Teacher Questionnaires

	Spring 2011 Kindergarten Teacher Questionnaire (Child Level)
	Prepared for the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics by: Westat 1600 Research Boulevard Rockville, Maryland 20850

L A B E L

Use a black or blue ball point pen or #2 pencil to complete this questionnaire.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850-0750. Approval expires 03/31/2012. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information requested. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or suggestions for improving the survey instrument, 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 response to this survey, write directly to: National Center for Education Statistics, 1990 K Street, N.W., Room 9086, Washington, D.C. 20006-5650.

The collection of information in this survey is authorized by Public Law 107-279 Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part C, Sec. 151(b) and Sec. 153(a). Participation is voluntary. You may skip questions you do not wish to answer; however, we hope that you will answer as many questions as you can. Your responses are protected from disclosure by federal statute (PL 107-279, Title I, Part C, Sec. 183). All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals 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. Data will be combined to produce statistical reports. No individual data that links your name, address, telephone number, or identification number with your responses will be included in the statistical reports.

Dear Teacher,

This questionnaire is a vital part of a major longitudinal study of children’s early educational experiences beginning with kindergarten and continuing through grade 5. You have received this questionnaire because one or more of the children in your class(es) are participants in this study. The child who is the subject of this questionnaire is identified on the cover.

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011) is collecting information from teachers of children who are in the study to investigate the relationship between children’s academic progress and various school, classroom, teacher, and home characteristics. Taking part in the study is voluntary. You may stop at any time or choose not to answer a question you do not want to answer. Although we realize you are very busy, we urge you to complete this questionnaire as completely and accurately as possible. The information you provide is being collected for research purposes only and will be protected from disclosure to the fullest extent allowable by law. Information from multiple individuals will be combined to produce statistical reports; no information that identifies you will be included in any reports or provided to students, their parents, or other school staff.

DEFINITIONS

For this study, the following definitions apply:

• English language learner (ELL): A student whose native language is one other than English and whose skills in listening, speaking, reading, or writing English are such that he or she has difficulty understanding school instruction in English.

• English as a Second Language (ESL): An instructional program designed to teach listening, speaking, reading, and writing English language skills to students with limited proficiency in English.The program may focus on a student’s level of proficiency in general English. As a language instruction educational program, the ESL program should be connected to academic achievement with the goal of meeting the academic standards that all children must meet.

• Bilingual education program: A program in which native language is used to varying degrees, in conjunction with English, to teach English and academic content to students with limited proficiency in English.

• Dual-language program: Also known as two-way immersion, the goal of these programs is for students to develop language proficiency in two languages by receiving content instruction in English and another language in a classroom that usually consists of both native English speakers and native speakers of the other language.

• Title I: “Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged”: Title I is a program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as reauthorized under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The purpose of this program is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

• Title III: “Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students”: Title III is a program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as reauthorized under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. One of the main purposes of this program is to help ensure that children who are limited English proficient, including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same state academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet.

• Individualized Education Program (IEP): A written statement of the educational program designed to meet the individual needs of a school-aged child with a disability that is judged to affect the child’s educational performance. Children who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are expected to have an IEP or an IFSP.

• Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP): A written statement of the educational program and other services designed to enhance the family’s capacity to meet the developmental needs of an infant or toddler (preschool-aged) with a disability. The plan includes a description of the appropriate services needed to assist transition into elementary school.

• Section 504 plan: A written plan to provide appropriate services to a child with a disability, whether or not the disability is judged to affect the child’s educational performance. Speech therapy services may often be specified as part of a Section 504 plan.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP.

MARKING DIRECTIONS

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND USE A BLACK OR BLUE BALL POINT PEN OR A SOFT LEAD (#2) PENCIL TO COMPLETE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE. DO NOT USE A FELT-TIP PEN.

MARKING BOXES

It is important that you mark an “X” in the box next to your answers and print clearly.

Shown below is the correct way to mark your answers, along with examples of incorrect ways.

Correct Mark:

Incorrect Marks:

Light and thin, outside the box, thick or scrawled.

      

How to Change an Answer:

Completely black out the box of the incorrect answer and mark an “X” in the box next to the correct answer.

      

PRINTING ANSWERS IN BOXES:

Print entire answer in box. Answers should be printed clearly and should not touch or cross any of the box lines. Do not cross zeroes or sevens. That is, do not write a zero with a line through it like this – 0, and do not write a seven with a line through it like this – 7.

