N Survey

OMB #: 0925-0542

Expiration Date: 4-30-08

Form N

Brain Power! Challenge Program

Middle Grades 6–9

Survey for Treatment Teachers

As part of your agreement to participate as a teacher in the treatment group of the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum intervention, please fill out this questionnaire. It is intended to take no longer than 30 minutes. Thank you.

1. Including this year, how long have you been teaching? (Please circle one response for each item.)

Number of years	0–5 years	6–11 years	12–17 years	18–23 years	24 years or more
a. Teaching	1	2	3	4	5
b. Teaching current grade	1	2	3	4	5
c. Teaching at this school	1	2	3	4	5

2. For which grades did you use the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum? (Please circle one response for each item.)

Yes No

a. Sixth grade 1 2

b. Seventh grade 1 2

c. Eighth grade 1 2

d. Ninth grade 1 2

3. What is your teaching credential status? (Please circle one.)

Regular or standard credential 1

Temporary certificate, provisional internship permit, or emergency permit (requires additional coursework before regular certification can be obtained) 2

Probationary credential (initial certification issued after satisfying all requirements except completion of the probationary period) 3

Not credentialed 4 (Skip to Question 5)

4. In what area(s) does your credential certify you to teach? (Please circle all that apply.)

a. Elementary education 1

b. Early childhood education 2

c. Secondary or middle education 3

d. Science 4

e. Health 5

f. Mathematics 6

g. History or Social Studies 7

h. Arts or Music 8

i. Reading 9

j. Special education 10

k. Bilingual education 11

l. Other (please specify) 12

5. Are you:

Male? 1

Female? 2

6. What is your age? (Please circle one.)

Less than 25 1

25–35 2

36–45 3

46–55 4

56–65 5

65 or older 6

7. What is your current level of education? (Please circle one.)

Bachelor’s degree 1

Bachelor’s degree plus additional graduate course credit(s) 2

Master’s degree 3

Master’s degree plus additional graduate course credit(s) 4

Professional degree 5

This section includes questions about your classroom instruction and about your own knowledge of neurobiology.

8. If you had not participated in the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum intervention, would you have included instruction in any of the following topics during this school year (2006–2007) anyway? (Please circle one on each line.)

Topic	Yes, would have included instruction	No, would not have included instruction
a. The five major parts of the brain and their functions	1	2
b. Nerve cell communication (neurotransmission)	1	2
c. How stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and Ritalin affect the brain and body	1	2
d. How alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants affect the brain and body	1	2
e. How heroin and cocaine affects the brain and body	1	2
f. How methamphetamine, steroids, and common club drugs affect the brain and body	1	2
g. How drugs are presented in the media	1	2
h. The short and long-term effects of marijuana use	1	2
i. Definition of addiction and how it affects the brain	1	2
j. How prescription drugs affect brain functioning when not used properly	1	2

9. If you answered Yes to any of the topics in Question 9 a–j, approximately how much time did you plan to spend on each over the course of this school year? (Please circle one.)

1–3 hours 1

4–6 hours 2

7–8 hours 3

More than 8 hours 4

10. How would you describe your knowledge in each of the following topics prior to and after teaching the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum? (Please circle one response for each item in Column I to describe your knowledge prior to teaching the curriculum and one response for each item in Column II to describe your knowledge after teaching the curriculum.)

Topic	Column I Knowledge Prior to Teaching					Column II Knowledge After Teaching
	Modest or very little amount	Fair or moderate amount	Signifi- cant or sizable amount			Modest or very little amount	Fair or moderate amount	Signifi- cant or sizable amount
a. Names of major regions of the brain	1	2	3			1	2	3
b. Specific responsibilities of each brain region	1	2	3			1	2	3
c. The parts of a neuron and their individual functions	1	2	3			1	2	3
d. The process of neurotransmission	1	2	3			1	2	3
e. The role of neurotransmitters	1	2	3			1	2	3
f. The effects of prescription drugs on the brain and body when not used properly	1	2	3			1	2	3
g. The effects of cocaine and heroin on the brain and body	1	2	3			1	2	3
h. The effects of alcohol on the brain and body	1	2	3			1	2	3
i. The effects of marijuana on the brain and body	1	2	3			1	2	3
j. The effects of inhalants on the brain and body	1	2	3			1	2	3
k. The effects of methamphetamine, steroids, and club drugs on the brain and body	1	2	3			1	2	3
l. How addiction affects the brain	1	2	3			1	2	3

This section includes questions about the content of the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum, usage, modifications, and participation.

