SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR
AMERICORPS ALUMNI OUTCOMES SURVEY
As a federal program that engages more than 75,000 Americans each year to improve the lives of their fellow citizens through service, AmeriCorps, overseen by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), seeks to contribute to the creation of empowered and prepared citizens who will be more civically engaged, will work to strengthen their communities, and will be dedicated to improving the lives of those in their communities. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for individuals to carry out national service as members within three program streams: AmeriCorps State and National (ACSN), the National Civilian Conservation Corps (NCCC) and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). Through the AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes Survey, CNCS aims to obtain solid, research-based information on the experiences of former national service members that can determine whether or not they continue to be civically engaged and choose service-oriented careers. The information collected about AmeriCorps alumni will enable CNCS to identify outcomes at multiple points following service, assess the effectiveness of AmeriCorps in encouraging members to stay civically engaged and to pursue service-oriented careers, and to strengthen the evidence base for member outcomes.
Justification for this survey is based on three factors: 1) the need for CNCS to identify to what extent members remain civically engaged; 2) the need for information regarding whether members pursue service-oriented careers; and 3) the need for a study to be representative of the multicultural and demographically diverse national population of ACSN, NCCC, and VISTA alumni. Ultimately, CNCS views this survey as an opportunity to identify the outcomes of AmeriCorps for members who are at different life stages following their service year and to inform policy and program decisions. From this study, CNCS seeks to address the core question “Do national service experiences successfully encourage members to stay civically engaged and pursue service oriented careers?” To answer this question, the survey will collect data to answer the following research questions:
In what ways does participating in a national service program influence members’ (a) career pathways, (b) civic engagement, (c) development of career oriented soft skills such as cultural competency and self-efficacy, and/or (d) sense of community?
In what ways, if any, do member outcomes vary by the six Serve America Act focus areas (disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families) and by the particular types of service programs (ACSN, NCCC, VISTA) and program experiences?
In what ways, if any, do member outcomes vary by life stage?
The AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes survey (see Attachment A-1) is designed to collect information from ACSN, NCCC, and VISTA alumni whose service ended in 2012, 2009, or 2004, corresponding to 2, 5, and 10 years prior to the beginning of this study. This request for information is authorized by 42 U.S.C. § 2850. In compliance with Section 3506(c) (2) (A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this submission requests OMB approval for CNCS to conduct a survey on the effect of AmeriCorps service on former members. Members of the target audience for the survey are three streams of AmeriCorps alumni (i.e., ACSN, NCCC, VISTA) from three cohorts (i.e., members whose service ended in 2012, 2009, or 2004). This survey is consistent with CNCS’s mission to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.
Member development is a key component of ACSN, NCCC, and VISTA programs and a core part of the service experience these programs provide. Member development activities address not only skills needed for service, but also hard and soft skills useful for future employment and careers, commitment to furthering educational goals, and commitment to lifelong civic engagement and service. It is the goal of CNCS, through this survey, to collect valuable reporting information, in order to know whether, and to what extent, national service is associated with members from different streams of service staying civically engaged and pursuing service-oriented careers at different points in their lives, post-service. CNCS is also interested in gathering information about the extent to which members perceive that they obtained valuable soft skills, such as cultural competency and self-efficacy, during their AmeriCorps service.
Further, CNCS wants to expand on the findings of previous studies on the civic engagement, career outcomes, and satisfaction of alumni with their service experience for the proposed study by using a study framework based on an established theory of life-span development. Several life-span theories posit three key age ranges during adulthood: young adulthood (ages 20 to 40), middle adulthood (ages 41 to 65), and late adulthood (age 65 and older) (Feldman, 2011). A widely used life-span framework that is well suited to CNCS’s efforts is the motivational theory of life-span development (Heckhausen, Wrosch, & Schultz, 2010). According to research on volunteerism and service-oriented careers, individuals who engage in these forms of civic engagement benefit throughout their life course. Studies of youth suggest that volunteering reduces the likelihood of school truancy and drug abuse (Metz, 2014). Among young adults, the research suggests that civic engagement improves self-esteem and life satisfaction (Mannino, Snyder, & Omoto, 2011). When young adults have children, civic engagement expands to include volunteering on behalf of local youth, such as giving time to local schools and coaching youth sports. For people in both young and middle adulthood, civic engagement has been shown to have positive effects on self-esteem and educational and occupational achievement (Konstam et al., 2014). Among people in late adulthood, volunteering boosts self-reported health outcomes, functional ability, and sense of belonging (Hong, & Morrow-Howell, 2010; Lee, Steinman, & Tan, 2011; Seeman, 1996). Given the positive impacts of civic engagement across the life span, motivational theory is particularly useful for this study because it addresses how intrinsic motivation to dedicate oneself to civic engagement is supported by some factors (e.g., past volunteer experience, sense of community) and challenged by others (e.g., difficult job market, sense of isolation) and how these challenges can be overcome to further encourage civic engagement. By employing life-span theory to underpin the survey, sampling frame, and analysis approach, this study can provide an additional resource for AmeriCorps to improve service to its members and better support their attainment of the target outcomes.
