YouthBuild initial grantee data collection (census)

Grantee Survey

YOUTHBUILD GRANTEE SURVEY

INTRODUCTION

MDRC and its research partners Mathematica Policy Research and Social Policy Research Associates are conducting an evaluation of the YouthBuild program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). As part of the evaluation, we are asking YouthBuild grantees to complete a short survey about their program. The survey covers several topics including the organizational structure of your program, participant characteristics, the recruitment and enrollment processes, and program services. Your participation will help ETA and CNCS better understand how YouthBuild programs function and is required for anyone receiving a grant.

We have designed a web-based survey to help you provide the requested data in a simple, user-friendly format and ask that your program director take a few minutes to fill out this survey.

This study will help us better understand the impact of YouthBuild on participants’ post-program employment and education outcomes as well as gain a better understanding of how YouthBuild is implemented in programs across the country. Individual responses will not be attributed to specific individuals or organizations. Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared from this survey will summarize findings across all YouthBuild sites and individual forms will not be available to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. Please see the last page of this survey for more detailed information.

The survey should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. If you have any questions, please contact Mathematica at 1-866-XXX-XXXX or [email protected]. We would like to have all surveys completed by (DATE).

Public Burden Statement

Persons are not required to respond to this collection of information unless this survey displays a currently valid OMB control number (OMB xxxx-xxxx, expires xx/xx/xxxx). Responding to this survey, which seeks to help the U.S. Department of Labor understand how YouthBuild programs are serving disadvantaged youth, is required to maintain benefits (29 USC 49(c)). Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate to Eileen Pederson, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Room N-5641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210. Do NOT send the completed questionnaire to this address.

1. How long has your YouthBuild program been in operation under any agency funding?

1 □ Less than 1 year

2 □ 1-3 years

3 □ 4-6 years

4 □ 7-10 years

5 □ More than 10 years

2. Which organization(s) fund your program?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1 □ Department of Labor (DOL)

2 □ Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)

3 □ Private foundation funding

4 □ State or local funds

5 □ Some other organization (Specify)

3. Who is the predominant funder for your YouthBuild program?

SELECT ONE ONLY

1 □ Department of Labor (DOL)

2 □ Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)

3 □ Private foundation funding

4 □ State or local funds

5 □ [Some other organization (Specified from Q2)

4a. Please provide the start and end dates of the fiscal year during which you received the 2011 YouthBuild grant:

START DATE: | | |/| | |/| | | | |

Month Day Year

END DATE: | | |/| | |/| | | | |

Month Day Year

4b. What is your YouthBuild program’s total operating budget for that fiscal year? Please include all funding sources. (Please round to the nearest dollar, no decimals.)

$ | | |,| | | | AMOUNT

Please answer the following questions thinking about all the staff who currently work for your YouthBuild program.

5. [You reported that your YouthBuild program has been in operation for [FILL response from Q1] under any agency funding.] How long has your program director worked at this YouthBuild site?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ Less than 1 year

2 □ 1-3 years

3 □ 4-6 years

4 □ 7-10 years

5 □ More than 10 years

6. What is your program director’s highest level of education?

1 □ Less than high school

2 □ High school diploma or GED equivalency

3 □ Some college, no degree

4 □ Associate’s degree

5 □ Bachelor’s degree

6 □ Master’s degree or more

7 □ Something else (Specify)

7. How many full-time equivalent (FTEs) positions of the following types currently work for your program? Please include full-time and part-time staff. Either a whole number or one with a decimal will be accepted (i.e. 15, 15.0, 15.5).

a. Educational instruction | | | |

b. Vocational instruction | | | |

c. Case management | | | |

d. Leadership development instruction | | | |

e. Volunteer coordination | | | |

f. Career counseling | | | |

g. Other (Specify) | | | |

8. Thinking of the individual educational instructors who currently work for your program, how many have the following years of experience in any YouthBuild program or site? Please provide a response for each level of experience. If your program has no educational instructors with a specific level of experience, please enter “0”.

