GPA Program Director Survey

Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad – Advanced Overseas Intensive Language Program

Project Directors Survey

—

U.S. Department of Education

International Education Programs Service (IEPS)

Group Projects Abroad – Advanced Overseas Intensive Language Program Project Directors Survey

Introduction

The International Education Programs Service (IEPS) of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is conducting an assessment of the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad – Advanced Overseas Intensive Language Program (GPA Intensive Language Program). As part of this assessment, this survey asks about various aspects of the administration of the GPA Intensive Language Program fellowship at your institution. Your input is critical to understanding the features of the fellowships across the country and the role of the GPA program in increasing the language skills and cultural competence of participants.

Survey Instructions

The survey will take approximately 90 minutes to complete. Not all questions in the survey may apply to the GPA Intensive Language Program fellowship at your institution. Please follow the skip patterns noted next to particular questions as you complete the survey – they will tell you whether or not you should skip ahead to a later question. If there is no arrow next to your response and there is no indication that you should skip ahead, then just continue to the next question.

We are interested in gathering information about the administration of the GPA Intensive Language Program at your institution and your perspective on its role in improving fellows’ language proficiency. If necessary, please share the survey with other staff members knowledgeable about the project to ensure that the most complete and accurate information is recorded.

We understand that you may no longer be the administrator for the GPA Intensive Language Program fellowship at your institution or that your institution may no longer administer the fellowship. Your responses are still critically important to the assessment of the GPA Intensive Language Program. Please answer all survey questions with reference to activities conducted related to the most recent funding cycle that the fellowship was administered at your institution.

Your participation in this survey is voluntary and responses will be aggregated when presenting findings to ED and for reporting purposes.

Returning the Survey

When you have completed the survey, please return it to the email address provided no later than DATE. If you have any questions about the study or would like to request a paper copy of the survey with a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope, please feel free to contact Ms. Andrea Coombes, Survey Coordinator, by mail, phone, or email:

Andrea Coombes

American Institutes for Research

1000 Thomas Jefferson St., NW

Washington, DC 20007

(202) 403-5278

[email protected]

We look forward to receiving your responses and thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Program Administration

1.	Which language or languages do fellows study as part of their GPA Intensive Language Program fellowship?

Language	Check all that apply
a. Arabic	
b. Bengali	
c. Chinese	
d. Filipino	
e. Hindi	
f. Indonesian	
g. Japanese	
h. Khmer	
i. Marathi	
j. Russian	
k. Swahili	
l. Tamil	
m. Thai	
n. Turkish	
o. Urdu	
p. Vietnamese	
q. Yoruba	
r. Zulu	
s. Other (please specify):	

2.	Please indicate the percentage of all costs for fellows and project administration that are covered by: GPA Intensive Language Program funds Fellows Other sources

Type of cost	Percentage of costs covered by:
	GPA Intensive Language Program	Fellows	Other sources
a. Fellows costs (e.g., cost of instruction, housing, and travel)	__%	__%	__%	= 100%
b. Domestic administrative costs	__%	__%	__%	= 100%
c. Overseas administrative costs	__%	__%	__%	= 100%

3.	Please describe the additional sources of funding for the program, if any, other than from the GPA Intensive Language Program funds or from fellows.

Source of funding	Total amount funded per year
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

4.	Please indicate which of the following costs are paid by GPA Intensive Language Program fellows and whether fellows pay the costs in full or in part.

Project costs (check all the apply)	Paid in full by fellow?	Paid in part by fellow?
a. Application fees		
b. Room and board		
c. Tuition and course fees		
d. International air travel and transportation		
e. Travel within host country		
f. Cultural excursions		
g. Other (please specify):		

5.	What was the average out-of-pocket cost for fellows that received GPA Intensive Language Program fellowships most recently?
	$	_____________

Applicant Recruitment and Selection

6.	For the most recent administration of the GPA Intensive Language Program, please indicate 1) the number of applicants, and 2) the number of fellowships awarded.

Year	Number of applicants	Number of fellowships awarded

7.	For the most recent administration of the GPA Intensive Language Program, please indicate the percentage of applicants and fellows with the following educational/professional backgrounds.

