at your school [or how much time does this staff member spend at your school in a typical week]?

   • Is supporting teachers with technology integration this staff member’s only job? If no, what other job(s) does this staff member have at your school? [Examples: classroom teacher, school administrator, librarian]

   • In what ways does this staff member work with teachers? [EXAMPLES: Provide group professional development sessions for teachers, work one-on-one with teachers on an ongoing basis (e.g., weekly meetings), work with individual teachers on an “as requested” basis]

9. Is there a staff member at your school whose job it is to provide technical support for educational technology in your school (e.g., troubleshooting/maintenance for hardware, software, or networks)?

   • Is this staff member at your school full time? If not full-time, how often is this staff member at your school [or how much time does this staff member spend at your school in a typical week]?

   • Is providing technical support for educational technology in your school this staff member’s only job? If no, what other job(s) does this staff member have at your school?

10. What type of professional development regarding educational technology does your school or district provide to teachers at your school?

    • How often is the professional development on educational technology provided?

    • How many hours a year of professional development in educational technology do teachers generally receive?

    • How is the professional development in educational technology typically provided? Is it job-embedded?

    • What types of topics are typically covered during the professional development in educational technology?

    • Who provides the professional development in educational technology to teachers at your school?

11. Do any courses at your school use online textbooks, either in place of or in addition to hardcopy textbooks?

    • What other types of online curriculum resources do courses at your school make available to students (or require students to use)? [EXAMPLES: study guides, problem sets for math or science classes, online labs or modules for science courses, exam review/practice exams, enrichment/experiential materials (e.g., viewing artwork, listening to music)]

    • Do courses at your school use other types of online resources to support instruction? [EXAMPLES: YouTube videos, online writing labs from universities, online homework helplines provided by the school district or public library]

    • Do any courses at your school use emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, or games and simulations?

12. What kinds of barriers or challenges do you think the teachers and students in your school face in using educational technology for instructional purposes?

13. Does your state, district, or school have policies about technology use for school assignments?

    • What are those policies?

    • Do the policies address possible inequities in access for some students?

14. Do you have any other comments or suggestions about the survey topics that you would like to make?

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