a. Less than 1 year | | | |

b. 1-3 years | | | |

c. 4-6 years | | | |

d. 7-10 years | | | |

e. More than 10 years | | | |

9. [Ask only if Q.7a does not equal 0] Of the individual educational instructors who currently work for your program, what is the highest level of education each has completed? Please include counts for each level below. If your program has no educational instructors in a specific level, please enter “0”.

a. Less than high school | | | |

b. High school diploma or GED equivalency | | | |

c. Some college, no degree | | | |

d. Associate’s degree | | | |

e. Bachelor’s degree | | | |

f. Master’s degree or more | | | |

g. Something else (Specify) | | | |

10. [Ask only if Q.7c does not equal 0] Thinking of the individual case managers who currently work for your program, how many have the following years of experience in any YouthBuild program or site? Please provide a response for each level of experience. If your program has no educational instructors with a specific level of experience, please enter “0”.

a. Less than 1 year | | | |

b. 1-3 years | | | |

c. 4-6 years | | | |

d. 7-10 years | | | |

e. More than 10 years | | | |

11. [Ask only if Q.7c does not equal 0] Of the individual case managers who currently work for your program, what is the highest level of education each has completed? Please include counts for each level below. If your program has no case managers in a specific level, please enter “0”.

a. Less than high school | | | |

b. High school diploma or GED equivalency | | | |

c. Some college, no degree | | | |

d. Associate’s degree | | | |

e. Bachelor’s degree | | | |

f. Master’s degree or more | | | |

g. Something else (Specify) | | | |

These next questions are about the worksites you use for the construction component of the YouthBuild program. If your program uses more than one worksite, please answer these questions based on your PRIMARY worksite.

12. Does your program have a construction component?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No SKIP TO Q.18

13. (IF Q.12=Yes) Does your program own its worksite?

1 □ Yes SKIP TO Q.15

0 □ No

14. (IF Q.13=No) Who owns your (primary) worksite?

15. Does your program manage the primary worksite?

1 □ Yes SKIP TO Q.17

0 □ No

16. (IF Q.15=No) Who manages your (primary) worksite?

17. Does your construction site(s) focus on rehabilitation of existing homes or apartments, new construction or both?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ Rehabilitation

2 □ New construction

3 □ Both

Now, we would like to ask you some questions about the individuals your program serves.

18. Since you received your 2011 DOL grant in May 2011, how many individuals have applied to be in your YouthBuild program? (By apply, we mean individuals who try to enroll in the program but who have not yet been determined to be eligible for the program.)

| | | | NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS

19. Does your program have a Mental Toughness Orientation (MTO) or a similar component?

1 □ Yes

0□ No

20. Of those who have applied since you received your DOL grant in May 2011, how many have you invited to MTO or your similar component?

| | | | NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS

21. Of those who applied since you received your DOL grant in May 2011, how many are currently enrolled in your program? (By enroll, we mean individuals who completed Mental Toughness Orientation, if you have it, and satisfied all other requirements in order to start your program.)

| | | | NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS

22a. Given your current operating budget, could your program serve more than the [FILL Q21] participants currently enrolled?

1 □ Yes

0□ No

22b. Given your current operating budget, what is the maximum number of individuals that could be enrolled in your program?

| | | | MAXIMUM NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS

23. You have reported the following information about the individuals your program serves. Please review and confirm your responses. Keep in mind we are interested in individuals who have applied since you received your DOL grant in May 2011.

If your responses are correct, please continue. If you want to change a response, you may enter it in the Updated Responses column below.

	Your Reported Responses	Updated Responses
1. Number of applicants	[FILL Q18]	| | | |
2. Number of applicants invited to MTO or your similar component	[FILL Q20]	| | | |
3. Number of applicants currently enrolled	[FILL Q21]	| | | |
4. Maximum enrollment in your program	[FILL Q22b]	| | | |

Next, we have some questions about how you recruit and enroll individuals into your program.

