Attachment B.2: Baseline teacher/assistant teacher survey

Attachment B.2: VIQI Baseline Teacher/Assistant Teacher Survey

April 2018

Attachment B.2

BASELINE TEACHER/ASSISTANT TEACHER SURVEY

The purpose of the Baseline Teacher/Assistant Teacher Self-Survey is to collect information on teacher demographics and background as well as characteristics of teachers that are theorized to: 1) affect implementation; and 2) moderate the impacts of the interventions, or the effects of quality on child outcomes, as indicated in the VIQI conceptual model. This attachment includes the following: (a) the follow-up survey; (b) the consent form that will accompany this survey and be completed prior; and (c) communication to teachers regarding this survey and related honorarium.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-XXXX and the expiration date is XX/XX/XXXX.

NOTE: MANY OF THESE ITEMS ARE DRAWN FROM SURVEYS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS PREVIOUSLY USED IN STUDIES OF CURRICULUM-BASED INTERVENTIONS. THE SURVEY INCLUDES MULTIPLE ITEMS AND SCALES FOR CERTAIN CONSTRUCTS. ONCE PRE-TESTING IS COMPLETED, DUPLICATES WILL BE REMOVED AND SCALES WILL BE ADJUSTED.

1. Introduction

Thank you for participating in the Variations in Implementation of Quality Interventions (VIQI) Project! As part of this study, we would like you to answer some questions about yourself and your experiences as a teacher in early care and education centers. This information is crucial to helping us understand the impacts of early care and education centers on children.

Your participation is completely voluntary, and you may skip any questions you do not wish to answer. Your decision to participate will not have any effect on your job. The study team will follow strict procedures to protect your responses, and your responses will only be used for research and program improvement purposes. Your responses will be stored in password protected computer files and in locked research facilities. The data will be used only by the research team and other researchers bound by the same security requirements described here. We also may share de-identified responses with researchers looking at other education research topics who agree that they will protect your information.

Please complete this questionnaire within the next [X] days. Once complete, please send it back to [ADDRESS]. It will take approximately 36 minutes in total to complete. If you have any questions, please contact your project liaison at [PHONE] or [email].

Thank you!

2. Demographic Information

		/			/	2018
M	M		D	D

1. Today’s Date:

2. In what year were you born?

   	Y	Y	Y	Y

3. What is your sex?

1	Female
2	Male

4. What is your Ethnicity?

SELECT ONE OR MORE.

1	Hispanic or Latino
2	Not Hispanic or Latino

5. What is your Race?

SELECT ONE OR MORE.

1	American Indian or Alaska Native
2	Asian
3	Black or African American
4	Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
5	White

6. What languages do you speak fluently and what languages do you regularly speak in your classroom?

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

	I speak fluently	I regularly speak this language in my classroom
English	1	7
Spanish	2	8
Haitian Creole	3	9
Mandarin	4	10
Portuguese	5	11
[INSERT ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR MOST COMMON LANGUAGES IN LOCALITIES WHERE VIQI WILL BE CONDUCTED]	6	12

3. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

7. What is your current position at your center?

SELECT ONE RESPONSE OPTION THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOUR CURRENT POSITION.

1	Teacher (a position that has primary responsibility of providing instruction and supervision of children in a classroom)
2	Assistant teacher (assistant teacher, paraprofessional, or aide that works under the supervision of a teacher to give additional attention, support and instruction to children in a classroom)
3	Other

8. Indicate the total number of years that you have worked in the positions listed below, counting this year.

How many years have you been a teacher?
1	This is my first year	5	11 to 15 years
2	1 to 2 years	6	16 to 20 years
3	3 to 5 years	7	More than 20 years
4	6 to 10 years
How many years have you been a teacher for 3- and 4-year-olds?
1	This is my first year	5	11 to 15 years
2	1 to 2 years	6	16 to 20 years
3	3 to 5 years	7	More than 20 years
4	6 to 10 years
How many years have you been a teacher at your current center?
1	This is my first year	5	11 to 15 years
2	1 to 2 years	6	16 to 20 years
3	3 to 5 years	7	More than 20 years
4	6 to 10 years

9. What is the highest level of schooling you have completed?

CHOOSE ONE.

1	Less than a High School Diploma/GED  SKIP TO 11
2	High School Diploma/GED  SKIP TO 11
3	Vocational or Technical Diploma after High School  SKIP TO 11
4	Some College but no Degree  SKIP TO 11
5	Associate’s Degree
6	Bachelor’s Degree
7	Graduate or Professional School but no Degree
8	Master’s Degree
9	Education specialist or professional diploma based on at least one year of course work at a Master’s Degree level
10	Doctorate
11	Other

10. Indicate major field of study of your highest level degree.

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

1	Early childhood education	6	Curriculum and instruction
2	Elementary education	7	Bilingual/bicultural education
3	Special education	8	Other education-related major (such as educational psychology, education administration, music education, etc.)
4	Child development	9	Non-education major (such as history, English, etc.)
5	Reading specialist

11. What teaching credentials and licenses do you currently hold?

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

1	Child Development Associate (CDA) credential
2	State-awarded Preschool Certificate
3	State Department of Education Teaching License or Certificate in Early Childhood Education
4	State Department of Education Teaching License or Certificate in Elementary Education
5	State Department of Education Teaching License or Certificate in Another Area
6	None

12. Are you a salaried worker?

1	Yes  GO TO 14, THEN 16
2	No  SKIP TO 15

13. What is your annual salary (before taxes) as a teacher for this [year], not including bonuses?

CHOOSE ONE.

