NIES Cognitive Study for 2009 Questionnaires

NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION STUDY

SCHOOL GRADES 4 & 8

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control numbers for this information collection are 1850-0803. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4537. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: NCES, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006-5651.

A project of the Institute of Education Sciences, sponsored by the Office of Indian Education, Undersecretary of Education. While your participation is voluntary, your cooperation is needed to make the results of the survey comprehensive, accurate, and timely. The information you provide is being collected for research purposes only and will be kept strictly confidential.

OMB No. 1850-0803 Approval Expires:

1. What is your professional position (title) at this school?

_____________________________________________________________________

2. Counting this year, how many years have you held this position at this school? If less than 1 year total, enter “01.”

 Years

3. Counting this year, how many years has the current principal or head of school held his/her position at this school? If less than 1 year total, enter “01.” (If you are the current principal or head of school, this answer will be the same as the answer to Q2.)

 Years

4. Which of the following describes your school? Fill in all ovals that apply.

1. Regular public school

2. Charter public school

3. Alternative school

4. Bureau of Indian Education school

5. Tribal contract/grant school

6. Other nonpublic school

5. How many American Indian and/or Alaska Native students are enrolled at your school?

, students

6. Do you have access to information about the specific sources of funding that are provided to your school program?

1. Yes → Go to Question 7.

2. No → Skip to Question 8.

7. For this school year, has funding from any of the following sources been used to provide educational services and support for American Indian or Alaska Native students? Some of the sources are designated specifically for American Indian or Alaska Native education while others are intended for broader use. Fill in one oval on each line.

		Yes	No	I don’t know
a.	Title I funds (Compensatory Education)	A	B	C
b.	Title II funds (Professional Development)	A	B	C
c.	Title III or other bilingual or ESL/ELL funds	A	B	C
d.	Title VII, Indian Education Formula Grant	A	B	C
e.	Title VII, Discretionary Grant under Indian Education	A	B	C
f.	Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds	A	B	C
g.	Impact Aid Program	A	B	C
h.	Johnson-O’Malley Grant	A	B	C
i.	Alaska Native Education Programs	A	B	C
j.	Tribal or Village funds	A	B	C
k.	Other funding sources related to American Indian or Alaska Native education (e.g., grants, donations, tuition, etc.)	A	B	C

8. What are the main ways in which the families of your students, or members of your local community, are involved with your school?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. What are the main ways in which the families of your students, or members of your local community, are involved with your school?

		Yes	No
a.	Participate in parent-teacher organizations	A	B
b.	Participate in open houses or back-to-school nights	A	B
c.	Participate in parent-teacher conferences	A	B
d.	Are involved in making school curriculum decisions	A	B
e.	Participate in volunteer programs	A	B
f.	Other (please specify) _______________________________________________________

10. In a typical school year, how many times has an official representative of the American Indian or Alaska Native community done the following:

		Never	1-2 times	3 or more times	I don’t know
a.	Met with school officials on education issues	A	B	C	D
b.	Attended meetings with school personnel with or on behalf of (other) parents	A	B	C	D

10. In a typical school year, how many times has a member of the American Indian or Alaska Native community done the following:

		Never	1-2 times	3 or more times	I don’t know
a.	Visited the school to discuss education issues with students and staff	A	B	C	D
b.	Visited the school to share American Indian or Alaska Native traditions and culture with students and staff	A	B	C	D
c.	Participated in Indian Education Parent Groups	A	B	C	D

10. Does your school offer students a program or course that focuses on American Indian or Alaska Native cultures?

1. Yes → Go to Question 13.

2. No → Skip to Question 15.

10. Is this program or course offered for the entire school year, or for only part of the year?

1. Entire school year

2. Part of the school year

14. Do all the students for whom this course was intended participate at your school attend this class, or only some of them?

1. All of the intended students

2. Some of the intended students

15. Do students in your school receive instruction about American Indian or Alaska Native cultures in any of the following areas? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Yes	No
a.	Oral language	A	B
b.	Written language	A	B
c.	History of their tribe or cultural group	A	B
d.	Culture and traditions	A	B
e.	Arts, crafts, music, or dance	A	B
f.	Tribal or village government	A	B
g.	Current events and issues important to their tribe or cultural group	A	B

16. To what extent are books and materials on American Indian or Alaska Native subjects available in the school library?

1. Not at all

2. Small extent

3. Moderate extent

4. Large extent

16. How much influence does each of the following standards have on your school’s reading/language arts curriculum? Fill in one oval on each line.

