BIE Distance Learning Household Survey - Paper Version

Distance Learning Household Survey

This survey is about your satisfaction with your child’s learning last school year (2020-2021), including remote and online education.

Your voice matters. Sharing your views will help improve remote and online learning for children attending tribally controlled and BIE operated schools. Survey participation does not involve any risks other than those encountered in daily life, such as being asked a question that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Responses to this survey are voluntary. You may skip any question you do not wish to answer or choose not to participate in the survey.

The survey takes about 15 minutes on average to complete.

The information you provide will remain private. Your survey responses will be grouped with all other responses and summarized to inform Bureau of Indian Education efforts and school decisions to improve family satisfaction with any future remote or online learning.

Thank you for your participation!

Commonly Asked Questions about the Distance Learning Household Survey

Q: What is the Distance Learning Household Survey?
A: The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is conducting a survey of families with children enrolled in K-12 schools and institutions of education in tribal communities. The Distance Learning Household Survey is being used to gather information on the experiences and the challenges that families have faced with distance learning.

Q: How is the information used?
A: The information you provide will be used to…

• Document the current state of distance education in all K-12 schools and institutions of higher education in tribal communities

• Define best practices for distance learning implementation based on schools' specific strengths and challenges

• Develop plans to bridge the gap between schools' current and ideal states of distance learning

Q: Has the survey been reviewed by tribal communities?

A. BIE and NORC have been working closely with Native education experts and an Indigenous Technical Working Group to make sure that all aspects of communication, planning, administration, and dissemination of findings are culturally responsive to the needs and interests of tribal communities.

Q: How did you get my address?
A: Your contact information was provided to us by your school.

Q: Why should I take part in this survey? Do I have to do this?
A: Because we cannot include everyone in the survey, your answers represent the answers of hundreds of other households like yours. Your answers and opinions are very important to the success of this study and will directly inform efforts to improve distance education for Native students.

Your participation is voluntary. You may choose not to answer any or all questions in this survey. There are no penalties should you choose not to participate in the survey.

Q: How will the information I provide be kept private?
A: We can assure you that your individual privacy will be maintained in all reports resulting from this study. Your personal identifying information will be kept secure to the extent permitted by law and will be protected from public disclosure in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Your survey answers will be grouped with responses from other participants, and it will not be linked to your contact information. Your contact information will not be sold or distributed to others.

Q: How much time will it take?
A: On average, the survey should take 15 minutes for you to respond.

Q: I received a paper questionnaire and a link to take a web survey. Are these different things?
A: The paper survey contains the same questions as the web survey. You can choose to respond either by returning the paper survey or by completing the questionnaire online. You do not have to complete both.

Q: Who is sponsoring this survey? Is this survey conducted by the Federal Government?
A: The Bureau of Indian Affairs is conducting this survey. NORC at the University of Chicago has been contracted to conduct the survey. This survey has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the office that reviews all federally sponsored surveys. The approval number assigned to this survey is XXXX-XXXX. Your name will not be sold to any third-party organizations.

Q: Who is NORC?
A: NORC at the University of Chicago is a non-profit research organization located in Chicago, Illinois. NORC has partnered with Bowman Performance Consulting, a Native-owned research organization, to conduct this survey on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. If you have any questions about the survey, you may contact the Principal Investigator, Jennifer Hamilton at 312-201-6836 or [email protected] or the Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Nicole Bowman at 715-526-9240 or [email protected].

1. How many school-aged children live with you at least part of the year?

_ One

_2Two

_3Three

_4Four

_5Five or more

_6None → You are ineligible for this survey. Please do not answer any further questions. Thank you for your participation.

2. Do you have a school-aged child (or children) who attends a tribally controlled school or a Bureau of Indian Education operated school?

_ Yes

_ No → You are ineligible for this survey. Please do not answer any further questions. Thank you for your participation.

3. Last school year, did your family have access to the Internet in your home (for example, wired or wireless connections, mobile hotspots, mobile phones)?

_ Yes, all school year

_ Yes, some months during the school year

_ No → SKIP to question 6

4. Last school year, how often did your home Internet connection drop or slow down so much that it was not usable?

_ Always (3 or more times per day)

_ Often (1-2 times per day)

_ Sometimes (3-6 times per week)

_ Rarely (1-2 times per week)

_ Hardly ever (Less than 1 time per week)

5. How much do you agree or disagree that last school year your home Internet connection was fast enough to smoothly stream video and quickly download large files?

_ Strongly disagree

_ Somewhat disagree

_ Neither agree nor disagree

_ Somewhat agree

_ Strongly agree

6. Aside from your home, is there another place your family members go specifically to access the Internet?

_ Yes, please specify: ___________________________________________________________

_ No → SKIP to question 8

7. How long does it take your family members to get from your home to where you typically go to access the Internet?

_ Less than 5 minutes

_6-15 minutes

_16-30 minutes

_31-45 minutes

_46 minutes to one hour

_ More than one hour

8. Please share any other information you would like regarding Internet access. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Which of the following devices does your family use at home? Select all that apply.