A multi-modal approach will be employed for this survey, including online, phone, and mail administration. Measures will include outcomes associated with the following variables: how members’ service experience influenced their education/career pathways; choices around and sense of civic engagement subsequent to AmeriCorps service; and attainment of soft skills such as cultural competency and self-efficacy. The survey will also collect demographic information and details of each alumnus’ service and activities.
To help build CNCS’s understanding of how the AmeriCorps experience affects former members at different points during and following service, this survey is also designed to coordinate with the ongoing member exit survey. In particular, the proposed alumni outcomes survey and the newly revised exit survey share items related to soft skills, civic engagement, and volunteerism. This will provide CNCS with data on the same items from different points in time following service.
Given that the alumni being surveyed are, in some cases, more than 10 years removed from their last AmeriCorps service experience, this survey will use a multimodal survey to ensure adequate response. Participants will initially receive a link via email to complete the survey online. Participants who do not complete the online survey will be contacted by telephone; if participants cannot be reached by email or telephone, mailed surveys will be distributed to be completed, and returned, via postal mail.
As stated in section A1 above, the purpose of this survey is to gather information from AmeriCorps alumni to: 1) document the long-term civic engagement and career pathways of AmeriCorps alumni; 2) increase the validity of previous study findings by using a study framework based on an established theory of life-span development; and 3) measure how different life stages affect civic engagement and other outcomes. To achieve this purpose, the project seeks to meet the following four objectives:
To identify efforts AmeriCorps alumni are making to stay civically engaged.
To learn in what ways participating in AmeriCorps influences members’ career pathways and development of career oriented soft skills.
To determine how AmeriCorps alumni outcomes, such as civic engagement, vary by different life stages.
To learn in what ways, if any, AmeriCorps alumni member outcomes vary by the Serve America focus areas (i.e., disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, veterans and military families) and by the particular types of service programs and experiences.
The methods selected for this study have been determined based on several factors including: 1) the most efficient method of reaching the target audience; 2) the most cost-effective method of reaching the target audience; and 3) the best way to maximize response rates while minimizing burden to participants. Based on these factors, the decision was made to conduct an online survey, with telephone and postal mail follow-up.
The results of this data collection effort will provide AmeriCorps with substantive information about their alumni who participated in ACSN, NCCC, or VISTA programs. Data collected via the Alumni Outcomes survey will enable AmeriCorps to increase their effectiveness in encouraging members to stay civically engaged, develop career focused soft skills, and pursue service-oriented careers. It will also inform future policy and program decisions by helping AmeriCorps learn about the types of national service programs and policies that most influence the long-term civic engagement and career choices of former members. Further, it will provide additional insight on how benefits seen immediately following service, as collected via the AmeriCorps Member Exit Survey, grow, diminish, or change over time.
Although the survey is designed to provide direction for future AmeriCorps efforts, results from this survey are expected to be of interest and use to other agencies and organizations that support or provide similar opportunities to address community needs through service. In addition, it is anticipated that in the future, it may be possible to identify a counterfactual group in order to assess the added value of AmeriCorps service in developing long-term civic engagement and career choices related to service.
The Alumni Outcomes survey will be distributed via email, telephone, and/or postal mail. We anticipate that an online survey will be the most appealing format to participants, as well as the most convenient for them to complete. Further, using online surveys will allow for skip patterns to be employed where appropriate, reducing the total number of items that a respondent has to read and answer. In an effort to make the survey process as convenient as possible, we will first distribute it via email. For those participants who do not respond to the electronic option, telephone and hard copy surveys will be employed. All technology used for the survey administration (e.g., web-linked survey generated by the online survey data collection software via email) will meet Federal requirements for Section 508 accessibility.
By offering respondents the opportunity to respond electronically to the emailed survey link, the burden to respondents is reduced by the employment of skip patterns and eliminating the time it takes to hand-write responses. This same burden is reduced for respondents who take the survey by telephone (i.e., those who choose not to participate online or cannot be reached by email, but who are contactable by phone). For those participants who respond via telephone, trained interviewers will enter the data directly into a computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) system. Using a CATI system to administer the survey minimizes both respondent burden and cost to the government. JBS International, Inc. (JBS), the independent contractor collecting and analyzing the data for this survey, has extensive expertise in conducting evaluation studies with CNCS members and volunteers (e.g., Senior Corps, AmeriCorps State and National, VISTA, NCCC). Their previous experiences with data collection efforts will be valuable in terms of achieving high response rates while minimizing burden and cost to the government. In addition, by offering respondents the option of responding via web-based technology, the time associated with mailing a hard copy of the questionnaire back to the contractor is eliminated. Technology will be employed in such a way as to manage, secure, and store the data to ensure appropriate data management, security, and integrity.
The Alumni Outcomes survey is designed to reflect the specifics of the target audience being assessed. The Alumni Outcomes survey data collection is not a duplication of previous CNCS data collection efforts.
Prior studies of members and alumni of National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA), and AmeriCorps State and National (ACSN) showed that, when compared to a matched group of those who applied to serve but did not enroll, national service participants showed higher levels of civic engagement in several key domains (Corporation for National and Community Service, 2008a; Corporation for National and Community Service, 2008b). The areas in which national service participants showed stronger outcomes than comparison group members varied depending on the service program. While ACSN and NCCC members were more likely than members of comparison groups to have strong connections to the community and feel empowered to work to better their community, VISTAs were more likely to vote and volunteer compared to nonparticipants. The new revised AmeriCorps Member Exit Survey asks about member perceptions and predictions of their likely future behavior with regard to community involvement, voting, and service, but is not timed to address engagement and career outcomes.
