SAC Needs Assessment:
Survey Results
Board of Early
Education and Care
January 10, 2012
Review of Family & Educator Survey Results
Summary Presentation
Overview of Research Framework
Survey Data to Inform Needs Assessment
o EEC consulted with the Wellesley College Center for Women (WCCW) to develop
recommendations for the overall framework for the EEC needs assessment,
including the development of logic models, sampling plan recommendations, and
the content for surveys of families and educators. Surveys were just one
component of a larger framework for the needs assessment
o The WCCW’s final report recommended two representative sample surveys to
inform the needs assessment – one for families and one for educators. Also
recommended use of convenience surveys to supplement data from samples
o Using questions compiled from surveys implemented across the country, the
WCCW research team recommended a set of survey questions for each survey
organized around five research questions related to family demand and access to
supports and services, family views on program quality, educator preparation and
stability and educator views on quality
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Family Survey – Demand for Services
Early Education & School-Age Programs
o A large majority of families report needing some type of care for their children,
including 73% of families participating in the representative sample and 81% of
families that completed the public version of the survey.
o Out of families in sample, 36% identified a need for programs that offer care with
standard week-day hours, 21% need programs that offer care before/after school,
9% need a summer-only program, 4% need a program that offers evening hours.
o Of families in sample, 38% report having a child with a special need or health
condition and 13% speak a language other than English at home.
o Single-parent families more likely to need care in evening hours than other families
(9% compared to 5%), more likely to need summer care (17% compared to 10%)
and sick care (6% compared to 2%)
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Family Survey – Demand for Services
Family Views on Program Quality
o Families were mostly likely to cite the following as being “very important” to
program quality: child safety issues, teaching children to get along with other
children, communications with families, an educator’s positive, warm and
nurturing approach, the cleanliness of the program, and the level of attention an
educator provides to children. (See Attachment “Family Views on Quality” for
Results)
o Families were least likely to cite the following as being “very important” to program
quality: the presence of children of different ages, helping families connect to
other services, teaching children things about their community, having
opportunities for children to participate in community activities, using a curriculum
that follows state learning standards and providing children with structured
activities. (See Attachment “Family Views on Quality” for Results)
o Still finalizing variations by race/ethnicity, income and family structure
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Family Survey – Access to Services & Supports
Primary Early Education & Care Arrangements
o Children spend a significant amount of time in their primary care arrangement each
week. Out of the families surveyed, 64% report use of more than 20 hours per
week, with 38% reporting use of more than 30 hours per week.
o Of the families in the sample, 68% report that they have used their current primary
care arrangement for one year or longer and 32% report that they have used their
arrangement less than one year.
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Family Survey – Access to Services & Supports
Challenges in Searching for Programs
o While 70% of families indicated that they did not have any problems when
searching for their primary care option, 30% reported at least one problem
o Of the families that reported having a problem when searching for primary care
options, 19% indicated that they found that the program was “too expensive,” 7%
found that the “the hours didn’t meet my needs” and 6% were “unsure of the
quality of the program,” 5% had “problems with location”, 4% listed “lack of info”
o Of the families in the survey that have a current primary care arrangement, 86%
receive not financial assistance and 14 % report some type of assistance from one
or more sources – e.g., public subsidy, relative or friend, tax credit, program
o When searching for care, 39% of families heard about their primary care
arrangement through neighbors, friends, relatives or community group, 8% CCR&R
, 5% used program before, 2% welfare/social worker, 1% health care provider and
28% listed other. 70% of families would like info from EEC by e-mail
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Family Survey – Access to Services & Supports
Family Strengths in Solving Problems
o As illustrated above, families report positively about solving family problems or
disagreements but, 16% of “agree” or “strongly agree” that they would have no
idea where to turn if their family needed food, housing, or had trouble making
ends meet. In general, these families are less likely to speak English at home, less
likely to have a college degree and likely to have lower household incomes.
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Family Survey – Child Development
Children With Special Needs or Health Conditions
o When asked about special needs or health conditions related to their child, 62%
report that their child has not been diagnosed with any of the listed conditions. Of
the 38% of families that did report a child with special need or health condition,
the most common conditions were:
15%
9%
3%
3%
Learning Disability or Developmental Delay
Food Allergies
Autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Other Chronic Condition
15%
8%
3%
2%
Asthma
ADD or ADHD
Emotional Disturbance
Orthopedic Impairment
o For families that did report children with diagnosed special needs or health
conditions, 81% received the diagnosis from a doctor, clinic or other health care
provider, 19% from their local school district and 13% from state or local health or
social service agency. Some may have received diagnoses from multiple sources.
o Of the families responding, 99% of families “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that their
child has regular health care checkups, 92% getting checkup within past 12 months
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Family Survey – Child Development
Reading & Books in the Home
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Family Survey – Child Development
Home and Community Activities Shared with Child
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Educator Survey – Views on Quality
Responses to Questions on Program Quality
o Educators were most likely to view the following characteristics as “very
important” to program quality: attention to child safety, demonstrating warmth
toward children, the attention children receive, teaching children to get along with
others, the cleanliness of the program and communicating with families about their
children. (Please see attached “Educator Views on Quality” for details.)
o Educators were least likely to view the following characteristics as “very important”
to program quality: the presence of children of different ages, the presence of
children of different ethnic groups, teaching children things about their
community, the extent to which child activities are structured.
