NIES Cognitive Study for 2009 Questionnaires

NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION STUDY

TEACHER GRADE 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. Counting this year, how many years have you taught at this school? If less than 1 year total at this school, enter “01.”

 Years

2. To what extent have you acquired knowledge, skills, and information specific to teaching American Indian or Alaska Native students from each of the following sources? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent
a.	Independent reading and study	A	B	C	D
b.	Living and working in an American Indian or Alaska Native community	A	B	C	D
c.	Locally sponsored American Indian or Alaska Native cultural orientation program	A	B	C	D
d.	Your own personal or family background and experiences	A	B	C	D

3. To what extent have you acquired knowledge, skills, and information specific to teaching American Indian or Alaska Native students from each of the following types of classes? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent
a.	College courses, or other classes or workshops with a focus on teaching American Indian or Alaska Native students	A	B	C	D
b.	College courses, or other classes or workshops with a general focus on different cultures or diversity	A	B	C	D

4. Below is a list of resources that may be consulted by teachers to help them improve the academic performance of their students. During the last two years, how many times have you consulted each of the following specifically to help you improve the academic performance of your American Indian or Alaska Native students? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Never	1 or 2 times	3 or 4 times	5 or more times
a.	Online web sites or databases	A	B	C	D
b.	Articles in professional journals	A	B	C	D
c.	Local libraries or cultural centers	A	B	C	D
d.	Consultation with elders or other local experts	A	B	C	D
e.	Consultation with other teachers in your school	A	B	C	D

5. During the last two years, how many times have you attended in-service classes and workshops to help you improve the academic performance of your American Indian or Alaska Native students?

a. Never

b. 1 or 2 times

c. 3 or 4 times

d. 5 or more times

6. If you have attended in-service classes and workshops during the last two years, who provided them? Fill in all that apply.

a. State

b. District

c. Tribal education department

d. Indian education professional associations

e. Other

7. To what extent do you speak any of the native languages spoken by American Indian or Alaska Native students who attend this school? (If you know more than one of these languages, answer for the one you know best.)

a. No knowledge or skill (non speaker)

b. Minimal functional or communicative ability (ability to use some words or phrases)

c. Moderate communicative ability (can express some ideas and communicate in some situations, but limited and cannot always express ideas)

d. Fluent speaker (native-like proficiency in the language)

e. Fluent native speaker

8. Have you received any of the following forms of preparation for teaching students whose first language is not English (sometimes called Limited English Proficiency [LEP] students or English Language Learner [ELL] students)? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Yes	No
a.	An undergraduate or graduate major, minor, or special emphasis in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), English Language Development (ELD), or Bilingual Education	A	B
b.	At least one college-level course on how to teach students whose first language is not English (but not a major, minor, or special emphasis)	A	B
c.	Any other training or professional development on how to teach students whose first language is not English	A	B

9. To what extent do you use the following both to assess student progress and to plan appropriate instruction? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent
a.	State assessments	A	B	C	D
b.	District assessments
c.	Assessments developed by American Indian or Alaska Native groups	A	B	C	D
d.	Tests supplied by textbook publishers (e.g., end of unit or chapter tests)	A	B	C	D
e.	Teacher-made tests or quizzes	A	B	C	D
f	Oral responses of students during class discussions	A	B	C	D
g.	Performance-based assessments such as student demonstrations or individual or group projects	A	B	C	D

10. Do you teach reading/language arts to grade 8 students?

a. Yes  Go to Question 9.

b. No  Skip to Question 17.

11. On average, how many students are American Indian or Alaska Native in each of your reading/language arts classes?

a. Few (less than 5)

b. Several, but less than half the class

c. At least half the class, but not every student

d. The whole class

e. I don’t know

12. To what extent do you integrate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and history into your reading/language arts curriculum?

a. Never

b. At least once a grading period

c. At least once a month

d. At least once a week

e. Almost every day

13. To what extent do you integrate lessons and materials about contemporary issues affecting American Indian or Alaska Native people and communities into your reading/language arts curriculum?

a. Never

b. At least once a grading period

c. At least once a month

d. At least once a week

e. Almost every day

14. To what extent do you use your students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) when you teach reading/language arts?

a. Instruction is entirely in English.

b. Instruction is primarily in English, but words or phrases from the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) are included occasionally.

c. Instruction is primarily in English, but words or phrases from the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) are included frequently.

d. Instruction is primarily in the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s).