Write digits like this:

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0

Write words like this:

John Smith

Academic Rating Scale

The Academic Rating Scale is separated into three areas: (1) Language and Literacy, (2) Science, and (3) Mathematical Thinking. Please rate the child's skills, knowledge, and behaviors within each of these three areas based on your experience with the child identified on the cover of this questionnaire. This is NOT a test and should not be administered directly to the child. Each question includes examples that are meant to help you think of the range of situations in which the child may demonstrate the identified skills and behaviors. The examples do not exhaust all the ways that a child may demonstrate what he/she knows or can do. The examples do, however, indicate a level of proficiency a child should have reached in order to receive the highest ratings. Some of these examples describe a very high level of performance (beyond typical students) in order to evaluate achievement levels of the highest performing students.

The following five-point scale is used for each of the questions. It reflects the degree to which a child has acquired and demonstrated the targeted skills, knowledge, and behaviors.

Not yet	=	Child has not yet demonstrated skill, knowledge, or behavior.
Beginning	=	Child is just beginning to demonstrate skill, knowledge, or behavior but does so very inconsistently.
In progress	=	Child demonstrates skill, knowledge, or behavior with some regularity but varies in level of competence.
Intermediate	=	Child demonstrates skill, knowledge, or behavior with increasing regularity and average competence but is not completely proficient.
Proficient	=	Child demonstrates skill, knowledge, or behavior competently and consistently.
Not Applicable or Skill Not Yet Taught	=	Skill, knowledge, or behavior has not been introduced in classroom setting.

Rate only the child's current skills, knowledge, and behaviors. Rate each child compared to other children of the same age level. Please consider the full range of ratings when answering. If the skill, knowledge, or behavior has been introduced in the classroom, please rate the child by placing an “X” in the appropriate box for your rating. Place an “X” in the box for “Not Applicable or Skill Not Yet Taught” only if the skill, knowledge, or behavior has not been introduced in your classroom setting.

Child with Limited English Proficiency/English language learner: Please answer the questions based on your knowledge of this child's skills. If the child does not yet demonstrate skills in English but does demonstrate them in his/her native language, please answer the questions with the child's native language in mind.

Child with Special Needs: It may be necessary to consider adaptations for some questions to make them more inclusive for this child's skills and/or use of adaptive equipment. Some children may utilize alternative forms of verbal communication (e.g., sign language, communication boards) or written communication (e.g., word processors, Braille, dictation). Please answer the questions with these adaptations in mind.

section I: language and literacy

	MARK ONE RESPONSE FOR EACH ITEM.
THIS CHILD ...	Not Yet	Beginning	In Progress	Intermediate	Proficient	Not Applicable or Skill Not Yet Taught
1. Uses complex sentence structures – for example, says "If she had brought her umbrella, she wouldn't have gotten wet," or "Yesterday it was raining cats and dogs," or "Why can't we go on the field trip at the same time as the first grade?"
2. Understands and interprets a story or other text read to him/her – for example, by retelling a story just read to the group, or telling about why a story ended as it did, or connecting part of the story to his/her own life.
3. Easily and quickly names all upper- and lower-case letters of the alphabet.
4. Predicts what will happen next in stories by using the pictures and storyline for clues.
5. Reads simple books independently – for example, reads books with a repetitive language pattern.
6. Uses different strategies to read unfamiliar words – for example, examines cues from pictures or context, or uses consonant sounds to read words, or uses prior knowledge in order to make predictions.
7. Demonstrates early writing behaviors – for example, by using initial consonants to spell words (“d” for the word “dog”), or using letter names to represent sounds (“r” for the word “are”), or phonetic spelling (“hrt”) for the word “heart”, to convey words or ideas.
8. Composes simple stories, for example, by writing about a personal experience in a journal.
9. Demonstrates an understanding of some of the conventions of print – for example, by using both upper and lower case letters when writing, or putting spaces between words, or using a period at the end of a sentence.