24a. How do you recruit individuals into your program?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1 □ Referrals from high schools

2 □ Referrals from courts or corrections agencies

3 □ Referrals from outreach that other agencies do in the community

4 □ Word-of-mouth referrals from people in the community or former participants

5 □ Community outreach conducted by your site

6 □ Self-referrals or walk-ins

7 □ Recruit individuals in some other way? (Specify)

24b. Of the recruiting methods listed below, which is your main source of recruiting individuals into your program?

INTERVIEWER NOTE: READ ALL RESPONSE OPTIONS

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ Referrals from high schools

2 □ Referrals from courts or corrections agencies

3 □ Referrals from outreach that other agencies do in the community?

4 □ Word-of-mouth referrals from people in the community or former participants?

5 □ Community outreach conducted by your site

6 □ Self-referrals or walk-ins

7 □ Recruit individuals in some other way? (Specify)

25. (If Q19= 1)Do you have a formal screening process prior to MTO (or a component similar to MTO) for those who apply to your program?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

26. Which of the following are part of your application screening process?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1 □ Placement test

2 □ Test of basic skills

3 □ Interview with staff member

4 □ Staff observation

5 □ Paper application

6 □ Personal statement

7 □ None of the above

8 □ Other (Specify)

Now, we have some questions about your Mental Toughness Orientation (MTO) or similar component.

27. (If Q19=1) How long is your MTO, or your similar component, in days?

| | | NUMBER OF DAYS

28. (If Q19=1) On average, how many hours per day do candidates spend in MTO or in your similar component?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □Less than 2 hours a day

2 □Between 2 and 4 hours a day

3 □Between 4 and 6 hours a day

4 □Between 6 and 8 hours a day

5 □More than 8 hours a day

29. What activities are offered during MTO or your similar component?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1 □ Orientation to YouthBuild program

2 □ Team building activities

3 □ Academic preparation

4 □ Workforce preparation

5 □ Goal-setting exercises

6 □ Physical fitness activities

7 □ Other (Specify)

30. [Once participants have completed MTO, on/On] average, how long does your YouthBuild program last?

1 □ Less than 6 months

2 □ 6-9 months

3 □ 10-12 months

4 □ 13-18 months

5 □ More than 18 months

31. How often do participants receive wages or stipends?

1 □ Daily

2 □ Weekly

3 □ Monthly

4 □ Participants do not receive wages or stipends

5 □ Other (Specify)

32. On average, how much do participants receive per pay period as wages or stipends?

$ | |,| | | | AMOUNT

33. You indicated that participants receive $[fill Q32] [daily / weekly / every 2 weeks / monthly] as wages or stipends.

If your responses are correct, please continue. If you want to change a response, you may enter it in the field below.

On average, how much do participants receive as wages or stipends?	Select a frequency [INSERT DROP DOWN]
	Enter amount below $| |, | | | | (4 NUM; 0 – 9999)

Next, we would like to ask you some questions about the different types of services your YouthBuild program offers to its participants. For the following questions, please answer including all funding services, not just those from DOL.

34. Which of the following workforce or job related training listed, please select if the service is offered on-site, by referral, or both.

	Offered On-Site	Offered as Referral	Offered On-Site and as Referral	Not Offered
a Vocational/Occupational skills training	□	□	□	□
b Pre-apprenticeship programs	□	□	□	□
c On-the-job training (OJT)	□	□	□	□
d Subsidized work experience/internships	□	□	□	□
e Unsubsidized work experience	□	□	□	□
f Work readiness training	□	□	□	□
g Career/Life skills training	□	□	□	□
h Job certification program	□	□	□	□
i First aid or CPR training	□	□	□	□
j Other workforce or job related training	□	□	□	□
(Please specify _______________) (STRING 255)

35. For each post-secondary education preparation service listed, please select if the service is offered on-site, as a referral, or both.

	Offered On-Site	Offered as Referral	Offered On-Site and as Referral	Not Offered
a College awareness or college guidance activities	□	□	□	□
b Preparation for college entrance examinations	□	□	□	□
c College application assistance	□	□	□	□
d Financial aid assistance	□	□	□	□
e College preparation or transition programs	□	□	□	□
f Courses for college credit	□	□	□	□
g Other type of post-secondary education preparation	□	□	□	□
(Please specify ______________) (STRING 255)

36. For each education or academic service listed, please select if the service is offered on-site, as a referral, or both.