The objective of the proposed data collection is to understand and document the long-term civic engagement and career pathways of AmeriCorps alumni, increase the validity of pervious study findings, and measure how different life stages affect civic engagement and career pathways. While previous research has been done in this area, CNCS wants to use the Alumni Outcomes survey to expand on previous study findings by using a study framework based on an established theory of life-span development for the current study to enhance validity. This is CNCS’s first attempt to measure these outcomes for AmeriCorps alumni. Therefore, the information to be collected does not exist with another organization or with CNCS. During the development of this instrument, groups within and outside of CNCS were consulted. Plans to conduct the survey have been reviewed prior to implementation, and no potential duplication was identified in the review and approval process.
Participation of AmeriCorps alumni in the Alumni Outcomes survey data collection will not involve small businesses or small entities, or their workforces.
The Alumni Outcomes survey will be administered to each respondent one time. Because the objective of the survey is not to monitor trends in variables over time or before and after an intervention, obtaining the data more frequently would be an unnecessary burden. There are no technical or legal barriers to reducing burden.
This information collection fully complies with 5 CFR 1320.6(d)(2) guidelines.
Consultations on the design, sampling plan, instrumentation, and analysis of this data collection effort have occurred throughout the planning phase of this project. These consultations have provided, and will continue to provide, the opportunity to ensure the technical quality and appropriateness of the overall survey design, sampling approaches, and data analysis plans; to obtain advice and recommendations concerning the instrumentation; and to structure the data collection and instruments so as to minimize overall and individual response burden. Both formal and informal consultations have occurred between the contractor and CNCS.
No payment or incentives will be provided to respondents.
Respondents will be advised that the Alumni Outcomes survey is entirely voluntary and that any information they provide will be combined and summarized with information provided by others, and no individually identifiable information will be released.
Respondents will be told:
the purpose for which the information is being asked;
whether or not responding to the request for information, in whole or in part, is voluntary;
the consequences, if any, of not responding; and
the extent of privacy protection.
All respondents will be assured that their participation is voluntary, that no adverse consequences will accrue to non-respondents, and that their comments and opinions will be kept private. In addition, email cover letters will accompany all Alumni Outcome surveys generated by the online survey data collection software, indicating CNCS’s federal status and the purpose of the survey.
The following text will be included at the top of the survey:
Thank you for your commitment to service. To support current and future members and improve AmeriCorps programming, we are asking you to answer some brief questions so that we can better understand your AmeriCorps service experience. This survey is entirely voluntary and your responses will remain private to the extent permitted by law, as is provided for in the Privacy Act of 1974. This survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
The following text will be included at the end of the survey:
The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C § 552a) requires that the following notice be provided: The information requested in the Alumni Outcome Survey is collected pursuant to 42 U.S.C 12592 and 12615 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended, and 42 U.S.C. 4953 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended, and 42 U.S.C. 12639. Purposes and Uses - The information requested is collected for the purposes of assessing the impact of the AmeriCorps program. Routine Uses - Routine uses may include disclosure of the information to federal, state, or local agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests. In some programs, the information may also be provided to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to determine the existence of any prior criminal convictions. The information may also be provided to appropriate federal agencies and Department contractors that have a need to know the information for the purpose of assisting the Department’s efforts to respond to a suspected or confirmed breach of the security or confidentiality or information maintained in this system of records, and the information disclosed is relevant and unnecessary for the assistance. The information will not otherwise be disclosed to entities outside of the Corporation for National and Community Service without prior written permission. Effects of Nondisclosure - The information requested is not mandatory.
We will use several procedures in order to guard respondents’ identifiable information and protect their privacy but also allow the contractor to follow up with individuals who have not responded, thereby increasing the response rates. For surveys generated through the online survey data collection software, the responses are anonymous and the responses will be downloaded into a database. The data will be stored on a drive that will only be accessible to contractor staff that are security-cleared to work on this project. For telephone surveys, the contractor will use a unique identifying number on top of the survey to differentiate among survey responses in the response database but not identify any respondents. For mailed surveys, each person’s identifying number will be entered in the database used to generate mailing labels and track responses; the number will also be entered on each individual’s questionnaire so the contractor can identify respondents. These procedures will allow the contractor to follow up with individuals who have not responded, thereby increasing the response rates. Upon completion of the study, the contractor will destroy the database with individuals’ names, addresses, and identification numbers.
None of the questions will request any personally invasive or sensitive information. Respondents will be informed about the purpose of the data collection and that responding to all survey questions is voluntary.
Estimates for response burden were calculated based on online completion of the survey (Alumni Outcomes survey data collection) being used. Based on the pilot data, burden estimates of 0.33 hours were used for ACSN, NCCC, and VISTA respondents to complete the Alumni Outcomes survey. Taking the average reported burden across pilot test respondents in the three different AmeriCorps branches (i.e., ACSN, NCCC, VISTA) of the Alumni Outcomes survey, gives an overall total burden estimate of 0.33 hours per respondent or 1,155 total burden hours for the estimated respondents expected to participate. Table A1 presents estimates of annualized burden based on pilot testing. Sampling procedures are discussed in Section B1.