_ Desktop or laptop computer (for example, PC, Mac, Chromebook)

_ Tablet with no keyboard (for example, iPad, Amazon Fire)

_ Tablet with keyboard

_ Smartphone (for example, iPhone, Android)

_ None

_ Other, please specify: ____________________________________________________________

10. Which of the following devices do you feel most comfortable using? Please select one.

_ Desktop or laptop computer (for example, PC, Mac, Chromebook)

_ Tablet with no keyboard (for example, iPad, Amazon Fire)

_ Tablet with keyboard

_ Smartphone (for example, iPhone, Android)

_ None

_ Other, please specify: ____________________________________________________________

11. Please share any other information you would like regarding home technology use. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The rest of this survey focuses on your satisfaction with your school-aged child’s schooling during the last school year (2020-2021).

If you have more than one school-aged child (grades pre-K through 12) who lives with you at least part of the year and attends a tribally controlled school or a Bureau of Indian Education school, please choose one child whose education you know the most about and answer the survey about that child.

Please answer the rest of the survey’s questions with only this one child in mind.

12. What grade was your child in last school year?

_ Pre-K

_ Kindergarten – Grade 2

_ Grade 3-5

_ Grade 6-8

_ Grade 9-12

13. Please write the name of the school your child attended last school year.

____________________________________________________

14. Was your child’s school a boarding school where children live on site during the school year?

_ No

_ Yes, and my child lived at the school.

_ Yes, and my child was a day student who lived at home.

These questions refer to last school year (Fall 2020 through Spring 2021).

15. Because of COVID-19, many schools temporarily shifted from in-person learning to remote learning (online, paper materials sent home, or otherwise) or hybrid learning (a planned blend of remote and in-person learning).

During the last school year, did your child spend more time in remote-only learning or hybrid learning?

_ Remote-only learning

_ Hybrid learning (a planned blend of remote and in-person learning)

_ Not applicable—my child only attended school in-person last school year → SKIP to
question 35

The next set of questions relate to the remote/hybrid learning experience in which your child spent the most time.

16. Thinking of your child’s remote/hybrid learning experience last school year, how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the following?

	Very dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Very satisfied
The education provided to your student					
The amount your child learned					
The amount of time your child spent on learning activities					
Your child’s interest and engagement in learning activities					
The ease of use of your child’s school-provided remote learning tools					
Communication with your child’s teacher(s)					
Communication with people at the school other than your child’s teacher(s)					
Getting the support you needed from your child’s teacher(s)					
Getting the support you needed from people at the school other than your child’s teacher(s)					

17. Thinking of your child’s remote/hybrid learning experience last school year, how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the following (if applicable)?

	Very dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Very satisfied	Not applicable
My child’s access to a school counselor, psychologist, or social worker if needed						
My child’s access to nutritional services provided by the school if needed						

18. Compared with their pre-pandemic school experience, during last school year’s remote/hybrid learning…

	Much less	Somewhat less	About the same	Somewhat more	Much more
…how much did your child learn?					
…how much time did your child spend on learning activities?					
…how interested and engaged was your child in learning activities?					

19. What supplies did the school provide for remote learning, if any? Select all that apply.

_ Mobile hotspot providing Internet access via cellular network

_ Internet access via broadband (for example, satellite, cable, fiberoptic)

_ Laptop, Chromebook, or desktop computer

_ Tablet or iPad

_ Cell phone or another cellular device

_ Paper workbooks

_ Packets of materials

_ Textbooks

_ Other books (for example, library books)

_ School supplies like whiteboards, markers, pencils, and erasers

_ None

_ Other, please specify: ____________________________________________________________

20. During your child’s remote/hybrid learning last school year, how much of a challenge were each of the following?

	A major challenge	A moderate challenge	A slight challenge	Not a challenge
Having someone at home who can help your child understand schoolwork				
Having your child stick to a daily schedule				
Balancing time to support your child’s schoolwork with your other responsibilities				
Helping your child stay focused on their schoolwork				
Making sure your child attends school				
Making sure your child completes and turns in their schoolwork				

21. Please describe any challenges your child faced during remote learning that are not specific to online schooling. _____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

22. What types of remote learning did your child experience last school year? Select all that apply.

_ Online schooling

_ Printed materials sent home (for example, workbooks, packets, textbooks)

_ Instruction via a scheduled television or radio program

_ Other, please specify: ____________________________________________________________

23. What types of online schooling did your child experience last school year? Select all that apply.

_ Live online school with their teacher (for example, live video or audio)

_ Online school at their own pace (for example, online written materials, pre-recorded video or audio)

_ Not applicable. My child did not participate in online schooling → SKIP to question 35

These questions refer to last school year (Fall 2020 through Spring 2021).

