Time use survey advance letter and follow-up letter

ATTACHMENT j

TIME USE SURVEY ADVANCE LETTER AND FOLLOW-UP LETTER

This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.

Annalee Kelly Survey Director

P.O. Box 2393 Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 Telephone (609) 799-3535 Fax (609) 799-0005 www.mathematica-mpr.com

ECE-ICHQ-

DATE

Dear [TEACHER]:

I am writing to request your help on an important research study about early childhood care and education (ECE). As you know, high quality ECE builds a strong foundation of emotional, social, language, and cognitive skills that are essential for children’s future success. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families has partnered with Mathematica Policy Research, an independent policy research organization, to conduct a study of how centers use their resources to maximize the quality of ECE. When the study is complete, we hope the findings will help centers of all types make decisions about using resources to support quality. The findings will also help state and national administrators and policymakers understand how to best invest resources to promote the highest quality ECE.

This fall, we will ask teachers and administrators from 50 early childhood programs to take part in this study by filling out a short Time Use Survey. The survey will help us learn how staff spend their time. It asks questions about how much time staff spend on various tasks, including teaching, working with families, staff development, communication activities, and management tasks.

We are excited about the study and hope you will be too. As one of only a small number of caregivers taking part, your help is vital to the study’s success.

The Time Use Survey should only take about 15 minutes to finish. As a thank you, we will send you a $10 gift card once you complete the survey. For your convenience, the survey is accessible on the web. If you prefer to fill out these forms on paper, you may request paper copies from our staff when they visit your center.

Participation is voluntary. If you choose to take part in the study but later decide you want to leave the study that is okay. All information you provide will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. Only selected members of the study team will see your responses. The study will not identify individuals or centers in any of its reports.

If you choose to fill out the Time Use Survey online, please use the log-in ID and password below. The website, your log-in ID and the password are secure and should not be shared with anyone.

We have enclosed a list of frequently asked questions and Mathematica staff will be happy to answer any other questions about the study and to assist you in any way you need. You can contact us toll-free at XXX-XXX-XXXX or email us at [STUDY EMAIL].

Thank you in advance for your help with this important study.

Sincerely,

Annalee Kelly

Survey Director

We encourage you to complete the survey online at:

http://xxx.org

LOG-IN ID: «WebUserName»

PASSWORD: «WebPassword»

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The referenced collection of information is voluntary. 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 control number for this collection is XXXX-XXXX and it expires XX/XX/XXXX. The time required to complete this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: Mathematica Policy Research, 1100 1st Street, NE, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20002, Attention: Gretchen Kirby.

Frequently asked questions about the Time-use Survey of the Assessing the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) study

• Q: What if none of the roles listed in question A1a matches my role at the center?

We understand staff sometimes fill multiple roles at a center. If none of the listed roles match perfectly, please select the role that you spend most of your time doing.

• Q: Should I count hours I spend working outside of the center?

We are interested in the time you spend on tasks regardless of where you do the work. However, we do want to make a distinction between paid and unpaid work hours. In sections A4 and A5, please only count the hours for which you are paid to work

• Q: How do I calculate hours for tasks that I do on an ongoing basis?

For tasks that you do frequently throughout a typical day, please think about how many times you do it each day and about how long it takes each time you do it. You may use this daily estimate to produce a weekly estimate by multiplying by the number of days you work per week.

• Q: How do I calculate hours when I am doing more than one task at the same time?

If you are doing more than one task at a time, please count hours for the task that was your primary responsibility at the time.

• Q: How do I calculate hours for the past year if my center is not open year-round?

Please provide information based on the months the center was open. For example, if the center is open for nine months of the year, please report the hours you spent on activities during those nine months.

Annalee Kelly Survey Director

P.O. Box 2393 Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 Telephone (609) 799-3535 Fax (609) 799-0005 www.mathematica-mpr.com

DATE

Dear [TEACHER]:

Thank you for taking part in the Assessing the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) study. This study aims to help centers, administrators, and policymakers understand how to best invest resources to promote the highest quality early childhood care and education (ECE). It is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. Mathematica Policy Research, an independent research firm, is conducting the study.

A few weeks ago, you were invited to fill out a short Time Use Survey. The survey asks questions about time staff spend on various tasks. It should only take about 15 minutes to complete.

We encourage you to complete the survey online at:

http://xxx.org

LOG-IN ID: «WebUserName»

PASSWORD: «WebPassword»

As a thank you, we will send you a $10 gift card once you complete the survey. If you have questions about the study or if you prefer to fill out the survey on paper, please call us toll-free at XXX-XXX-XXXX or email us at [STUDY EMAIL].

Thank you in advance for your help with this important study.

Sincerely,

Annalee Kelly

Survey Director

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The referenced collection of information is voluntary. 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 control number for this collection is XXXX-XXXX and it expires XX/XX/XXXX. The time required to complete this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: Mathematica Policy Research, 1100 1st Street, NE, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20002, Attention: Gretchen Kirby.