Estimates for response burden were calculated based on the methodology (multimodal survey data collection) being used and are based on previous experience collecting similar data and results of the pilot study. For emailed Alumni Outcome surveys, burden estimates of 0.33 hours (20 minutes) were used for former ACSN, NCCC, and VISTA members.
There are no direct costs to respondents other than their time to participate in the study. The annual costs of the time respondents spend completing these surveys is $25,410 calculated as the number of ACSN, NCCC, and VISTA alumni respondent hours, which is 1,155, multiplied by the estimated average hourly wages for individuals working in all occupations as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013 which was $22 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). Table A1 contains estimated response burdens for the target audience (ACSN, NCCC, and VISTA respondents) included in this survey.
Components of Burden Estimation |
Alumni Survey |
Number of Respondentsa |
3,465 |
Frequency of Response |
1 |
Average Hours per Respondent |
0.33 |
Total Annual and Total Aggregate Hours Burden |
1,155 |
Estimated Annual Cost per Respondent |
$22 |
Annualized Cost to Respondents for the Hours Burdenb |
$25,410 |
a Total includes ACSN, NCCC, and VISTA respondents
b Total ACSN, NCCC, and VISTA respondents’ cost are calculated as hourly wage × time spent on survey × number of participants.
No capital, start-up, or operational and maintenance costs are incurred by study participants in this information collection activity.
The total cost for the project, which runs for a 1-year period, is $224,699.39. These costs cover all aspects of meetings and logistics, survey design, testing, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Total project costs are thus $224,699.39 over a 1-year period.
This is a new project and is a new collection of information.
The project covers a 1-year period from the beginning of October 2014 through the end of September 2015. Clearance is requested for a 1-year time period. Data collection activities and data analysis will be conducted over this time period. Attachment A-2 indicates when each of the activities associated with the project will occur.
Results of this survey will be presented to CNCS in a briefing to the agency during a project bimonthly meeting, accompanied by a written report and executive summary. Upon CNCS approval, these documents will be made available for dissemination upon request.
The analyses will be descriptive in nature and both quantitative and qualitative analyses will be conducted in order to document the long-term civic engagement, career pathways, sense of community, and development and retention of career oriented soft skills of AmeriCorps alumni. The results of these findings are primarily for internal use, but may be shared with key government policy and management officials, CNCS and program staff, and the public.
Data set up and cleaning. Once the survey period has closed, the data will be downloaded and cleaned, applying any post-coding as needed for the analysis. Data files will be produced in restricted and public-use formats. Sampling weights will be calculated and applied to the survey results during analysis and reporting.
Response rates and nonresponse bias analysis. The data analysis will calculate response rates (per OMB’s Standards and Guidelines for Statistical Surveys) for the overall sample and for all relevant subgroups to identify any limits of the study’s representativeness to AmeriCorps alumni. If the response rate is below 80 percent, a nonresponse and response bias analysis for individual survey items will be conducted. See Section B3 for a detailed description of this analysis.
Response frequencies. Response frequencies (i.e., counts and percentages) for each item and the mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and minimum and maximum values for every survey questions will be calculated. Frequencies and descriptive statistics will be calculated for all participants combined and for each cohort and program separately.
Psychometric analysis. Psychometrics of the data will be conducted to assess the quality and limits of the survey instrument and inform changes to the survey that will improve future AmeriCorps alumni surveys. This will include identification of any unusual or irregular response patterns, including strong statistical associations between variables and highly uniform response patterns. Next, inter-item reliability/relations will be calculated for items making up a construct to assess internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha, as well as a factor analysis on the items from the survey. The results from the factor analysis will indicate the appropriate number of factors to divide the items into, as well as the relative contribution of each item to a given factor score. The analysis will also estimate the correlation between each latent factor. Validation of the survey items will illustrate that the items on the survey measure meaningful constructs by showing that the constructed scales or latent variables are related in predictable ways with other factors. The statistical associations between respondent characteristics and any constructed scales/factors using t-tests and chi-square or correlations will be calculated as necessary.
Analysis for reporting: Basic descriptive analyses (including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) will be calculated. Statistical associations will be calculated between respondent characteristics and any constructed scales’ factors using t-tests and chi-square or correlations as necessary. Other analytic techniques (e.g., regression, analysis of variance) may be employed if the final sample size permits. Analysis of the psychometrics of the data will be conducted to assess the quality and limits of the survey instrument. In addition, open-ended survey questions will be used to elicit more detailed information, to identify challenges and issues for further study, and in some cases, to ‘brainstorm’ for possible solutions. The analysis for open-ended questions will be qualitative and consist mostly of narrative summaries of the answers, as well as the examination of emerging themes.
Table A2 details how the survey data will be used to answer each of the three research questions. There are four outcomes: (a) career pathways, (b) civic engagement, (c) development of career focused soft skills, and (d) sense of community. The analysis will be conducted for ordinal and/or bivariate outcomes, using logistic regression and/or ordered probit, depending on the items and the actual distribution of responses. For the first research question, each stratum will be analyzed separately to reflect the impact of individual service stream cohorts on the four outcomes noted above, and a combined analysis will also be conducted. The number of service terms and term type (i.e., full-time, half-time, reduced half-time) will be used alongside demographic variables in the regression analysis to assess the effects of dosage on service outcomes. The nine strata will be combined to address the second and third research questions, which reflect comparisons between the service stream cohorts.
