Attachment C.2: Follow-up teacher/assistant teacher survey

Attachment C.2: VIQI Follow-up Teacher/Assistant Teacher Survey

April 2018

Attachment C.2

FOLLOW-UP TEACHER/ASSISTANT TEACHER SURVEY

The purpose of the Follow-up Teacher/Assistant Teacher Self-Report Survey is to collect information on characteristics of teachers and their early care and education centers 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, and (b) 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 PRESCHOOL 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 an early care and education center. 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 other 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 45 minutes in total to complete. If you have any questions, please contact your project liaison at [PHONE] or [email].

Thank you!

2. Demographic Information

1. 		/			/	2019
   M	M		D	D

   Today’s Date:

2. What is your position in your current 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:

3. Classroom Characteristics and Resources

Children in the Classroom

2. As of today, how many girls and boys are enrolled in your class?

CHOOSE ONE ON EACH ROW.

	Number of Children
	3 or fewer	4-5	6-7	8-9	10-11	12-13	14-15	16 or more
Girls	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Boys	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8

2. As of today, how many children enrolled in your class belong to each of the following racial-ethnic groups?

CHOOSE ONE ON EACH ROW. COUNT EACH CHILD ONLY ONCE.

	Number of Children
	3 or fewer	4-5	6-7	8-9	10-11	12-13	14-15	16 or more
American Indian or Alaska Native	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Asian	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Black or African American	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Hispanic or Latino	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
White	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8

2. What languages were regularly spoken in your classroom during [year], and by whom?

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

	I spoke this language	Another teacher spoke this language	One or more children spoke this language
English	1	1	1
Spanish	2	2	2
Haitian Creole	3	3	3
Mandarin	4	4	4
Portuguese	5	5	5
[INSERT ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR MOST COMMON LANGUAGES IN LOCALITIES WHERE VIQI WILL BE CONDUCTED]	6	6	6

2. How many children enrolled in your class are considered English Language Learners (ELL) or Dual Language Learners (DLL)? (This refers to children whose native language is not English and whose skills in listening, speaking, reading, or writing English are such that they have difficulty understanding instructions in English.)

CHOOSE ONE.

1	None
2	1-2 children
3	3-4 children
4	5-6 children
5	7-8 children
6	9-10 children
7	11-12 children
8	13-14 children
9	15 or more children

2. How many children with special needs (with an active IEP or IFSP) are enrolled in your class?

Choose one on each row.

		Number of Children
	None	1-2	3-4	5-6	7-8	9-10	11-12	13-14	15 or more
Active IEP	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Active IFSP	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Currently in referral process for IEP or IFSP	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Classroom Resources

CHOOSE ONE ON EACH ROW.

How often do you currently use…?

Never

At least once a week

Daily

1. The Creative Curriculum

(Teaching Strategies)

₁

₂

₃

If you use Creative Curriculum, answer the following 2 items:

2. High/Scope

₁

₂

₃

3. Building Blocks math curriculum

(McGraw-Hill)

₁

₂

₃

Which edition do you use?

4. DLM Early Childhood Express

(McGraw-Hill)

₁

₂

₃

CHOOSE ONE.

5. Everyday Mathematics

(McGraw-Hill)

₁

₂

₃

₁ 6^th Edition

₂ 5^th Edition

₃ 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th Edition

₄ Don’t know

6. Frog Street

₁

₂

₃

7. Fundations

(Wilson Language Training)

₁

₂

₃

8. Handwriting without Tears

₁

₂

₃

9. Let’s Begin with the Letter People

(Abrams Learning Trends)

₁

₂

₃

Which Creative Curriculum resources do you have and use?