15. How often do you have students do each of the following reading/language arts activities? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Never	At least once a grading period	At least once a month	At least once a week	Almost every day
a.	Read literature with American Indian or Alaska Native themes	A	B	C	D	E
b	Read literature written by American Indian or Alaska Native authors	A	B	C	D	E
c.	Read about, or discuss, contemporary issues of concern to the American Indian or Alaska Native community	A	B	C	D	E
d.	Write about experiences or issues of American Indian or Alaska Native people	A	B	C	D	E
e.	Write about their own experiences as an American Indian or Alaska Native person	A	B	C	D	E

16. How much do you rely on each of the following documents in planning reading/language arts lessons? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not aware of any	Not at all	A little	Some	A lot
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

17. Do you teach mathematics to grade 8 students?

a. Yes → Go to Question 18.

b. No → Skip to Question 24.

18. On average, how many students are American Indian or Alaska Native in each of your mathematics classes?

a. Few (less than 5)

b. Several, but less than half the class

c. At least half the class, but not every student

d. The whole class

e. I don’t know.

19. To what extent do you integrate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and history into your mathematics curriculum?

a. Never

b. At least once a grading period

c. At least once a month

d. At least once a week

e. Almost every day

20. To what extent do you integrate lessons and materials about contemporary issues affecting American Indian or Alaska Native people and communities into your mathematics curriculum?

a. Never

b. At least once a grading period

c. At least once a month

d. At least once a week

e. Almost every day

21. To what extent do you use your students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) when you teach mathematics?

a. Instruction is entirely in English.

b. Instruction is primarily in English, but words or phrases from the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) are included occasionally.

c. Instruction is primarily in English, but words or phrases from the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) are included frequently.

d. Instruction is primarily in the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s).

22. How often do you have students do each of the following mathematics activities? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Never	At least once a grading period	At least once a month	At least once a week	Almost every day
a.	Solve mathematics problems that reflect situations found in American Indian or Alaska Native communities	A	B	C	D	E
b.	Participate in activities that integrate mathematics with American Indian or Alaska Native themes (for example, use traditional symbols and designs to teach geometric concepts)	A	B	C	D	E
c.	Study traditional American Indian or Alaska Native mathematics (for example, American Indian or Alaska Native systems of counting, estimating, recording quantities, etc.)	A	B	C	D	E
d.	Study mathematics within traditional American Indian or Alaska Native contexts (for example, American Indian or Alaska Native systems of astronomy, physics, etc.)	A	B	C	D	E

23. How much do you rely on each of the following documents in planning mathematics lessons? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not aware of any	Not at all	A little	Some	A lot
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 (e.g., NCTM)	A	B	C	D	E

24. What have you found to be effective teaching and learning strategies for use with American Indian or Alaska Native students?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

25. If you identify yourself as a member of or if you are affiliated with an American Indian tribe or Alaska Native group, please print the name of that tribe or group below. If you align with more than one tribe or group, you can include all names.

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

Teacher Questionnaire: Grade 8

Cognitive Laboratory Protocol

Teacher ID: ____________ Interviewer: __________________ Date: ________

1. INFORMATION FOR THE INTERVIEWER

Description of the Protocol

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

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

• Obtain the teacher’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 teacher 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 teacher. Each question is followed by space to record the teacher’s think aloud comments and suggested probes that can be used to elicit additional information about the teacher’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 Teacher Questionnaire: Grade 8

• The Teacher Questionnaire: Grade 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 teacher should be assured that his/her responses will be kept confidential. A consent form should be given to the teacher to read and sign. Collect the signed form and give the teacher 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 teacher, it will be helpful to use pencil and paper to take notes during this demonstration. The teacher 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 teacher 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 teacher that you will be taping the remainder of the interview. Begin by asking the teacher to read the introduction to the questionnaire aloud. Note her/his think-aloud comments and probe if appropriate. Then ask the teacher to read the directions aloud, noting his/her think-aloud comments and probing as necessary

Direct the teacher 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 teacher’s think aloud comments, focusing on how the question is comprehended, information retrieved and synthesized, and a response produced. If the teacher is not making comments, remind her/him to think aloud. After the teacher 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 teacher 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.

2. 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 teacher 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 teacher practice using the same question. (Paper and pencil may be furnished if the teacher wishes to make notes while thinking aloud.) Continue practicing until the teacher 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 teacher that you will be taping the remainder of the interview and make sure she/he consents. Then turn on the tape recorder. Hand the teacher the questionnaire. Ask him/her to read the first paragraph aloud.

National Indian Education Study

Teacher Questionnaire: Grade 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 the classroom experiences of American Indian and Alaska Native students. In particular we ask about the inclusion of native languages and cultural perspectives in the curriculum. Obviously, teachers who have only a few American Indian or Alaska Native students in their classes may adopt different teaching strategies than teachers who have 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 teacher to read the directions aloud.