1	Less than $20,000	6	$60,001-$70,000
2	$20,001-$30,000	7	$70,001-$80,000
3	$30,001-$40,000	8	$80,001-$90,000
4	$40,001-$50,000	9	$90,001-$100,000
5	$50,001-$60,000	10	More than $100,000

14. What is your hourly wage?

CHOOSE ONE.

1	$8.99 or less an hour	4	$17.00 – $20.99 an hour
2	$9.00 – $12.99 an hour	5	$21.00 or more an hour
3	$13.00 – $16.99 an hour

15. Do you get overtime pay for your current position as a teacher?

1	Yes
2	No

16. How many hours are you regularly scheduled to work per week as a teacher for this [year]?

CHOOSE ONE.

1	Less than 10 hours	7	36-40 hours
2	10-15 hours	8	41-45 hours
3	16-20 hours	9	46-50 hours
4	21-25 hours	10	51-55 hours
5	26-30 hours	11	56-60 hours
6	31-35 hours	12	More than 60 hours

17. Which option best describes how many days you are regularly scheduled to work this [year] as a teacher?

CHOOSE ONE.

1	I work as a teacher year-round (January through December)
2	I work as a teacher during the “school year” only*
*Consider “school year” to be the typical months that public schools in your area are open.

4. Classroom Resources

18. Below is a list of different curricula that you may or may not have used with the children in your classroom last year. How often did you use each of the following curricula last year (2017-2018)?

By curriculum, we mean a guiding framework that provides learning activities and experiences teachers can do to help children learn and grow.

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

Which of the following did you use last year…?

• The Creative Curriculum (Teaching Strategies)

• High/Scope

• Building Blocks math curriculum (McGraw-Hill)

• DLM Early Childhood Express (McGraw-Hill)

• Everyday Mathematics (McGraw-Hill)

• Frog Street

• Fundations (Wilson Language Training)

• Handwriting without Tears

• Let’s Begin with the Letter People (Abrams Learning Trends)

• Number Worlds (McGraw-Hill)

• Open Circle

• Opening the World of Learning (OWL) (Pearson)

• Preschool PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) (Channing Bete Company)

• Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence

• Second Step

• Tools of the Mind

• Teacher- or center-created curriculum

• Another published curriculum. Specify:

• I don’t know what curriculum I used last year, or I don’t know if I used a curriculum

If you used Creative Curriculum last year, please answer the following 2 questions:

18a. Which edition did you use? CHOOSE ONE. 1 6th Edition 2 5th Edition 3 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Edition 4 Don’t know

18b. Which Creative Curriculum resources did you have and use? CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY. 1 Volumes 2 Daily Resources 3 None of the above 4 Don’t know

19. Have you ever been trained on the following curricula, whether it was through workshops, coaching, or other professional development?

CHOOSE ONE ON EACH ROW.

	No training	Some training	A great deal of training
The Creative Curriculum (6th edition)	1	2	3
The Creative Curriculum (5th edition)	1	2	3
The Creative Curriculum (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th editions)	1	2	3
Building Blocks	1	2	3
Connect4Learning	1	2	3
Preschool Pathways to Science (PrePS)	1	2	3
Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence	1	2	3

20. In general, how often are the following resources available in sufficient amounts and/or in good working order when you need it for your classroom?

CHOOSE ONE ON EACH ROW.

	Never	Sometimes	Often	I don’t use this	Don’t know
Children’s books, basal reader books (leveled books)	1	2	3	4	5
Manipulatives (e.g. blocks, puzzles)	1	2	3	4	5
Audiovisual equipment (e.g., DVD player, TV) and DVDs, videotapes or films	1	2	3	4	5
Computer equipment (e.g., computers, tablets)	1	2	3	4	5
Computer software (e.g., educational games)	1	2	3	4	5
Internet	1	2	3	4	5
Photocopier	1	2	3	4	5
Art materials, paints, clay	1	2	3	4	5
Science materials (e.g., magnifying glass, scales, thermometers)	1	2	3	4	5
Musical instruments and musical recordings	1	2	3	4	5
Materials for teaching DLL/ELL children	1	2	3	4	5
Materials for teaching children with disabilities	1	2	3	4	5
Heating and air conditioning	1	2	3	4	5
Classroom space	1	2	3	4	5
Outdoor space	1	2	3	4	5

5. Professional Support and Training

21. Have you received any formal training (such as workshops, in-service training, or seminars, classes and coursework taken to fulfill continuing education and accrediting requirements) from the following providers last year (2017-2018)?

CHOOSE YES OR NO ON EACH ROW. IF YES, CHOOSE HOW MANY DAYS.

			IF ‘YES’… How many days of training did you attend this year?
Provider Type	Yes	No	Less than half a day	One full day	Two full days	More than two days
Staff at your center	1	2	3	4	5	6
Staff from the grantee agency, school district, or state or local resource and referral agency	1	2	3	4	5	6
A college or university supporting staff at your center	1	2	3	4	5	6
External institution or other accrediting institution (e.g., professional association) supporting staff at your center	1	2	3	4	5	6
Curriculum author or publisher supporting staff at your center	1	2	3	4	5	6
Other	1	2	3	4	5	6

22. Were the following topics covered in any of your formal training(s) that you reported attending above? (Do not include any coaching you may have received.)

