National Student Attendance, Engagement and Success Center (NSEASC) Needs Sensing Instrument

Note to reviewers: This document provides survey items for three related surveys to be administered to three different recipient types: (1) state education agency (SEA) staff, (2) local education agency (LEA) staff, and (3) technical assistance (TA) providers. The surveys are shown side-by-side to indicate the alignment of structure and content across survey types to support data analysis and reporting across instruments. “Skip logic” will be used to include the surveys within one instrument. In instances where there is a “blank” cell in a given row, there is no aligned item on that topic. This will not appear as a “blank” in the survey platform. In cases where the rows are merged, the same item applies across all three surveys.

Online Needs Sensing Instrument

Introduction

This survey is being administered by the National Student Attendance, Engagement, and Support (NSAES) Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to support states in addressing issues related to chronic absence. The survey is designed to gather needs sensing information from state education agency staff, local education agency (district) staff, and technical assistance (TA) providers related to the issue of chronic absenteeism.

Your participation in this survey is voluntary, and reporting of findings will be done in the aggregate without associating responses with individuals. Should you choose to participate, the survey should take between 15-20 minutes to complete. Survey responses will only be shared with NSAES Center staff and ED to inform the TA offerings the NSAES Center will provide in future years. Your perspective is very important to us, and we thank you in advance for your participation.

If you have questions about this survey, please direct them to [email protected].

