CO TEACHER SALARY INCREASE PILOT
DIRECTOR FOLLOW-UP SURVEY
Building and Sustaining the Child Care and Early Education Workforce
IMPACT STUDY
Follow-up
Center Director Survey
One-on-One Center Director Interview
Terms used in this survey |
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Term |
Refers to… |
Pilot initiative |
The livable wage pilot being conducted by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) for teachers in center-based settings serving children birth through five. Also referred to as the pilot or the Colorado Teacher Salary Increase Pilot. |
Director |
A person who serves as the director of the early care and education center with staff supervisory responsibilities. May be referred to as a center administrator. |
Lead teacher |
A person who is regularly in charge of a group or classroom of children. People in these positions are allowed to be alone with children without additional support or supervision. |
Assistant teacher |
A person who is regularly assigned to a particular room who works under the supervision of a teacher; may lead certain activities (such as art projects or story time) but does not have sole responsibility for the classroom. May be referred to as an assistant, paraprofessional, or aide that works under the supervision of a lead teacher. |
Parent |
A child’s parent or guardian. |
About Your Center.
We would first like to start out by asking questions about the characteristics of your center. Please answer the following questions as they relate to your center unless otherwise specified.
What is the name of your ECE center?
__________________________________
What is your center’s license number?
__________________________________
In what kind of building is your center located?
Religious building
Public school
Private school
University or college
Work place
Community center or municipal building
Commercial structure (a unit within a building that operates additional organizations/services)
Independent structure (that is, the organization is the sole occupant)
Other (please specify: _______________________)
I prefer not to answer
Is your program independent, or is it sponsored by another organization? A sponsoring organization may provide funding, administrative oversight, or have reporting requirements; however, organizations that are solely funding sources should not be considered sponsors.
My program is independent
My program is sponsored by another organization
I prefer not to answer
[IF A4=B] What type of organization sponsors your center?
Social service organization or agency
Church or religious group
Public school/Board of Education
Private school, religious
Private school, nonreligious
College or university
Private company or individual employer
Non-government community organization
State government
Local government, not including school district
Federal government or military
Hospital
Other (please specify: ____________________________)
I prefer not to answer
Is your organization independently owned & operated, a franchise, or part of a chain?
Independently owned & operated
Franchise
Chain
None of the above
I prefer not to answer
[IF C CHAIN SELECTED IN A6, ASK:] About how many centers are in the chain you are part of?
Less than 10
10 to 39
40 or more
I prefer not to answer
[ITEMS A8-A12 TO BE ASKED ONLY IF WE DO NOT HAVE A BASELINE DIRECTOR SURVEY FOR THIS CENTER]
In what year did your center begin operating in its current location?
Year: _______________
Does your center operate on an:
Academic calendar year (serving children for approximately 9-months a year)
Academic year plus summer camp/programming
Calendar
year (approximately 12 months; open at least some point every month
of the year)
What are the start and end dates of the 2023-2024 program year?
Start date (MM/DD/YYYY) __________
End date (MM/DD/YYYY) __________
Please provide the days of the week that your center is typically open for children during the 2023– 2024 program year. Please select all that apply.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
We understand that different classrooms may have different hours of operation. What is the earliest time a classroom is open to receive children and what is the latest time a classroom closes in your center?
Open: _________
Close: _________
Do you offer any of the following options for families?
Flexible hours for pick up
Flexible hours for drop off
Flexible weekly or daily schedules
Overnight stays
What funding sources, other than Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), do you currently receive? Please select all that apply.
Colorado Preschool Program (CPP)
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CAFCP)
Military
Head Start/Early Head Start/Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP)
Private pay from families
Local Preschool program
Local Child Care Subsidy (e.g., with a county(ies) such as a county Department of Human Services)
Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado
Non-government community organization (e.g., United Way, local charities, or religious organizations)
Other (Please specify: ___________________)
How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
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Strongly Disagree |
Somewhat Disagree |
Neither Agree nor Disagree |
Somewhat Agree |
Strongly Agree |
I prefer not to answer |
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On a daily basis, how confident are you that you will have enough funding to continue operating in the long-term?
not at all confident
a little confident
somewhat confident
quite a bit confident
extremely confident
Now we would like to ask you questions about the characteristics of children who are currently attending your center.