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

1	Implementing a curriculum
2	Understanding of or activities about children’s language or literacy/reading development
3	Understanding of or activities about children’s mathematics development
4	Understanding of or activities about children’s scientific knowledge development
5	Teaching practices and/or classroom quality
6	Professional, state and national standards (e.g., Early Learning Guidelines; NAEYC; Curriculum Frameworks; Common Core; QRIS)
7	Using quality observational tools to improve classroom quality (e.g. CLASS or ECERS)
8	Conducting child assessments through observation, screening, and/or formal instruments
9	Supporting or fostering children’s social/emotional development
10	Behavior management
11	Family engagement
12	Supporting children with special needs in the classroom
13	Supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) or Dual Language Learners (DLLs)
14	Cultural competence for working with diverse populations
15	Organization and management (e.g., classroom routines and schedules)
16	Classroom set up and physical environment
17	Health and safety
18	None of the above

23. How often have you and another teacher or assistant teacher in your classroom attended training together last year (2017-2018)?

1	Never
2	Sometimes
3	Often

6. Coaching

24. How often did a coach visit your classroom last year (2017-2018)?

A coach is a professional who provides you with feedback and support to help improve what you do in your classroom. Do NOT include observations completed by your center director, other center administrator or supervisor, or master teacher.

CHOOSE ONE.

1	Did not happen  SKIP TO 26
2	Once or twice
3	Three to five times
4	Once a month
5	Twice a month
6	Three or more times a month

25. What were the primary areas of focus of the coaching you received?

SELECT UP TO FIVE RESPONSE OPTIONS THAT APPLY TO PRIMARY FOCUS AREAS.

1	Implementing lessons or activities from a curriculum
2	Understanding of or activities about children’s language or literacy/reading development
3	Understanding of or activities about children’s mathematics development
4	Understanding of or activities about children’s scientific knowledge development
5	Teaching practices and/or classroom quality
6	Professional, state and national standards (e.g., Early Learning Guidelines; NAEYC; Curriculum Frameworks; Common Core; QRIS)
7	Using quality observational tools to improve classroom quality (e.g. CLASS or ECERS)
8	Conducting child assessments through observation, screening, and/or formal instruments
9	Supporting or fostering children’s social/emotional development
10	Behavior management
11	Family engagement
12	Supporting children with special needs in the classroom
13	Supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) or Dual Language Learners (DLLs)
14	Cultural competence for working with diverse populations
15	Organization and management (e.g. classroom routines and schedules)
16	Classroom set up and physical environment
17	Health and safety
18	None of the above

7. Teaching and Learning

26. We want to know which sets of skills you think are most important for children ages 3 to 4 to be learning. Please RANK the following 7 sets of skills (a through g) according to which you think are most important (7) to the least important (1) skills for children ages 3 to 4 to be learning.

Choose ONE answer for each row, and make sure to USE EACH NUMBER ONLY 1 TIME (no ties!).

For example, choose the number “7” for the skill that you believe is the “Most important,” the number “6” for the skill you believe has the second highest importance, and so forth until you choose the number “1” for the skill you believe is the “Least important.”

	Least Important			Most Important
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Approaches to Learning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Motor and Physical Development	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Scientific Reasoning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Language and Communication	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Literacy	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Math	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Social and Emotional Development	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

27. Thinking about language and literacy skills only, please rank the following 6 sets of skills (a through f) according to which you think are the most important (6) to prioritize in the language and literacy activities you do to the least important (1) to prioritize for children ages 3 to 4.

Choose ONE answer for each row, and make sure to USE EACH NUMBER ONLY 1 TIME (no ties!).

	Least Important			Most Important
	1	2	3		4	5	6
Vocabulary and oral language	1	2	3		4	5	6
Letter knowledge	1	2	3		4	5	6
Print and text concepts	1	2	3		4	5	6
Phonological awareness (individual speech sounds)	1	2	3		4	5	6
Drawing or writing	1	2	3		4	5	6
Listening or reading comprehension	1	2	3		4	5	6

28. Thinking about mathematics skills only, please rank the following 7 sets of skills (a through g) according to which you think are the most important (7) to prioritize in the math activities you do to the least important (1) to prioritize for children ages 3 to 4.

Choose ONE answer for each row, and make sure to USE EACH NUMBER ONLY 1 TIME (no ties!).

	Least Important				Most Important
	1	2	3	4		5	6	7
Number sense & concepts	1	2	3	4		5	6	7
Number writing and recognition	1	2	3	4		5	6	7
Addition and subtraction	1	2	3	4		5	6	7
Making, copying or extending patterns	1	2	3	4		5	6	7
Measuring	1	2	3	4		5	6	7
Identifying, drawing, or constructing shapes	1	2	3	4		5	6	7
Comparing, contrasting or sorting objects by attributes or a rule	1	2	3	4		5	6	7

29. Thinking about social-emotional skills only, please rank the following 6 sets of skills (a through f) according to which you think are the most important (6) to prioritize in the social-emotional activities you do to the least important (1) to prioritize for children ages 3 to 4.

Choose ONE answer for each row, and make sure to USE EACH NUMBER ONLY 1 TIME (no ties!).

	Least Important			Most Important
	1	2	3	4	5	6
Self-concept and self-efficacy	1	2	3	4	5	6
Self-regulation	1	2	3	4	5	6
Social and emotional understanding	1	2	3	4	5	6
Empathy and caring	1	2	3	4	5	6
Relationships with others	1	2	3	4	5	6
Cooperation and responsibility	1	2	3	4	5	6

30. Thinking about science skills and topics only, please rank the following 4 sets of skills and topics (a through d) according to which you think are the most important (4) to prioritize in the science activities you do to the least important (1) to prioritize for children ages 3 to 4.

Choose ONE answer for each row, and make sure to USE EACH NUMBER ONLY 1 TIME (no ties!).

