Attachment 10 MIHOPE-K teacher contact materials

My name is [MIHOPE Study Survey Director], and I am the survey director of MIHOPE (the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation). MIHOPE is a national research study on the effectiveness of home visiting programs that is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and led by researchers at MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research. Launched in 2011, over 4,000 women who were pregnant or had a young child at the time enrolled in the study.

Why we are contacting you

The research team is trying to understand the effects of home visiting now that the MIHOPE children are starting kindergarten, and we need your help. We are contacting teachers like you from all over the country to ask them to take a short, 15-30 minute survey about their students’ school behaviors.

Because teachers have the chance to observe their students in the classroom, your perspective on your student is essential to our research and will help improve home visiting services for parents with young children! As a thank you for taking the survey, the research team will also send you a $10 gift card.

What to expect

In the next [couple of weeks], I will be sending you a link, [either by email or through the mail,] to fill out the survey. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about the MIHOPE study, please visit: www.mdrc.org/mihope. You may also call the study team at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] if you have any questions.

If you would like more information about MDRC or Mathematica Policy Research, you can visit www.mdrc.org and www.mathematica-mpr.com.

Thank you for your invaluable help with this study!

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Survey Director | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER]

[EMAIL FOR CAREGIVERS TO FORWARD TO TEACHERS]

Subject: Can you do one more thing for the MIHOPE study?

Hi [CAREGIVER],

Thank you for all your help with the MIHOPE study so far! As we mentioned in an earlier email, one part of this new phase of MIHOPE is the teacher survey. We would like to talk to your child’s teacher to see how your child is doing in school.

We would like teachers to know that we will be contacting them soon to complete the survey. Could you please help us and forward this email to your child’s kindergarten teacher so they know they will be hearing from us? Thank you!

Hi [TEACHER],

My name is [MIHOPE Study Survey Director], and I am the survey director of the MIHOPE study. MIHOPE stands for the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation. It is a national research study on the effectiveness of home visiting programs that is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and led by researchers at MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research. Launched in 2011, over 4,000 women who were pregnant or had a young child at the time enrolled in the study.

Why we are contacting you

The research team is looking at the effects of home visiting now that the MIHOPE children are starting kindergarten, and we need your help. We are contacting teachers like you from all over the country to ask them to take a short, 15-30 minute survey about their students’ school behaviors.

Because teachers have the chance to observe behaviors of their students, your perspective on your student is essential to our research!

What to expect

In the next [couple of weeks], I will be [mailing/emailing] you information on how to fill out the survey. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about the MIHOPE study, please click here or call [TOLL FREE NUMBER].

Thank you for your invaluable help with this study!

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Survey Director | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER]

[INTRO LETTER]

Dear [TEACHER],

My name is [MIHOPE Study Survey Director], and I am the survey director of the MIHOPE study. I am reaching out to you because your student, [CHILD], is participating in MIHOPE. We received your information from [CHILD]’s caregiver, [CAREGIVER], and they have given us permission to contact you and have you answer questions about [CHILD].

MIHOPE is the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation; this study is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and led by researchers at MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research. The goal of this study is to examine the effects of home visiting services on children and their caregivers. MIHOPE was launched in 2011, and over 4,000 women who were pregnant or had a young child were enrolled. We are now looking at the effects of home visiting on these children in kindergarten.

Because teachers offer a unique perspective and observe their students on a daily basis, your feedback on [CHILD] is essential. We are reaching out to teachers like you, all over the country, to complete a brief survey about these children. We know that you are busy, but your contribution will help improve home visiting services. The survey should take no more than 15-30 minutes. As a thank you for your time, we will send you a $10 cash gift card—treat yourself to a coffee or lunch on us!

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Follow this link to complete the survey by [DEADLINE].

[SURVEY LINK]

If you’d like to complete a paper version, we’ve attached a copy. Simply mail it back to us in the pre-stamped envelope.

For more information about MIHOPE, visit the MIHOPE project study page at: www.mdrc.org/mihope. You can also call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] if you have any questions.

Thank you for your invaluable help with this study,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

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Participation is your choice, and you may refuse to answer any questions we ask. There are few risks to completing the survey as none of the questions are sensitive, and the research team will follow strict rules to keep your information and responses private. The described collection of information is voluntary. An agency may not conduct of sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0402 and it expires XX/XX/XXXX.

MIHOPE Study Survey Director | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER]

EMAIL MESSAGES

Intro email:

Subject: Will you provide input on [CHILD] for the national MIHOPE study?

Hi [TEACHER],

My name is [MIHOPE Study Survey Director], and I am the survey director of the MIHOPE study. I am reaching out to you because your student, [CHILD], is participating in MIHOPE. [CAREGIVER] gave us your information and their consent to contact you and have you answer questions about their child. MIHOPE is the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation. The goal of this national project is to study the effects of home visiting services on children and their caregivers. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and led by researchers at MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research.

