MAKING CONNECTIONS CROSS-SITE SURVEY

Wave 2: The Neighborhood Follow-up Survey

Two MC-SA SurveysConducted by NORC in 2002

•821 personal interviews in San Antonio’s West Side

•690 phone interviews throughout Bexar County

•Purpose: to identify characteristics of West Side households and children relating to core result areas and compare them with the average resident in the county.

•2002 surveys are the first in a series of periodic surveys.

•Comparisons can also be made across sites in 10 cities as part of The AECF Making Connections initiative.

MC Cross-Site Survey Wave 2: What’s Same, What’s New

Same: • Focus on core results• Same mix of cross-site and site-specific

questions

New: • No county survey until wave 3• Neighborhood sample includes movers as well

as current residents• Mixed-method data collection (phone with in-

person back-up)

MC-SA Survey: What we need to get done in 2005

• Revise Questionnaire (with input on cross-site questions)

• Finalize site-specific questions and prepare for data collection in San Antonio

Revising the Survey Questionnaire: Basic Parameters

• We need to be able to compare baseline data to follow-up data

• We need to do the best job we can on collecting Cross-site Core Results data– Fix Problems– Fill Holes

QUESTIONNAIRE REVIEW PROCESS

• Feedback from users in Foundation units

• Feedback from users in the sites:1. Cross-site consultation with local survey

analysts: Jan. 28

2. Locally-Based Review Process: Feb. 28

Review by Local Analysts

• Based on LLP analytical experience

• Four guiding questions: – What worked– What didn’t work– What’s worth fixing – What’s missing that is essential to tracking

core results

Next Steps

February 28: • Feedback on cross-site questions from all

ten sites• Site specific questions from Denver, Des

Moines, Indy, San AntonioThroughout March:• Field testing of revised questionnaire • Begin planning for implementation in

Denver, Des Moines, Indy, San Antonio

Suggested Deletions

• Draw neighborhood boundaries (not feasible in phone interviews)

• 2.5, 2.6 – Best/worst thing about neighborhood• 2.8 – People come to shop/do business • 2.11 – More optimistic about neighborhood • 4.3a to 4.7d – Use of supermarket, pharmacy,

bank or credit union, ATM not in a bank• 4.4e to 4.7f – Difficulty of check cashing facilities

not in bank, money transfers not in bank

Suggested Deletions

• Religious preference• Why not attend neighborhood get-together• Eviction• Move due to non-payment• Telephone in home that works• Use computer at other location• Connect to Internet at other location• Job considered perm or temp• Chances for career advancement• EITC, CCTC

Additions/Strengthening

• Household composition/relationships

• Economic resources

• Immigrant status

• School readiness

• Social networks

Household Composition and Relationships

• Relationship of focal child to each HH member.

• Relationship of each HH member to respondent.

• Focal children who reached 18: Ask…– Is [FC] still living with the household?– What is the [FC] doing?

Economic Resources

• Change income categories: Ranges of $5K up to $100K (instead of $30K).

• Amount of savings and debt:– How much do you currently owe on your home

mortgage loan?– How much do you have in a savings account?– How much do you owe on your credit cards?– How much do you owe in medical debt?

• Who is the PRIMARY wage earner in the household?

Immigrant StatusBirthplace and citizenship of the focus child: Is … a U.S. citizen?

1. Yes, native

2. Yes, foreign-born, naturalized citizen

3. No., foreign-born, not a naturalized citizen

Legal status of adults (who are either naturalized citizens or noncitizens): When …moved to the US to live, what was …’s immigration status?

1. Permanent resident (had a green card)

2. Refugee

3. other

Has …’s status been changed to permanent resident? (Has …received a Green Card?)

1. Yes

2. No

Language Ability• Does this person speak a language other than

English at home?1. Yes; What is this language? (Write in.)2. No

• How well does this person speak English?1. Very well2. Well3. Not well4. Not at all

• (Ask only if “yes” to “language other than English” AND does not speak English “very well.”): In the last 12 months did you take any English language classes?

School Readiness

• Where does your child spend most of his/her time when they are not with you (or other parent/caretaker) or not in school? Responses (for FC under 6):

1. In a Head Start or preschool program2. In a child care center3. In a child care home4. Being cared for by another relative or friend who is

paid5. Being cared for by another relative or friend who is

not paid.6. Other

Preschool Age Children

ONLY of respondents w/FC age 5 or under:• Years/months of preschool• Type of preschool• Attendance at religious service with

family?• Child plays with other children his/her own

age: how often?• Child goes to library or other local cultural

venue: how often?

Health Insurance Coverage

• Any time in past year FC was WITHOUT health insurance?

• Number of times a child has seen the same physician.

Custody, Kinship, Foster Care

• FC spent any time living away?

• R previously incarcerated, on parole, probation or other supervised release?

• Age of FC mother when he/she was born?

School Readiness

• Untreated Asthma problems?

• Untreated disability or developmental problem requiring special education?

• Sociability: Difficulty joining other children at play?

• Curiosity and eagerness to learn new things?

• Stay focused and productive in play/work?

Social Networks

For HHs w/children (focal child section?):• People in neighborhood sometimes helped

by babysitting or watching your children? How often?

• Have you helped someone else?• In an emergency, could you call on

someone to care for your children?• How would you go about getting

information on child care?

Social Networks

All respondents:

• Who would you ask for leads in finding a new job? (nobody, family, friends/ neighbors, co-workers, counselor)

• Who would you tell about a new opening at your work? (nobody, family members, neighbors/ friends)

“Bridging” Social CapitalAll respondents (scale of 1=“very little” to 5=“very much”):

• How much can you trust:– people in your clubs, organizations, groups?– business owners you buy things from or do business with?– social service providers?– local government?

Respondents with children (scale of 1=“SD” to 5=“SA”)

• I can usually trust information I receive from the school to be complete and accurate.

• Administrators at this school are willing to listen.• If there is a problem at school, I know whom to

contact.