Educational/Professional Background	Applicants	Fellows
a. Freshman	__%	__%
b. Sophomore	__%	__%
c. Junior	__%	__%
d. Senior	__%	__%
e. Master’s Degree (e.g., M.A., M.S., M.B.A.)	__%	__%
f. Research Doctoral Degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D.)	__%	__%
g. Professional Doctoral Degree (e.g., J.D., M.D.)	__%	__%
h. Teachers (not enrolled in school)	__%	__%
i. Teaching assistants (not enrolled in school)	__%	__%
j. Other (please specify):	__%	__%
	= 100%	= 100%

8.	Please indicate which of the following promotional materials your institution uses or has used as part of recruiting applicants for the GPA Intensive Language Program.

Promotional materials	Check all that apply
a. Flyers	
b. Personal appearances	
c. Website or email postings	
d. School publications/newspapers	
e. Faculty members	
f. Other (please specify):	

9.	Using the scale below, please indicate the degree to which you agree with the following statement: “Potential applicants eligible for a GPA Intensive Language Program fellowship are very aware of the program and what it has to offer.” (Select one.)

	1	2	3	4	5
	Strongly Disagree	Somewhat Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Somewhat Agree	Strongly Agree

10.	Using the scale below, please indicate the degree to which the following are obstacles to promoting the GPA Intensive Language Program fellowship:

1 Not an Obstacle		2 Minimal Obstacle	3 Moderate Obstacle	4 Significant Obstacle
	Obstacle				Select one per row
	a. Lack of money/resources for promoting fellowships				1	2	3	4
	b. Lack of money/resources for promoting language program paid for by fellowships				1	2	3	4
	c. Lack of administrative support or interest within institution for fellowships				1	2	3	4
	d. Other (please specify):				1	2	3	4

11.	Have you encountered difficulties recruiting applicants to apply for the GPA Intensive Language Program fellowship?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 12

11.1	What do you see as the reasons it is difficult to recruit applicants?

Reasons for lack of applicants	Check all that apply
a. Potential applicants are unaware of program	
b. Potential applicants are not interested in program	
c. Perceived danger/security issues	
d. Length of program	
e. Cost	
f. Potential applicants’ lack of language proficiency	
g. Potential applicants’ major program of study will not allow it	
h. Other (please specify):	

12.	Please indicate which of the following selection criteria are used when awarding a GPA Intensive Language Program fellowship:

Selection criteria	Check all that apply
a. Applicant self-assessment of language proficiency	
b. Language proficiency examination	
c. Applicant personal statement/essay	
d. Interview	
e. Recommendations from professors/instructors	
f. Completion of course requirements	
g. Grades/Grade Point Average	
h. Medical background/clearance	
i. Other (please specify):	

13.	What is the average number of years of high school and/or postsecondary language instruction for GPA Intensive Language Program fellows prior to the start of their fellowship?
	years

14.	Are GPA Intensive Language Program fellows required to attend an orientation session(s) prior to the start of their fellowship?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 15

14.1	Please describe the features of the orientation.

Feature of orientation

a. Duration of orientation:

b. Content of orientation:

c. Location of orientation:

d. Format/delivery (e.g., web vs. in-person):

14.2	Are fellows asked to provide feedback on the quality and usefulness of the orientation prior to the start of their fellowship?
a. Yes		
b. No		

Program Curricula and Duration

15.	Please indicate the percentage of all program hours allocated to formal and informal language and non-language instruction.

Program feature	Percentage of all instructional hours
a. Formal language instruction	_____ %
b. Informal language instruction	_____ %
c. Formal non-language instruction	_____ %
d. Informal non-language instruction	_____ %
	= 100%

16.	Please indicate which of the following are required features of the GPA Intensive Language Program for fellows:

Feature	Check all that apply
a. Classroom instruction	
b. Independent projects	
c. Field trips	
d. Market shopping	
e. Structured interactions with institutions (e.g., meeting dignitaries)	
f. Language laboratory	
g. Reading newspapers, magazines, and books	
h. Giving oral presentations	
i. Attending social/cultural events and activities	
j. Watching television, movies, DVDs, or videotapes	
k. Study club	
l. Lectures (other than classroom)	
m. Community service/service learning	
n. Peer tutoring	
o. Other (please specify):	

17.	Please indicate which of the following types of technologies are used for instructional purposes as part of the GPA Intensive Language Program:

Instructional technologies	Check all that apply
a. Moodles	
b. Wikis	
c. Podcasts	
d. Web-based courses	
e. Blogs	
f. Other (please specify):	

