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What is the Job Corps Student
Satisfaction Survey?
The Job Corps Student Satisfaction Survey is a
self-administered survey designed to measure all Job Corps students'
perceptions of safety and program satisfaction. More specifically, the survey
contains 49 questions about student characteristics, student safety, overall
satisfaction, and aspects of the Career Development Services System (CDSS)
including vocational skills training, work-based learning, social skills
training, academic and vocational training, and satisfaction with recruitment
and orientation experiences.
Click
here to view the English version.
Click
here to view the Spanish version.
Why is the Student
Satisfaction Survey administered?
The Student Satisfaction Survey is given to all students
as a way of measuring their experiences on the center. The survey is designed
to give the center a "snapshot" of student satisfaction with the center during
the previous month. The intent of the survey is to provide center staff with
student input about the center so that centers may use it as a guide for
improving student life on center.
Which students take the
Student Satisfaction Survey?
All students on center during the week of the survey are
expected to take the survey. This applies to all new students and students who
are on off-center assignments, including ACT students. The center should make
every attempt to survey all students. Even though students who are new
to the center have limited experiences with the center, they are required to
complete the survey based on their experiences at that time.
When is the Student
Satisfaction Survey administered?
The Student Satisfaction Survey is administered biannually
(September and March) at all Job Corps Centers. Centers are
given one week to survey all students.
Is there a Spanish language
version of the survey?
Yes. A Spanish language version of the survey has been
available to all centers beginning with the September 2002 administration.
Click
here to view the Spanish version.
Click
here to view the Spanish Survey Protocol.
Why does the Student
Satisfaction Survey ask about student opinions only in the last month?
Since students can be on center for varying lengths of
time, the survey asks questions about the last month in order to provide a
consistent time period for all students to report their experiences. The survey
is given quarterly to provide centers with continuous updates of students'
experiences and to give all centers the opportunity to improve their safety
rating during the year.
How is the Student
Satisfaction Survey Administered?
A survey administration guideline, or protocol, has been
developed to ensure accurate and consistent measurement of student perceptions
at all centers across the country. It is very important that all centers and
staff responsible for conducting the survey read and follow the survey protocol
carefully. Also, guidelines for administering the survey were
revised in August 2002, so it is important for all centers to review the
updated version. For specific details regarding the survey implementation
guidelines click on the following:
Protocol
for the English version of the survey
Protocol
for the Spanish version of the survey
Why does the survey protocol
instruct centers to administer the survey to all students at one time?
To the maximum extent possible, the Student Satisfaction
Survey should be given to all students (including new students) on center at
the same time. This is so students will be clear about when they need to take
the survey and the center staff will be able to help students go to their
survey locations. If all students take the survey at the same time, it will be
less likely that a student will miss the survey or take the survey more than
once. Students who are not on center at the designated survey time should be
scheduled for a make-up survey to ensure input is obtained from all students.
Why should centers train student
proctors and staff monitors about their role in the survey?
Training student proctors and staff monitors about their
role in the survey will help to ensure that the survey administration goes
smoothly, thereby improving the quality and validity of the data collected. It
is important that a training meeting(s) of student proctors and staff monitors
be conducted prior to each survey administration so that new student
proctors and staff can understand their roles and responsibilities, and those
with previous experience can review the materials.
We recommend that training for the survey be conducted the day (or up to a few
days) prior to the general survey administration. This will provide student
proctors and staff monitors ample time to read the instructions and ask
questions prior to the survey administration. During the training, student
proctors and staff monitors should be given their scripts and instructions. The
staff member conducting the training should go over all of the instructions and
scripts and give student proctors an opportunity to ask questions and to
practice their script out loud. The training meeting should emphasize the
importance of following the protocol carefully. It is advisable to train
alternate student proctors in case someone is absent during the survey
administration. Furthermore, it is recommended that plans be made to train
substitute staff who arrive on the day of the survey about their role. These
measures will ensure that everyone responsible for the survey administration
clearly understands the survey protocol and their roles and responsibilities.
Why does the survey protocol
instruct staff monitors to leave the room during the survey?
According to the survey administration guidelines, after a
staff monitor reads the script, he/she should leave the survey room and stand
outside the door. This gives students the feeling of privacy. Staff monitors
should stand outside the door and enter only if there is a disruption in the
classroom or the student proctor calls him/her back into the room. In that
case, the staff monitor should enter the room, re-establish order, and leave
again until the survey administration is completed.
What role do student proctors play
in the survey administration?