Because teachers have the chance to observe behaviors of their students, your perspective on [CHILD] is essential to our research. We are reaching out to teachers like you, all over the country, to complete a brief survey about these children. We know that you are busy, but your contribution will help local, state, and federal agencies improve their home visiting services. As a thank you for your time, we will send you a $10 gift card—treat yourself to a coffee or lunch on us!

The survey should take no more than 15-30 minutes. Click the link below to complete it:

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[SURVEY LINK]

Please complete the survey by DEADLINE.

Thank you for your invaluable help with this study,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Survey Director | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER]

PS: If you have any questions that aren’t addressed in the attached FAQ, please feel free to call us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or visit www.mdrc.org/mihope.

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Email reminder 1:

Subject: Reminder: Your input is still needed for the national MIHOPE study

Hi [TEACHER],

We emailed you on [DATE] to give you some background on the MIHOPE study and asked you to complete a short survey on [CHILD]. We haven’t heard from you yet, but your insight on [CHILD] is essential to our research! Join teachers all over the country who are completing this survey and providing information that could help improve home visiting services. As a reminder, [CHILD]’s caregiver has given us their permission to contact you and have you answer questions about their child.

The survey should take no more than 15-30 minutes. You will receive a $10 for completing it. You can fill out the survey here:

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[SURVEY LINK]

Please complete the survey by DEADLINE.

We’ve attached an FAQ document with some background in case you’d like more information before filling out the survey. If you have any questions that aren’t addressed in the attached FAQ, please feel free to call us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or visit www.mdrc.org/mihope.

Thank you for your invaluable help us with this study,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

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MIHOPE Study Survey Director | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER]

Email reminder 2:

Subject: There’s still time to help with the national MIHOPE study!

Hi [TEACHER],

We still haven’t heard from you for the national MIHOPE study! Please take this short 15-30 minute survey on [CHILD]. Join teachers all over the country who are providing insight that could improve home visiting services. As a reminder, [CHILD]’s caregiver has given us their permission to contact you. You will receive a $10 for completing the survey. You can fill out the survey here:

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[SURVEY LINK]

Please complete the survey by DEADLINE.

We’ve attached an FAQ document with some background in case you’d like more information before filling out the survey. You can also call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or visit www.mdrc.org/mihope if you have questions on the study.

Thank you for your invaluable help,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

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MIHOPE Study Survey Director | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER]

[REMINDER LETTER]

[DATE]

Dear [TEACHER],

There is still time to help with the MIHOPE research study!

We recently contacted you on [DATE] to participate in the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE). As a reminder, MIHOPE is a national research study on the effectiveness of home visiting programs. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and led by researchers at MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research. We have received permission from [CHILD]’s legal guardian to contact you.

We are now looking at the effects of home visiting on these children in kindergarten, and many of your peers have already shared their insights with us! Please complete this short, 15-30 minute survey about [CHILD] and join teachers from all over the country who are helping us with our research! Your perspective is essential to this study because teachers like you have the chance to observe their students on a daily basis.

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[SURVEY LINK]

Please complete the survey by DEADLINE.

If you have any questions about MIHOPE, feel free to call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or visit www.mdrc.org/mihope.

Thank you for your invaluable help with this study,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

MIHOPE Study Survey Director | P.O. Box 2393 | Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 | [TOLL FREE NUMBER]

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TEXT MESSAGES

Intro text message:

To: [TEACHER CELL NUMBER]

Body: Hi [TEACHER]! We received your information from [PARENT NAME]. We’re reaching out as part of the MIHOPE research team. We would love for you to help us with this national study by sharing your insights on [CHILD]. Please visit [WEBSITE] to complete a survey and earn a $10 gift card. If you have any questions, feel free to call [TOLL FREE NUMBER]. Thank you!

Reminder text messages:

To: [TEACHER CELL NUMBER]

Body: Hi [TEACHER]! We still need your input on the MIHOPE study! Join teachers across the country who have already participated. Click HERE to complete our short online survey and earn a $10 gift card. If you have any questions, please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER].

To: [TEACHER CELL NUMBER]

Body: Hi [TEACHER]! We’re still waiting to hear from you for the MIHOPE study! As a reminder [CAREGIVER] has given us permission to contact you. Click HERE to complete our short online survey and earn a $10 gift card. Thank you!

FAQ’s – MIHOPE Kindergarten Follow-up Outreach to Principals/Districts

What is the MIHOPE Project?