11. How would you rate the following aspects of the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum content overall? (Please circle one on each line.)

Curriculum content	Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor	Unaccep-table
a. Relevance to your students	1	2	3	4	5
b. Ability to maintain student interest	1	2	3	4	5
c. Appropriateness for designated grade level	1	2	3	4	5
d. Ability to challenge students	1	2	3	4	5

12. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the Brain Power! Challenge materials? Mark NA if you did not use the materials. (Please circle one on each line.)

Statement	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree	NA
a. The curricular materials were easy to use in general.	1	2	3	4	5
b. The challenge activity directions were detailed enough to implement successfully	1	2	3	4	5
c. The background information supplied was sufficient for teaching purposes	1	2	3	4	5
d. The challenge activity in each module was an effective way to teach the content	1	2	3	4	5
e. The student materials required (but not included with the curriculum package) were easily available in my school	1	2	3	4	5
f. The steps recommended in the teacher’s guide for Preparation were vague and/or unclear	1	2	3	4	5
g. The Discussion Questions were helpful in developing and extending student understanding	1	2	3	4	5
h. The student magazines were inviting and fun for students, while reinforcing key concepts	1	2	3	4	5
i. The background information was too overwhelming	1	2	3	4	5
j. Extension activities were appropriate and links were relevant to other subject areas	1	2	3	4	5
k. Assessment questions provided useful checks for student understanding	1	2	3	4	5
l. Resources for Teachers and Resources for Students were valuable extended learning opportunities.	1	2	3	4	5
m. Student handouts required little or no revision before student use.	1	2	3	4	5

13. Besides the main activity, which of the following components of the Brain Power! curriculum did you use? Which ones did you use most often? (Please circle one response for each item in Column I. If you circle “Yes” in Column I, please also answer “Yes” or “No” in Column II.)

	Column I.		Column II.
	Have used		Use most often
	Yes	No	Yes	No
a. Challenge activities	1	2	1	2
b. Discussion questions	1	2	1	2
c. Extension ideas	1	2	1	2
d. Assessment questions	1	2	1	2
e. Resources for teachers	1	2	1	2
f. Resources for students	1	2	1	2
g. CD-ROM	1	2	1	2
h. Student magazines/student handouts	1	2	1	2
i. Parent letters	1	2	1	2

14. Did you make any modifications to any of the lesson modules?

Yes 1

No 2 (Skip to Question 17)

15. If you answered “Yes” to Question 15, which of the following ways did you modify the curriculum? (Please circle one on each line.)

Yes No

a. I did most of the challenge activity, but shortened it by skipping some unnecessary steps. 1 2

b. I did the challenge activity, but substituted different materials to convey the same information. 1 2

c. I stayed true to the key concepts of the challenge activity, but developed a different activity by which to teach it. 1 2

d. I stayed true to the key concepts in the student magazines or handouts, but made my own to better suit the needs of my students. 1 2

e. I did the challenge activities in pairs instead of groups. 1 2

f. I assigned some of the challenge activities as individual work as opposed to group work. 1 2

g. I did the challenge activities in groups but did not keep the groups the same every time. 1 2

h. I added content material, since it helped students to bridge prior learning

i. I cut out some material in the background information when presenting to students. 1 2

j. Other (specify): 1 2

16. What was the primary reason you chose to participate in the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum study? (Please circle one.)

To teach my students more about the dangers of drug abuse and the importance of a healthy brain 1

Prompting by school administration or department leaders 2

Incentives associated with participation (e.g., stipend, curricular materials, student T-shirts) 3

Interest in being a part of a research study 4

Other (specify): 5

This section includes questions about strengths and improvements to the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum, as well as implementation issues.

17. Which of the following do you consider strengths of the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum? (Please circle one on each line.)

Yes No

a. Ready-to-use lesson modules 1 2

b. Engaging hands-on activities 1 2

c. The user-friendly ancillary materials (e.g., student magazines, student handouts) 1 2

d. The instructive CD-ROM 1 2

e. The competition-like nature of the program (i.e., the “challenge” activities) 1 2

f. Potential to teach students valuable and perhaps lifesaving information 1 2

g. Relevance to student experiences 1 2

h. Alignment to current state/district/national standards 1 2

i. Other (specify): 1 2

18. In which of the following ways could the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum use improvement? (Please circle one on each line.)