o Views on quality did not vary significantly by the program setting or level of
educational attainment
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Educator Survey – Educator Preparation & Stability
Educational Attainment
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Educator Survey – Educator Preparation & Stability
Professional Skills and Abilities
o When asked about their professional skills and abilities, educators were most likely
to “strongly agree” with the following statements:
80% - I understand that children have different learning styles
71% - I establish respectful and productive relationships with families
64% - I understand how child development influences learning styles
62% - I am committed to continually developing practices to address the individual needs of children
o When asked about their professional skills and abilities, educators were least likely
to “strongly agree” with the following statements:
27% - I know strategies to support the learning of English language learners
38% - I receive feedback on my instructional practices and professional development from my supervisor
35% - I use community resources to foster learning
41% - I am effective in accommodating children with special needs
o Educator opinions on their own skills and abilities varies by educational attainment
and type of care. Those without BA less likely to select “strongly agree” on all
items – e.g., only 4% without BA strongly agree they use community resources to
foster learning compared to 63% of those with degree
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Educator Survey – Educator Preparation & Stability
Managing Challenging Behaviors
o When asked about working with children with behavioral challenges, only 31% of
educators “strongly agree” or “agree” that children with behavioral challenges are
well supported in their homes.
o When asked about working with children with behavioral challenges, 77% of
educators feel that they are supported by their program, family child care system,
or peer support group in managing children with behavioral challenges.
o Of the educators responding, only 4% report that they have had to terminate or
suspend children or families in their program within the past year due to
behavioral challenges and 3% report that that they have had to limit the hours of
participation
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Educator Survey – Educator Preparation & Stability
Children Who Have Special Needs & English Language Learners
o Of the educators in the sample, 52% report working with children who are English
language learners or who have other special needs. Of those educators, 39%
report working with English language learners, 23% report working with children
who have special needs and 37% report working with both groups of children
o Of the educators who report working with children who have special needs, 95%
report that they “agree” or “strongly agree” that they are effective in adapting to
accommodate the needs of children who have special needs.
o Of those working with English language learners, they report speaking with
children in Spanish (47%), Portuguese (9%), French 96%) and Mandarin (5%)
o When asked how frequently they spoke with children in another language, 62%
report that they “rarely” or “very rarely” do, 20% report “sometimes” and 18%
report that they “often” or “always” speak with children in another language.
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Implications for Research Questions
Key Findings on Demand for Services
o Found that families view certain research-based program features – e.g.,
curriculum aligned with state standards and connecting children and families to
supports and services - as less important in their view of program quality. EEC may
want to consider this need when engaging families to help them understand
quality considerations and the connections to school achievement.
o Found that 38% of families have a child with a special need or health condition and
a significant number of educators may be unsure of their ability to accommodate
the needs of children with special needs. EEC may want consider this need in
developing strategies to support the inclusion of children with special needs.
o Found that 13% of families identified speaking a language other than English at
home and that a significant number of educators may be unsure of their ability to
use strategies to support the learning needs of English language learners. EEC may
want to consider strategies to strengthen the supports available to the programs
and educators who serve English language learners.
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Implications for Research Questions
Key Findings on Access to Supports and Services
o Found that 19% of families cited cost as a problem when searching for an
early education program and 6% also cited quality as a problem. EEC may
want to consider financial assistance strategies and incentives that help
make high-quality programs more accessible to low-income families and
encourage families to make selections based on program quality.
o Found that 16% of families indicate that they would have no idea where to
turn if their family needed food, housing, or had trouble making ends meet.
EEC may want to consider this need when developing family engagement
strategies for hard-to-reach families in need of services and supports
o Found that 13% of families indicate speaking a language other than English
at home. EEC may want to continue to translate literacy and other outreach
materials and tailor outreach strategies to ensure that all families have
access to literacy information and other materials in multiple languages
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Implications for Research Questions
Key Findings on Child Development
o Found that 37% of families do not read to their child every day and 14% of
families report that they do not read to their child at all and 9% report having
less than ten books in the home. EEC may want to consider this in forming
strategies to strengthen early literacy and language development and further
expand efforts to engage hard-to-reach families that may not be connected
to formal early education programs or community agencies.
o While access to medical care for their children is high, access to other
services and supports may be insufficient – e.g., 18% of families indicated
that their child had not visited a dentist within the past year. EEC may want
to consider this in forming strategies to facilitate access to additional
supports and services that families and children may need.
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Implications for Research Questions
Key Findings on Educator Preparation & Stability
o Found that educators opinions about their own professional skills and
abilities, varies significantly by the type of care and even more significantly
by an educator’s level of educational attainment. Given that only 25% of
center-based educators and 13% of family child care providers have a
bachelor’s degree in early childhood education/child development, EEC may
want to continue to promote degree attainment/increased competencies.
o Found that approximately 40% of the educators in the sample work with
children who are English language learners and that 62% report that they
“rarely” or “very rarely” speak with children in a language other than English,
EEC may want to expand supports for programs and educators to assist
them in developing strategies to support English language learners.
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Implications for Research Questions
Key Findings on Educator Preparation & Stability
o Found that more than 30% of educators report working with children who
have special needs or special health condition. EEC may want to continue or
expand supports to programs and educators that expand inclusive
opportunities for children with special needs or disabilities.
o During the past year, 7% of educators in the sample indicate that they have
had to either suspend, terminate or limit the hours children or families in their
program. Further, only 31% of educators “strongly agree” or “agree” that
children with behavioral challenges are well supported in their homes. Given
these challenges, EEC may want to continue or expand existing initiatives
designed to help educators manage challenging classroom behaviors.
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011
Implications for Research Questions
Key Findings on Educator Views on Quality
o Educators in the sample tend to rate most of the key elements of the state’s
QRIS as being “important” or “very important,” but some research-based
features of quality – e.g., family involvement in programs, extent to which
activities for children are structured, teaching children things about their
community – may be viewed as less important in their view of program
quality.
o EEC may want to continue or expand initiatives to engage educators about
the key features in the state’s QRIS.
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SAC Needs Assessment - 2011