	Least Important		Most Important
	1	2	3	4
Scientific thinking/scientific method	1	2	3	4
Earth and space	1	2	3	4
Living things	1	2	3	4
Physical properties	1	2	3	4

31. Recognizing that some things in early care and education (ECE) centers are required by external sources, what are YOUR OWN PERSONAL BELIEFS about ECE centers?

Please select the number that most nearly represents YOUR BELIEFS about each item’s importance for ECE centers and for children ages 3 to 4. (1 = Strongly disagree; 5 = Strongly agree)

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
ECE classroom activities should be responsive to individual differences in development.	1	2	3	4	5
Each curriculum area should be taught as a separate subject at separate times.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should be allowed to select many of their own activities from a variety of learning areas that the teacher has prepared (writing, science center, etc.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should be allowed to cut their own shapes, perform their own steps in an experiment, and plan their own creative drama, art, and writing activities.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should work silently and alone on seatwork.	1	2	3	4	5
Children in ECE classrooms should learn through active explorations.	1	2	3	4	5
ECE teachers should use treats, stickers, or stars to encourage appropriate behavior.	1	2	3	4	5
ECE teachers should use punishments or reprimands to encourage appropriate behavior.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should be involved in establishing rules for the classroom.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should be instructed in recognizing the single letters of the alphabet, isolated from words.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should learn to color within predefined lines.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should learn to form letters correctly on a printed page.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should dictate stories to the teacher.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should know their letter sounds before they learn to read.	1	2	3	4	5
Children should form letters correctly before they are allowed to create a story.	1	2	3	4	5
Source: Burts, Buchanan, Benedict, Broussard, Dunaway, Richardson & Sciaraffa, 2000; Charlesworth et al., 1993; FACES, 2006.

32. Are you confident in your ability to...

	Definitely Not	Not Really	Neutral	Somewhat	Definitely
Promote the social-emotional development of the three- and four-year olds in your classroom?	1	2	3	4	5
Promote the language and literacy learning of the three- and four-year-olds in your classroom?	1	2	3	4	5
Promote the math learning of the three- and four-year-olds in your classroom?	1	2	3	4	5
Promote the development of scientific knowledge of the three- and four-year-olds in your classroom?	1	2	3	4	5
Source: Internal

8. Work Environment

The next set of questions asks about your work environment. Your responses will only be used for research and program improvement purposes.

ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE

33. How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree	Don’t Know
This center has worked with at least a few other local organizations (related non-profit organizations, other schools, universities, etc.) in the past.	1	2	3	4	5	6
Teachers/staff in this center generally believe that their director genuinely believes in the critical importance of the topics of the VIQI project (math, language/literacy, etc.).	1	2	3	4	5	6
This center collects and uses information to figure out what children need to learn best.	1	2	3	4	5	6
I think I have enough understanding or knowledge to work with my children on [math] activities.	1	2	3	4	5	6
I think I have enough understanding or knowledge to work with my children on [language and literacy] activities.	1	2	3	4	5	6
I seek out information about new teaching strategies that might help children in my classroom.	1	2	3	4	5	6
In this community, there are currently new initiatives, funding opportunities, and/or professional development experiences being offered on the topics of the VIQI project (quality improvement, math, language/ literacy, social-emotional learning, science).	1	2	3	4	5	6
In general, teachers in this center feel like their director is “on their side.”	1	2	3	4	5	6
Teachers in this center feel like the amount of stress in their job is manageable.	1	2	3	4	5	6
If I learned about an exciting new teaching practice, I feel confident that I could use it effectively in my own classroom.	1	2	3	4	5	6
When I was searching for this job, I only applied for teaching and teaching-related positions, not other types of jobs.	1	2	3	4	5	6
This center has strong relationships with other local organizations such as churches, nonprofits, etc.	1	2	3	4	5	6
Teachers in this center talk to each other for advice/support when faced with a difficult teaching situation.	1	2	3	4	5	6
If someone told me they had a new idea that might improve my teaching, I would ask them to tell me more about it.	1	2	3	4	5	6
People who observe me teaching would say I enjoy working with and teaching children.	1	2	3	4	5	6
Teachers in this center would say the director has a history of making decisions that are in the best interest of the children.	1	2	3	4	5	6
Teachers at this center are trying to meet specific goals for children’s development in the topics of the VIQI project (math, language/literacy, social-emotional learning, science).	1	2	3	4	5	6
Teachers at this center have positive memories of trying to learn a new teaching strategy or curriculum in the past.	1	2	3	4	5	6
People in this center decide how to improve their teaching based on what is going on in their classroom.	1	2	3	4	5	6
When I face a challenging situation in the classroom, I can usually figure out how to best deal with it.	1	2	3	4	5	6
This center provides support for teachers when they begin to feel overwhelmed.	1	2	3	4	5	6
In the past, the director in this center has effectively helped teachers improve their teaching.	1	2	3	4	5	6
I work hard at my job because it has a major impact on children’s development.	1	2	3	4	5	6
The schedule here allows time for teachers to talk to one another and exchange ideas.	1	2	3	4	5	6
Teachers in this center could name at least one teaching strategy or curriculum that was added in the past five years and is still being used well.	1	2	3	4	5	6
Source: Wanless, 2014

34. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

	Strongly Disagree	Somewhat Disagree	Somewhat Agree	Strongly Agree		Don’t Know
The administration’s behavior toward the staff is supportive and encouraging.	1	2	3	4		5
I am satisfied with my teaching salary.	1	2	3	4		5
The level of misbehavior in this center interferes with my teaching.	1	2	3	4		5
I receive a great deal of support from parents for the work I do.	1	2	3	4		5
Necessary materials such as books, supplies, and copy machines are available as needed by the staff.	1	2	3	4		5
Routine duties and paperwork interfere with my job of teaching.	1	2	3	4		5
My director enforces rules for behavior and conduct and backs me up when I need it.	1	2	3	4		5
Rules for behavior are consistently enforced by teachers in this center, even for children who are not in their classes.	1	2	3	4		5
Most of my colleagues share my beliefs and values about what the central mission of the center should be.	1	2	3	4		5
The director knows what kind of center he or she wants and has communicated it to the staff.	1	2	3	4		5
There is a great deal of cooperative effort among the staff members.	1	2	3	4		5
In this center, staff members are recognized for a job well done.	1	2	3	4		5
I worry about the security of my job.	1	2	3	4		5
State or national standards have had positive influence on my satisfaction with teaching.	1	2	3	4		5
I am given the support I need to teach children with special needs.	1	2	3	4		5
The amount of child absences or tardiness in this center interferes with my teaching.	1	2	3	4		5
I am generally satisfied with being a teacher at this center.	1	2	3	4		5
I make a conscious effort to coordinate what I teach and do in my classroom with that of other teachers at this center.	1	2	3	4		5
Source: National Center for Education Statistics 2011-2012

35. Your center director or other center administrator…

	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree	Don’t know
Makes clear to the staff the leadership’s expectations for meeting instructional goals	1	2	3	4	5
Communicates a clear vision for your center	1	2	3	4	5
Presses teachers to implement what they have learned in professional development	1	2	3	4	5
Knows what’s going on in your classroom	1	2	3	4	5
Provides you with useful feedback to improve your teaching	1	2	3	4	5
Has provided you with the support you need to improve your teaching	1	2	3	4	5
Sets high standards for children’s learning and development	1	2	3	4	5
Source: Chicago Consortium for School Research Teacher Survey

9. Teaching Domain-Specific Content

The items included in this section ask about your knowledge of teaching practices within the domains of: language and literacy, math, social-emotional, and science. You may not be familiar with all of the content in these sections. Answer the questions as best you can based on your knowledge and beliefs.

TEACHING LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

The next set of questions focus on knowledge and teacher practices in the area of language and literacy. You may not be familiar with all of the content in this section. We expect people will have different levels of familiarity with the questions being asked. We would like for you to answer the questions as best you can based on your knowledge and beliefs.

36. Carefully read each of the following multiple-choice questions. Choose only one answer from the choices provided to you for each question. If you are unsure of the right answer, please make your best guess.

1. During group time, Ms. Betty is about to read a book to her 5-year-olds. As she reads, she runs her finger along underneath the text. Why does she do this?

   1	To help children connect sounds and letters.
   2	To keep children’s attention.
   3	To help children understand how print works.
   4	To improve children’s letter knowledge.

2. Which of the following practices might best help children learn how letters are related to their letter names?

1	Matching pictures and beginning sounds.
2	Singing the alphabet song slowly and pointing to each letter.
3	Asking children to spell the letters of their name.
4	Saying the letters of the alphabet out of order.

3. All of the following instructional activities improve children's understanding of how we use print in daily activity EXCEPT:

1	Creating a print-rich environment.
2	Copying simple words.
3	Writing a menu.
4	Reading a recipe.

4. Each of the following is an effective way to foster language development EXCEPT:

1	Asking children to plan, do, and review their free-choice activities.
2	Expanding children’s responses, such as “You’d like to play in the kitchen and make pizza? And what kind of pizza would you like to make today?”
3	Re-reading a favorite book.
4	Encouraging children to respond to questions in complete sentences.

TEACHING LANGUAGE AND LITERACY CONTINUED

Carefully read each of the following multiple-choice questions. Choose only one answer from the choices provided to you for each question. If you are unsure of the right answer, please make your best guess.

4. Someone who engages children every day in play, discussions, conversations, and singing songs is likely to be providing which of the following?

   1	Opportunities for recognizing the relationship between sounds and letters.
   2	Experiences for children to learn and use new language rules.
   3	Opportunities for oral language development.
   4	Kinesthetic tactile experiences, such as physical activities.

5. Each of the following activities is helpful for promoting oral language development EXCEPT:

   1	Naming letters.
   2	Outdoor play.
   3	Singing.
   4	Free-choice time.

6. Which of the following activities best promotes vocabulary development?

   1	Reading a story.
   2	Writing.
   3	Talking.
   4	Watching television.

7. Which of the following best explains why developing phonemic awareness in English may be especially challenging for a child for whom English is a second language?

   1	The sound system of the child’s first language may not use an alphabet.
   2	Some languages may require attention only to whole words, not sounds in words.
   3	Sometimes teachers may not articulate sounds clearly.
   4	The sound structure of the child's first language may be different from English.

8. Which of the following practices best help preschoolers blend sounds in words?

1	Identifying words that begin with the same sound.
2	Distinguishing sounds in words.
3	Stretching the sounds out in a word and putting them together.
4	Hearing different sounds, and identifying the letters that correspond to those sounds.

j) All of the following are important ways to encourage preschooler's early writing EXCEPT:

1	Encouraging correct spelling.
2	Taking dictation for children unwilling to write.
3	Displaying children's writing around the room.
4	Having a designated writing area equipped with crayons, pencils, stencils, and several types of paper

k) Kyesha is a 4-year old preschooler with reading skills at the kindergarten level. What is the

best approach to take with Kyesha to create a supportive learning environment for her?

1	Keep her involved in all group activities so her peers do not notice the difference in her ability.
2	Encourage her parents to enroll her in kindergarten immediately.
3	Make sure she has plenty of opportunities to interact with books on her own.
4	Have her act as a tutor to other children who may show little interest in reading.