		No influence	A little influence	Some influence	A lot of influence	Unaware of standards
a.	State content standards for reading/language arts	A	B	C	D	E
b.	District content standards for reading/language arts	A	B	C	D	E
c.	American Indian or Alaska Native content or cultural standards	A	B	C	D	E
d.	Standards developed by national professional organizations	A	B	C	D	E

18. How much influence does each of the following standards have on your school’s mathematics curriculum? Fill in one oval on each line.

		No influence	A little influence	Some influence	A lot of influence	Unaware of standards
a.	State content standards for mathematics	A	B	C	D	E
b.	District content standards for mathematics	A	B	C	D	E
c.	American Indian or Alaska Native content or cultural standards	A	B	C	D	E
d.	Standards developed by national professional organizations	A	B	C	D	E

18. Considering all of the students in your school, how often is each of the following a problem in your school? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not at all	Sometimes	Often	Every day
a.	Student absenteeism	A	B	C	D
b.	Student tardiness	A	B	C	D
c.	Student health problems	A	B	C	D
d.	Lack of family involvement	A	B	C	D
e.	Student misbehavior in class	A	B	C	D
f.	Physical conflicts among students	A	B	C	D
g.	Drug or alcohol use by students	A	B	C	D
h.	Low student aspirations	A	B	C	D
i.	Low teacher expectations	A	B	C	D

18. Which of the following types of student and family services are offered at your school on a regular basis? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Offered	Not Offered
a.	Health services for students	A	B
b.	Health services for families	A	B
c.	Social or counseling services for students	A	B
d.	Social or counseling services for families	A	B
e.	Adult education programs for young adults	A	B
f.	Adult education programs for all ages	A	B

18. In a typical school year, how often does your school provide each of the following opportunities for communication between school and families? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Never	1 or 2 times	3 or 4 times	5 or more times
a.	Teacher/family conferences (individual or group)	A	B	C	D
b.	Information sent home about school such as expectations, procedures, calendars of events, etc.	A	B	C	D
c.	Written reports (report cards) of child’s performance sent home	A	B	C	D
d.	Events at school in which families are invited to participate	A	B	C	D
e.	Opportunities to participate in formulation of school policies and improvement plans	A	B	C	D
f.	Opportunities to share American Indian or Alaska Native histories and traditions as part of the instructional program	A	B	C	D

18. About what percentage of students who were enrolled at the beginning of the school year is still enrolled at the end of the school year? (Exclude students who transfer into the school during the school year in figuring this rate.)

1. 98-100%

2. 95-97%

3. 90-94%

4. 80-89%

5. 70-79%

6. 60-69%

7. 50-59%

8. Less than 50%.

18. What percentage of teachers has been at your school for three or more years?

1. 0 %

2. 1-5%

3. 6-10%

4. 11-25%

5. 26-50%

6. 51-75%

7. 76-100%

8. I don’t know.

24. What percentage of teachers in your school is American Indian or Alaska Native?

1. 0 %

2. 1-5%

3. 6-10%

4. 11-25%

5. 26-50%

6. 51-75%

7. 76-100%

8. I don’t know.

24. Are you Hispanic or Latino?

1. Yes

2. No

26. Which of the following describe(s) you? You may fill in more than one oval.

1. White

2. Black or African American

3. Asian

4. American Indian or Alaska Native (Print the name of your American Indian tribe or Alaska Native group below. You may indicate more than one tribe or group.)

   
   

   
   

5. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

26. In the space below, please share with us your thoughts about any other important issue(s) about your students, school, or community that are related to student academic performance, student aspirations, or other educational matters.

National Indian Education Study

School Questionnaire: Grades 4 and 8

Cognitive Laboratory Protocol

Respondent ID: ____________ Interviewer: __________________ Date: ________

I. INFORMATION FOR THE INTERVIEWER

Description of the Protocol

The protocol begins with an Introduction and Practice section that is intended to:

Acquaint the respondent with the National Indian Education Study, the purpose of the questionnaire, and the reason for conducting cognitive interviews based on questionnaire items

Obtain the respondent’s consent to be interviewed, explain the reason for audio-taping the interview, and assure confidentiality

Explain and demonstrate the think aloud technique

Give the respondent opportunity to practice thinking aloud

The protocol continues with the questionnaire itself, beginning with the directions and followed by each of the questions. For the benefit of the interviewer, each question is preceded by a statement explaining its purpose. Since the intent of the interview is to determine how a question is interpreted, this statement should never be read aloud to the respondent. Each question is followed by space to record the respondent’s Think Aloud Comments: and suggested probes that can be used to elicit additional information about the respondent’s reaction to the question. The last page of the protocol contains general questions that should be asked at the end of the interview.