How many children are currently enrolled at your center, by age?
Infants (0-18 months) ___________
Toddlers (19 months to 35 months) ___________
Preschool-aged (3 to 5 years old) ___________
School-aged (children in kindergarten or older) ___________
Of all the children in your center, how many children attend part-time and full-time?
Number of children attending:
Part-time (less than 30 hours a week) ___________
Full-time (30 hours or more a week) ___________
How many children have left your center in the last three months?
______ Number of children
How many children have joined your center in the last three months?
______ Number of children
About how many children in your center…
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All/most |
Some |
A few |
None |
Don’t know |
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Next are questions about the current staffing structure of your center. Please provide information about the types of staff who are employed by your center as well as consultants that visit your center.
Does your center directly employ any of the following staff? Please select all that apply.
Curriculum coordinator or education coordinator to support teaching staff
Coaches/Mentors to support teaching staff
Early interventionists/special educators/occupational therapists
Language specialists to support multilingual learners
Specialists to support music, dance, outdoor activities, or other specials
Nurses or health-related specialists
Nutritionists
Early childhood mental health specialists/psychologists/consultants
Family support/services specialists/family engagement specialists/family service workers
Floater teachers
Home visitors
Translators
After school staff/assistants/attendants
Junior trainees/apprentices
Other (please specify: _____________________)
Does your center contract with or have regular visits from any of the following individuals who are not directly employed by the center? Please select all that apply.
Coaches/Mentors to support teaching staff
Early interventionists/special educators/occupational therapists
Language specialists to support multilingual learners
Specialists to support music, dance, outdoor activities, or other specials
Nurses or health-related specialists
Nutritionists
Early childhood mental health specialists/psychologists/consultants
Family support/services specialists/family engagement specialists/family service workers
Home visitors
Translators
After school staff/assistants/attendants
Junior trainees/apprentices
Other (please specify: _____________________)
How often does your center have issues related to:
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Never |
Rarely |
Sometimes |
Often |
Always |
I prefer not to answer |
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Thinking about teaching staff recruitment, how many months does it usually take to fill an open teaching position in your center?
Less than a week
1-2 weeks
2-3 weeks
3-4 weeks
1-2 months
2-3 months
3+ months
Other (Please specify: ____________)
Don’t know
I prefer not to answer
Since [random assignment month/year (RAMY)], have you had to close classrooms or accept fewer children due to not being able to find teaching staff?
Yes
No
I prefer not to answer
Since January 2023, have you had to cap enrollment of children due to not being able to find teaching staff?
Yes
No
I prefer not to answer
Please rate the following questions on a 1 to 5 scale with 1 being not very much and 5 being very much.
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1 – Not very much |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 – Very much |
I prefer not to answer |
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This question is about the time your center spends hiring and onboarding new teaching staff when there is an open position. How many total hours does your center usually spend in each of the following activities when filling one teaching position? An estimate is fine.
Marketing, advertising, and outreach activities for open teaching positions, such as preparing job descriptions or posting descriptions on job boards? _________
Screening and reviewing job applications and resume materials for candidates? _________
Scheduling and conducting interviews and reference and background checks for candidates? _________
Preparing and making the offer of employment? _________
Onboarding new employees, like communication with new employees prior to start date, welcoming new hires, center-specific and role-specific training? _________
Providing or finding professional development/trainings to ensure new hires are qualified? _________
This question is about the time your center spends in meeting state teacher-child ratios when there are teacher vacancies or absences. Thinking about the past 12 months, how many total hours per week does your center usually spend in the following activities:
Creating and managing teaching staff schedules and classroom assignments?_______
Arranging
for floater(s) or substitute(s) to fill in for teacher absences or
open positions?
_________
Filling in classrooms due to teacher vacancies or absences?
[ONLY FOR INTERVENTION CENTERS NOT SELECTED FOR COST WORKBOOK DATA COLLECTION ACTIVITY] This question is about the time your center spends on the pilot initiative activities. This includes meeting the reporting and administrative requirements of the pilot initiative.
Since January 2023, how many total hours did your center spend in each of the following activities related to the pilot initiative? An estimate is fine.
