Inventory and Assessment of K-12 and Professional Teacher Development Programs in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System

H. APPENDIX 2: GENERAL ON-LINE SURVEY FOR EDUCATION COORDINATORS

General Survey Instrument for Reserve Education Coordinators (Electronic Survey)

This survey is a part of the project to inventory and assess the K-12 and professional teacher development (PTD) programs for NERRS. As a part of the project you will be asked to complete this general survey concerning overall education programs. We will also ask you to complete a survey for each of the current K-12 and PTD programs done at your Reserve. Following the surveys we will be conducting phone interviews to gather additional information. The questions correspond to the project objectives and to some additional objectives requested at the annual meeting in October at Cape Cod. The project objectives include:

• An inventory and assessment, both quantitative and qualitative, of current programming for K-12 and professional teacher development across the 25 reserves and how these programs integrate state and national standards;
  
• Recommendations for improved program evaluation and performance measurement;
  
• Recommendations for improving program design and implementation, as well as needs for national-level support and capacity building activity;
  
• Recommendations and associated implications for a national “niche” or system-wide program or activity in the areas of K-12 education and professional teacher development.
  

Please complete and return the general survey and the individual program survey by January 10, 2003.

For this project the following definitions apply:

A program is a class, course, workshop, seminar, set of materials, curriculum, field trip, presentation, etc. where learning is the primary objective for the participants (students or educators). A brochure, interpretive signs, or exhibit are not a program but could be part of a program.

A K-12 program is a program that is specifically developed for K-12 age students (public/private school, home school). It does not include programs developed for general audiences where K-12 students are not the primary target group or programs for youth who are not attending as a part of a school related program. For example an interpretive walk designed for third grade classes is K-12 program but an interpretive walk led for general visitors on weekends is not a K-12 program. If your Reserve has a learning center, the learning center and its exhibits are not a K-12 program but a program may utilize the learning center as one of its components.

A professional teacher development (PTD) program is a program that is specifically developed for teachers that work with K-12 students. Participants include public, private, and home-school educators.

A current program is a program that was run in the past 12 months or will be run in the next 12 months.

If you have any questions or concerns about the survey or about whether you should include an activity that you do at your Reserve as K12 or PTD program, then please contact Christian Newman (cmnewman@pandionsystems.com) or Christine Denny (cdenny@pandionsystems.com) at (888) 372-4774.

1. Name: 2. Reserve Name: 3. State Partner/Employer: 4. Does your Reserve have an educational facility (e.g. training facility, classroom, environmental education center)? ____ yes ____ no

5. On a scale of 1-10 how much time does the educational staff at your Reserve spend on running K-12 programs? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 On a scale of 1-10 how much time does the educational staff at your Reserve spend on running professional teacher development programs? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

*Running=Designing, implementing, managing, coordinating, training, marketing, and/or supervising

6. How many educational staff work on K-12 and PTD programs at your Reserve, including yourself? ____ Full time employees ____ ¾ time employees ____ ½ time employees ____ ¼ time employees ____ Volunteers

7. What is the relative importance of K-12 programs at your Reserve in relation to the following? Increasing community support for estuarine conservation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increasing understanding of estuarine ecosystems 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Promoting stewardship for estuaries 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increasing citizen awareness of the Reserve 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Changing behaviors 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8. What is the relative importance of professional teacher development programs at your Reserve in relation to the following? Increasing community support for estuarine conservation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increasing understanding of estuarine ecosystems 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Promoting stewardship for estuaries 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increasing citizen awareness of the Reserve 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Changing behaviors 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9. Please indicate the degree the following resources would help you improve educational programs (K-12 & PTD) at your Reserve. Funding Funding for curriculum design 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Funding for program design 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Funding for participant transportation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Funding for program materials (e.g. paper, equipment, etc.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Funding for more paid education staff 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Funding for program evaluation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Funding for an on-site indoor classroom/training facility 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Funding for teacher substitutes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Funding for teacher stipends for professional teacher development programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Funding for training to increase your knowledge or skills 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Outside Partnerships Cooperation with outside groups to run programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cooperation with outside groups to fund programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cooperation with outside groups to develop programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cooperation with outside groups to obtain funding for programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Reserve Level Partnerships Better communication among Reserves about programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cooperation with other Reserves to run programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cooperation with other Reserves to fund programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cooperation with other Reserves to develop programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cooperation with other Reserves to obtain funding for programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 National Level Support System wide NERRS educational program(s) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 System wide NERRS educational curriculum(s) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 System wide NERRS educational objectives 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Better communication with national office 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 National office assistance with securing outside funding 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Intra (Within) Reserve Level Support More volunteer staff to assist with programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increased participation by paid Reserve staff in planning your educational programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increased participation by paid Reserve staff with teaching/training for your educational programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increased participation by paid Reserve staff to secure outside funding for your educational programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increased communication with you about the research being conducted at the Reserve 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Training for You (Educational Coordinator) Program assessment and evaluation training 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Curriculum design training 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 State and National educational standards training 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Proposal writing/fundraising training 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Program marketing training 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Time management training 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Computer software training 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Supervisory training 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Trainings to increase ecological knowledge/skills 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10. How much experience do you have doing the following things? Creating curriculum 1 2 3 4 5 Evaluating programs 1 2 3 4 5 Developing education programs 1 2 3 4 5 Teaching K-12 students 1 2 3 4 5 Training teachers 1 2 3 4 5 Marketing education programs 1 2 3 4 5 Managing education programs 1 2 3 4 5 Correlating programs to educational standards 1 2 3 4 5

11. List two organizations that also offer effective K-12 or professional teacher development programs related to coastal issues in your region. Organization Program Name 1) 2)

12. Rate the degree to which your Reserve educational programs (K-12 and PTD) are different from similar coastal related programs. Our programs provide access to unique coastal areas 1 2 3 4 5 We integrate research from the Reserve into programs 1 2 3 4 5 We utilize Reserve scientists in our programs 1 2 3 4 5 We provide hands-on learning opportunities 1 2 3 4 5 We correlate our programs with educational standards 1 2 3 4 5 Our programs have Reserve-specific curriculums 1 2 3 4 5 Our instructors are coastal scientists 1 2 3 4 5 Our instructors are trained educators 1 2 3 4 5 Our programs are field based 1 2 3 4 5 Participants contribute to ongoing research 1 2 3 4 5 Our programs address unique topics 1 2 3 4 5

13. List two national or statewide programs that you believe could be used as model for a system-wide NERRS K-12 or PTD program. 1) 2)

14. List the current K-12 Programs being offered by your Reserve. (Please fill out a Program Survey for each). Current programs are programs that have been conducted in the last 12 months or will be conducted within the next 12 months.

15. List the current Professional Teacher Development Programs being offered by your Reserve. (Please fill out a Program Survey for each). Current programs are programs that have been conducted in the last 12 months or will be conducted within the next 12 months.

Thank you for your time.
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