Source: Neumann, 2007

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL SKILLS

The next set of questions focus on the area of young children’s social, emotional, and behavioral development. We would like for you to answer the questions as best you can based on your knowledge and beliefs.

37. Below are some strategies that you might use with children in your classroom. In each row, select the choice that shows how useful you think each strategy would be in reducing problem behaviors and supporting your children’s social and emotional development.

	Not at all Useful	Slightly Useful	Somewhat Useful	Moderately Useful	Extremely Useful
Setting up routines, expectations, and rules	1	2	3	4	5
Using different gestures, cues, and signals to keep the attention of children	1	2	3	4	5
Reminding children of rules and expectations	1	2	3	4	5
Rewarding good behavior with praise	1	2	3	4	5
Scolding children for disruptive behaviors	1	2	3	4	5
Talking about my own emotional experiences	1	2	3	4	5
Trying to help a child explore what is making him/her sad	1	2	3	4	5
Trying to solve the problem when a child is angry	1	2	3	4	5
Helping a child find out what caused his/her anger	1	2	3	4	5
Encouraging children to talk about their emotions	1	2	3	4	5
Recognizing early cues of child’s rising emotions and prompting use of calm down strategies	1	2	3	4	5
Teaching, coaching and prompting problem solving such as identifying the problem, finding a solution, and assessing whether the solution worked	1	2	3	4	5

TEACHING SCIENCE

The next set of questions focus on the area of young children’s science education. We would like for you to answer the questions as best you can based on your knowledge.

38. Read the scenario below. As you read, think about the science you "see" happening in the scenario.    

The class is outside on the playground. Sasha is still finishing her popsicle. “It’s so sticky!” says Sasha as her popsicle melts down her hand. “It’s too hot out here! The sun’s making my popsicle melt!” she says. Before Sasha can eat it, the final piece of popsicle falls to the floor. She squats down to look at it and watch it melt. “It’s makin’ a lake,” she says. Ben comes to see what’s going on.

“No, it’s making a river, see” he points to a line of red syrup that’s running down the sidewalk.

“Rivers are big. That’s too small” says Sasha, pointing at the melted popsicle.

A line of ants crawls towards the melting popsicle.

“Look! The ants want to eat my popsicle!” Sasha says. “You can’t eat popsicles. That’s people food. You eat leaves,” she says to the ants.

“Maybe they like popsicles better” says Ben. “Let’s find out.” Ben pulls a leaf off of a nearby bush and places it next to the puddle of melted popsicle. “I think they are going to like the popsicle better,” he says. The children watch the ants. Some of them move toward the melted popsicle.

“Look!” Says Sasha, “one, two, three. Three ants are eating my popsicle. Nobody is eating the leaf!”

“I guess they like popsicles better,” says Ben.

Thunder rumbles in the distance. “Oh no! It’s going to rain!” says Ben, “maybe the ants can hide under the leaf to stay dry” he says as their teacher calls them to go inside.

1	States of matter	7	Making observations	13	Cause and effect
2	Asking questions	8	Patterns	14	Earth's features
3	Constructing explanations	9	Life science	15	Stability and change
4	Predicting	10	Experimenting	16	Ecosystems
5	Interpreting data	11	Scale, proportion, and quantity	17	Structure and function
6	Using math	12	Systems	18	Engineering
				19	Physical characteristics

Here is a list of science concepts. Choose all of the science concepts that you can "see" in the scenario. 

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

39. Read the following scenario. Refer to it to help you answer this group of questions. Choose the one option that best applies.

Mark uses a paper towel to clean up some water that spilled. “Look!” he says, “the paper is changing colors! It’s drinking the water!”

1. Which science practice can you identify in the scenario?

1	Making observations
2	Making predictions
3	Experimenting
4	Asking questions

2. Which science discipline can you identify in the scenario?

1	Life science
2	Physical science
3	Earth and Space science
4	Engineering

40. Read the following scenario. Refer to it to answer this group of questions. Choose the one option that best applies.

Mark's teacher wants to provoke him to engage in a scientific practice so that he can understand a specific crosscutting concept. Mark's teacher says, "I wonder if the plastic bag will change color too. What can you do to find out?"

1. What science practice is she trying to provoke Mark to engage in?

1	Making observations
2	Making predictions
3	Experimenting
4	Interpreting data

2. What crosscutting concept is she trying to get Mark to think about?

1	Patterns
2	Structure and function
3	Systems
4	Cause and effect

41. Read the following scenario. Refer to it to answer this group of questions. Choose the one option that best applies.

Amelia is in the block center. She is rolling marbles into a stack of blocks and watching them fall down. "I think this car will knock the block down too!" she says. 

1. Which science practice can you identify in the scenario?

1	Asking questions
2	Making predictions
3	Experimenting
4	Interpreting data

2. Which crosscutting concept can you identify in the scenario?

1	Patterns
2	Structure and function
3	Systems
4	Cause and effect

42. Read each scenario and answer the questions that follow. Choose the one option that best applies.

Santana drops two rocks down the slide. One is big and white, the other is smaller and dark grey. He does this several times. The large white rock always flies off the end of the slide and tumbles all the way to the playground gate. The smaller grey rock drops off the end of the slide and doesn't go any further. "The white rock always wins!" he says.

1. Which of the following could the teacher say to best help Santana understand the cause and effect relationship between the weight of the rock and the distance it travels?

1	What do you notice about the weight of the rocks?
2	Can we measure how far the rock went?
3	Why do you think the big rock is heavier than the little one?
4	I see you experimenting with the rocks. What happens when you go down the slide?