	Offered On-Site	Offered as Referral	Offered On-Site and as Referral	Not Offered
a GED preparation	□	□	□	□
b Language arts (reading, writing, literacy) remediation (independent of GED preparation)	□	□	□	□
c Math remediation (independent of GED preparation)	□	□	□	□
d Other academic tutoring services	□	□	□	□
e A high school diploma program	□	□	□	□
f Preparation for standardized achievement tests, such as state or local tests	□	□	□	□
g ESL training	□	□	□	□
h Other type of education activities or academic services	□	□	□	□
(Please specify ______________) (STRING 255)

37. For each community service opportunity listed, please select if the service is offered on-site, as a referral, or both.

	Offered On-Site	Offered as Referral	Offered On-Site and as Referral	Not Offered
a Public beautification projects (park or highway cleanup, mural painting, etc.)	□	□	□	□
b After-school homework help or mentoring (for example, Big Brother program)	□	□	□	□
c Activities with people with disabilities	□	□	□	□
d Elder care activities	□	□	□	□
e Community activism	□	□	□	□
f Other community services opportunities	□	□	□	□
(Please specify ______________) (STRING 255)

38. For each leadership opportunity listed, please select if the service is offered on-site, as a referral, or both.

	Offered On-Site	Offered as Referral	Offered On-Site and as Referral	Not Offered
a Youth Policy Council	□	□	□	□
b In-class leadership roles	□	□	□	□
c Construction site leadership roles	□	□	□	□
d Opportunities to speak at public/governmental meetings	□	□	□	□
e Attending youth conferences	□	□	□	□
f Other leadership opportunities	□	□	□	□
(Please specify ______________) (STRING 255)

39. For each health service listed, please select if the service is offered on-site, as a referral, or both.

	Offered On-Site	Offered as Referral	Offered On-Site and as Referral	Not Offered
a Substance abuse services	□	□	□	□
b Mental health treatment	□	□	□	□
c Preventative medicine	□	□	□	□
d Emergency medical care	□	□	□	□
e Pregnancy leave or prenatal care	□	□	□	□
f Other health services/activities	□	□	□	□
(Please specify ______________) (STRING 255)

40. For each support service listed, please select if the service is offered on-site, as a referral, or both.

	Offered On-Site	Offered as Referral		Offered On-Site and as Referral	Not Offered
a Mentors to students	□		□	□	□
b Visits to the homes of students participating in your program	□		□	□	□
c A process to connect students with social services	□		□	□	□
d Therapeutic services for socio-emotional and/or behavioral problems	□		□	□	□
e Activities to support students’ acquisition of “life skills”	□		□	□	□
f Cultural enrichment activities	□		□	□	□
g Activities to increase and/or improve parental and family involvement in students’ school lives	□		□	□	□
h Case management	□		□	□	□
i Housing Assistance	□		□	□	□
j Other support services not listed	□		□	□	□
(Please specify _______________) (STRING 255)

41. For each post-program service listed, please select if the service is offered on-site, as a referral, or both. Post-program services refer to services provided after your structured YouthBuild program has ended.

	Offered On-Site	Offered as Referral	Offered On-Site and as Referral	Not Offered
a Additional skills training	□	□	□	□
b Subsidized work experience	□	□	□	□
c Internships	□	□	□	□
d Job preparation classes or activities	□	□	□	□
e GED preparation	□	□	□	□
f Mentoring	□	□	□	□
g Career counseling	□	□	□	□
h Other post-program services	□	□	□	□
(Please specify ______________) (STRING 255)

Now we would like to ask some more specific questions about some of the services you offer and how time is allocated among these various activities.

