This document outlines the steps we encourage you to take to align your Impact Suite with CLLS’s 2020-21 reporting requirements.
 

If you’d like to talk through these updates, please book a time to do the work together here. 

Have a question? Send them to us at support@americalearns.net. We are here for you!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• (2020-21 Update) Roles and Goals
• Tutor-Driven Roles and Goals Collection Example
• Staff-Driven Roles and Goals Collection Example
• (2020-21 Update) Demographic Data Changes 
• (2020-21 Update) Family Literacy Services: Number of Adults Served
• (2020-21 Update) Family Literacy Services: Event Check-ins
• (2019-20 Update) Learners Who Are Incarcerated
• (2019-20 Update) Learners Acquiring Library Cards
• (2019-20 Update) Family Literacy Reporting: Learner Profile Additions
• (2019-20 Update) Family Literacy Reporting: New Group Tracking System
• (2019-20 Update) Changes that May Require Additions to Your Monthly Reports
• NEW FEATURE: Tracking Age and Creating Queries for CLLS Reporting
• (NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) Guidelines for Collection Demographic Information
• (NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) Support for Collecting Information through Conversation and in Writing
• (NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) When gathering information through conversation
• (NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) Collecting information through writing
• (NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) Form Sample

(2020-21 Update) Roles and Goals

CLLS Requirement: 
The summer 2021 Final Report form will ask you to:
 

• Report your Roles and Goals data using the new lists of goals (download the new list of goals here), 
• Report how many learners made progress toward each goal (as well as how many learners set and achieved each goal), and 
• For Learners reporting any Family Member goals, you will ask three additional questions.
   

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A guiding principle that guides our work is that upgrades we make to the Impact Suite must be flexible enough to meet the realities of each program we serve.   As we’ve studied the new Roles & Goals requirements, we’ve found that libraries are interpreting and applying them in different ways.  As such, we’ll be investing a significant amount of resources in the coming months to create a flexible, customizable process for easily meeting the new requirements in this area in a way that aligns with your particular interpretation and application of the guidance.  

In the interim, several of our literacy partners have developed a Roles and Goals model that has been working with great success.  If you ask your tutors to complete Roles and Goal at least every six months, we encourage you to use it. (If your staff collect this information from tutors and learners, please see below for a different model.)

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Tutor-Driven Roles and Goals Collection Example

Suggested Instructions - 

Body of Question - 

Notes About Goals and Write-In Goals -

Three additional questions for learners enrolled in your FFL services who select any Family Member goals -
 

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Staff-Driven Roles and Goals Collection Example

If your staff is responsible for collecting Roles and Goals data from your people you might want to try our new profile-driven collection experience. Please keep in mind you have total control over the fields that you use.

For example, not shown here, you could create a system for tracking and setting a "check-in conversation schedule". Then you could use the system to query for learners with whom you need to setup appointments.

Here's a screenshot of the suggested changes for a Staff-driven Roles and Goals Collection Example:

(2020-21 Update) Demographic Data Changes 

CLLS Requirement:
Please continue to offer learners the opportunity to identify their race and ethnicity and their gender identity and write down what they say.

Race and Ethnicity: 
We will ask you to report your tutors' and learners' race and ethnicity data using the categories on the U.S. Census. We will continue to provide an option for people who prefer not to answer the question. We will start using census categories to make it easier to compare learners' demographics with the demographic make-up of the wider community. To see the categories used on the census, please go to the census form online and see items 8 and 9: https://2020census.gov/en/about-questions.html

Gender Identity: 
We will ask you to report on your learners' and tutors' gender identities. The Final Report form will ask you to let us know the number who:

Identify as a man (cis or transgender)

Identify as a woman (cis or transgender)

Identify as nonbinary or genderqueer

Identify as not sure

Prefer not to answer this question

Report that they prefer a different term (please write in)

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To make these updates for Learners, follow these steps:

Here’s how:
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, select Groups.
   
   
2. Find the section called Manage Groups and use the drop-down to choose the group you’d like to work on (usually called Learners or Students).
   
   
3. On the top-right, use the More menu to click Manage Profile Layouts and Fields.
   
   
4. Find the panel where you have your demographic details. Find your Race/Ethnicity and Gender Identity (maybe formerly called Gender?) fields and click to make the edits.
   
