Attachment B - Advance Materials

ATTACHMENT B.3

tIME USE SURVEY FLYER

Y our help is needed!

Mathematica, a respected independent research organization, will be emailing teachers soon about completing a time-use survey as part of a study on the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) study.

What is the time-use survey?

The 15-minute survey will ask about how much time teachers spend doing various tasks, like teaching, working with families, staff development, communication activities, management tasks and how that compares to time spent on similar activities before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mathematica will send you an email directly to log into the survey.

As a thank you, Mathematica will email you a $[AMOUNT] Amazon gift code once you complete the survey, so be on the lookout!

What is ECE-ICHQ?

ECE-ICHQ is a study funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families and conducted by Mathematica. The study aims to learn about how centers use their resources to maximize the quality of early childhood care and education.

OMB Number: 0970-0499

Expires: 11/30/2022

Questions? Didn’t get the email?

Contact Mathematica toll-free at XXX-XXX-XXXX or send an email to [email protected].

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aTTACHMENT B.4

STUDY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON ASSESSING THE IMPLEMENTATION AND COST OF HIGH QUALITY EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION (ECE-ICHQ)

• Q: WHAT IS ECE-ICHQ ABOUT?

The purpose of ECE-ICHQ is to produce measures of implementation and costs that can be used with existing observational measures of quality to find out what activities and investments can make a difference in improving early care and education quality.

• Q: WHO IS CONDUCTING THE PROJECT?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) sponsors the study. The study is being conducted by Mathematica, a respected, independent research organization whose studies of education and other programs have been used to inform national policymakers for more than 50 years.

• Q: HOW WERE CENTERS CHOSEN FOR THE STUDY?

Centers were chosen to reflect a range of characteristics, such as whether or not they serve children who receive subsidies for their care, or whether or not they offer a state prekindergarten program or are a part of Head Start program. Centers were also selected based on the number and ages of the children they serve. Participating centers will receive a $500 check.

• Q: WHY IS MY CENTER BEING ASKED TO PARTICIPATE AGAIN?

We are asking you to participate again because we are interested in understanding how center operations may have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The information we gather will help inform the types of supports that could help centers like yours navigate through challenging times.

• Q: WHAT WILL YOU ASK CENTER DIRECTORS TO DO?

After a brief call to explain the study and answer any questions, we will ask center directors to confirm some aspects of their center’s characteristics and staffing structure. In addition, we will ask directors to participate in telephone interviews to help us understand the center’s current activities and services.

• Q: WHAT WILL YOU ASK STAFF WHO MANAGE FINANCES TO DO?

After a brief call to explain the study and answer any questions, staff who are familiar with a center’s finances will be asked to provide information about current center costs including salaries, benefits, facilities, and overhead costs. They will be sent an electronic workbook to record this information and clear instructions for completing it.

• Q: WHAT WILL YOU ASK CENTER STAFF TO DO?

Center staff will be asked to complete a time-use survey online. It asks questions about how much time staff spend on various tasks, including teaching, working with families, staff development, communication activities, management tasks, and COVID-19 health and safety protocols. This should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Each person who completes a survey will receive a $20 gift card.

• Q: WHAT OTHER INFORMATION WILL YOU COLLECT ABOUT MY CENTER?

To supplement the information we will gather from staff we may also obtain state administrative data (for example, QRIS data) about your center.

• Q: WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE?

You and your center are a valuable part of this study. Your past participation helped us develop tools to understand differences in what centers do to support quality care, and what that costs. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the child care industry in a profound way. We know child care centers have had to make many trade-offs in order to meet health and safety requirements and continue to offer high-quality services to young children and their families. When the study is complete, we hope the findings will help inform the types of supports that could help centers like yours. Taking part in ECE-ICHQ is voluntary. You may also decline to answer any questions we may ask.

• Q: WILL THE INFORMATION BE KEPT PRIVATE?

The research team follows strict rules to protect privacy. All study staff are trained to protect privacy. The information in this study will be used only for research purposes and in ways that will not reveal who you are or identify your center. Federal or state laws may require us to show information to government officials (or sponsors) who are responsible for monitoring the safety of this study. Neither you nor your center will be identified in any publication from this study.

• Q: IS THERE A NUMBER TO CALL FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS?

If you have additional questions about ECE-ICHQ, contact Gretchen Kirby, project director at 202-484-3470 or Annalee Kelly, survey director at 609-275-2885, or email [email protected].