18.	How frequently is the project curriculum for the GPA Intensive Language Program fellows reviewed?

Frequency of reviews	Check one
a. More than once per school year	
b. Once per school year	
c. As needed, no set schedule	

19.	When was the project curriculum last reviewed?
	MM		YYYY

20.	Who conducted the last review of the GPA Intensive Language Program?

Reviewer	Check all that apply
a. Internal review by program staff	
b. External review conducted within institution	
c. External review conducted by entity outside the institution	
d. Other (please specify):	

21.	Where do fellows live while attending the GPA Intensive Language Program?

Accommodations	Check all that apply
University/college dorms	
Apartments	
Private hotel	
Private homes	
Hostels	
f. Other (please specify):	

22.	Please indicate the primary living arrangements for fellows while attending the GPA Intensive Language Program.

Living arrangements	Check one
a. Fellows live alone	
b. Fellows live with a roommate who speaks the target language	
c. Fellows live with an English-speaking roommate	
d. Don’t know	

23.	Please indicate the primary dining arrangements for fellows while attending the GPA Intensive Language Program.

Dining arrangements	Check one
a. Fellows eat alone	
b. Fellows eat with speakers of the target language	
c. Fellows eat with native English speakers	
d. Don’t know	

24.	For the most recent cohort of fellows, was the GPA Intensive Language Program administered at a college or university in the host country?
	a. Yes	
	b. No	

Skip to 25

Where was the program administered? _______________ _

24.1	Was the GPA Intensive Language Program administered at the same college or university in the host country previously?
	a. Yes		
	I n what year was the program first administered at this college or university?	year
	b. No		

25.	During the most recent GPA Intensive Language Program that you oversaw, what was the ratio of students per instructor?
	students per instructor

26.	Using the scale below, please indicate the degree to which the curricular content of the GPA Intensive Language Program emphasize the following:

1 No Emphasis		2 Minimal Emphasis	3 Moderate Emphasis		4 Significant Emphasis
	Area of focus			Select one per row
	a. Conversational speaking			1		2	3	4
	b. Reading authentic materials			1		2	3	4
	c. Writing and composition			1		2	3	4
	d. Cultural knowledge and history			1		2	3	4
	e. Media-based course (e.g., radio, TV, and movies)			1		2	3	4
	f. Listening comprehension			1		2	3	4
	g. Use of textbooks			1		2	3	4
	h. Domain specific instruction/content topics from other disciplines			1		2	3	4
	i. Other (please specify):			1		2	3	4

27.	Are the language skills and cultural competence of GPA Intensive Language Program fellows assessed at the conclusion of the program?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 28

27.1	Please indicate the types of assessments that are used at the conclusion of the GPA Intensive Language Program.

	Check all that apply
Type of assessment	Language skills	Cultural competence
a. Fellows’ self-assessment of gains in knowledge		
b. Written exams		
c. Oral exams		
d. Research papers/essays		
e. Other (please specify):		

27.2	Does your GPA Intensive Language Program administer a standard foreign language assessment to measure fellows’ language proficiency at the conclusion of the program?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 28

27.3	Which language assessment(s) are used?

27.4	Following the most recent GPA Intensive Language Program, what percentage of fellows had the following levels of proficiency in the language they studied? Please reference the help descriptor for information regarding the levels of language proficiency.

Level of proficiency	Percentage of fellows
a. Basic survival	________%
b. Limited working	________%
c. Professional working	________%
d. Full professional	________%
e. Native or bilingual	________%
	= 100 %

HELP DESCRIPTOR
Basic Survival	Able to satisfy basic survival needs and use the language related to simple, familiar topics
Limited Working	Sufficient control of the language to meet most survival needs and limited social demands
Professional Working	Able to use the language with some precision and in some detail about most common topics
Full Professional	Able to use the language effectively in most formal and informal exchanges on practical, social, and professional topics
Native or Bilingual	Use of language is functionally equivalent to a well-educated native speaker

28.	Does your GPA Intensive Language Program allow for fellows to be awarded an additional fellowship to return for extended language instruction abroad?
	a. Yes	
	b. No	

Evaluation Models

29.	Has your institution conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the GPA Intensive Language Program on improving fellows’ foreign language proficiency and cultural competence?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 30

29.1	What was the primary purpose of the most recent evaluation?

29.2	Which of the following topics were covered as part of the most recent evaluation?

Topic	Check all that apply
a. Recruitment strategies for GPA Intensive Language Program fellows	
b. Selection criteria for GPA Intensive Language Program fellows	
c. Content of GPA Intensive Language Program	
d. Program logistics in host country (e.g., accommodations)	
e. Short term role of the fellows’ language proficiency	
f. Long term role of the GPA Intensive Language Program on fellows	
g. Other (please specify):	

29.3	Prior to the evaluation, did your program conduct a self-study of its role in fellows’ foreign language proficiency and cultural knowledge?
	a. Yes	
	b. No	

29.4	How frequently do you conduct evaluations?

29.5	During the most recent evaluation, which of the following methods were used as part of assessing the effectiveness of the GPA Intensive Language Program?