Research Question |
Relevant survey items (See Attachment A-1 for survey) |
Analytical methods |
In what ways does participating in a national service program influence members’: (a) career pathways; (b) civic engagement; (c) attainment of career oriented soft skills; or (d) sense of community? |
Demographics: 1-8 Dosage: 10 a-d, 12 a-d Service Experience: 10 a-d,11, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 37 Experience prior to service: 15 Outcomes
|
Logistic regression Ordered probit regression |
In what ways, if any, do member outcomes vary by the six Serve America Act focus areas (disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, veterans and military families) and by the particular type of service programs and experiences? |
Demographics: 1-8 Focus areas: 16 Types of service programs: 10 Service experiences: 19,20, 33, 34 |
Logistic regression, ordered probit regression, ANOVA to compare differences across the focus areas |
In what ways, if any, do member outcomes vary by life stage? |
Demographics: 1, 11, 13 |
Logistic regression, ordered probit regression, ANOVA to compare differences for the outcomes above by life stage |
A17. Approval to Not Display Expiration Date
The expiration date will be displayed on all instruments approved for this study.
This collection of information involves no exceptions to the Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor (2013). All Occupations. In Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2013 Edition. Retrieved November 25, 2013 from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000
Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development, Still Serving: Measuring the Eight-Year Impact of AmeriCorps on Alumni, Washington, D.C., 2008a.
Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development, Improving Lives and Communities: Perspectives on 40 Years of VISTA Service, Washington, D.C., 2008b.
Dillman, D. A. (2000). Mail and Internet surveys: The tailored design method (2nd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.
Feldman, R.S. (2011). Development across the life span (6th ed.). University of Massachusetts: Amherst.
Heckhausen, J., Wrosch, C., & Schultz R. (2010). A Motivational Theory of Life-Span Development. Psychological Review, 117(1), 32–-60.
Hong, S. I., & Morrow-Howell, N. (2010). Health Outcomes of Experience Corps: A High-Commitment Volunteer Program. Social Science & Medicine, 71(2), 414–420, doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.04.009.
Konstam, V., Tomek, S., Celen-Demirtas, S., & Sweeney, K. (2014). Volunteering and Reemployment Status in Unemployed Emerging Adults: A Time-Worthy Investment? Journal of Career Assessment, doi: 10.1177/1069072714523248.
Lee, S. J., Steinman, M., & Tan, E. J. (2011). Volunteering, Driving Status and Mortality in Older Americans. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, In Print.
Mannino, C. A., Snyder, M., & Omoto, A. M. (2011). Why Do People Get Involved? Motivations for Volunteerism and Other Forms of Social Action. Social Motivation, 127.
Metz, E. (2014). State of the Field: Youth Community Service in the USA. In Handbook of Child Well-Being (pp. 977–997). Netherlands: Springer.
Seeman, T. E. (1996). Social Ties and Health: The Benefits of Social Integration. Annals of Epidemiology, 6(5), 442–451.
AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes Survey
Thank you for your commitment to service. To support current and future members and improve AmeriCorps programming, we are asking you to answer some brief questions so that we can better understand your AmeriCorps service experience. This survey is entirely voluntary and your responses will remain private to the extent permitted by law, as is provided for in the Privacy Act of 1974. This survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
What is your date of birth?
Month [Drop down list of options]
Day [Drop down list of options]
Year [Drop down list of options]
What is your gender?
Female
Male
Other gender
Are you a parent/primary caregiver?
No
Yes, and all of my children currently live with me
Yes, and some of my children currently live with me
Yes, and none of my children currently live with me
Yes, I am a parent of adult children who no longer live with me
Have you served on active duty in the military?
No
Yes
How do you identify yourself in terms of ethnicity/race? Please select all that apply.
African American
American Indian/Alaskan Native
Asian/Pacific Islander
White
Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish
Other (specify): [open-ended text box]
Please note: per OMB guidance, Question 5 on the final version of the survey has been changed to the following:
Which of the following describes your race? Please select one or more.
Black or African American
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
White
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Other
Which of the following describes your ethnicity? Please select only one.
Hispanic or Latina/o
Not Hispanic or Latina/o
Please select the highest level of education you have completed.
High school degree (HS Diploma or GED)
Some college
2-year college degree (AA)
Technical or vocational degree or certificate
4-year college degree (BA, BS)
Some graduate school
Graduate or professional degree (MA, MS, MD, JD, Ph.D., etc.)
Other (specify): [open-ended text box]
Prior to serving in AmeriCorps, did you or anyone in your immediate family ever receive welfare payments or public assistance benefits?
Yes
No
Not sure
What is your current marital status?
Married
Common law marriage or domestic partnership
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
Never Married
What U.S. state do you currently live in?
[Drop down list of options, include “I live outside the U.S.” with Please Specify text box]
What AmeriCorps program did you serve in?
First term:
VISTA
NCCC Traditional
NCCC FEMA Corps
State and National program
(If State and National, fill in the blank with program name: [open-ended text box])
What year did you begin serving in your First Term?
[Drop down list of options]
For your First Term, what was the duration of your term of service?