Suggestions for Administration

You will need the following materials:

The School Questionnaire: Grades 4 and 8

The School Questionnaire: Grades 4 and 8 Cognitive Laboratory Protocol

2 consent forms

A tape recorder

Paper and pencil

A script is provided for the Introduction and Practice section, which the interviewer should use as a model of how to proceed. The interviewer should not read the script word for word, but rather become familiar enough with its contents to be able to conduct the interview in a natural and conversational manner, paraphrasing or giving further explanation as appropriate.

After explaining the purpose of the interview, the reason for audio-taping the interview should be discussed and the respondent should be assured that his/her responses will be kept confidential. A consent form should be given to the respondent to read and sign. Collect the signed form and give the respondent another copy of the consent from to keep for her/his records. The think aloud technique should then be explained and demonstrated by the interviewer. As a model for the respondent, it will be helpful to use pencil and paper to take notes during this demonstration. The respondent should then be given pencil and paper and given the opportunity to practice thinking aloud. Allow as much practice time as necessary to make the respondent comfortable in using the think aloud technique. The Introduction and Practice section of the protocol does not need to be audio-taped.

Now proceed to The Questionnaire. Before turning on the tape recorder, remind the respondent that you will be taping the remainder of the interview. Begin by asking the respondent to read the introduction to the questionnaire aloud. Note her/his think-aloud comments and probe if appropriate. Then ask the respondent to read the directions aloud, noting his/her think-aloud comments and probing as necessary

Direct the respondent to Question 1. Ask her/him to read the question aloud and to remember to think aloud as she/he answers the question. Note the respondent’s Think Aloud Comments:, focusing on how the question is comprehended, information retrieved and synthesized, and a response produced. If the respondent is not making comments, remind her/him to think aloud. After the respondent has finished answering the question, use the suggested probes or others you have formulated to obtain information that you have not picked up from the think aloud responses. Remember, however, that the purpose of the interview is not to lead the respondent to the “correct” answer, but to determine how she/he has interpreted the question and chosen a response. Suggestions for changes in the questions such as vocabulary changes or alternatives for how the question is structured may also be solicited and should be noted. Continue this procedure for each of the questions. When the questionnaire has been completed, ask and note responses to the general questions on the last page of the protocol.

COGNITIVE LABORATORY PROTOCOL

Introduction and Practice

The following script is provided as a guide to explaining the National Indian Education Study, the purpose of the questionnaire, and the reason for carrying out cognitive interviews focused on the questionnaire items:

The National Indian Education Study is a study being conducted throughout the United States to learn more about the educational experiences of American Indian and Alaska Native students. As part of the study, questionnaires have been developed for 4^th and 8^th grade students, their teachers, and school administrators. We are in the process of trying to improve these questionnaires by using cognitive laboratory techniques. During cognitive laboratories, people answer the questions and describe what they are thinking as they figure out their answers. By studying these Think Aloud Comments:, we hope to be able to make the questions easier to understand and answer.

Ask the respondent if he/she has any questions. Then continue with a demonstration of the think aloud technique, using the following script as a guide:

Since most people are not used to thinking aloud, I’d like to demonstrate an example:

Suppose there was a question that asked: How many minutes did you talk on the telephone in the last three days? If someone asked me to think out loud while I was answering that, I would say: “At work I usually spend about 30 minutes a day on the phone. Thirty minutes times three is 90 minutes. But, today, I had a few more calls than usual, so I probably spent about an hour on the phone. That’s another 30 minutes -- so, that brings the total to 2 hours. I was also in a meeting that was a telephone conference for another hour. But that’s not really being on the phone, so I’m not going to count that. It’s not just one person talking to another -- I figure that’s not what the question is asking about. But, since I thought about it, it’s something that I should mention. [Pause to emphasize this point.] Besides business calls at work, I also make some personal calls. Yesterday I called a friend at lunch and we talked for almost my whole lunch hour. That adds another hour, which makes three hours at work. Then, I have to figure out how much I talk at home. That’s too hard to figure out, so I’m going to just kind of guess. I normally don’t talk too much at home -- maybe 15 minutes each day. Times three, that’s another 45 minutes. But, that seems kind of low, since I know I have a few long calls with a friend each week, so I’ll raise that to an hour. So, three hours at work plus another hour at home -- that’s four hours in the last three days. But the question asks about minutes. There are 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 times four is 240 minutes. So, that’s my answer…240 minutes.”