2. What can the teacher add to the classroom to provoke children to think about the structure and function of different materials?

1	Adding an umbrella to dramatic play
2	Adding rubber gloves and mittens to the water table
3	Adding sponges to the science center
4	Adding seeds and a magnifying glass to the science center

Camille notices a seed in her watermelon during snack time. 

3. What is the best way for the teacher to help her understand that seeds are part of a system?

1	Cut open different kinds of fruits to find seeds
2	Read an informational book about plants
3	Cut open different seeds and observe what is inside
4	Compare and sort different seeds

A teacher is guiding a small group of children in making dough by mixing flour and water. Charlie's dough is sticky and won't hold a shape. He looks at Maria's dough that she has rolled into a tight ball. Then he looks at his teacher and shows her his sticky fingers. 

4. What can the teacher do to help Charlie experiment with the materials at the table and "fix" his dough?

1	The teacher can add more flour to Charlie's dough and help him mix it.
2	The teacher can give Charlie a cup of water and a cup of flour and say, "Do you think we should add more water or flour? Let's choose one and see what happens."
3	The teacher can say, "Uh-oh, Charlie! Your dough is too wet. Let's add more flour. What do you predict will happen if we put more flour in the dough?"
4	The teacher can ask Maria to help Charlie "fix" his dough.

The children are interested in elephants. The teacher wants to help the children understand that elephants move their big ears to help them stay cool.

5. Which of the following would be the best way for children to explore the structure and function of the elephants' ears?

1	Taking a field trip to the zoo to observe elephants flapping their ears
2	Watching videos of elephants in the wild flapping their ears and pausing the video to ask children questions like, "Why is the elephant flapping his ears? How do you think he feels?"
3	Using different sized paper plates as fans
4	Building elephant ears out of paper plates and a headband to allow the children to pretend to be elephants

The children are cleaning up the playground. They have a pile of rocks, sticks, and leaves, and a pile of plastic bottle caps and juice box straws. These two piles can serve as data.

6. Which of the following is the best way to get the children to interpret their “data”?

1	I notice you have two piles. Should we put the natural things back on the playground and the plastic things in the garbage?
2	You have collected a lot of garbage. What do you think will happen to the garbage?
3	I notice you have two piles. Can we make a third pile using playground toys?
4	I notice you have a pile of plastic things and a pile of natural things. On the playground, which is there more of…plastic things or natural things?

Source: Alexander, 2017

TEACHING MATHEMATICS

The next set of questions focus on knowledge and teacher practices in the area of mathematics. You may not be familiar with all of the content in this section. We expect people will have different levels of familiarity with the questions being asked. We would like for you to answer the questions as best you can based on your knowledge and beliefs.

43. Each item below has two different statements about a child showing a skill in the area of mathematics. For each item, choose the one statement that describes the math skill that a child is likely to learn first. If both skills are equally easy for a young child, choose the circle next to “Same.” If you do not know the answer, choose “Do not know.”

1. 1	Jamie says the counting words in order from 1 to 10 (i.e., “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10”).
   2	Jamie says the counting words in order from 6 to 10 (i.e., responds to teacher request, “Can you count starting with the number 6? Six…” by saying: “…7, 8, 9, 10”).
   3	Same.
   4	Do not know.

2. 1	Pauli counts a group of seven buttons without touching them.
   2	Pauli counts a touchable group of seven buttons.
   3	Same.
   4	Do not know.

1	Ali correctly answers the question, “Are there more teddy bears or more turtles?”
2	Ali correctly counts a row of eight teddy bears.
3	Same.
4	Do not know.

TEACHING MATHEMATICS CONTINUED

Each item below has two different statements about a child showing a skill in the area of mathematics. For each item, choose the one statement that describes the math skill that a child is likely to learn first. If both skills are equally easy for a young child, choose the circle next to “Same.” If you do not know the answer, choose “Do not know.”

4. 1	Shea correctly answers the question “Here are two groups of teddy bears. How many altogether?” when presented with two groups of two teddy bears.
   2	Shea correctly answers the question, “What is two plus two?”
   3	Same.
   4	Do not know.

5. 1	Jaiden answers, “How many buttons” after counting a set of six buttons.
   2	Jaiden counts a row of six buttons (i.e., “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6”).
   3	Same.
   4	Do not know.

6. 1	Cimarron says the counting words in order from 1 to 10 (i.e., “1, 2, 3, 4, …).
   2	Cimarron counts a row of ten buttons.
   3	Same.
   4	Do not know.

7. 1	Pilar counts a circle of seven buttons.
   2	Pilar counts a row of seven buttons.
   3	Same.
   4	Do not know.

1	Amari is presented with two groups of buttons, one with five buttons and one with two buttons. When asked “How many altogether?” in the two groups, Amari counts all of the buttons beginning with the group of five buttons (“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7”) to get to the answer.
2	Amari is presented with two groups of buttons, one with five buttons and one with two buttons. “How many altogether?” In the two groups, Amari counts on from the first set (“5, 6, 7,) to get to the answer.
3	Same.
4	Do not know.

TEACHING MATHEMATICS CONTINUED

Each item below has two different statements about a child showing a skill in the area of mathematics. For each item, choose the one statement that describes the math skill that a child is likely to learn first. If both skills are equally easy for a young child, choose the circle next to “Same.” If you do not know the answer, choose “Do not know.”

9. 1	I n a line of five toy sheep facing the same direction, Indigo answers the question, “Point to the second sheep in line.”
   2	In a line of five toy sheep facing the same direction, Indigo answers the question, “Point to the first sheep in line.”
   3	Same.
   4	Do not know.