[Full time, part-time, quarter-time, minimum time, etc. – plus list hours]
Unnumbered. Did you serve a second term in any AmeriCorps program (State or National Program, NCCC, VISTA)?
Yes [Goes to 10b]
No [Goes to 13]
10b. What AmeriCorps program did you serve in during your Second Term?
VISTA
NCCC Traditional
NCCC FEMA Corps
State and National program
(If State and National, fill in the blank with program name: [open-ended text box])
11b. What year did you begin serving in your Second Term?
[Drop down list of options]
12b. For your Second Term, what was the duration of your term of service?
[Full time, part-time, quarter-time, minimum time, etc. – Please list the approximate number of hours you served during your Second Term.]
Unnumbered: Did you serve a third term in any AmeriCorps program (State or National Program, NCCC, VISTA)?
Yes [Goes to 10c]
No [Goes to 13]
10c. What AmeriCorps program did you serve in during your Third Term?
VISTA
NCCC Traditional
NCCC FEMA Corps
State and National program
(If State and National, fill in the blank with program name: [open-ended text box])
11c. What year did you begin serving in your Third Term?
[Drop down list of options]
12c. For your Third Term, what was the duration of your term of service?
[Full time, part-time, quarter-time, minimum time, etc. – Please list the approximate number of hours your served during your Third Term.]
Unnumbered: Did you serve a fourth term in any AmeriCorps program (State or National Program, NCCC, VISTA)?
Yes [Goes to 10d]
No [Goes to 13]
10d. What AmeriCorps program did you serve in during your Fourth Term?
VISTA
NCCC Traditional
NCCC FEMA Corps
State and National program
(If State and National, fill in the blank with program name: [open-ended text box])
11d. What year did you begin serving in your Fourth Term?
[Drop down list of options]
12d. For your Fourth Term, what was the duration of your term of service?
[Full time, part-time, quarter-time, minimum time, etc. – Please list the approximate number of hours your served during your Fourth Term.]
How old were you when you served in your first AmeriCorps program?
under 20
20 to 25
26 to 30
31 to 35
36 to 40
41 to 50
51 to 65
66 and over
Were you a parent/primary caregiver during your first term of service in AmeriCorps?
No
Yes, and all of my children lived with me
Yes, and some of my children lived with me.
Yes, and none of my children lived with me.
Yes, I was a parent of adult children who no longer lived with me.
What were you doing in the six months before you first entered AmeriCorps? Select all that apply.
Working in the private sector
Working in the nonprofit or social service sector
Working in the public/government sector
Attending high school
Attending a vocational/technical training program
Attending college
Attending graduate school
Engaged another service experience such as the Peace Corps
Working in my own small business
Working at a nonprofit or social entrepreneurship venture that I created
Serving in the military
Unemployed
Other (Please describe what you did immediately before entering AmeriCorps: [open-ended text box])
When answering the rest of the questions on this survey, if you served more than one term please consider your AmeriCorps experiences as a whole.
What were the main focus areas of your AmeriCorps service experience? Select all that apply.
Education
Healthy Futures
Disaster Services
Veterans and Military Families
Environmental Stewardship
Economic Opportunity
Capacity Building
Not Sure/Does Not Apply
For the statements below, please indicate how much you would have agreed or disagreed before your AmeriCorps service and how much you agree or disagree now. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]
|
Before AmeriCorps |
Now |
a. I enjoy exploring differences between co-workers and/or friends from different cultures or backgrounds and me. |
|
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b. I enjoy interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds. |
|
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c. I respect the values of people from different cultures and backgrounds. |
|
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d. I feel confident when interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds. |
|
|
For the statements below, please indicate how much you would have agreed or disagreed before your AmeriCorps service and how much you agree or disagree now. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]
|
Before AmeriCorps |
Now |
a. I can always manage to solve difficult problems if I try hard enough. |
|
|
b. If someone opposes me, I can find the means and ways to get what I want. |
|
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c. It is easy for me to stick to my aims and accomplish my goals. |
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d. I am confident that I could deal efficiently with unexpected events. |
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e. Thanks to my resourcefulness, I know how to handle unforeseen situations. |
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f. I can solve most problems if I invest the necessary effort. |
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g. I can remain calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities. |
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h. When I am confronted with a problem, I can usually find several solutions. |
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i. If I am in trouble, I can usually think of a solution. |
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j. I can usually handle whatever comes my way. |
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|
Thinking about your AmeriCorps experience, please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements as it relates to your own AmeriCorps experience: [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]
I felt I made a contribution to the community.
I re-examined my beliefs and attitudes about myself.
I was exposed to new ideas and ways of seeing the world.
I felt part of a community.
I learned more about the "real" world or "the rest" of the world.
I gained an understanding of the community(s) where I served.
I gained an understanding of the solutions to the challenges faced by the community(s) where I served.
I spent a lot of time doing meaningless “make work” tasks
The majority of my work did not make a difference in the community.
I felt I made a difference in the life of at least one person.
I did things l never thought I could do.
I did not get along well with my supervisor and/or my teammates
I figured out what my next steps are in terms of educational goals.
I figured out what my next steps are in terms of career/professional goals.
I felt defeated by the scope of the problems I worked on.
I re-examined my beliefs and attitudes about other people.