Yes No

a. Selection of hands-on activities 1 2

b. Selection of materials for use in the challenges or other tasks 1 2

c. Selection of background material content 1 2

d. Links to Web-based resources or other technology applications 1 2

e. Links to other subject areas 1 2

f. Assessment questions and/or assessment instruments 1 2

g. CD-ROM content 1 2

h. Parental materials 1 2

i. Teacher’s guide organization/usability 1 2

j. Student handout usability 1 2

k. Other (specify) 1 2

19. Which of the following potential obstacles below hindered full implementation of the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum? (Please circle one on each line.)

Yes No

a. Lack of supportive school (or district) leadership 1 2

b. Lack of inclusion with current science curriculum 1 2

c. Misalignment with State or local standards 1 2

d. Concerns about the appropriateness of the curriculum 1 2

e. Concerns about the effectiveness of the curriculum 1 2

f. Lack of program relevance to students 1 2

g. Lack of adequate time for instruction 1 2

h. Lack of necessary content knowledge to teach curriculum well 1 2

i. Lack of necessary materials/resources to complete activities sufficiently 1 2

j. Personal comfort level in teaching the material 1 2

k. Other (specify): 1 2

This last section includes questions about parental communications, student learning, and engagement.

20. Throughout the time that you implemented the Brain Power! Challenge lessons, approximately how many total parental contacts were made relative to the curriculum (either teacher-initiated or parent-initiated)? (Circle only one.)

None 1 (Skip to Question 23.)

1–2 2

3–4 3

5–6 4

7 or more 5

21. If you marked anything other than “None” in Question 21, what was the nature of most parental communication? (Please circle one on each line.)

Yes No

a. Questions about the content of the materials 1 2

b. Concerns about the appropriateness of materials 1 2

c. Questions or concerns about how to make best use of the suggestions in the parent newsletter or how to get involved with the material at home 1 2

d. Questions regarding specific Web sites listed in the parent newsletter 1 2

e. Concerns that children may be considering drug use 1 2

f. Questions about how to talk to child about drugs 1 2

g. Other (specify): 1 2

22. To what extent were students engaged in each of the following modules? (Please circle one on each line.)

Module

Not engaged

Somewhat engaged

Extensively engaged

a. Module 1: An Introduction to the Brain and Nervous System 1 2 3

b. Module 2: Legal Doesn’t Mean Harmless 1 2 3

c. Module 3: Drugs in the Cupboard 1 2 3

d. Module 4: Weeding Out the Grass 1 2 3

e. Module 5: Drugs on the Street 1 2 3

f. Module 6: Drugs in the News 1 2 3

23. What is the relative amount you feel the majority of students learned about each topic addressed in the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum? Mark NA if you did not address a particular topic. (Please circle one on each line.)

Topic	Learned negligible amount	Learned little amount	Learned fair amount	Learned significant amount	NA
a. The five major parts of the brain and their functions	1	2	3	4	5
b. Nerve cell communication (neurotransmission)	1	2	3	4	5
c. How stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and Ritalin affect the brain and body	1	2	3	4	5
d. How alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants affect the brain and body	1	2	3	4	5
e. How heroin and cocaine affects the brain and body	1	2	3	4	5
f. How methamphetamine, steroids, and common club drugs affect the brain and body	1	2	3	4	5
g. How drugs are presented in the media	1	2	3	4	5
h. The short and long-term effects of marijuana use	1	2	3	4	5
i. Definition of addiction and how it affects the brain	1	2	3	4	5
j. How prescription drugs affect brain functioning when not used properly	1	2	3	4	5

24. Which of the following statements best describes your overall experience using the Brain Power! Challenge curriculum? (Circle only one.)

I enjoyed teaching the curriculum and found it useful for my students 1

I enjoyed teaching the curriculum and found it useful for my students but feel
the program needs a few minor adjustments 2

I think the curriculum has merit but needs substantial revision in terms of
student engagement and student learning 3

I think the curriculum has merit but needs substantial revision in terms of
appropriateness of content. 4

Other (please specify): 5

25. Given the opportunity, which of the following statements best describes whether or not you would teach the curriculum again? (Circle only one.)

I would easily teach the curriculum again. 1

I would teach it again, given a few minor adjustments. 2

I would not teach the curriculum again since students were not engaged and
appeared to learn little. 3

I would not teach the curriculum again due to curriculum/standards alignment
issues 4

I would not teach the curriculum again due to time constraints. 5

Other (please specify): 6

THANK YOU!

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