Now have the respondent practice using the same question. (Paper and pencil may be furnished if the respondent wishes to make notes while thinking aloud.) Continue practicing until the respondent seems comfortable using the think aloud technique. For extra practice, questions such as these may be used: How many different kinds of vegetables have you eaten in the past three days? How many hours of television have you watched in the past three days?

Page left blank on purpose.

The Questionnaire

Remind the respondent that you will be taping the remainder of the interview and make sure he/she consents. Then turn on the tape recorder. Hand the respondent the questionnaire. Ask him/her to read the first paragraph aloud.

National Indian Education Study

National Indian Education Study

School Questionnaire: Grades 4 and 8

While your participation is voluntary, your cooperation is needed to make the results of the survey comprehensive, accurate, and timely. All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of students, teachers, and schools may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose, unless otherwise compelled by law.

The questions in this survey are designed to gather information about schools that serve American Indian or Alaska Native students. In particular we ask about the inclusion of native languages and cultural perspectives in the curriculum and about interactions between the school and the American Indian or Alaska Native community. Obviously, schools that serve only a few American Indian or Alaska Native students may adopt different approaches than schools that serve many such students. There are no wrong answers to these questions.

Think Aloud Comments::

Probes:

Do you think this is a good way to introduce the survey?

Other Probes:

Now ask the respondent to read these directions aloud.

This questionnaire should be completed by the principal or the head of the school. Some of the questions that follow require you to fill in ovals, others ask you to fill numbers in boxes. Use only a No. 2 pencil. Keep all marks or printing within the ovals or boxes. Do not make any stray marks. When filling in numbers, please PRINT LEGIBLY.

U

Example:

150 should be written as:



0 1 5 0

sing one number per box, fill in every box.

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Were the directions clear?

Other Probes:

Proceed in the following manner for each of the 21 (???) questions that follow:

Read the purpose of the question to yourself.

Direct the respondent to read the question aloud and to remember to think aloud as he/she answers the question.

Record the respondent’s comments.

Ask probes, as appropriate, before going on to the next question.

Never probe a word or an idea until after the last time it appears in the questionnaire.

The purpose of Question 1 is to identify the respondent.

1. What is your professional position (title) at this school?

__________________________________________________________________

Think Aloud Comments::

Probes:

Is there someone else on your school staff knowledgeable about the overall functioning of your school who could answer this questionnaire?

Other Probes:

2. Counting this year, how many years have you held this position at this school? If less than 1 year total, enter “01.”

 Years

The purpose of Question 3 is to determine how long the current principal or head of the school has worked at the school.

3. Counting this year, how many years has the current principal or head of school held his/her position at this school? If less than 1 year total, enter “01.” (If you are the current principal or head of school, this answer will be the same as the answer to Q2.)

 Years

Think Aloud Comments::

Probes:

What positions did you (or the principal or head of school) hold before becoming principal at this school?

In counting time at this school, did you consider other positions you (or the current principal or head of the school) might have held at this school before becoming principal/head of school?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 4 is to identify the organizational structure under which the school operates.

4. Which of the following describes your school? Fill in all ovals that apply.

1. Regular public school

2. Charter public school

3. Alternative school

4. Bureau of Indian Education school

5. Tribal contract/grant school

6. Other nonpublic school

Think Aloud Comments::

Probes:

How confident are you of your response(s)?

Describe in your own words the governing structure under which your school operates.

Other Probes:

The purpose of Questions 5 is to record American Indian/Alaska Native enrollment on the date the questionnaire is completed.

5. How many American Indian and/or Alaska Native students are enrolled at your school?
   
   
   

, Students

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

How confident are you of your response?

If you were given this questionnaire to complete on your own, would you refer to school records before making your response?

Other Probes:

6. Do you have access to information about the specific sources of funding that are provided to your school program?

1. Yes → Go to Question 7.

2. No → Skip to Question 8.

The purpose of Question 7 is to identify sources of supplemental funding for the education of American Indian/Alaska Native students available to the school during the current school year. The question does not require that the money was actually received this year, but rather that it will be used this year.