10. Number Worlds

(McGraw-Hill)

₁

₂

₃

11. Open Circle

₁

₂

₃

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

12. Opening the World of Learning (OWL)

(Pearson)

₁

₂

₃

₁ Volumes

₂ Daily Resources

₃ None of the above

₄ Don’t know

13. Preschool PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) (Channing Bete Company)

(Channing Bete Company)

₁

₂

₃

14. Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence

₁

₂

₃

15. Second Step

₁

₂

₃

16. Tools of the Mind

₁

₂

₃

17. Teacher- or center-created curriculum

₁

₂

₃

18. Another published curriculum.

Specify:

₁

₂

₃

19. If you don’t know what curriculum you use or you don’t know if you use a curriculum, select this box:

₁

2. Below is a list of different curricula that you may or may not be using with the children in your classroom this year. How often do you use each of the following curricula this year? By curriculum, we mean a guiding framework that provides learning activities and experiences teachers can do to help children learn and grow.

3. 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

2. Do you use any of the following to assess the children in your class?

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

1	Work Sampling System®
2	Teaching Strategies GOLD®
3	High/Scope Child Observation Record (COR)
4	Other published assessment tools (e.g., Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Brigance Preschool Screen, Galileo, Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP), Learning Accomplishment Profile Screening (E-LAP, LAP-R, LAP-D))
5	Child Portfolios and/or Work Samples (Electronic or Hardcopy)
6	Teacher observation of specific objectives
7	Locally-designed assessment, or teacher- or center-created assessment

2. How often do you use the results from any of the above child assessments to complete each of the following tasks?

I use results from child assessments to…	Never	Three times a year (quarterly)	One or two times a month	Once a week	Multiple times a week
Group children into different small groups based on ability	1	2	3	4	5
Plan lessons based on how children did on the assessments	1	2	3	4	5
Find activities that address the needs of specific children	1	2	3	4	5
Find particular content areas to work on building my knowledge or teaching practice	1	2	3	4	5

2. In an average week, how often do you do activities with children in small groups (that is, 3 to 7 children in a group) for the following?

CHOOSE ONE ON EACH ROW.

	Never	Less than once a week	1 day a week	2 days a week	3 days a week	4 days a week	5 days a week
Literacy/Reading	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Mathematics	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Science	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Social-emotional	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

2. This past year (2018-2019) has your classroom been subject to Head Start standards and regulations?

1	Yes
2	No

2. This past year (2018-2019) about how many children in your classroom received some Head Start funding?

1	Most children (75% or more)
2	About half of the children (~50%)
3	Some children (25% or less)
4	No children (0%)

4. Professional Support and Training

2. The following questions ask you about the time you have received for the different professional support opportunities as part of your work day schedule this [year].

During your workday, how often have you received time to…	Did not happen	Once or twice	Every other month	Once a month	Twice a month	Once a week	More than once a week
Plan or prepare for teaching/your classroom on your own	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Plan or prepare for teaching/your classroom with your teacher, co-teacher and/or or assistant teacher	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Meet with other teachers to collaborate and plan (e.g., as part of common planning time or a professional learning community)	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Observe other teachers in their classroom while your class is covered	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Participate in peer mentoring as part of a formal arrangement that is recognized or supported by your center	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Receive mentorship from a master teacher in your center	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

2. 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 this [year]?

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	1	2	3	4
Staff from the grantee agency, school district, or state or local resource and referral agency	1	2	1	2	3	4
A college or university supporting staff at your center	1	2	1	2	3	4
External institution or other accrediting institution (e.g., professional association) supporting staff at your center	1	2	1	2	3	4
Curriculum author or publisher supporting staff at your center	1	2	1	2	3	4
Other	1	2	1	2	3	4

2. 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

2. How many times have you and another teacher or assistant teacher in your classroom attended training together [this year]?

1	Never
2	Sometimes
3	Often

5. Coaching

[TEACHERS IN CLASSROOMS ASSIGNED TO AN INTERVENTION GROUP START WITH ITEM 18; TEACHERS IN CLASSROOMS ASSIGNED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, START WITH ITEM 23]

The questions that follow ask about your experiences working with a VIQI coach: the coach assigned to your classroom for [year] as part of the VIQI project. Please only report on the experiences you’ve had with a VIQI coach when responding to the following questions.

