Appendix B_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 in kindergarten or first grade, 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[, whether in-person in the classroom or remotely with distance learning], 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

[IF IN-FIELD LETTER: In the next couple of weeks,] I will be sending you [IF IN-FIELD LETTER: a link, by email and/or mail,] [IF IN FIELD ADVANCE LETTER: information on how] 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] [or e-mail us at [EMAIL ADDRESS] 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 ADDRESS]

[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/first grade/kindergarten or first grade] 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 in kindergarten or first grade, 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[, whether in-person in the classroom or remotely with distance learning], 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] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

[INTRO LETTER]

[DATE]

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 parent/guardian, and they have given us consent to contact you and have you answer questions about [CHILD]. We have also sent a letter about this study to your school principal.

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 or first grade.

Because teachers offer a unique perspective and observe their students on a daily basis, [whether in-person in the classroom or remotely with distance learning,] 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!

Shape1

Log in using the information below to complete the survey by [DEADLINE MONTH] [DAY], [4-DIGIT YEAR].

Visit: [INSERT SURVEY LINK]

Username: [INSERT USERNAME]

Password: [INSERT PASSWORD]

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.

If you have any questions that are not addressed in the enclosed Frequently Asked Questions document, please call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or e-mail us at [EMAIL ADDRESS]. For more information about MIHOPE, visit the MIHOPE project study page at: 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] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

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. [CHILD]’s parent/guardian 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. We have also sent a letter about this study to your school principal.

Because teachers have the chance to observe behaviors of their students, [whether in-person in the classroom or remotely with distance learning,] 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:

Shape2

Please click here to complete the survey for [CHILD FIRST NAME] [LAST INITIAL].

Or, log in using the information below:

Visit: [INSERT SURVEY LINK]

Username: [INSERT USERNAME]

Password: [INSERT PASSWORD]

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] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

PS: If you have any questions that aren’t addressed in this FAQ document, please feel free to contact us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or [EMAIL ADDRESS]. You can also visit www.mdrc.org/mihope.

Email reminder 1:

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

Hi [TEACHER],

We contacted you recently 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 consent 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 gift card for completing it.

Shape3

You can fill out the survey by clicking here

Or, log in using the information below:

Visit: [INSERT SURVEY LINK]

Username: [INSERT USERNAME]

Password: [INSERT PASSWORD]

Please complete the survey by DEADLINE.

Click here to read 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 contact us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or [EMAIL ADDRESS]. You can also visit www.mdrc.org/mihope.

Thank you for your invaluable help us with this study,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

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

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! Your input is essential to this study, so we have extended the due date to [DEADLINE MONTH] [DAY], [4-DIGIT YEAR]. 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 consent to contact you. You will receive a $10 gift card for completing the survey.

Shape4

You can fill out the survey by clicking here

Or, log in using the information below:

Visit: [INSERT SURVEY LINK]

Username: [INSERT USERNAME]

Password: [INSERT PASSWORD]

Please complete the survey by DEADLINE.

Click here to read an FAQ document with some background in case you’d like more information before filling out the survey. You can also visit www.mdrc.org/mihope or contact us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or [EMAIL ADDRESS] if you have questions on the study.

Thank you for your invaluable help,

[MIHOPE Study Survey Director]

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

[REMINDER LETTER]

[DATE]

Dear [TEACHER],

There is still time to help with the MIHOPE research study! [Because your input is essential to this study, we have extended the due date to [DEADLINE MONTH] [DAY], [4-DIGIT YEAR]./We recently contacted you 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 consent from [CHILD]’s legal guardian to contact you.

We are now looking at the effects of home visiting on these children in kindergarten or first grade, 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.

Shape5

Log in using the information below to complete the survey by [DEADLINE MONTH] [DAY], [4-DIGIT YEAR].

Visit: [INSERT SURVEY LINK]

Username: [INSERT USERNAME]

Password: [INSERT PASSWORD]

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

If you have any questions about MIHOPE, feel free to call [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or email us at [EMAIL ADDRESS]. For more information about MIHOPE, 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] | [EMAIL ADDRESS]

[FAQ’s for Principals]

Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation

KINDERGARTEN/ FIRST GRADE FOLLOW-UP

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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 or first grade. 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 teachers. Because teachers observe their students in the classroom on a day-to-day basis, [whether in-person in the classroom or remotely with distance learning,] 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. 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?
Children from the MIHOPE study are attending school in thousands of school districts across the country. Typically, districts consider and review 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. For MIHOPE, teachers will only be filling out a survey on the child in question, and the child’s parents have already provided consent for this survey. 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

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. If you have any questions, please call the MIHOPE toll-free line at [TOLL FREE NUMBER].

If you have any questions that aren’t addressed in this FAQ document, please feel free to contact us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or [EMAIL ADDRESS]

[FAQ’s for Teachers]

Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation

KINDERGARTEN FOLLOW-UP

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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 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?
Children from the MIHOPE study are attending school in thousands of school districts across the country. Typically, districts consider and review 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. For MIHOPE, teachers will only be filling out a survey on the child in question, and the child’s parents have already provided consent for this survey. 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.

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. If you have questions, please call the MIHOPE toll-free line at [TOLL FREE NUMBER].

If you have additional questions that aren’t addressed in this FAQ document, please feel free to contact us at [TOLL FREE NUMBER] or [EMAIL ADDRESS].

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