Completing the application materials for the pilot initiative (This includes time spent gathering and providing required documentation for the application, monitoring teachers to update their PDIS (Colorado Shines), verifying that information in PDIS (Colorado Shines) is accurate, or participating in technical assistance to complete the application, such as reaching out to MetrixIQ or the Colorado Teacher Salary Increase Pilot hotline) _______
Processing lead and assistant teacher/aides opt in or out decisions about the pilot initiative (This includes time spent preparing materials and communication to share information with teachers, providing support to teachers to decide whether to opt in or out, gathering and recording information from teachers about whether they opt in or out, or participating in technical assistance to support teacher decisions to opt in or out) _______
Meeting monthly reporting requirements of the pilot initiative (This includes time spent gathering and recording information to verify staffing configurations in classrooms and work hours, submitting monthly attestation reports to verify staffing and hours worked, or participating in technical assistance to complete monthly attestation reports) _______
Preparing monthly pilot initiative wage supplements (This includes time spent monitoring funding in escrow account for pilot initiative wage supplements, record keeping and calculating the wage supplements for participating teachers, calculating federal, state, and local taxes resulting from wage supplements, or processing payments for purposes of the pilot initiative _______
In a typical week, how often does your center adjust teacher-child groupings and classroom assignments to meet state teacher-child ratio requirements because of teacher vacancies or absences?
Rarely/never
One or two days a week
A few times a week
Daily
Don’t know
I prefer not to answer
Does your center reduce teachers’ paid work hours when children are absent? Please select all that apply.
YES, my center adjusts lead teacher’s paid work hours
YES, my center adjusts assistant teacher’s or aide’s paid work hours
NO, my center does not adjust lead or assistant teacher’s or aide’s paid work hours
Other (please specify:_________________________)
Don’t know
I prefer not to answer
We would like to ask you about how much a floater or substitute teacher is paid at your center. Would you like to report this rate of pay as:
An hourly rate of pay
A weekly rate of pay
An every two weeks rate of pay
A monthly rate of pay
An annual rate of pay
I prefer not to answer
How much does your center pay a floater or substitute to fill in for teacher vacancies or absences? Please enter this number in the rate you selected in the previous question. (Numerical Responses only, do not enter special characters such as $)
_____________________
I prefer not to answer
Which of the following is usually true for your center regarding teacher vacancies or absences? Select all that apply.
The center has a substitute teacher(s) available to fill in for teacher vacancies or absences
The center director fills in for teacher vacancies or absences
Other center staff fill in for teacher vacancies or absences
Does your center provide any of the following professional development supports for your teachers, assistant teachers, or aides? Please select all that apply.
Funding to participate in college courses or off-site training
Paid time off to participate in college courses or off-site training
Mentors, coaches, or consultants who visit and work with staff in their classrooms
Onsite Associate’s or Bachelor’s courses
Workshops or trainings sponsored by the program
Workshops or trainings provided by other organizations
Peer learning group (PLG) or professional learning community facilitated by an expert
Other (please specify:________________)
About Your Experiences with the Pilot Initiative.
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) has invested CCDF funds to conduct a livable wage pilot for teachers serving children birth through five. Funding was limited so eligible ECE centers were selected through a lottery to receive the additional funding to increase teacher salaries. This section of questions asks about your knowledge and experiences with the pilot initiative, called the Colorado Teacher Salary Increase Pilot.
This pilot initiative has been referred to as the Colorado Teacher Salary Increase Pilot. Are you aware that this pilot is happening?
Yes
No
I prefer not to answer
[IF YES TO B1] How did you first learn about the pilot initiative?
Advertisement/Flyer
Other center administrator or director
Coworker
Friend
Other:____________
Unsure
I prefer not to answer
Did you ever reach out to MetrixIQ or CDEC for support in completing your center’s application to participate in the pilot initiative?
Yes
No
Not sure
I prefer not to answer
[B4-B9 are for directors in intervention centers only] The following questions ask about your experience working in a center participating in the pilot that was randomly assigned to receive the teacher salary increase.
To help teachers decide whether to take the salary increase, a handout was created showing example tables of how receipt of governmental benefits (like the earned income credit, child care assistance, or health insurance) might be affected as teachers’ wages go up. A short video was also shared showing how to use the example tables.
How helpful do you think the short video was for teachers’ decision-making?