Student proctors play an important role in the survey
administration. Therefore, center staff should select students who are
respected and trustworthy. Students selected as student proctors should also
feel confident about reading a short script in front of the class and
performing a series of tasks related to the survey.
Student proctors are responsible for conducting the
following activities during the survey administration:
-
Reading a short script in front of the class after the staff monitor has left
the room;
-
Distributing the surveys and pencils to students in the classroom;
-
Monitoring the room to make sure it is quiet;
-
Reading questions out loud if students have difficulty reading the survey
questions;
-
Answering questions that students may have about the survey;
-
Completing his/her own survey;
-
Checking off the names of students as they turn in their survey;
-
Collecting the completed surveys and putting them into an envelope;
-
Sealing the envelope, placing a sticker over the seal, and signing his/her name
on the seal (this should be done in front of the class); and
-
Delivering the completed surveys in the sealed and signed envelope, any extra
or blank surveys, and the list of students completing the survey to the
designated staff member.
Student proctors should not review other
students' answers or check over the survey responses either during or after the
survey administration. This instruction should be given to the student proctors
during the training session so that all students taking the survey feel that
their answers are confidential.
Where should completed Student
Satisfaction Surveys be mailed?
All completed survey forms and all unused forms should be
boxed to avoid damage in return shipment and sent by an overnight carrier to
the Job Corps Data Center at the following address:
JOB CORPS DATA CENTER
1627 Woodland Avenue
Austin, Texas 78741
Attention: Student Surveys
Questions regarding the survey forms or handling and
sending the survey via overnight carrier should be directed to Robin Law at the
Data Center (512) 393-7208.
Who processes the Student
Satisfaction Survey data?
All Student Satisfaction Surveys are mailed to the Job
Corps Data Center (JCDC) for processing. The Data Center scans the completed
survey forms and produces a data file. This process usually takes a couple of
weeks after the surveys have been received by the Data Center. Once the data
file is created by the Data Center, it is then forwarded to Battelle Memorial
Institute in Seattle. Battelle then reviews the data, calculates the safety
ratings, response rates, and prepares the customized Student Satisfaction
Survey reports.
Additional questions regarding the receipt and scanning of survey forms should
be directed to Robin Law at the Data Center (512) 393-7208. Questions regarding
the customized Student Satisfaction Survey reports should be directed to Mary
Kay Dugan at Battelle (206) 528-3142.
Who prepares the customized
Student Satisfaction Survey Reports?
Summary data from each survey are provided to every
center, region, contractor and the National Office in the form of a customized
report. The customized reports are prepared by Battelle Memorial Institute in
Seattle, Washington. The purpose of the customized reports is to provide
summarized information about student experiences on center and the response
rates to the survey. Questions regarding the customized Student Satisfaction
Survey reports can be directed to Mary Kay Dugan at Battelle (206) 528-3142.
Why are response rates
important?
Obtaining high response rates to the survey is extremely
important to get an accurate picture of all students' experiences on center.
Low response rates compromise the validity of the data. Therefore, it is very
important that centers follow the survey guidelines and make every attempt to
survey all students. In particular, scheduling make-up survey sessions is
important to ensure that all students have an opportunity to share their
experiences.
How are response rates for
the Student Satisfaction Survey calculated?
Two types of response rates are calculated for the survey.
A response rate based on the 12 safety questions is calculated to construct the
safety measure. The safety response rate formula is as follows: total number of
students who answered 7 or more of the 12 safety items divided by OBS for the
survey week.
An overall response rate for the survey is also calculated based on all of the
questions in the survey. The overall response rate is as follows: total number
of students who answered at least one survey question divided by OBS for the
survey week.
How is OBS for the survey calculated?
The OBS that is used to calculate the response rates to
the Student Satisfaction Survey is the average OBS for the period Monday
through Friday of the survey week. The OBS numbers that are used are derived
from the SPAMIS/CIS data, not from the weekly OBS reports.
How is safety measured?
The Student Satisfaction Survey contains 12 safety
questions. The 12 questions measure the following safety concerns on a center:
overall safety, serious general safety concerns of students, students'
involvement in violence, center's response to violence, students' witnessing of
violence, students' ability to confide safety problems to staff, and students'
experience with verbal harassment. The safety rating represents the percentage
of students who indicated that they felt safe with respect to at least half of
the safety questions that they answered. Students who do not
answer at least 7 of the 12 safety questions are not included in the safety
measure calculation.
Who do I call if I have questions
about the survey?
General questions about the Student Satisfaction Survey
can be directed to Lawrence Lyford in the National Office of Job Corps at
(202) 693-3121.
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