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:

5 should be written as:



0 5

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 20 questions that follow:

• Read the purpose of the question to yourself.

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

• Record the teacher’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 determine the number of years the teacher has taught at this school.

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

 Years

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

How confident are you of your response?

Did you include any experience as a student teacher or paraprofessional?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Questions 2 and 3 is to determine the extent to which different types of resources have been helpful in providing the teacher with knowledge, skills, and information specific to teaching American Indian and Alaska Native students.

2. To what extent have you acquired knowledge, skills, and information specific to teaching American Indian or Alaska Native students from each of the following sources? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent
a.	Independent reading and study	A	B	C	D
b.	Living and working in an American Indian or Alaska Native community	A	B	C	D
c.	Locally sponsored American Indian or Alaska Native cultural orientation program	A	B	C	D
d.	Your own personal or family background and experiences	A	B	C	D

3. To what extent have you acquired knowledge, skills, and information specific to teaching American Indian or Alaska Native students from each of the following types of classes? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent
a.	College courses, or other classes or workshops with a focus on teaching American Indian or Alaska Native students	A	B	C	D
b.	College courses, or other classes or workshops with a general focus on different cultures or diversity	A	B	C	D

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

For any category the teacher marked “moderate extent” or “large extent”: Can you tell me more about how this prepared you to teach American Indian or Alaska Native students?

What do you think is meant by “Locally sponsored American Indian or Alaska Native cultural orientation program?”

Is there anything not on this list that has been particularly helpful in preparing you to teach American Indian or Alaska Native students? Please describe.

Other Probes:

The purpose of Questions 4, 5, and 6 is to determine the frequency, during the past two school years, with which the teacher used a variety of sources to obtain information or resources for improving the academic performance of American Indian or Alaska Native students.

4. Below is a list of resources that may be consulted by teachers to help them improve the academic performance of their students. During the last two years, how many times have you consulted each of the following specifically to help you improve the academic performance of your American Indian or Alaska Native students? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Never	1 or 2 times	3 or 4 times	5 or more times
a.	Online web sites or databases	A	B	C	D
b.	Articles in professional journals	A	B	C	D
c.	Local libraries or cultural centers	A	B	C	D
d.	Consultation with elders or other local experts	A	B	C	D
e.	Consultation with other teachers in your school	A	B	C	D

5. During the last two years, how many times have you attended in-service classes and workshops to help you improve the academic performance of your American Indian or Alaska Native students?

a. Never

b. 1 or 2 times

c. 3 or 4 times

d. 5 or more times

6. If you have attended in-service classes and workshops during the last two years, who provided them? Fill in all that apply.

a. State

b. District

c. Tribal education department

d. Indian education professional associations

e. Other

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

How did you decide on your answers?

Describe the information or resources you have used during this school year for improving the academic performance of American Indian or Alaska Native students. When was the last time you used each of these?

Were you looking specifically for resources or information use with American Indian or Alaska Native students, or more generally to benefit other students as well?

Can you give some specific examples of how you put this information or these resources to use?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 7 is to determine the teacher’s fluency with the American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) spoken by his/her students.

7. To what extent do you speak any of the native languages spoken by American Indian or Alaska Native students who attend this school? (If you know more than one of these languages, answer for the one you know best.)

1. No knowledge or skill (non speaker)

2. Minimal functional or communicative ability (ability to use some words or phrases)

3. Moderate communicative ability (can express some ideas and communicate in some situations, but limited and cannot always express ideas)

4. Fluent speaker (native-like proficiency in the language)

5. Fluent native speaker

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

What are the tribal or village languages spoken by the American Indian or Alaska Native students at your school?

Do you speak these languages? Do you understand these languages, even if you don’t speak them?

Do you speak any American Indian or Alaska Native languages other than the ones spoken by students at your school? If so, were you considering these languages when you answered the question?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 8 is to determine what training the teacher has received for teaching English language learners.

8. Have you received any of the following forms of preparation for teaching students whose first language is not English (sometimes called Limited English Proficiency [LEP] students or English Language Learner [ELL] students)? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Yes	No
a.	An undergraduate or graduate major, minor, or special emphasis in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), English Language Development (ELD), or Bilingual Education	A	B
b.	At least one college-level course on how to teach students whose first language is not English (but not a major, minor, or special emphasis)	A	B
c.	Any other training or professional development on how to teach students whose first language is not English	A	B

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Describe the college course work you have taken in English Language Development or Bilingual Education.