24. During your child’s online schooling last school year, how satisfied were you with the following?

	Very dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Very satisfied
Your child’s online learning platforms (for example, Google classroom)					
Learning apps (for example, programs to help teach math, reading, science, social studies, languages, or the arts)					
The availability of technical support from the school					

25. During your child’s online schooling last school year, how satisfied were you with the following (if applicable)?

	Very dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Very satisfied	Not applicable
Live online instruction your child received from their teacher (for example, live video or audio)						
Self-paced instructional materials (for example, online written materials, pre-recorded video or audio)						
Use of technology by your child’s teacher(s)						
The availability of alternative materials when technology was not available (for example, hard copies of materials)						

26. During your child’s online schooling last school year, how much of a challenge were the following?

	A major challenge	A moderate challenge	A slight challenge	Not a challenge
Having Internet that was fast and stable enough for online schooling				
Having someone at home who could help your child with technical issues				
Having a reliable and functional device (for example, a laptop) for your child to use for online learning				
Your costs associated with online learning (for example, purchasing devices or Internet)				
The amount of time needed to learn to use educational technologies				

27. What other challenges, if any, did you or your child face with respect to online school?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

28. What were the biggest benefits, if any, of online schooling for you and your child?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

29. Online learning technology includes both devices and the software platforms and programs accessed on devices (for example, video conferencing tools, learning apps, Google docs).

How difficult or easy was it for your child to use online learning technology last school year?

_ Very difficult

_ Somewhat difficult

_ Neither easy nor difficult

_ Somewhat easy

_ Very easy

30. Last year, did your child’s online learning platform…?

	Yes	No	I don’t know
…Present written information in the primary language you speak at home			
…Provide you with automatic updates on your child’s learning progress			
…Help you communicate with your child’s teacher(s)			
…Let you see your child’s assignments			
…Let you see your child’s attendance, participation, and grades			
…Provide you with trainings to support your child’s learning			
…Provide your child with additional academic support if needed			
…Promote communication between your child and other students			

31. Which of the following was the device your child used for online school MOST OFTEN during the last school year (2020-2021)?

_ Desktop or laptop computer (for example, PC, Mac, Chromebook)

_ Tablet with no keyboard (for example, iPad, Amazon Fire)

_ Tablet with keyboard

_ Smartphone (for example, iPhone, Android)

_ Other, please specify: _________________________________________________________

32. How often was your child able to access the technology needed to complete their online schoolwork?

_ Never

_ Rarely

_ Sometimes

_ Often

_ Always

33. When your child had a problem with the device they used for online learning at home, how quickly was it resolved?

_ Same day

_ In 2-3 days

_ In 4-6 days

_ After 1 week or more

_ Not applicable

34. Please share any other information you would like regarding your satisfaction with online schooling or remote learning. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Finally, a few questions for classification purposes.

35. How does your child identify with respect to gender?

_ Female

_ Male

_ Gender non-binary

_ Other

_ Prefer not to say

36. What is the primary language you speak at home?

_ Indigenous or American Indian language, please specify: ________________________________

_ English

_ Both English and Indigenous/American Indian language, please specify: ____________________

_ Other language(s), please specify: __________________________________________________

37. Last school year, did your child participate in any of the following activities at school? Select all that apply.

_ Indigenous or American Indian language learning

_ Learning about Indigenous or American Indian culture

_ Sports or athletics

_ Music or performing arts

_ Other clubs or activities, please specify: ______________________________________________

38. Last school year, did your child receive special education via an IEP (Individualized Education Plan)?

_ Yes

_ No → SKIP to question 41

_ Prefer not to answer → SKIP to question 41

39. Did the lessons and activities that your child received last school year help them reach their IEP goals?

_ Not at all

_ Somewhat

_ Mostly

_ Completely

40. Please share any other information related to remote or online learning and delivery of the special education services your child receives through school.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

41. Last school year, did your child receive any of the following special services through school? Select all that apply.

_ Gifted and talented services

_ English Language Learner (ELL) services

_ Mental health services

_ Other, please specify: ______________________

_ No services received

_ Prefer not to answer

You have completed the survey. Thank you for your participation!

This survey is sponsored by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago and their partners Bowen Performance Consulting (Native American education consulting firm), SRI Education, and Education Northwest.

You have the opportunity to ask questions about this project and receive answers. If you have questions, you may contact the Principal Investigator, Jennifer Hamilton at 312-201-6836 or [email protected] or the Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Nicole Bowman at 715-526-9240 or [email protected].

If you have questions about your rights as a project participant, you may call the NORC Institutional Review Board Manager, toll free, at 866-309-0542.