Not at all helpful
Slightly helpful
Moderately helpful
Very helpful
Extremely helpful
Not sure
I was not aware of this resource
I prefer not to answer
How helpful do you think the handout and benefits tables were for teachers’ decision-making?
Not at all helpful
Slightly helpful
Moderately helpful
Very helpful
Extremely helpful
Not sure
I was not aware of this resource
I prefer not to answer
For teachers in your center, do you think they received enough information to make an informed decision about whether or not to receive the salary increase?
Yes
No
Not sure
I prefer not to answer
Do you think the salary increase provided to teachers was enough?
Yes
No
Not sure
I prefer not to answer
Did you or someone else in your center provide guidance to teachers about whether or not to receive the salary increase?
Yes
No
Not sure
I prefer not to answer
How often did you or someone else in your center reach out to MetrixIQ or CDEC for support in completing the monthly attestations or in figuring out how to increase the pay of your teachers in your center?
Never
Once or twice
Monthly
Some other frequency (please specify: ____________________)
Not sure
I prefer not to answer
How burdensome was it to do the monthly attestations?
Not at all burdensome
Slightly burdensome
Moderately burdensome
Very burdensome
Extremely burdensome
Not sure
I prefer not to answer
About Your Professional Background.
[THIS SECTION TO BE ASKED OF NEW DIRECTORS OR DIRECTORS WHO DID NOT COMPLETE THE BASELINE SURVEY]
Now we would like to ask you questions about your specific job and about your professional experience.
What is your current role in your center? Please select the job title that best matches your job title/role.
Center Owner
Center Director or Administrator
Executive Director
Assistant Director
Curriculum/Education Coordinator
Finance/Business Manager or Operations Manager
Other administrative or managerial staff of this program
Other (Please specify: ________________________)
I prefer not to answer
How long have you worked in your center, including all roles or positions you have held?
________
How many years of paid experience do you have working with children other than your own, who are under age 6? Please include any paid experience in a center-based setting or home-based setting (licensed or unlicensed care), work for relatives, including nannying or babysitting, or paid experience you may have from another country.
________
How many years of experience do you have in administering or directing a child care or early education program that serves children younger than age 6?
________
We know that wages are a major issue affecting the early care and education workforce. The following questions about aspects of your financial well-being are being asked to better understand this issue and inform future improvements. Remember, all individual responses on this survey will remain private.
We would like to ask you about how much you are paid at your ECE center. Would you like to report this rate of pay as:
An hourly rate of pay
A weekly rate of pay
An every two weeks rate of pay
A monthly rate of pay
An annual rate of pay
I prefer not to answer
How much do you get paid in your current job (please enter this number in the rate you selected in the previous question)?
____________________________
How many jobs do you currently have, including your job at your ECE center?
_____________
How many jobs, including your current job in your ECE center, have you held over the last 12 months?
_____________
Feelings About Your Job.
The following questions relate to how you feel about your current job. Remember, all individual responses on this survey will remain private.
Thinking ahead to one year from now, I am very likely to be working at [insert provider]. Would you say you…
Strongly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Somewhat Agree
Strongly Agree
I prefer not to answer
Thinking ahead to TWO years from now, I am very likely to be working at [insert provider]. Would you say you…
Strongly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Somewhat Agree
Strongly Agree
I prefer not to answer
Thinking ahead to one year from now, I am very likely to be working in the child care and early education field. Would you say you…
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
I prefer not to answer
Thinking ahead to TWO years from now, I am very likely to be working in the child care and early education field. Would you say you…
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
I prefer not to answer
Overall, how satisfied would you say you are with your job?
Dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Satisfied
I prefer not to answer
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the phrase "I feel like I am an early learning professional”?
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
Overall, how stressed would you say you are in relation to your job?
Very stressed
Moderately stressed
Neutral
Not very stressed
Not at all stressed
I prefer not to answer
Your Health and Wellbeing.
The next few questions ask about your health and well-being, including your physical and emotional well-being to better understand how your work may affect you. All individual responses will remain private.
Overall, would you say your health is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?
Poor
Fair
Good
Very Good
Excellent
I prefer not to answer
Below is a list of the ways you might have felt or behaved. Please check the boxes to indicate how often you have felt this way in the past week or so. (Response options: Rarely or none of the time (<1 day), Some or a little of the time (1-2 days), Occasionally or a moderate amount of the time (3-4 days), Most or all of the time (5-7 days), I prefer not to answer)
I felt that I could not shake off the blues even with help from my family or friends.