Can you describe the training or professional development you have had in how to teach English language learners that was not part of a college program?

Are there any other types of preparation you have had to teach English language learners?

Are there any other examples of preparation that should be added to this question?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 9 is to determine the extent to which the teacher uses various types of assessments to evaluate progress and plan appropriate instruction.

9. To what extent do you use the following both to assess student progress and to plan appropriate instruction? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent
a.	State assessments	A	B	C	D
b.	District assessments
c.	Assessments developed by American Indian or Alaska Native groups	A	B	C	D
d.	Tests supplied by textbook publishers (e.g., end of unit or chapter tests)	A	B	C	D
e.	Teacher-made tests or quizzes	A	B	C	D
f.	Oral responses of students during class discussions	A	B	C	D
g.	Performance-based assessments such as student demonstrations or individual or group projects	A	B	C	D

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

How did you decide on your answers?

Describe the assessments you most often use to assess progress and plan instruction for your students.

Can you give some examples of how you use these assessments to plan instruction?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 10 is to determine if the teacher teaches reading or language arts to grade 8 students. The teacher is directed to the next question to be answered based on her/his response.

10. Do you teach reading/language arts to grade 8 students?

6. Yes  Go to Question 11.

7. No  Skip to Question 17.

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Why did you choose this answer?

Other Probes:

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 next question.

The purpose of Question 11 is to determine the number of American Indian or Alaska Native students among all students for whom the teacher provides instruction in reading/language arts.

11. On average, how many students are American Indian or Alaska Native in each of your reading/language arts classes?

8. Few (less than 5)

9. Several, but less than half the class

10. At least half the class, but not every student

11. The whole class

12. I don’t know

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:

The purpose of Questions 12 and 13 is to determine the extent to which curricular content reflects American Indian or Alaska Native culture and history, as well as contemporary issues affecting American Indian or Alaska Native people.

12. To what extent do you integrate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and history into your reading/language arts curriculum?

13. Never

14. At least once a grading period

15. At least once a month

16. At least once a week

17. Almost every day

13. To what extent do you integrate lessons and materials about contemporary issues affecting American Indian or Alaska Native people and communities into your reading/language arts curriculum?

18. Never

19. At least once a grading period

20. At least once a month

21. At least once a week

22. Almost every day

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

What are your reasons for choosing this answer?

Give some examples of how you integrate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and history into your curriculum.

Who developed this curriculum?

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

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 14 is to determine the extent to which students’ American Indian or Alaska Native languages are used to deliver instruction.

14. To what extent do you use your students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) when you teach reading/language arts?

23. Instruction is entirely in English.

24. Instruction is primarily in English, but words or phrases from the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) are included occasionally.

25. Instruction is primarily in English, but words or phrases from the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) are included frequently.

26. Instruction is primarily in the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s).

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

How did you decide on your answer?

Do you use tribal or village languages when teaching your American Indian or Alaska Native students? What are these languages? To what extent do you use these languages?

If response indicates that words or phrases are used: What are some of the words or phrases you use?

If your American Indian or Alaska Native students work with other teachers during the day, do you know the extent to which these teachers use tribal or village languages to deliver instruction?

Other probes:

The purpose of Question 15 is to determine the extent to which the teacher uses various common types of activities to incorporate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and traditions into reading/language arts instruction.

15. How often do you have students do each of the following reading/language arts activities? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Never	At least once a grading period	At least once a month	At least once a week	Almost every day
a.	Read literature with American Indian or Alaska Native themes	A	B	C	D	E
b.	Read literature written by American Indian or Alaska Native authors	A	B	C	D	E
c.	Read about, or discuss, contemporary issues of concern to the American Indian or Alaska Native community	A	B	C	D	E
d.	Write about experiences or issues of American Indian or Alaska Native people	A	B	C	D	E
e.	Write about their own experiences as an American Indian or Alaska Native person	A	B	C	D	E

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Describe some of the reading/language arts activities you do in your class that incorporate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and traditions.

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

How sure are you of the response you gave regarding the frequency with which you do these activities?

If you were answering this question on your own, would you refer to lesson plans in making frequency estimates?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 16 is to determine the influence of various types of standards on the teacher’s planning of reading/language arts lessons. Not all types of standards may be available at a given school.

16. How much do you rely on each of the following documents in planning reading/language arts lessons? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not aware of any	Not at all	A little	Some	A lot
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:

Why did you choose these answers?

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

Are you familiar with the Bureau of Indian Education?

Do you know of any American Indian or Alaska Native content standards that are relevant to language arts?

