Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 109: Teachers' Use of Technology for School and Homework Assignments

Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) 109: Teachers’ Use of Technology for School and Homework Assignments

Appendix C

Teacher Survey

OMB # 1850-0857 v.5

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

Washington, DC

April 2018

revised May 2018

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

November 2018

Dear Teacher:

On behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education, I request your participation in the national survey Teachers’ Use of Technology for School and Homework Assignments. Westat, a research firm in Rockville, Maryland, is administering the study for NCES using the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS). The survey is designed to be completed in about 15 minutes.

• Why is NCES conducting the survey? The study is being conducted in response to a request from Congress. It is designed to collect nationally representative information from public school teachers about their use of technology for school and homework assignments, and how their students’ access to technology outside the classroom affects the assignments teachers give. The survey focuses on information that can best be provided by teachers from their unique perspective and direct interaction with students. NCES is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Science Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543).

• Why is my participation important? Your participation, while voluntary, is vital to the development of national estimates. We need your input because you are one of a small sample of teachers selected for the study. Your cooperation is therefore critical to make the results of this survey comprehensive, accurate, and timely.

• How does NCES protect the confidentiality of the information that I provide? The information collected through the survey will be published in aggregate form only and will not identify individual teachers or their schools. All of the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). Your district and school have been informed about this study, and the federal Office of Management and Budget has approved the survey (OMB No. 1850-0857).

• What do I get from the study? Once the study is completed, NCES will present the findings in a report that will be released on the NCES website. Your school will be notified when it is released.

You may complete the survey using either the enclosed questionnaire or an online version. The online version of the survey is available at www.XXXXX.org. Your username and password appear on the enclosed Web Survey Information Sheet. If you complete the paper version of the questionnaire, please return it to Westat in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. Please complete the survey only once, using either the paper or the online version.

We ask that the survey be completed within 3 weeks, and that you keep a copy of the completed survey for your files. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Cindy Gray, the Westat survey manager, at
800-XXX-XXXX (toll-free) or by e-mail at [email protected]. You may also call John Ralph, the NCES Project Officer, at 202-245-6152. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

James L. Woodworth, Ph.D.

Commissioner

Enclosures

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS (NCES) WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006–5651 Teachers’ use OF TECHNOLOGY FOR SCHOOL and homework assignments FAST RESPONSE SURVEY SYSTEM

O.M.B. No.: 1850–0857 EXPIRATION DATE: 03/2021

NCES is authorized to conduct this survey by the Education Science Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). While participation in this survey is voluntary, your cooperation is critical to make the results of this survey comprehensive, accurate, and timely. All of the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).

This survey is being conducted in response to a request from Congress about the educational impact of students’ access outside the classroom to digital learning resources such as computers and the Internet. The survey focuses on information that can best be provided by teachers from their perspective and direct interaction with students.

• Please respond about the students you are teaching during the current 2018–19 school year.

• For purposes of this survey, computers include desktop and laptop computers, as well as tablets with a virtual or physical keyboard. Smartphones are not included in the definition of computers.

• Information is collected separately for computers and smartphones.

Name of person completing this form:

Name of school:

Telephone number: E-mail:

Best days and times to reach you (in case of questions):

THANK YOU. PLEASE KEEP A COPY OF THIS SURVEY FOR YOUR RECORDS.

PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED FORM TO: IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, CONTACT:

Mail: Cindy Gray (6197.04.01.03) Cindy Gray at Westat

Westat 800-XXX-XXXX

1600 Research Boulevard [email protected]

Rockville, Maryland 20850-3129

Fax: 800-254-0984

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850–0857. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this form, or any comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, please write directly to: Quick Response Information System (QRIS), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), PCP, 550 12th Street, SW, 4th floor, Washington, DC 20202.

FRSS Form No. 109, 11/2018

For purposes of this survey, computers include desktop and laptop computers, as well as tablets with a virtual or physical keyboard. Smartphones are not included in the definition of computers.

1. Do the students that you teach have a district- or school-provided computer that the student takes home? (These are computers provided to students on a long-term basis during the school year.)

   Yes (Continue with question 2.)

   No (Skip to question 3.)

2. Are there some students who are not able to take their district- or school-provided computer home?

   Yes (Skip to question 5.)

   No (Skip to question 5.)

3. Does your school allow students to borrow computers to take home on a short-term basis?

   Yes

   No

4. Can students access school computers outside of class time (for example, before or after school, at lunch, or during special periods during the school day)? (School computers may be located in computer labs, library media centers, or classrooms.)

   Yes

   No

5. Does your school have an additional academic period for all students during the school day (for example, a study or academic support period) when students can use computers and the Internet to work on homework or assignments from other classes?

   Yes

   No

6. Does your district or school provide mobile hotspots for students to take home for Internet access?

   Yes

   No

7. How knowledgeable are you about your students’ access to (a) computers and (b) the Internet for doing school assignments at home? (Select one in each row.)