7. For this school year, has funding from any of the following sources been used to provide educational services and support for American Indian or Alaska Native students? Some of the sources are designated specifically for American Indian or Alaska Native education while others are intended for broader use. Fill in one oval on each line.

		Yes	No	I don’t know
a.	Title I funds (Compensatory Education)	A	B	C
b.	Title II funds (Professional Development)	A	B	C
c.	Title III or other bilingual or ESL/ELL funds	A	B	C
d.	Title VII, Indian Education Formula Grant	A	B	C
e.	Title VII, Discretionary Grant under Indian Education	A	B	C
f.	Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds	A	B	C
g.	Impact Aid Program	A	B	C
h.	Johnson-O’Malley Grant	A	B	C
i.	Alaska Native Education Programs	A	B	C
j.	Tribal or Village funds	A	B	C
k.	Other funding sources related to American Indian or Alaska Native education (e.g., grants, donations, tuition, etc.)	A	B	C

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

How confident are you of your responses?

Are you familiar with all of the funding sources mentioned in the question?

Are each of these funding sources that you receive used, at least partially, to support the education of American Indian and/or Alaska Native students at your school?

Can you Please describe in your own words the sorts of supplemental funding that you receive for American Indian/Alaska Native education at your school.?

Did you include funding that was received last year, but that you used this year?

Are there any funding sources that should be added to this question?

Other Probes:

8. What are the main ways in which the families of your students, or members of your local community, are involved with your school?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. What are the main ways in which the families of your students, or members of your local community, are involved with your school?
   
   
   

		Yes	No
a.	Participate in parent-teacher organizations	A	B
b.	Participate in open houses or back-to-school nights	A	B
c.	Participate in parent-teacher conferences	A	B
d.	Are involved in making school curriculum decisions	A	B
e.	Participate in volunteer programs	A	B
f.	Other (please specify) _______________________________________________________

The purpose of Questions 10 and 11 are to identify the type and extent of American Indian/Alaska Native involvement in school decision-making and activities. If more than one tribe or village is represented in the school population, more than one tribe or village may be involved in school decision-making and activities.

10. In a typical school year, how many times has an official representative of the American Indian or Alaska Native community done the following:

		Never	1-2 times	3 or more times	I don’t know
a.	Met with school officials on education issues	A	B	C	D
b.	Attended meetings with school personnel with or on behalf of (other) parents	A	B	C	D

11. In a typical school year, how many times has a member of the American Indian or Alaska Native community done the following:

		Never	1-2 times	3 or more times	I don’t know
a.	Visited the school to discuss education issues with students and staff	A	B	C	D
b.	Visited the school to share American Indian or Alaska Native traditions and culture with students and staff	A	B	C	D
c.	Participated in Indian Education Parent Groups	A	B	C	D

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Are you able to identify individuals who are representatives from your local American Indian tribes or Alaska Native communities?

Were there any activities on this list that happened last school year, but not this school year? How did you mark those activities?

What are some of the educational issues that these representatives have discussed?

Describe the help given in the classroom or elsewhere.

What are some of the contemporary issues that have been discussed with students or staff?

Describe some of the native traditions and culture that have been shared.

Describe some of the other support activities.

For any items marked “I don’t know”: Were you unsure of whether or not there was participation in this activity? Were you unsure of the frequency of participation?

Do the American Indian or /Alaska Native students at your school belong to more than one tribe or community? Do representatives of all the tribes or communities participate in at least some of the activities referred to in this question?

Other Probes:

12. Does your school offer students a program or course that focuses on American Indian or Alaska Native cultures?

3. Yes → Go to Question 13.

4. No → Skip to Question 15.

[When you have finished probing, ask the teacher which question he/she should answer next. If the teacher answers incorrectly, note this and direct her/him to the correct question.]

13. Is this program or course offered for the entire school year, or for only part of the year?

5. Entire school year

6. Part of the school year

14. Do all the students for whom this course was intended participate at your school/ attend this class or only some of them?

7. All of the intended students

8. Some of the intended students

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

What are your reasons for choosing this answer?

Can you give some examples of how American Indian or Alaska Native culture and history is integrated into the curriculum at your school?

Who developed this curriculum?