Questions

SEA Survey Items	LEA Survey Items	TA Providers Items
Background and Current Context
Select the description that best describes your role. State education agency (SEA) employee Local education agency (LEA) employee Educator/school-level employee Technical assistance (TA) provider Other (please specify): ______________ Note: Include skip logic after item 1 to direct to the appropriate survey thread, based on respondent type. Educators/school level employees may respond to the LEA survey questions.
Data Questions Related to Chronic Absence
Based on your experience and role in addressing chronic absence, to what extent are each of these factors contributing to chronic absence in your state/district? [not at all, to some extent, to a great extent] 1 Lack of engaging content and curricula Student suspension Student health Mental health Student involvement with the juvenile justice systems Student involvement with the child welfare system Student academic performance Transportation Housing stability Parent engagement Parent language and cultural differences Family obligations (e.g., caring for family member) School safety School climate Lack of support services Community factors Other (please specify): _________________
What data related to chronic absence does your state collect from districts? Check all that apply. Attendance: total days enrolled Attendance: total days absent Attendance: school-level data Attendance: non-identifiable student-level data Attendance: individual student data Chronic absenteeism Disciplinary incidents (including suspensions and expulsions) Disability status Home and hospital instruction status Homelessness status Foster care status Military family status English learner status Other (please specify): ________________		N/A
To what extent does your state analyze each of these data to make decisions related to chronic absenteeism policy, practice or programs? [not at all, to some extent, to a great extent] Attendance: total days enrolled Attendance: total days absent Attendance: school-level data Attendance: non-identifiable student-level data Attendance: individual student data Chronic absenteeism Disciplinary incidents (including suspensions and expulsions) Disability status Home and hospital instruction status Homelessness status Foster care status Military family status English learner status Other (please specify): ________________	To what extent does your district analyze each of these data to make decisions related to chronic absenteeism policy, practice or programs? [not at all, to some extent, to a great extent] Attendance: total days enrolled Attendance: total days absent Attendance: school-level data Attendance: non-identifiable student-level data Attendance: individual student data Chronic absenteeism Disciplinary incidents (including suspensions and expulsions) Disability status Home and hospital instruction status Homelessness status Foster care status Military family status English learner status Other (please specify): ________________	N/A
Describe how your state uses the above data for analysis and reporting of chronic absenteeism. [open-ended] [Note: survey platform will pipe forward the selected choices from item 4 for respondents for reference]	Describe how your district uses the above data for analysis and reporting of chronic absenteeism. [open-ended] [Note: survey platform will pipe forward the selected choices from item 4 for respondents for reference]
Supports to Address Chronic Absence: Current Practices
To what extent does your state provide the following supports to districts focused on reducing chronic absence? [not at all, to some extent, to a great extent] Support for data collection and monitoring of student/district/state data Support for analysis of School Quality and Student Success data Support for data analysis, in general Support for reporting of data Support for districts to produce school-level reports that are useful for site-level decisionmaking Support for monitoring, evaluating, and assessing data at the district or school level Support for stakeholder engagement to improve understanding of potential root causes of chronic absence Support for identifying evidence-based programs addressing student needs and barriers (such as disability screening, in-school healthcare) Support for implementing programs addressing student needs and barriers Support for implementing evidence-based programs addressing school climate and staff (such as school safety or bullying reduction) Support for implementing evidence-based programs addressing community-based causes of absenteeism (such as providing safe/accessible routes to school) Support for strengthening or monitoring implementation of school improvement plans Improving policy to facilitate data collection Improving knowledge of and access to programs that address chronic absenteeism Building community buy-in to address chronic absence Support for partnering with district(s) to address chronic absenteeism at the local level		To what extent does your organization provide the following TA supports to SEAs or districts focused on reducing chronic absence? [not at all, to some extent, to a great extent] Support for data collection and monitoring of student/district/state data Support for analysis of School Quality and Student Success data Support for data analysis, in general Support for reporting of data Support for districts to produce school-level reports that are useful for site-level decisionmaking Support for monitoring, evaluating, and assessing data at the district or school level Support for stakeholder engagement to improve understanding of potential root causes of chronic absence Support for identifying evidence-based programs addressing student needs and barriers (such as disability screening, in-school healthcare) Support for implementing programs addressing student needs and barriers Support for identifying evidence-based programs addressing school climate and staff (such as school safety or bullying reduction) Support for identifying evidence-based programs addressing community-based causes of absenteeism (such as providing safe/accessible routes to school) Support for strengthening or monitoring implementation of school improvement plans Improving policy to facilitate data collection Improving knowledge of and access to programs that address chronic absenteeism Building community buy-in to address chronic absence Support for partnering with district(s) to address chronic absenteeism at the local level
N/A	To what extent does your district provide the following supports to schools focused on reducing chronic absence? [not at all, to some extent, to a great extent] Support for data collection Support for data analysis Support for reporting Early warning and monitoring systems or data collection that tracks school and student information about who is absent most frequently and alerts the school system Community collaboration programming including partnerships with local businesses, religious groups, municipal government, law enforcement, and school resources that specifically address attendance Parent notification systems such as phone calls when students do not attend school Interventions or programs with students to directly prevent/address absenteeism Interventions or programs with school staff to directly prevent/address absenteeism Interventions or programs with parents/guardians to directly prevent/address absenteeism Other: [open text]	To what extent does your organization provide the following TA supports to schools focused on reducing chronic absence? [not at all, to some extent, to a great extent] Support for data collection Support for data analysis Support for reporting Early warning and monitoring systems or data collection that tracks school and student information about who is absent most frequently and alerts the school system Community collaboration programming including partnerships with local businesses, religious groups, municipal government, law enforcement, and school resources that specifically address attendance Parent notification systems such as phone calls when students do not attend school Interventions or programs with students to directly prevent/address absenteeism Interventions or programs with school staff to directly prevent/address absenteeism Interventions or programs with parents/guardians to directly prevent/address absenteeism Other: [open text]
