Teacher Data Collection for the PAIR Project

What is the PAIR Project?

The Preschoolers' Adjustment and Intergenerational Risk (PAIR) Project is a collaboration between researchers at the University of Kansas and community partners in Jackson County, Missouri.  The project has been approved by the National Institutes of Health and the Jackson County Children's Division. You can find more details about the PAIR Project.

Why does the PAIR Project need teacher information?

Teachers are a major part of the PAIR Project data collection process.  Each individual teacher that provides information and shares their insights with this research project will contribute significantly to our understanding of factors related to risk and resiliency for children and their families.  This is the first project of this caliber that focuses on intergenerational risk in Jackson County, and understanding the academic functioning of children in early life is an integral part of assessing academic and behavioral outcomes in later life.  Teacher participation is therefore essential to gaining a complete picture of how risk and adjustment contribute to children's health and well being over time.

How do teachers know when they are being invited to participate?

During our data collection appointment with the child participant and their caregiver, the caregivers provide the PAIR research staff with the name of a teacher whom they would like to complete to the teacher survey on their behalf.  PAIR staff then contact the daycare or district staff (e.g., special services directors) and the teacher by email with an invitation to participate in the teacher portion of the PAIR Project.  Within that email teachers are provided with a link that will take them to the secure, online survey that they complete on the academic functioning of the child.

Are teachers compensated for their time when they participate in the PAIR Project?

Teachers are compensated for their time by receiving a $15 gift card for completing the survey per child.  Completion of the survey at each time point is essential to assessing both risk and adjustment over time.

What is the time commitment for teacher participation?

It is our goal to obtain a teacher report for each youth participant, across all four time points. The surveys we ask teachers to complete are conducted over the internet to promote ease of accessibility, and they can be completed anywhere the teacher has an internet connection. On average, the teacher survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and they can be completed at any time of day.  

Who would I contact to sign up or for general questions?

Teachers interested in signing up for the survey or learning more about the PAIR Project can contact our office at 913-897-8454 or via email at pairacademic@ku.edu.  We look forward to hearing from you!