42. How often do youth participate in construction activities?

1 □ Daily (for some portion of the day)

2 □ Alternating days within a one-week period

3 □ Weekly (one week on/one week off)

4 □ Other (Specify)

43. How often do youth participate in academic classes of some sort?

1 □ Daily (for some portion of the day)

2 □ Alternating days within a one-week period

3 □ Weekly (one week on/one week off)

4 □ Other (Specify)

44. On average, do your participants spend more time in academic activities or construction activities?

1 □ Academic or education activities

2 □ Construction activities

3 □ About the same for each

Now, thinking more about your academic services…

45. Do you offer academic services that happen in a group or classroom setting?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No Skip to Q49

46. How often do these classes meet?

1 □ Daily

2 □ Every other day

3 □ Every other week

4 □ Other (Specify)

47. What is the average size of these classes?

| | | # OF ATTENDEES

48. How are students divided among classes?

1 □ Initial academic testing

2 □ Classroom observation

3 □ Student special needs

4 □ Students are not divided among classes

5 □ Other (Specify)

49. Which of the following teaching methods are used in your YouthBuild program?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1 □ One-on-one assistance

2 □ Traditional whole group instruction or lecture

3 □ Small group project work

4 □ Independent work paired with individual tutoring

5 □ Computer instruction and exercises

6 □ Distance learning

7 □ Team teaching

8 □ Peer teaching

9 □ Self-paced instruction

10 □ Incorporation of “real world” implications and rewards in the classroom

11 □ Other (Specify)

50. [AUTOFILL THE OPTIONS INDICATED IN Q.49] Of the following teaching methods you indicated, which is the main method you use?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ One-on-one assistance

2 □ Traditional whole group instruction or lecture

3 □ Small group project work

4 □ Independent work paired with individual tutoring

5 □ Computer instruction and exercises

6 □ Distance learning

7 □ Team teaching

8 □ Peer teaching

9 □ Self-paced instruction

10 □ Incorporation of “real world” implications and rewards in the classroom

11 □ Other (Specify)

51. The ultimate educational goal of your YouthBuild program is to obtain…

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ a GED certificate,

2 □ a High school diploma,

3 □ Basic academic improvement,

4 □ Post-secondary education preparation or

5 □ something else? (Specify)

(ASK Q.59-Q.62 ONLY IF Q38a = 1, 2, 3) You mentioned that your YouthBuild program offers a Youth Policy Council (YPC). We would like to ask a few questions about this activity.

52. How often does your YPC meet?

1 □ Less than once a month

2 □ 1-2 times a month

3 □ 3-4 times a month

4 □ More than 4 times a month

5 □ It varies

53. How are individuals selected to be part of your YPC?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1 □ Youth are recommended by program staff

2 □ Youth are recommended by their peers

3 □ Youth are recommended by someone other than program staff or their peers

4 □ Youth apply to join the council

5 □ Youth selected in some other way? (Specify)

54. Does your YPC have input in any of the following areas?

	Yes	No
a Program design	□	□
b Staff hiring	□	□
c Community service activities	□	□
d Size of the youth stipends	□	□
e Payment schedule of the youth stipends	□	□
f Disciplinary actions	□	□
g Selection of the youth to present at community or governmental meetings	□	□
h Design or décor of your program’s common spaces	□	□
i Dress code for the program	□	□
j Other	□	□
(Please specify ___________________________) (STRING 255)

Lastly, we have a few questions about parental involvement in your YouthBuild program.

55. Are there any circumstances under which parents or guardians are required to be involved in the program?

1 □Yes

0 □ No SKIP TO CONCLUDE

56. Under what circumstances are parents or guardians required to participate?

1 □ Parents are always required to participate

2 □ Parents of participants under age 18

3 □ Parents of participants with juvenile records

4 □ Parents of participants with a history of substance abuse

5 □ Some other circumstance (Specify)

57. In which of the following activities are parents/guardians required to participate?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

1 □ Student orientation

2 □ Volunteering at program site

3 □ Volunteering at construction site

4 □ Donating supplies to program

5 □ Other (Specify)

CONCLUDE

Those are all the questions we have for you. Thank you so much for your time and information.