Do the American Indian/ or Alaska Native students at your school belong to more than one tribe or community? Are all tribes or communities represented in the curriculum?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Questions 15 and 16 are to determine if American Indian or Alaska Native students receive instruction in various aspects of their native cultures and the availability of resources on American Indian and Alaska Native subjects.

15. Do students in your school receive instruction about American Indian or Alaska Native cultures in any of the following areas? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Yes	No
a.	Oral language	A	B
b.	Written language	A	B
c.	History of their tribe or cultural group	A	B
d.	Culture and traditions	A	B
e.	Arts, crafts, music, or dance	A	B
f.	Tribal or village government	A	B
g.	Current events and issues important to their tribe or cultural group	A	B

16. To what extent are books and materials on American Indian or Alaska Native subjects available in the school library?

9. Not at all

10. Small extent

11. Moderate extent

12. Large extent

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Tell me about activities at your school in each of these areas.

Is instruction delivered as part of the general curriculum, or as enrichment activities geared to individual students?

Do the American Indian or Alaska Native students at your school belong to more than one tribe or community?

Are specific, culturally-relevant activities provided for American Indian or Alaska Native students of all backgrounds?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 17 is to determine the influence of various types of standards on the school’s reading/language arts curriculum. Not all types of standards may be available at a given school.

17. How much influence does each of the following standards have on your school’s reading/language arts curriculum? Fill in one oval on each line.

		No influence	A little influence	Some influence	A lot of influence	Unaware of standards
a.	State content standards for reading/language arts	A	B	C	D	E
b.	District content standards for reading/language arts	A	B	C	D	E
c.	American Indian or Alaska Native content or cultural standards	A	B	C	D	E
d.	Standards developed by national professional organizations	A	B	C	D	E

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Explain how you chose your answers.

Describe the reading/language arts standards that are implemented at your school.

How are these standards implemented?

Do you know of any American Indian or Alaska Native content or cultural standards relevant to reading/language arts that have been developed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs?

Do you know of any American Indian or Alaska Native content or cultural standards relevant to reading/language arts that have been developed by state or local groups?

How do you think American Indian or Alaska Native cultural standards might influence reading/language arts instruction?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 18 is to determine the influence of various types of standards on the school’s mathematics curriculum. Not all types of standards may be available at a given school.

18. How much influence does each of the following standards have on your school’s mathematics curriculum? Fill in one oval on each line.

		No influence	A little influence	Some influence	A lot of influence	Unaware of standards
a.	State content standards for mathematics	A	B	C	D	E
b.	District content standards for mathematics	A	B	C	D	E
c.	American Indian or Alaska Native content or cultural standards	A	B	C	D	E
d.	Standards developed by national professional organizations	A	B	C	D	E

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Explain how you chose your answers.

Describe the mathematics standards that are implemented at your school.

How are these standards implemented?

Do you know of any American Indian or Alaska Native content or cultural standards relevant to mathematics that have been developed by the Bureau of Indian Education?

Do you know of any American Indian or Alaska Native content or cultural standards relevant to mathematics that have been developed by state or local groups?

How do you think American Indian or Alaska Native cultural standards might influence mathematics instruction?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 19 is to determine the degree to which the respondent considers that various problems exist at his/her school. Answers should reflect the student population as a whole, not just American Indian and Alaska Native students.

19. Considering all of the students in your school, how often is each of the following a problem in your school? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not a problem Not at all	Minor problem Sometimes	Moderate problem Often	Serious problem Every day
a.	Student absenteeism	A	B	C	D
b.	Student tardiness	A	B	C	D
c.	Student health problems	A	B	C	D
d.	Lack of family involvement	A	B	C	D
e.	Student misbehavior in class	A	B	C	D
f.	Physical conflicts among students	A	B	C	D
g.	Drug or alcohol use by students	A	B	C	D
h.	Low expectations student aspirations	A	B	C	D
i	Low teacher expectations	A	B	C	D

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Explain how you chose your answers.

In answering the items in the question, did you consider the entire student body, not just American Indian and Alaska Native students?

For any issue often considered a moderate or serious problem a problem or considered a problem every day: Tell me more about how this issue impacts your school.

Are there any issues you would like to see added to this list?

Other Probes:

20. Which of the following types of student and family services are offered at your school on a regular basis? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Offered	Not Offered
a.	Health services for students	A	B
b.	Health services for families	A	B
c.	Social or counseling services for students	A	B
d.	Social or counseling services for families	A	B
e.	Adult education programs for young adults	A	B
f.	Adult education programs for all ages	A	B

The purpose of Question 21 is to determine which types of enrichment programs are offered by the respondent’s school. The last two subquestions reflect activities that are specific to American Indian/Alaska Native students.