What are some examples of language arts activities that you use to implement standards?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 17 is to determine if the teacher teaches mathematics to grade 8 students. The teacher is directed to the next question to be answered based on his/her response.

17. Do you teach mathematics to grade 8 students?

a. Yes → Go to Question 18.

b. No → Skip to Question 24.

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Why did you choose this answer?

Other Probes:

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 next question.

The purpose of Question 18 is to determine the number of American Indian or Alaska Native students among all students for whom the teacher provides instruction in mathematics.

18. On average, how many students are American Indian or Alaska Native in each of your mathematics classes?

27. Few (less than 5)

28. Several, but less than half the class

29. At least half the class, but not every student

30. The whole class

31. I don’t know.

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:

The purpose of Questions 19 and 20 is to determine the extent to which curricular content in mathematics reflects American Indian or Alaska Native culture and history, as well as contemporary issues affecting American Indian or Alaska Native people.

19. To what extent do you integrate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and history into your mathematics curriculum?

32. Never

33. At least once a grading period

34. At least once a month

35. At least once a week

36. Almost every day

20. To what extent do you integrate lessons and materials about contemporary issues affecting American Indian or Alaska Native people and communities into your mathematics curriculum?

37. Never

38. At least once a grading period

39. At least once a month

40. At least once a week

41. Almost every day

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

What are your reasons for choosing this answer?

Give some examples of how you integrate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and history into your mathematics curriculum.

Who developed this curriculum?

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

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 21 is to determine the extent to which students’ American Indian or Alaska Native languages are used to deliver instruction in mathematics.

21. To what extent do you use your students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) when you teach mathematics?

42. Instruction is entirely in English.

43. Instruction is primarily in English, but words or phrases from the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) are included occasionally.

44. Instruction is primarily in English, but words or phrases from the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s) are included frequently.

45. Instruction is primarily in the students’ American Indian or Alaska Native language(s).

The purpose of Question 22 is to determine the extent to which the teacher uses various common types of activities to incorporate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and traditions into mathematics instruction.

22. How often do you have students do each of the following mathematics activities? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Never	At least once a grading period	At least once a month	At least once a week	Almost every day
a.	Solve mathematics problems that reflect situations found in American Indian or Alaska Native communities	A	B	C	D	E
b.	Participate in activities that integrate mathematics with American Indian or Alaska Native themes (for example, use traditional symbols and designs to teach geometric concepts)	A	B	C	D	E
c.	Study traditional American Indian or Alaska Native mathematics (for example, American Indian or Alaska Native systems of counting, estimating, recording quantities, etc.)	A	B	C	D	E
d.	Study mathematics within traditional American Indian or Alaska Native contexts (for example, American Indian or Alaska Native systems of astronomy, physics, etc.)	A	B	C	D	E

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Describe some of the mathematics activities you do in your class that incorporate American Indian or Alaska Native culture and traditions.

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

How sure are you of the response you gave regarding the frequency with which you do these activities?

If you were answering this question on your own, would you refer to lesson plans in making frequency estimates?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 23 is to determine the influence of various types of standards on the teacher’s planning of mathematics lessons. Not all types of standards may be available at a given school.

23. How much do you rely on each of the following documents in planning mathematics lessons? Fill in one oval on each line.

		Not aware of any	Not at all	A little	Some	A lot
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 (e.g., NCTM)	A	B	C	D	E

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Why did you choose these answers?

Describe the mathematics standards that are implemented at your school.

Do you know the NCTM standards?

Are you familiar with the Bureau of Indian Education?

Do you know of any American Indian or Alaska Native content standards that are relevant to mathematics?

What are some examples of mathematics activities that you use to implement standards?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 24 is to gather ideas about effective teaching practices.

24. What have you found to be effective teaching and learning strategies for use with American Indian or Alaska Native students?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

Are there any unique practices you would like to describe?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 25 is to determine the name of the tribe or cultural group with which the teacher is affiliated. The teacher does not need to be an enrolled member of that group.

25. If you identify yourself as a member of or if you are affiliated with an American Indian tribe or Alaska Native group, please print the name of that tribe or group below. If you align with more than one tribe or group, you can include all names.

Think Aloud Comments:

Probes:

What is your connection to the tribe or cultural group you wrote down?

Are you affiliated with more than one tribe or cultural group?

If the question was not answered: What was your reason for not listing a tribe or cultural group?

Other Probes:

The purpose of Question 26 is to give the teacher the opportunity to add further information or comments.

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.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.

Think Aloud Comments:

It is not necessary to probe the teacher’s comments. Collect the questionnaire and explain to the teacher 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 teacher 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?