All things considered, how do you feel about your overall AmeriCorps service experience? [Very Satisfied; Satisfied; Neither Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied; Dissatisfied; Very Dissatisfied]
Please explain: [open-ended text box]
In the last 12 months, how often did you participate in the following activities? [Basically every day, a few times a week, a few times a month, once a month, less than once a month, not at all]
Participate in community organizations (school, religious, issue-based, recreational)
Keep informed about news and public issues
Help to keep the community safe and clean
Volunteer for a cause or issue that I care about
Donate money or goods to a cause or issue that I care about
Think about how likely you were to participate in the following activities before you did AmeriCorps, and how likely you are now. Would you say that your AmeriCorps experience has made you more or less likely to: [Much more likely, Somewhat more likely, No effect, Somewhat less likely, Much less likely]
Participate in community organizations (school, religious, issue-based, recreational)
Vote in elections
Keep informed about news and public issues
Help to keep the community safe and clean
Volunteer for a cause or issue that I care about
Donate money or goods to a cause or issue that I care about
Think about your activities in the last 12 months when answering the following questions. [Basically every day, a few times a week, a few times a month, once a month, less than once a month, not at all]
In the last 12 months, how often did you discuss politics with friends or family?
In the last 12 months, how often, if at all, did you use the Internet to express your opinions about political or community issues?
In the last 12 months, how often did you discuss and think about how political, social, local, or national issues affect the community?
In the last 12 months, how often did you try to encourage others to participate in the community?
In the last 12 months, how often did you and your neighbors do favors for one another? By favors we mean such things as watching each others’ children, helping with shopping, house sitting, lending garden or house tools and other small things to help each other
In the last 12 months, have you boycotted a product or service because of the social or political values of the company that provides it?
Yes
No
Don’t Know
Generally speaking, would you say that you can trust all the people, most of the people, some of the people, or none of the people in your neighborhood?
All of the people
Most of the people
Some of the people
None of the people
For each of the following institutions, would you say you have a great deal of confidence, only some confidence, hardly any confidence, or no confidence at all in them to do what is right? [A great deal of confidence, some confidence, hardly any confidence, no confidence at all]
Corporations
The media
Public schools
Were you registered to vote in the last presidential election?
Yes
No
No, was not eligible to vote
Don’t Know]
Did you vote in the last presidential election?
Yes
No
Don’t Know
How often did you vote in the last 12 months?
I voted in all elections offered in my district.
I voted in some elections offered in my district.
I did not vote in any elections offered in my district.
No elections were offered in my district in the last 12 months.
If you found out about a problem in your community that you wanted to do something about, how well do you think you would be able to do each of the following: [I definitely could do this; I probably could do this; Not sure; I could not do this; I definitely could not do this]?
Create a plan to address the problem
Get other people to care about the problem
Organize and run a meeting
Express your views in front of a group of people
Identify individuals or groups who could help you with the problem
Express your views on the Internet or through social media
Call someone on the phone you had never met before to get their help with the problem
Contact an elected official about the problem
For the statements below, please indicate how much you would have agreed or disagreed before your AmeriCorps service and how much you agree or disagree now. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]
|
Before AmeriCorps |
Now |
a. I have a strong and personal attachment to a particular community. |
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b. I am aware of the important needs in the community. |
|
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c. I feel a personal obligation to contribute in some way to the community. |
|
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d. I am or plan to become actively involved in issues that positively affect the community. |
|
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e. I believe that voting in elections is a very important obligation that a citizen owes to the country. |
|
|
How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements: [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]
Participating in AmeriCorps was a worthwhile experience in terms of furthering my educational goals and future educational endeavors.
Participating in AmeriCorps was a worthwhile experience in terms of furthering my professional goals and future professional endeavors.
Participating in AmeriCorps was a worthwhile experience in terms of furthering my personal goals and future personal endeavors.
How much do you agree or disagree that your AmeriCorps service was a defining personal experience? A defining experience is one that confirmed your beliefs and aspirations, or one that resulted in a change or shift in your beliefs and aspirations. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree Nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]
Please explain how AmeriCorps was or was not a defining personal experience: [open-ended text box]
How much do you agree or disagree that your AmeriCorps service was a defining professional experience? A defining experience is one that confirmed your professional goals or one that resulted in a change or shift in your professional goals. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree Nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]
Please explain how AmeriCorps was or was not a defining personal experience: [open-ended text box]
How did your AmeriCorps service fit into how your career path has unfolded? Select the option that most closely describes your career path.
It aligned with the career path I was already pursuing.
My career took a different path into work in a service-related field.
My career took a different path into non-service work after AmeriCorps.
My career took a different path into non-service work after AmeriCorps, but then I returned to service work.
Please explain how your AmeriCorps experience fit into how your career path unfolded: [open-ended text box]
After your AmeriCorps service, did you stay in the community in which you were serving?
Yes – I was not originally from that community but I stayed there after AmeriCorps.
Yes – I was originally from that community and I stayed there after AmeriCorps.
No – I moved back to where I was living before AmeriCorps.
No – I moved to a new community.