21. In a typical school year, how often does your school provide each of the following opportunities for communication between school and families? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Never	1 or 2 times	3 or 4 times	5 or more times
a.	Teacher/family conferences (individual or group)	A	B	C	D
b.	Information sent home about school such as expectations, procedures, calendars of events, etc.	A	B	C	D
c.	Written reports (report cards) of child’s performance sent home	A	B	C	D
d.	Events at school in which families are invited to participate	A	B	C	D
e.	Opportunities to participate in formulation of school policies and improvement plans	A	B	C	D
f.	Opportunities to share American Indian or Alaska Native histories and traditions as part of the instructional program	A	B	C	D

22. About what percentage of students who were enrolled at the beginning of the school year is still enrolled at the end of the school year? (Exclude students who transfer into the school during the school year in figuring this rate.)

13. 98-100%

14. 95-97%

15. 90-94%

16. 80-89%

17. 70-79%

18. 60-69%

19. 50-59%

20. Less than 50%.

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

For each program and service offered by the school: Is this program/service available to all students? Or only to some?

Are there programs and services like this that are sponsored by groups other than your school or school district? Were you thinking of these when you answered the question?

How would you define an enrichment program?

How does an enrichment program differ from academic tutoring?

Can you suggest any categories that should be added?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 23 is to determine the percentage of teachers who have been at the school for three years or more.

23. What percentage of teachers has been at your school for three or more years?

21. 0 %

22. 1-5%

23. 6-10%

24. 11-25%

25. 26-50%

26. 51-75%

27. 76-100%

28. I don’t know.

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

How confident are you of your estimates?

If you were given this questionnaire to complete on your own, would you refer to school records before making your response?

Who did you include as school staff?

Other Probes:

24. What percentage of teachers in your school is American Indian or Alaska Native teachers?
    
    
    

29. 0 %

30. 1-5%

31. 6-10%

32. 11-25%

33. 26-50%

34. 51-75%

35. 76-100%

36. I don’t know.

The purpose of Question 25 is to determine how long the current principal or head of the school has worked at the school.

25. Counting this year, how many years has the current principal or head of school worked at this school? If less than 4 months total at this school, enter “00.”

 Years

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

What positions did you (or the principal or head of school) hold before becoming principal at this school?

In counting time at this school, did you consider other positions you (or the current principal or head of the school) might have held at this school before becoming principal/head of school?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 26 is to determine the percentage of teachers who have been at the school for three years or more.

26. What percentage of teachers in your school has been at your school for three or more years?

37. 0%

38. 1-5%

39. 6-10%

40. 11-25%

41. 26-50%

42. 51-75%

43. 76-100%

44. I don’t know.

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

How confident are you of your estimates?

If you were given this questionnaire to complete on your own, would you refer to school records before making your response?

Who did you include as school staff?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Questions 27 and 28 is to determine the ethnic and racial identity of the respondent. Let the respondent answer both questions before probing.

27. Are you Hispanic or Latino?

45. Yes

46. No

28. Which of the following best describe you? Fill in one or more ovals

47. White

48. Black or African American

49. Asian

50. American Indian or Alaska Native (Print the name of your tribe or cultural group below)

51. _________________________________________________________________

52. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

How confident are you of your responses?

What is your understanding of the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino”?

Did you understand that you could choose more than one response?

If the respondent indicated that they were American Indian or Alaska Native but did not give the name of their tribe or cultural group, ask their reason for not doing so.

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 29 is to give the respondent the opportunity to add further information or comments.

29. In the space below, please share with us your thoughts about any other important issue(s) about your students, school, or community that are related to student academic performance, student aspirations, or other educational matters.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION

It is not necessary to probe the respondent’s comments. Collect the questionnaire and explain to the respondent that you would like to ask some general questions about the questionnaire. Then ask and note responses to the questions on the following page. At the end of the interview, thank the respondent for his/her help.

General Questions:

If you were not making comments and answering my extra questions, about how long do you estimate it would take you to fill out this questionnaire?

Would you need to get information and assistance from other people in order to answer the questions? Who would you need to consult?

Did the terminology used in the questionnaire items seem appropriate?

Are there other items you would like to see included in this questionnaire?