I had trouble keeping my mind on what I was doing.
I felt that everything I did was an effort.
My sleep was restless.
I felt lonely.
I felt sad.
I could not get “going.”
During the past 30 days, how often did you feel… (Response options: None of the time, A little of the time, Some of the time, Most of the time, All of the time, I prefer not to answer)
nervous?
hopeless?
restless or fidgety?
so depressed that nothing could cheer you up?
that everything was an effort?
worthless?
Please read each statement carefully and decide if you ever feel this way about your job. (Response options: Never, A few times a year or less, Once a month or less, A few times a month, Once a week, A few times a week, Every day)
I feel emotionally drained from my work.
I feel used up at the end of the workday.
I feel fatigued when I get up in the morning and have to face another day on the job.
Working with people all day is really a strain for me.
I feel burned out from my work.
I feel frustrated by my job.
I feel I’m working too hard on my job.
Working with people directly puts too much stress on me.
I feel like I’m at the end of my rope.
A Little More About You.
[THIS SECTION TO BE ASKED OF NEW DIRECTORS OR DIRECTORS WHO DID NOT COMPLETE THE BASELINE SURVEY]
The next set of questions is focused on your professional background, and personal identities and characteristics.
What is the highest level of education that you have completed? Please select one.
Grade 8 or less
Some high school, but did not receive a GED or high school diploma
High School Diploma or equivalent (GED)
Some college or Advanced Training Certificate (CDA, etc.)
Associate’s or Two-Year Degree
Bachelor’s or Four-Year Degree
Master’s Degree
Doctorate or professional degree (PhD, MD, JD, DDS, etc.)
Other (not listed) [PLEASE SPECIFY]: _______________
I prefer not to answer
Do you have a degree in any of the following fields? Please check all that apply.
Early Childhood Education
Early Childhood Special Education
Child Development & Family Studies/Human Development & Family Relations/Studies
Elementary Education
Elementary Special Education
Other related field (please specify: ______________________)
None of my degrees were related to the above choices
I prefer not to answer
In what year were you born?
____________
Are you:
Select all that apply.
Female
Male
Transgender, non-binary, or another gender
I prefer not to answer
Are you of Hispanic, Latino/a, or Spanish origin? Please select all that apply.
No, not of Hispanic, Latino/a, or Spanish origin
Yes, Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano/a
Yes, Puerto Rican
Yes, Cuban
Yes, Another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin
Don’t know
I prefer not to answer
What is your Race? Select one or more.
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
I prefer not to answer
In which languages are you fluent, meaning you are able to speak or write easily and accurately? Please select all that apply.
English
Spanish
Chinese, including Mandarin, Cantonese
Vietnamese
German
French, including Cajun
Russian
Korean
Afro-Asiatic, including Amharic and Somali
Arabic
Not Listed (please specify: ___________)
I prefer not to answer
[SUBMIT SURVEY]
[HONORARIUM SCREENS]
Those are all the questions we have for you today!
Thank you very much for participating in the pilot initiative’s follow-up survey! Please reach out to [add contact information] if you have any questions.
You will receive a $40 honorarium for your participation in this survey. Please let us know your preference for your honorarium.
Email gift code for [Amazon/Walmart/Target].
I would prefer not to receive an honorarium.
[if Email gift code selected:]
Please provide an email address so that we can send you the $40 honorarium. We will only use this email address to send you the gift card. We will not share this email with anyone outside of the research team.
Please enter your email:__________________________
Please confirm your email:________________________
[for all respondents]
Directors who have completed the survey can receive 1 hour toward their annual training hours required by child care licensing. Please provide your PDIS User ID and the email you use for PDIS below. Your ID and email will be forwarded to PDIS within [30 days] of completing this survey and your PDIS training hours will be updated. Please note, completing this survey will not count towards Ongoing Professional Development hours for the Early Childhood Professional Credential (ECPC).
Please enter PDIS User ID: ___________________________
Please enter email used for PDIS: ___________________________
[SUBMIT]
Thanks again for participating. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at [add email and/or phone].
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