Race to the Top Program Review Survey
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Public Burden Statement
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. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-4536 or email [email protected] and reference the OMB Control Number 1880-0542. Note: Please do not return the completed National Charter School Resource Center User Survey to this address.
Thank you for completing this survey for grantee feedback of the Implementation and Support Unit’s (ISU) program review process and program officers’ customer service. Your feedback is important to us and will help us evaluate our efforts and continuously improve.
This survey includes questions based on your experiences in the last 12 months on the following topics:
Program Review Process Elements
Monthly Progress Update and Call
Onsite Program Review
Progress Report
State Specific (i.e., public-facing) Report
Annual Performance Report (APR)
Amendment Process
Customer Service
General information
We estimate that this survey should take about 10-15 minutes of your time. Your answers will be anonymous. All survey results will be reviewed by the ISU to inform continuous improvements to the program review process and customer service with grantees. If you have not experienced or are not familiar with a process included in this survey, please feel to respond “Don’t know or N/A” as appropriate.
If you have any questions about the survey, please email [email protected].
-----SECTION 1 of 8-----
Program Review Process
Monthly Progress Update and Call
In responding to these questions, consider the Monthly Progress Update protocol (Parts A and B) and the telephone call that follows. Please consider your experiences in the last 12 months in responding to these questions.
To what extent does the Monthly Progress Update and Call:
Provide an opportunity for you to share progress to date against your approved plan.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Provide an opportunity for you to share information about quality of implementation at a point in time.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Encourage thoughtful and strategic decision-making.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
The level of depth and detail captured by the Monthly Progress Update and the discussion of progress during the call is ___ for my needs.
Insufficient Adequate Excessive Don’t know or N/A
The frequency of the Monthly Progress Update and Call is ___ for my needs.
Not frequent enough Adequate frequency Too frequent Don’t know or N/A
How much value do you gain from the Monthly Progress Update and Call?
No value Minimal value Moderate value Significant value Don’t know or N/A
On a scale of 1 to 4, please rate how valuable you find each of the following aspects of the Monthly Progress Update and Call to be (with 1 being not at all valuable, 2 being minimally valuable, 3 being moderately valuable, and 4 being significantly valuable).
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1 (not at all valuable) |
2 (minimally valuable) |
3 (moderately valuable) |
4 (significantly valuable) |
General discussion of progress implementation (Part A) |
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In-depth progress updates on sub-criteria (Part B) |
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Preparing / completing the protocol |
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Feedback/questions from program officer(s) during the monthly call |
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Follow up questions and conversations with your program officer(s) after the monthly call |
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Cross State Common Questions (piloted spring 2013) |
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How much effort does the Monthly Progress Update and Call require of you?
No effort Minimal effort Moderate effort Significant effort Don’t know or N/A
To what extent does the value you gain from the Monthly Progress Update and Call outweigh the effort required?
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Please explain:
What specific recommendations and suggestions do you have for how the ISU could improve the Monthly Progress Update and Call?
-----SECTION 2 of 8-----
Onsite Program Review
In responding to these questions, consider the entrance call, completing/submitting protocols and supporting evidence, scheduling State and LEA meetings, and participating in the State meetings. Please consider your experiences in the last 12 months in responding to these questions.
To what extent does the Onsite Program Review:
Provide an opportunity for you to share progress to date against your Scope of Work.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Provide an opportunity for you to share information about quality of implementation at a point in time.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Impact decision-making and implementation.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Provide an opportunity for you to share your support and oversight of participating LEAs.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
The level of depth and detail captured by the Onsite Program Review is ___ for my needs.
Insufficient Adequate Excessive Don’t know or N/A
The frequency of Onsite Program Review is ___ for my needs.
Not frequent enough Adequate
frequency Too frequent Don’t know or N/A
How much value do you gain from the Onsite Program Review?
No value Minimal value Moderate value Significant value Don’t know or N/A
On a scale of 1 to 4, please rate how valuable you find each of the following aspects of the onsite program review to be (with 1 being not at all valuable, 2 being minimally valuable, 3 being moderately valuable, and 4 being significantly valuable).
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1 (not at all valuable) |
2 (minimally valuable) |
3 (moderately valuable) |
4 (significantly valuable) |
Preparation |
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Evidence selection/submission |
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Discussions during onsite visit State meetings |
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Fiscal oversight discussions |
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Inclusion of LEAs in the process |
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How much effort does the Onsite Program Review process require of you?
No effort Minimal effort Moderate effort Significant effort Don’t know or N/A
To what extent does the value you gain from the Onsite Program Review outweigh the effort required?
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
What specific recommendations and suggestions do you have for how the ISU could improve the Onsite Program Review?
-----SECTION 3 of 8-----
Progress Report
In responding to these questions, consider the Progress Report document itself, from the time you receive the draft for review to the time you receive the final version. Note: this is different than the public-facing State Specific Report, which is covered in the next section of this survey. Please consider your experiences in the last 12 months in responding to these questions.
To what extent does the Progress Report:
Accurately and fairly summarize progress as of a point in time against your approved plan.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Clearly communicate areas that the Department believes need additional attention and why.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Provide a fair and comprehensive analysis of the Department’s assessment of the State’s progress and quality of implementation at a point in time.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Inform your decision-making regarding implementation.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
The level of depth and detail captured by the Progress Report is ___ for my needs.
Insufficient Adequate Excessive Don’t know or N/A
The time provided for State review of the Progress Report is ___ for my needs.
Too little time Adequate time Too much time Don’t know or N/A
The frequency of the Progress Report is ___ for my needs.
Not frequent enough Adequate
frequency Too frequent Don’t know or N/A
How much value do you gain from the Progress Report?