1	Daevon recognizes one-digit numerals (for instance, can point out a “4” in a group of printed numbers.”
2	Daevon reads single digit number words (for instance, can read the word “four”).
3	Same.
4	Do not know.

Source: Platas, 2008

This is the end of the survey. Thank you!

Agreement to Take Part in VIQI

Dear Teacher, [Date]

This year, your early care and education center is participating in Variations in Implementation of Quality Interventions (VIQI), an important national study about children’s experiences in early care and education across the country to learn how centers can best support young children’s learning and growth. Your participation will help us learn how to improve the quality of early care and education programs. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is being conducted by a research team of staff from MDRC, Abt Associates, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, and MEF Associates.

As part of VIQI, your center has given us permission to visit your classroom a few times during the year, where trained staff will watch the classroom “in action” during a typical day. Watching daily classroom life in many classrooms will help us understand the early care and education environment and the kinds of things children do in a typical day.

As a teacher in an early care and education center in VIQI, we invite you to participate in the study, starting ______________ and continuing through ____________________.

What does it mean to be in the VIQI study?

If you agree, we may ask you to do the following:

• Complete a survey. The survey will be given out at the beginning and the end of the study. It should take about 30 - 45 minutes to complete. The survey asks questions about your background, your experiences as a teacher, classroom activities, and professional development you might have received. You or your center will receive a 10 honorarium when you complete the survey at the beginning of the study and a $15 honorarium when you complete the survey at the end of the study.

• Complete short logs each week on your classroom activities. The log should take approximately 15 minutes to complete each time. The log asks questions about your teaching practices, classroom activities, and how often you participated in professional development. You or your center will receive up to $90 in honoraria, if you complete the logs.

• Complete questions about some children in your classroom. Some teachers will be asked questions about children in their classroom one time in the spring. These questions ask about children’s skills and will take about 10 minutes to complete for each child. We will only ask you questions about children whose parents have agreed to take part in the study. You or your center will receive a $16 honorarium for completing questions about the children in your classroom.

This study may be extended. If this happens, we would like to be able to contact you about participating in additional research activities. You will have the choice of whether you would like to take part in any of those activities.

Benefits and risks of your participation in this study

By taking part in this study, you will provide information that may help improve early childhood and education programming in the future. There are no direct benefits to you. There are very few risks for being in this study. Some of the questions may involve sensitive topics and may be stressful to answer. The study team will follow strict rules to protect the information that you share. However, there is a small risk that your information will be seen outside of the study team, even though we take great care to protect it.

Participating in this study is your choice

For the project to be successful, we hope as many teachers as possible will agree to participate in the research activities. However, you do not have to participate in the research activities if you do not want to. You may refuse to answer any questions we ask.

Protecting your information

The study team follows strict rules to protect your information. All paper data will be kept locked up, and any information on a computer will be password-protected. No reports will include your name or other identifying information. The information you share with the study team may be combined with other data collected as part of this study. However, the information collected will not be used to evaluate you, your children, or your center. If answers that you share would put someone in serious danger, we will have to tell the appropriate agencies to protect the person.

At the end of the study, your information will be de-identified. This process will make it difficult for non-research team members to link any data or information to your name. These de-identified data will be stored in a secure location and will be made available to other researchers under strict security. If the study is extended, the study team might share your information with other researchers who may contact you to gather more information. Only the study team and those researchers who pass strict security requirements and agree to protect your information will have access to your data or information.

This study has a Certificate of Confidentiality from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This certificate states that we do not have to identify you even under a court order or subpoena. We will use the Certificate to resist any demands for information that would identify you.

Do you have any questions? Please ask!

If you have any questions about your participation in this project, please call or email__________________. We hope that you will agree to participate in this important study!

To participate, please complete the next page and send back to us. We’ll be in touch very soon!

Thank you,

Dr. JoAnn Hsueh

Principal Investigator of the VIQI project

What do I do next?

Please complete this page and mail it back in the envelope provided.

Please fill out the following information

I, _ , understand the nature of the study and agree

(Print Name)
to participate in the research activities listed above. I understand that I am free to stop participating in
VIQI at any time.

Check one:

• Yes, want to take part in the study

• No, I do not want to take part in the study

****************************************************************************************

Please sign here

Your signature:

Print name:

First Name Last Name

Today’s Date:

M

M

/

D

D

/

Y

Y

Y

Y

Name of your center:

Your cell phone number:

(

)

-

Your email:

.

Your mailing address:

Address (Street, apt. number, floor, unit, PO Box)

City State Zip code

What is the best way to contact you during the summer months? (circle one)

Cell phone Email Letter/mail

Communication to Participants Regarding Survey and Honorarium

Overview: The informed consent form and baseline survey that will be administered to consented teachers/assistant teachers will be accompanied by a letter or email that introduces the survey. If a survey is not received, a follow-up reminder letter or email(s) may be sent.

SURVEY LETTERS/EMAILS

The following items will be addressed in communications to teachers/assistant teachers regarding the survey administered at baseline:

• Welcome to the study

• Study background and a brief description of the survey

• Description of how to return the survey

• Deadline for submission

• Toll-free number or study email address for technical issues or questions about the survey

THANK YOU LETTERS/EMAILS

Teachers/Assistant teachers who submit a survey will receive a thank you letter or email. The note will thank them for completing the survey and encourage future participation. The following items will be addressed in thank you notes:

• Thank you for participation

• Study importance

• Acknowledgement of the honorarium to the center or them as a thank you for their time

• Reminder about future data collections

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