2. How often has a VIQI coach visited your classroom so far this [year]?

1	Did not happen  SKIP TO 24
2	Once or twice
3	Three to five times
4	Once a month
5	Twice a month
6	Three or more times a month

2. What were the primary areas of focus of the VIQI 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

2. How often have you participated in the following activities with a VIQI coach during this [year]?

	Did not happen	Once or twice	Three to five times	Once a month	Twice a month	Three or more times a month
I watched while a coach modeled or demonstrated a teaching strategy	1	2	3	4	5	6
I worked with a coach to interpret data about child learning in my classroom	1	2	3	4	5	6
I received feedback from a coach in-person after he/she observed my classroom	1	2	3	4	5	6
I received feedback from a coach via email or phone after he/she observed my classroom	1	2	3	4	5	6
I worked with a coach to improve classroom quality based on a classroom quality assessment tool (e.g., CLASS or ECERS)	1	2	3	4	5	6
I had an in-person meeting with a coach	1 SKIP TO 24	2	3	4	5	6

2. What do your in-person meetings with the VIQI coach typically look like?

1	I meet with a coach one-on-one
2	My teacher, co-teacher, and/or assistant teacher and I meet with a coach together
3	I meet with a coach in a group setting with other teachers/staff (e.g., during Common Planning Time)

2. For how long do you typically meet with your VIQI coach in-person?

Do NOT include time when the coach is observing in your classroom.

CHOOSE ONE.

1	Less than 15 minutes
2	16-30 minutes
3	31-45 minutes
5	An hour
6	Two hours
7	More than two hours

2. How often has a coach visited your classroom so far this [year]?

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 or other center administrator or supervisor, or master teacher.

1	Did not happen  SKIP TO 31
2	Once or twice
3	Three to five times
4	Once a month
5	Twice a month
6	Three or more times a month

[ALTERNATIVE WORDING FOR ITEM 23 FOR TEACHERS IN INTERVENTION CLASSROOMS]

You may have received coaching from other professionals not associated with the VIQI project during [year]. Please provide information about any additional coaching you received, not including the coaching provided by VIQI during [year].

23. How often has a coach outside of VIQI visited your classroom so far this [year]?

1	Did not happen  SKIP TO 31
2	Once or twice
3	Three to five times
4	Once a month
5	Twice a month
6	Three or more times a month

2. What is the focus of the coaching you received?

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.

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

2. How often have you participated in the following activities with a coach during this [year]?

	Did not happen	Once or twice	Three to five times	Once a month	Twice a month	Three or more times a month
I watched while a coach modeled or demonstrated a teaching strategy	1	2	3	4	5	6
I worked with a coach to interpret data about child learning in my classroom	1	2	3	4	5	6
I received feedback from a coach in-person after he/she observed my classroom	1	2	3	4	5	6
I received feedback from a coach via email or phone after he/she observed my classroom	1	2	3	4	5	6
I worked with a coach to improve classroom quality based on a classroom quality assessment tool (e.g. CLASS or ECERS)	1	2	3	4	5	6
I had an in-person meeting with a coach	1 SKIP TO 28	2	3	4	5	6

2. What do your in-person meetings with a coach typically look like?

1	I meet with a coach one-on-one
2	My teacher, co-teacher, and/or assistant teacher and I meet with a coach together
3	I meet with a coach in a group setting with other teachers/staff (e.g., during Common Planning Time)

2. For how long do you typically meet with a coach in-person? (Do NOT include time when the coach is observing in your classroom.)

CHOOSE ONE ONLY.

1	Less than 15 minutes
2	16-30 minutes
3	31-45 minutes
5	An hour
6	Two hours
7	More than two hours

2. Which organizations provided the coach(es) to work with you this [year]?

CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.

₁

My center

₂

Head Start Grantee agency or

₃

School district

₄

Child care umbrella organization

₅

State or local resource and referral agency

₆

State or local QRIS agency

₇

A college or university

₈

External institution (e.g., professional association; non-profit education organization)

₉

Curriculum author or publisher

₁₀

Other:

₁₁

Don’t know

2. If you had multiple coaches during [year], to what degree did you receive conflicting guidance from your VIQI coach and another coach?
   