In what ways does your state differentiate supports to address chronic absence by district, school, or student characteristics? Differentiated supports for [select all that apply]: Early childhood versus elementary versus secondary schools Districts with greater numbers of Targeted Support and Improvement/Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools Districts with greater numbers of Title I schools Districts with higher rates of chronic absence Districts in rural settings versus urban settings Students who are homeless or in foster care Students who are English learners Students who have disabilities Other: _______	In what ways does your district differentiate supports to address chronic absence by school or student characteristics? Differentiated supports for [select all that apply]: Early childhood versus elementary versus secondary schools Schools with greater numbers of Targeted Support and Improvement/Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools Schools with greater numbers of Title I schools Schools with higher rates of chronic absence Schools in rural settings versus urban settings Students who are homeless or in foster care Students who are English learners Students who have disabilities Other: _______	N/A
Which of the following types of organizations do you partner with to address chronic absence, if any? Check all that apply. Youth engagement organizations After school programs Mentoring programs Community schools Healthcare partners (e.g., healthcare providers, the health department, vision screening services, dental providers) Mental healthcare providers Organizations that serve homeless or people in unstable housing situations State foster care State safety net programs such as WIC, SNAP, or Medicaid State juvenile justice division Organizations that support food instability Other: [Text box] None of the above (exclusive option)
Please provide more information describing the most significant/substantive partnerships you have in place to support chronic absence: [open text]
Supports to Address Chronic Absence: TA Needs
What type(s) of TA would help you address chronic absence in your current role at your state/district? Check all that apply. Support for data collection and monitoring of student/district/state data Support for analysis of School Quality and Student Success data Support for data analysis, in general Support for reporting of data Support for districts to produce school-level reports that are useful for site-level decisionmaking Support for monitoring, evaluating, and assessing data at the district or school level Support for stakeholder engagement to improve understanding of potential root causes of chronic absence Support for identifying evidence-based programs addressing student needs and barriers (such as disability screening, in-school healthcare) Support for implementing programs addressing student needs and barriers Support for implementing evidence-based programs addressing school climate and staff (such as school safety or bullying reduction) Support for implementing evidence-based programs addressing community-based causes of absenteeism (such as providing safe/accessible routes to school) Support for strengthening or monitoring implementation of school improvement plans Improving policy to facilitate data collection Improving knowledge of and access to programs that address chronic absenteeism Building community buy-in to address chronic absence Support for partnering with district(s) to address chronic absenteeism at the local level		From your perspective, what type(s) of TA do you believe would be most helpful in supporting states and districts address chronic absence? Check all that apply. Support for data collection and monitoring of student/district/state data Support for analysis of School Quality and Student Success data Support for data analysis, in general Support for reporting of data Support for districts to produce school-level reports that are useful for site-level decisionmaking Support for monitoring, evaluating, and assessing data at the district or school level Support for stakeholder engagement to improve understanding of potential root causes of chronic absence Support for identifying evidence-based programs addressing student needs and barriers (such as disability screening, in-school healthcare) Support for implementing programs addressing student needs and barriers Support for implementing evidence-based programs addressing school climate and staff (such as school safety or bullying reduction) Support for implementing evidence-based programs addressing community-based causes of absenteeism (such as providing safe/accessible routes to school) Support for strengthening or monitoring implementation of school improvement plans Improving policy to facilitate data collection Improving knowledge of and access to programs that address chronic absenteeism Building community buy-in to address chronic absence Support for partnering with district(s) to address chronic absenteeism at the local level
What would be your preference for how you receive the TA support described in the previous item? Check all that apply. Intensive TA: on site, side-by-side data, planning, or implementation support Intensive TA: video/telephone consultation Blended intensive/targeted TA: sustained learning or implementation collaboratives that include both in-person and virtual learning opportunities across states Targeted TA: virtual community of practice Targeted TA: in-person national or regional convenings Targeted TA: virtual peer-to-peer learning discussions Universal TA: webinars Universal TA: online resources Universal TA: e-learning modules Universal TA: website Other: (please specify)		From your perspective, what is the most effective way to provide the TA support described in the previous item to states and districts? Check all that apply. Intensive TA: on site, side-by-side data, planning, or implementation support Intensive TA: video/telephone consultation Blended intensive/targeted TA: sustained learning or implementation collaboratives that include both in-person and virtual learning opportunities across states Targeted TA: virtual community of practice Targeted TA: in-person national or regional convenings Targeted TA: virtual peer-to-peer learning discussions Universal TA: webinars Universal TA: online resources Universal TA: website Other: (please specify)
Would you or any of your colleagues at your SEA/LEA/TA organization who support issues related to chronic absenteeism be interested in participating in a 45-minute phone interview to share more about your experiences, needs, and priorities related to reducing chronic absence? If so, please provide the name, role, and contact information for this person below. [Fields for name, role, organization, email, phone] Note: This contact information will not be associated with your survey responses for reporting purposes.
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.  The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1800-0011.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 31 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.  If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact Bryan Keohane at [email protected] directly.

1 Items using a Likert scale will be formatted in a “grid” style where each answer choice has the option to select the appropriate scale response.

Insight ▪ Online Needs Sensing Instrument 2