MIHOPE stands for the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation. The goal of this national research project is to study the effects of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program (MIECHV) on children and their caregivers. MIHOPE is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and led by researchers at MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research. Launched in 2011, over 4,000 women who were pregnant or had a young child at the time they enrolled in the study are participating. We are now looking at the effects of home visiting on these children in kindergarten. More information on MIHOPE can be found here: [WEBSITE LINK].

Who are MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research?

MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research are non-partisan policy research organizations dedicated to improving public well-being. For more information about MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research, please visit www.mdrc.org and www.mathematica-mpr.com.

What are we asking from your teachers?

Until now, we have been gathering information from state agencies and mothers to better understand how home visiting services affect children and their caregivers. At this point in our study, we are also collecting information about participating students from their kindergarten teachers. Because teachers observe their students in the classroom on a day-to-day basis, we are asking teachers to fill out a 15-30 minute survey on their students’ behaviors, including their learning and social behaviors, and provide information on their students’ receipt of special education services, absences/tardies, and disciplinary incidents. Their participation in this survey is voluntary.

How do I know teachers can release this information?

As part of the MIHOPE study, we received consent from parents to collect these data. If you would like, we would be happy to provide you with documentation of consent for the children in your school. In addition, the teacher survey has been approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the federal Office of Management and Budget, and various Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).

How will this information be used?

Teacher responses will not be shared with the school district, other staff at the school, or the child’s parents. The information collected from teachers on individual children will only be used for research purposes. The teacher’s performance as a teacher is not being evaluated, and teachers have the right to choose not to take the survey or answer any of the survey questions. To make sure we keep research information as private as possible, all data will be stored in locked research facilities or on encrypted servers. The results of this project may be published in reports, but neither teachers nor students, schools, or districts will ever be identified individually in any published reports.

Why does MIHOPE not need to go through the district’s review process?
Teachers will only be answering a report on the child in question, from whose parents we have already received consent. Children from the MIHOPE study are attending school in many school districts across the country. This is a continuation of a study about the child and not a study of the child’s school system. The survey we are asking teachers to fill out does not collect data about your school or school system. Typically, districts consider research when children and families are selected from their schools; these children were already selected and included in the study before the children entered the district.

I’d still prefer you talk to the district. How should we contact you?

As a large-scale, national study funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we believe that we can work with principals and school districts to help answer any questions you may have. Please give us a call at [TOLL FREE NUMBER].

If you still have additional questions, please contact us:

[TOLL FREE NUMBER]

Monday – Friday from 9am-5pm

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An agency may not conduct of sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0402 and it expires XX/XX/XXXX.

FAQ’s – MIHOPE Kindergarten Follow-up Outreach to Teachers

What is the MIHOPE Project?

Who are MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research?

What are we asking from you?

Until now, we have been gathering information from state agencies and mothers to better understand how home visiting services affect children and their caregivers. At this point in our study, we are also collecting information about participating students from their kindergarten teachers. Because teachers like you observe their students in the classroom on a day-to-day basis, we are asking you to fill out a 15-30 minute survey on your students’ behaviors, including their learning and social behaviors, and provide information on their receipt of special education services, absences/tardies, and disciplinary incidents. Your participation in this survey is voluntary.

How do I know if I can release this information?

As part of the MIHOPE study, we received consent from parents to collect these data. If you would like, we would be happy to provide you with documentation of consent for the children in your class. We have also informed your [school district/principal] that we will be administering this survey. In addition, we’d like to let you know that the teacher survey has been approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the federal Office of Management and Budget, and various Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).

How will this information be used?

Your responses will not be shared with your school district, other staff at the school, or the child’s parents. The information collected from you about individual children will only be used for research purposes. Your performance as a teacher is not being evaluated, and you have the right to choose not to take the survey or answer any of the survey questions. To make sure we keep research information as private as possible, all data will be stored in locked research facilities or on encrypted servers. The results of this project may be published in reports, but neither teachers nor students, schools, or districts will ever be identified individually in any published reports.

Why does MDRC not need to go through the district’s review process?
Teachers will only be answering a report on the child in question, from whose parents we have already received consent. Children from the MIHOPE study have scattered across many school districts. This is a continuation of a study about the child and not a study of the subsequent school system. The survey we are asking teachers to fill out does not collect data about your school or school system. Typically, districts consider research when children and families are selected from their schools; these children were already selected and included in the study before the children entered the district.

I’d still prefer you talk to the district. Can I/you call them for permission?

As a large-scale, national study funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we believe that we can work with teachers and principals at the school level to help answer any questions you may have. Please give us a call at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] if you have questions.

If you have additional questions, please contact us:

[TOLL FREE NUMBER]

Monday – Friday from 9am-5pm

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The described collection of information is voluntary. An agency may not conduct of sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0402 and it expires XX/XX/XXXX.

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