   

1	N/A; I did not have multiple coaches in my classroom
2	Not at all conflicting
3	Slightly conflicting
4	Somewhat conflicting
5	Completely conflicting

6. Curriculum Implementation [For teachers in intervention centers ONLY]

The questions in this section are about your experience with the VIQI intervention – meaning the curriculum, training, and coaching you received from the VIQI project.

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

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree or disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
I like working with my coach.	1	2	3	4	5
My coach challenges or pushes me to perform better at my job.	1	2	3	4	5
The VIQI intervention matches the priorities of my center.	1	2	3	4	5

For the following three items, please select the response that best fills in the blank based on your experience with the VIQI intervention. Then, please write down why you chose that response.

The VIQI curriculum, training and coaching are _____________ for my skills and teaching practice.
1	2	3	4	5
not at all beneficial	slightly beneficial	somewhat beneficial	very beneficial	extremely beneficial
Why?
The VIQI curriculum is _____________ for me to implement in my classroom.
1	2	3	4	5
very difficult	difficult	neither easy or hard	easy	very easy
Why?
The VIQI curriculum is _____________ for the children in my classroom.
1	2	3	4	5
not at all beneficial	slightly beneficial	somewhat beneficial	very beneficial	extremely beneficial
Why?

7. Teaching and Learning

34. 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

34. 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 and 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

34. 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 and 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

34. 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 and 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

34. 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 and 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

34. 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 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 children’s 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 in ECE classrooms 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.

34. 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.

[THE FOLLOWING ITEM IS FOR CONTROL TEACHERS ONLY]

34. Has your center or classroom adopted a new curriculum in the past year?

By curriculum, we mean an organized framework that lists goals for children’s learning and growth, learning activities and experiences to achieve those goals, what teachers can do to help children achieve those goals, and materials needed.

1	Yes  GO TO ITEM 42
2	No  GO TO ITEM 43

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

[ALTERNATIVE WORDING FOR INTERVENTION TEACHERS:]

Thinking about the VIQI curriculum, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

	Strongly disagree					Strongly agree
Our leadership is committed to the new curriculum.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Leaders ensure teachers have the materials they need to successfully implement the new curriculum.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Leaders ensure teachers receive the professional development needed to successfully implement the new curriculum.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Our leadership encouraged all teaching staff to embrace the new curriculum.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Leaders at this center have not been personally involved with the implementation of the new curriculum.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Leaders at this center believe this new curriculum is important.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Leaders at this center are open to feedback and concerns about the new curriculum.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
I don’t think the leaders at this center really even want the new curriculum implemented.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Our leadership has put all their support behind this change in curriculum.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

JOB EXPERIENCES

34. This next set of questions is used to assess how staff members feel about their job and their reactions to work. Please read each statement carefully and decide if you ever feel this way about your job.

	Never	A few times a year or less	Once a month or less	A few times a month	Once a week	A few times a week	Every day
I feel emotionally drained from my work.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
I feel used up at the end of the workday.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
I feel fatigued when I get up in the morning and have to face another day on the job.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Working with people all day is really a strain for me.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
I feel burned out from my work.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
I feel frustrated by my job.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
I feel I’m working too hard on my job.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Working with people directly puts too much stress on me.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
I feel like I’m at the end of my rope.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Source: Maslach, 1997

34. How long do you plan to remain in teaching?

1	As long as I’m able
2	Until I am eligible for retirement benefits from this job
3	Until I am eligible for retirement benefits from another job
4	Until I am eligible for Social Security benefits
5	Until a specific life event occurs (e.g., parenthood, marriage)
6	Until a more desirable job opportunity comes along
7	Definitely plan to leave as soon as I can
8	Undecided at this time

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2011-2012

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.

34. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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

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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

34. 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 and beliefs.

34. 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.

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

CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY

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

34. 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

34. 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

34. 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

34. 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.

34. 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!

Communication to Participants Regarding Survey and Honorarium

Overview: The follow-up 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 follow-up:

• Brief reminder about the study 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 their center or them as a thank you for their time

• [if necessary] Reminder about future data collections

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