No value Minimal value Moderate value Significant value Don’t know or N/A
On a scale of 1 to 4, please rate how valuable you find each of the following aspects of the Progress Report to be (with 1 being not at all valuable, 2 being minimally valuable, 3 being moderately valuable, and 4 being significantly valuable).
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1 (not at all valuable) |
2 (minimally valuable) |
3 (moderately valuable) |
4 (significantly valuable) |
Key successes/challenges |
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Progress by project |
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Mid-course corrections |
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Continuous improvement |
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LEA feedback |
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Department’s analysis |
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Color rating |
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How much effort does the Progress Report process require of you?
No effort Minimal effort Moderate effort Significant effort Don’t know or N/A
To what extent does the value you gain from the Progress Report outweigh the effort required?
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
What specific recommendations and suggestions do you have for how the ISU could improve the Progress Report?
-----SECTION 4 of 8-----
State Specific Report
In responding to these questions, consider the State Specific Report document itself, from the time you receive the draft for review to the time the final version is publicly released. Please consider your experiences in the last 12 months in responding to these questions.
To what extent does the State Specific Report:
Accurately and fairly summarize progress at a point in time against your Scope of Work.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Clearly communicate areas that the Department believes are strengths and weaknesses.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Provide a fair and comprehensive analysis of the State’s progress and quality of implementation at a point in time.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
The level of depth and detail captured by the State Specific Report is ___ for my needs.
Insufficient Adequate Excessive Don’t know or N/A
How much value do you gain from the State Specific Report?
No value Minimal value Moderate value Significant value Don’t know or N/A
How much effort does the State Specific Report process require of you?
No effort Minimal effort Moderate effort Significant effort Don’t know or N/A
To what extent does the value you gain from the State Specific Report outweigh the effort required?
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
What specific recommendations and suggestions do you have for how the ISU could improve the State Specific Report?
-----SECTION 5 of 8-----
Annual Performance Report (APR)
In responding to these questions, consider the data submission, verification, and finalization processes as well as the public-facing APR data display. Please consider your experiences in the last 12 months in responding to these questions.
To what extent does the APR:
Accurately and fairly documents progress towards annual and four-year targets.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Provide opportunities for you to provide additional information related to the data.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Hold you accountable for meeting your targets.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
The level of depth and detail captured by the APR is ___ for my needs.
Insufficient Adequate Excessive Don’t know or N/A
The time provided to the State to review and verify data and narratives included in the APR before certification is ___ for my needs.
Too little time Adequate time Too much time Don’t know or N/A
How much value do you and your stakeholders gain from the APR?
No value Minimal value Moderate value Significant value Don’t know or N/A
How much effort does the APR process require of you?
No effort Minimal effort Moderate effort Significant effort Don’t know or N/A
To what extent does the value you gain from the APR outweigh the effort required?
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
What specific recommendations and suggestions do you have for how the ISU could improve the APR process?
-----SECTION 6 of 8-----
Amendment process
In responding to these questions, consider all the steps from drafting the request to receiving a final response from the Department. Please consider your experiences in the last 12 months in responding to these questions.
To what extent does the Amendment Process:
Support mid-course corrections.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Hold you accountable to the goals in your plan.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Provide an opportunity for collaborative problem solving at the State level/across State staff.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Provide an opportunity for collaborative problem solving between Department and State staff.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Have clear expectations for what should be included in a request.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Given the individual context of each request, the time it takes to complete the Amendment Process is ___ for my needs.
Too little Adequate Too much Don’t know or N/A
Given the individual context of each request, the flexibility of the Amendment Process is ___ for my needs.
Too little Adequate Too much Don’t know or N/A
The expectations of what should be submitted in an amendment request are:
Insufficient Adequate Clear Very Clear Don’t know or N/A
How much value do you gain from the Amendment Process?
No value Minimal value Moderate value Significant value Don’t know or N/A
How much effort does the Amendment Process require of you?
No effort Minimal effort Moderate effort Significant effort Don’t know or N/A
To what extent does the value you gain from Amendment Process outweigh the effort required?
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
8. What specific recommendations and suggestions do you have for how the ISU could improve the amendment process?
-----SECTION 7 of 8-----
Customer Service
Please consider your experiences in the last 12 months in responding to these questions.
On average, how frequently do you interact with your program officers?
Monthly 2-3 times per week Weekly Daily Multiple times daily
Consider your experiences and interactions with your program officers over the past 12 months. Rate your level of satisfaction with your program officers’:
Responsiveness to your inquiries
Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
Preparedness to discuss the issues at hand
Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
Ability to collaborate to come to a resolution about the issues at hand
Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
Ability to individualize routines and interactions based on State context/needs/requests
Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
Assistance related to issues beyond Race to the Top
Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
Collaboration with other Department program offices
Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
Facilitation/connections between you and other State contacts
Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
Collaboration on public communications and press releases
Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
To what extent do your program officers:
Help you think critically about progress, quality of implementation, and potential revisions /refinements to your approach/strategy for implementation.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Hold you accountable to meeting commitments in your plan.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
Clearly communicate both successes and concerns.
Not at all Small extent Moderate extent Large extent Don’t know or N/A
How would you rate your overall experience with ISU staff over the past 12 months?
Very poor Poor Fair Good Excellent
Please explain:
5. How satisfied are you with the monthly Race to the Top Leads’ calls?
Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
6. Please provide any additional comments or feedback you have on the customer service provided by the ISU.
-----SECTION 8 of 8-----
General information
Please select the role that best describes your work for Race to the Top:
State Lead Project/Program/Assurance Area Lead Communications Staff Fiscal Staff Other, specify:
How long have you been in this role?
Less than 1 year 1-2 years 2 or more years
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the ISU?
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | U.S. Dept. of Education |
| Last Modified By | Authorised User |
| File Modified | 2013-08-06 |
| File Created | 2013-07-30 |