If a good friend or family member told you he or she was interested in joining AmeriCorps, would you:
Advise against it
Have second thoughts about recommending it
Recommend it
Strongly recommend it
How closely do you associate your AmeriCorps service with each of the following? [Very closely; Closely; Somewhat; Not much; Not at all; Not applicable]
AmeriCorps
NCCC, FEMA Corps, VISTA, or AmeriCorps State and National
The agency or nonprofit that operated your program
The specific organization or site where you served
Other (Please specify: [open-ended text box])
How did you use your AmeriCorps education award? Select all that apply.
To attend college
To repay student loans
To attend graduate school
To attend a technical or vocational training program
Transfer education award to a family member
I did not qualify to receive an education award
I chose to receive a stipend instead of an education award
I did not use my education award
I have not yet used my education award but I plan to use it
What did you do in the six months after your AmeriCorps service? Select all that apply.
Got a job in the private sector
Got a job in the nonprofit or social service sector
Got a job in the public/government sector
Enrolled in a vocational/technical training program
Went to college
Went to graduate school
Enrolled in the same AmeriCorps program
Enrolled in another AmeriCorps program
Pursued another service experience such as the Peace Corps
Started a small business
Started a nonprofit or social entrepreneurship venture
Served in the military
Unemployed
Other: Describe what you did immediately after your AmeriCorps service: [open-ended text box]
If you got a job in the six months after your AmeriCorps service, was it a position in, or directly connected to, the organization or agency in which you served?
No
Yes (Please explain: [open ended text box])
What are you doing now? Select all that apply.
Working in the non-profit sector
Working in the private sector
Working in government or in the public sector
Serving in the military
Self-employed
Looking for work
Staying at home to take care of a family or household member or for other reasons
Working as a supervisor or in a management capacity
Serving in another national service program (another AmeriCorps program, Senior Corps, NCCC, or VISTA project)
Serving with the Peace Corps
Engaging in other volunteer service
Making plans to attend school
Attending college or graduate school
Enrolled in a certificate, technical, or vocational program
Other (specify) : [open ended text box]
If you are working now, does your current job involve any of the organizations or AmeriCorps programs that you worked with during your AmeriCorps service?
No
Yes (Please explain: [open ended text box])
Do you include your AmeriCorps experience on your resume? [Always, usually, sometimes, rarely, never]
Please explain: [open ended text box]
If and when you do include AmeriCorps on your resume, do you include it in the “work experience” section or in the “volunteering or community service” section?
Work experience
Volunteer or community service
I have done both, depending on the particular use of the resume
Please rate yourself in each of the following skill areas. [Excellent, Good, Average, Poor]
Conducting yourself in a professional manner
Working independently
Meeting deadlines
Setting priorities for multiple tasks
Communicating verbally with others
Communicate in writing with others
Adapting to new situations
Responding to unexpected challenges
Working with people different from myself
Facilitating groups
Leading teams
Recruiting and/or managing community volunteers
Assessing problems and finding solutions
Planning, coordinating and managing events
To what extent did your AmeriCorps experience help you increase this skill? [A great deal, Somewhat, Very little, Not at all, Not sure]
Conducting yourself in a professional manner
Working independently
Meeting deadlines
Setting priorities for multiple tasks
Communicating verbally with others
Communicate in writing with others
Adapting to new situations
Responding to unexpected challenges
Working with people different from myself
Facilitating groups
Leading teams
Recruiting and/or managing community volunteers
Assessing problems and finding solutions
Planning, coordinating and managing events
Would you be willing to take a follow-up alumni survey in the future? If so, please give your name, an updated email address, mailing address, and phone number.
The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C § 552a) requires that the following notice be provided: The information requested in the Alumni Outcome Survey is collected pursuant to 42 U.S.C 12592 and 12615 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended, and 42 U.S.C. 4953 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended, and 42 U.S.C. 12639. Purposes and Uses - The information requested is collected for the purposes of assessing the impact of the AmeriCorps program. Routine Uses - Routine uses may include disclosure of the information to federal, state, or local agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests. In some programs, the information may also be provided to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to determine the existence of any prior criminal convictions. The information may also be provided to appropriate federal agencies and Department contractors that have a need to know the information for the purpose of assisting the Department’s efforts to respond to a suspected or confirmed breach of the security or confidentiality or information maintained in this system of records, and the information disclosed is relevant and unnecessary for the assistance. The information will not otherwise be disclosed to entities outside of the Corporation for National and Community Service without prior written permission. Effects of Nondisclosure - The information requested is not mandatory.
Task |
Dates |
Develop and implement roll out and survey promotion plan |
3/1/15-4/4/15 |
Administer survey online with up to 3 reminders |
4/4/15- 5/22/15 |
Conduct phone follow up |
4/20/15-5/22/15 |
Download, clean and post code surveys label and create variables |
5/22/15 -5/26/15 |
Calculate response rates and sampling weights |
5/22/15- 5/26/15 |
Calculate sampling weights |
5/22/15- 5/26/15 |
Conduct non-response bias analysis |
5/26/15- 6/10/15 |
Conduct psychometric analysis (e.g., examine overlapping data patterns/check for satisficing, Cronbach’s alpha, scale validation checks) |
6/10/15- 6/19/15 |
Draft and revise report |
6/16/15-7/28/15 |
Provide data files in public and private forms with SPSS code, weights, and variables |
7/31/15 |
Submit final report and provide briefing |
8/18/15 |
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Epstein, Diana |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-25 |