SECTION II: MATHEMATICAL THINKING

	MARK ONE RESPONSE FOR EACH ITEM.
THIS CHILD ...	Not Yet	Beginning	In Progress	Intermediate	Proficient	Not Applicable or Skill Not Yet Taught
10. Sorts, classifies, and compares math materials by various rules and attributes – for example, by creating a rule for sorting keys, such as "keys with numbers" in one pile and "keys without numbers" in another pile, or by sorting shapes by several attributes such as "large plastic shapes" and "small wooden shapes."
11. Orders a group of objects – for example, by ordering rods or sticks by length, or arranging paints from lightest to darkest or musical instruments from softest to loudest.
12. Shows an understanding of the relationship between quantities – for example, knows that a group of ten small stones is the same quantity as a group of ten larger blocks.
13. Solves problems involving numbers using concrete objects – for example, "Vera has six blocks, George has three, how many blocks are there in all?" or "How many do I need to give George so he will have the same number of blocks as Vera?"
14. Demonstrates an understanding of graphing activities – for example, by looking at a picture graph on favorite ice-cream flavors and knowing which flavor is the most popular and which one is the least popular.
15. Uses instruments accurately for measuring – for example, by using a balance scale to compare the weight of two objects, or using tablespoons and teaspoons during a cooking project, or using a measuring tape to measure the length of different objects.
16. Uses a variety of strategies to solve math problems – for example, by using manipulative materials, looking for a pattern, or acting out a problem.
17. Models, reads, writes, and compares fractions – for example, shows that ½ of the candy bar is ¼ + ¼, or shows that ¼ of a set of 12 is 3.

Social Skills

18-43. Twenty-six items ask teachers to rate children in their classroom on social skills (including their ability to exercise self-control, interact with others, resolve conflict, and participate in group activities); problem behaviors (e.g., fighting, bullying, arguing, anger, depression, low self-esteem, impulsiveness, etc.); and learning dispositions or “approaches to learning” (e.g., curiosity, self-direction, and inventiveness). The social skills items and the problem behavior items are not listed as they are copyright protected. The learning disposition items are not copyright protected and are listed below.

Source: Elementary Scale A (“How Often?”), Frank M. Gresham and Stephen N. Elliott ©1990, American Guidance Service, Inc.

Approaches to Learning Scale items

The teacher indicated how frequently the child exhibited the following behaviors. The response scale included four points ranging from “never” to “very often,” and there was also a “no opportunity to observe” option.

• Keeps belongings organized

• Shows eagerness to learn new things

• Works independently

• Easily adapts to changes in routine

• Follows classroom rules

• Persists in completing tasks

• Pays attention well

44-55. Twelve items from the Child’s Behavior Questionnaire (short form) ask teachers to assess the attentional focusing and inhibitory control of the children in their classroom. The items are not listed as they are copyright protected.

Source: Putnam, S. P., & Rothbart, M. K. (2006). Development of Short and Very Short forms of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. Journal of Personality Assessment, 87 (1), 103-113.

56-70. Fifteen items from the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale that ask teachers to describe their relationship with sampled children in their classroom. The items are not listed as they are copyright protected.

Source: Pianta, R.C. & Steinberg, M. (Eds.) (1992). Teacher-child relationships and the process of adjusting to school. San Francisco, CA, US: Jossey-Bass.

Student Information

1. In which grade is this child enrolled?

Kindergarten (Full-day program)

Kindergarten (Part-day program)

First grade

This is an ungraded classroom

2. How long has this child been in your classroom this school year?

Entire school year

More than one semester but less than the entire school year

More than one quarter but less than one semester

Less than one quarter of the school year

3. Please indicate the total number of absences for this child for the current school year.

No absences

1 to 4 absences

5 to 7 absences

8 to 10 absences

11 to 19 absences

20 or more absences

4. Has this child ever fallen 2 or more weeks behind in school work this year?

Yes (GO TO Q 5)

No (SKIP TO Q 6)

Not applicable (child has been enrolled in your class less than 2 weeks) (SKIP TO Q 6)

5. Why has this child fallen behind in school work? MARK ALL THAT APPLY.

A health problem

A disciplinary problem

Lack of effort

Disorganized

Lacks pre-requisite skills

Frequent absences

Emotional/family problems

Some other reason (PLEASE SPECIFY)

6. Does this child receive (or has he/she received during this school year) instruction in any of the following types of programs in your school?
MARK YES OR NO ON EACH ROW.

	Yes	No
a. Individual tutoring remedial program in reading/language arts
b. Individual tutoring remedial program in mathematics
c Pull-out (i.e., out of classroom) small group remedial program in reading/language arts
d. Pull-out (i.e., out of classroom) small group remedial program in mathematics
e. Gifted and talented program in reading/language arts
f. Gifted and talented program in mathematics

7. Does this child receive (or has he/she received during this school year) instruction and/or related services in your school at any of the following times outside of the regular school day? MARK ONE RESPONSE ON EACH ROW.