   Technology	Knowledge of students’ access at home
   	Very knowledgeable	Somewhat knowledgeable	Slightly knowledgeable	Not knowledgeable
   a. Computers (leave row blank if students take district- or school-provided computers home)
   b. The Internet

8. How do you find out information about your students’ access at home to computers and/or the Internet? (Indicate yes or no for each item.)

Yes No

a. Do a survey (verbal, written, or online) of all your students and/or their parents about
access at home (Include surveys conducted by you or by your district or school.)

b. Talk to students and/or parents individually about access at home

c. Develop a sense of what students have as you work with them

d. Other (Specify):

9. In your estimation, to what extent do your students use the following locations for computer and/or Internet access to work on school assignments? (Select one box on each line.)

   Locations	Extent location is used for school assignments
   	Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent
   a. Public library
   b. Other public locations (e.g., parks, community centers)
   c. Commercial locations (e.g., bookstores, cafes)
   d. Homes of relatives, friends, or neighbors
   e. Student’s own home
   f. Other (Specify)

10. In your estimation, about what percentage of the students you teach have access to a computer at home? (Include district- or school-provided computers for those students who take them home.) _______%

If none of your students have access to a computer at home (that is, if question 10 equals zero), skip to question 13.

11. For your students who have access to a computer at home (including a district- or school-provided computer if students take it home), in your estimation how available are those computers for the students to use for school assignments? (Availability may be affected by things such as having to share the computer with parents or siblings.) (Select one box.)

Very available: students can almost always use it when needed

Somewhat available: students can usually use it when needed

Slightly available: students can rarely use it when needed

Not available: students are not allowed to use it

Don’t know

12. For your students who have access to a computer at home (including a district- or school-provided computer if students take it home), in your estimation how likely is it that the computer has reliable Internet access from home? (Select one box.)

    Very likely

    Somewhat likely

    Slightly likely

    Not likely

    Don’t know

13. In your estimation, about what percentage of the students you teach have access to a smartphone at home? _____%

If none of your students have access to a smartphone at home (that is, if question 13 equals zero),
skip to question 17.

14. For your students who have access to a smartphone at home, in your estimation how useful are those smartphones for completing the assignments you give your students? (Select one box.)

    Very useful

    Somewhat useful

    Slightly useful

    Not useful

15. For your students who have access to a smartphone at home, in your estimation how available are those smartphones for the students to use for school assignments? (Availability may be affected by things such as having to share the device with parents or siblings.) (Select one box.)

Very available: students can almost always use it when needed

Somewhat available: students can usually use it when needed

Slightly available: students can rarely use it when needed

Not available: students are not allowed to use it

Don’t know

16. For your students who have access to a smartphone at home, in your estimation how likely is it that the smartphone has reliable Internet access from home? (Select one box.)

Very likely

Somewhat likely

Slightly likely

Not likely

Don’t know

For questions 17 through 21, technology includes devices such as computers and smartphones, software such as computer programs and digital apps, and the Internet. Technology-based homework is homework designed to be completed using technology.

17. How much influence does your students’ access to technology and the Internet outside of school have on the homework assignments that you give them? (Select one box.)

    No influence

    Small influence .

    Moderate influence

    Large influence

18. How often do you assign technology-based homework to your students? (Select one box.)

    Never

    Rarely

    Sometimes

    Often

19. How often do you assign any type of homework to your students? (Include both technology-based and non-technology-based homework.) (Select one box.)

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

If you never give technology-based homework to your students (that is, if question 18 is “never”),
skip to question 22.

20. To what extent do your students have difficulty completing technology-based homework because they are not familiar with how to use technology? (Select one box.)

    Not at all

    Small extent

    Moderate extent

    Large extent

21. For your students who have limited access to technology and the Internet outside of school, to what extent do you provide the following types of assistance for doing technology-based homework? (Select one box on each line.)

    Assistance for students with limited technology outside of school	Extent you provide assistance
    	Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent
    a. Have students download homework assignments and materials while they are at school so they can work on the homework assignments on a computer without access to the Internet
    b. Provide hardcopy homework assignments and materials for students to use at home
    c. Give students extended time or a later deadline to turn in homework assignments
    d. Give time during class for students to use school technology to work on homework assignments
    e. Give alternate homework assignments that don’t require technology to complete (e.g., make a poster by hand rather than a computer presentation)

22. How prepared are your students to use the technology required for online or computerized assessments given by your state, district, or school? (Select one box.)

Very prepared

Somewhat prepared

Slightly prepared

Not prepared

Not applicable (no online or computerized assessments
are given by the state, district, or school)

23. Which statement best describes the way your classes at this school are organized? (Select one box.)

Self-contained classroom: you instruct the same group of students
all or most of the day in multiple subjects (Skip to question 25.)

Departmentalized instruction: you instruct several classes of different students
all or most of the day in one or more subjects (Continue with question 24.)

24. Which of the following subjects do you teach at this school? (Select all that apply.)

    English/language arts

    Social studies/social science

    Math

    Science

25. What grades do you currently teach at this school? (Circle all that apply.)

PK

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Ungraded