Method of assessing effectiveness	Check all that apply
a. Assessments of fellows’ language proficiency	
b. Interviews/focus groups with fellows	
c. Surveys administered to fellows	
d. Interviews/focus groups with instructors and staff	
e. Surveys administered to instructors and staff	
f. Observations of classroom instruction in host country	
g. Observations/inspection of housing and accommodations in host county	
h. Other (please specify):	

29.6	With regard to the previous question, how did your institution or the evaluators determine which measures were appropriate for assessing the effectiveness of the GPA Intensive Language Program?

If you would like to provide a copy of the evaluation, please send the file as an attachment when emailing your survey. Please contact the Survey Coordinator (see instruction page) to arrange an alternative method of delivering the evaluation.

29.7	What did the most recent evaluation identify as the chief strengths of the GPA Intensive Language Program at your institution?

29.8	What did the evaluation identify as the chief challenges faced by the GPA Intensive Language Program at your institution?
		Skip to 31

30.	Have you contemplated conducting an evaluation of your GPA Intensive Language Program?
	a. Yes			Skip to 31
	b. No	

30.1	What are the reasons your institution has not contemplated conducting an evaluation of your GPA Intensive Language Program?

GPA Intensive Language Program Improvement

31.	Using the scale below, please indicate the degree to which you agree with the following statement: “The GPA Intensive Language Program has a strong role in improving the foreign language skills of the participants.” (Select one.)

	1	2	3	4	5
	Strongly Disagree	Somewhat Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Somewhat Agree	Strongly Agree

32.	Using the scale below, please indicate the degree to which you agree with the following statement: “The GPA Intensive Language Program has a strong role in improving the cultural competence of the participants.” (Select one.)

	1	2	3	4	5
	Strongly Disagree	Somewhat Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Somewhat Agree	Strongly Agree

33.	Are there other types of activities or allowable expenses not authorized under the current GPA Intensive Language Program regulations that should be considered for the future?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 34

33.1.	What types of activities or expenses should be included?

34.	Have you used the U.S. Department of Education’s IRIS reporting system to file reports on the status of your GPA Intensive Language Program funding?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 35

34.1	Using the scale below, please indicate the degree to which you agree with the following statement: “The IRIS reporting system accurately reflects the types of activities conducted as part of our GPA Intensive Language Program.” (Select one.)

	1	2	3	4	5
	Strongly Disagree	Somewhat Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Somewhat Agree	Strongly Agree

34.2	Are there revisions that could be made to the IRIS database/interface that would better capture the types of activities conducted as part of your GPA Intensive Language Program?
	a. Yes	
	b. No			Skip to 36

34.3	What changes would you suggest making to IRIS to better capture the types of activities conducted as part of your GPA Intensive Language Program?

35.	What, if any, additional measures of the effectiveness of the GPA Intensive Language Program should be considered for future assessments?

36.	In your opinion, what are the minimal and optimal length and contact hours for an effective GPA Intensive Language program?

Length and contact hours	Duration
a. Minimal length of program	________
b. Minimal contact hours in program	________
c. Optimal length of program	________
d. Optimal contact hours in program	________

The following questions refer specifically to the GPA Intensive Language Program taken as a whole, rather than to the program at your institution. When answering the questions, please reflect on the broader GPA Intensive Language Program.

37.	What do you see as the primary strengths of the GPA Intensive Language Program as a whole?

38.	What do you see as the primary challenges facing the GPA Intensive Language Program as a whole?

39.	What steps could be taken by the Department of Education to increase the effectiveness of the GPA Intensive Language Program as a whole?

Steps to increase effectiveness	Check all that apply
a. Increased program funding	
b. Changes to length of program	
c. Greater promotion of the program	
d. Greater technical assistance	
e. Other (please specify):	

Thank you very much for completing this survey!