	Yes	No	Not offered
a. Instruction or services before school
b. Instruction or services after school
c. Instruction or services on weekends

8. Is English this child's native language?

Yes (SKIP TO Q 13)

No (GO TO Q 9)

Don’t know (GO TO Q 9)

9. Does this child participate in an instructional program designed to teach English language skills to children with limited English proficiency?

Yes (GO TO Q 10)

No (SKIP TO Q 13)

10. Would you say the instruction this child receives is primarily …(MARK ONLY ONE)

English as a Second Language (ESL)?

Bilingual education?

Dual-language education?

Some other type of instruction? (PLEASE SPECIFY)

11. How often AND how much time does this child usually receive specialized language instruction (ESL, bilingual education, dual-language program), whether as part of a whole class, in a small group, or in an individualized arrangement?

11a. How many days?

Never

Less than 1 day a week

1 day a week

2 days a week

3 days a week

4 days a week

5 days a week

11b. How much time per day (on the days instruction is received)?

Less than ½ hour a day

½ hour to less than 1 hour a day

1 to less than 1½ hours a day

1½ to less than 2 hours a day

2 to less than 2½ hours a day

2½ to less than 3 hours a day

3 hours or more a day

12. During this school year, how often is this child's academic instruction provided in his/her native language?

None of the time

Less than half of the time

Half of the time

More than half of the time

Almost all the time

13. Does this child have an IEP/IFSP on record with the school?

Yes

No

14. Does this child receive instruction in any of the following types of programs in your school?
MARK YES OR NO ON EACH ROW.

	Yes	No
a. Speech-language therapy for children with speech or language disorders/impairments
b. Special education services, not including speech therapy, whether provided in the classroom or in a pull-out setting

15. Does this child receive special accommodations (e.g., for a disability or limited English proficiency) to participate in the school's testing or assessment program? MARK ONLY ONE.

Yes

No

Don’t know

Child does not participate in the school's testing or assessment program

There is no testing or assessment program at this grade level.

16. During structured play time, how does this child compare with other children in the class in terms of physical activity? MARK ONLY ONE.

A lot less active than most

A little less active than most

About the same as most

A little more active than most

A lot more active than most

17. During unstructured play time, how does this child compare with other children in the class in terms of physical activity? MARK ONLY ONE.

A lot less active than most

A little less active than most

About the same as most

A little more active than most

A lot more active than most

18. Overall, how would you rate this child’s academic skills in each of the following areas, compared to other children of the same grade level? MARK ONE RESPONSE ON EACH ROW.

	Far below average	Below average	Average	Above Average	Far above average
a. Language and literacy skills
b. Mathematical skills
c. Science
d. Social studies

19. How often does this child work to the best of her/his ability?

Never

Seldom

Usually

Always

20. How many achievement groups in reading do you currently have in this child's class? MARK ONLY ONE.

I do not use achievement groups for reading (SKIP TO Q 22)

Two

Three

Four

Five or more

21. In which reading group is this child currently placed? USE "1" FOR THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT GROUP. WRITE THE NUMBER OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GROUP NUMBER BELOW.

Achievement Group

22. How many achievement groups in mathematics do you currently have in this child's class? MARK ONLY ONE.

I do not use achievement groups for mathematics (SKIP TO Q 24)

Two

Three

Four

Five or more

23. In which mathematics group is this child currently placed? USE "1" FOR THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT GROUP. WRITE THE NUMBER OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GROUP NUMBER BELOW.

Achievement Group

24. During this school year, have this child's parents/guardians participated in the following activities? MARK ONE RESPONSE ON EACH ROW.

	Yes	No	Not applicable/ Not offered
a. Attended regularly-scheduled conferences at your school
b. Attended parent/teacher informal meetings that you initiated to talk about the child's progress
c. Returned your telephone calls or e-mails
d. Initiated contact with you
e. Volunteered to help in your classroom or school

25. How involved at the school would you say this child’s parents/guardians are? MARK ONLY ONE.

Not involved at all

Somewhat involved

Very involved

Don’t know

26. During this school year, besides regular teacher conferences, have you communicated with this child's parents/guardians?

Yes (GO TO Q 27)

No (SKIP TO END)

27. Was the purpose of the communication with this child’s parents/guardians to discuss ... MARK YES OR NO ON EACH ROW.

	Yes	No
a. Behavior problems the child is having in school?
b. Any problems the child is having with school work?
c. Anything the child is doing particularly well in or better in at school?

DATE QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED:

				2011
MONTH		DAY		YEAR