   Here’s an example of the updated fields to match the above state requirements:
   
   

To make these updates for Tutors, follow these steps:

Here’s how:
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, select Tutors, Staff & Sites.
   
   
2. On the right, click Create and manage tutors.
   
   
3. On the top-right, use the More menu to click Manage Fields and Profile.
   
   

Find the panel where you have your demographic details. Find your Race/Ethnicity and Gender Identity (maybe formerly called Gender?) fields and click to make the edits.

Race options as stated in the US Census link:
 

• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Asian Indian
• Black or African American
• Chamorro
• Chinese
• Filipino
• Japanese
• Korean
• Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
• Other Asian (for example Pakistani or Cambodian or Hmong)
• Other Pacific Islander (for example Tongan or Fijan or Mashallese)
• Samoan
• Vietnamese
• White
• Unknown
• Some Other Race

(2020-21 Update) Family Literacy Services: Number of Adults Served

CLLS Requirement:
We would like you to begin counting the number of adults served through your family literacy services. This includes (a) enrolled adults, and (b) adults who are eligible for your program but who are not currently or yet enrolled.

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You can update or create a field in your Learner profile to track this statistic.

Here’s how:
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, select Groups.
   
   
2. Find the section called Manage Groups and use the drop-down to choose the group you’d like to work on.
   
   
3. On the top-right, use the More menu to click Manage Profile Layouts and Fields.
   
   
4. Find and open your FFL panel.  Either update an existing field or create a new one to reflect this information. Here’s a sample of how many programs structure FFL tracking in the Impact Suite: 

(2020-21 Update) Family Literacy Services: Event Check-ins

CLLS Requirement:
After every Family Literacy event, adult learners will share their instant feedback with you about how it went. You will include both enrolled adult learners and eligible, but not-yet-enrolled learners when counting feedback results. 

The Event Check-in Feedback can be collected in anyway you choose (paper form, show of hands, post-it notes, etc.), but should include:

• Today I felt welcome and comfortable, like I belong here. (Yes / No)
   
• I met other people today. (Yes / No)
   
• Today I learned something I can use at home with my family. (Yes / No)

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You can collect the data you gather on these questions in your Impact Suite.
Check out this video resource:

To do this you will follow these steps:

1. If you haven’t already, create a new Group called Events.
   
   
2. On the left, in your Mission Control, click Groups.
    
3. In the Create a Group section on the next page.
   
   
4. Be sure to add at least one “test event” to your Group. This will allow you to create questions assigned to this Group.
   
   
5. Next, you will create or update your Event data collection question.
   
   Here’s an example of a question you will create:
   
   

Check out this video resource on collecting data using this part of your Impact Suite:

(2019-20 Update) Learners Who Are Incarcerated

CLLS Requirement:
We would like libraries to report the number of enrolled learners who are incarcerated.

Video Support: 

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You can create a field in your Learner profile to track this statistic.

Here’s how:
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, select Groups.
   
   
2. Find the section called Manage Groups and use the drop-down to choose the group you’d like to work on.
   
   
3. On the top-right, use the More menu to click Manage Profile Layouts and Fields.
    
4. On the top-right, use the More drop-down menu and click Create a Field.
   
    

Next, you might consider using the Learner export/import features to update all of your currently enrolled Learners at one time. 

(2019-20 Update) Learners Acquiring Library Cards

CLLS Requirement:
We would like libraries to report the number of learners with library cards. Starting in the 2020-2021 fiscal year, we will be taking "get a library card" out of the Roles and Goals framework and we will ask libraries to provide learners with a library card and an introduction to the library as a core component of the enrollment process.

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You can create a field in your Learner profile to track this statistic.

Here’s how:
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, select Groups.
   
   
2. Find the section called Manage Groups and use the drop-down to choose the group you’d like to work on.
   
   
3. On the top-right, use the More menu to click Manage Profile Layouts and Fields.
    
4. On the top-right, use the More drop-down menu and click Create a Field.
   
    

Next, you might consider using the Learner export/import features to update all of your currently enrolled Learners at one time.

(2019-20 Update) Family Literacy Reporting: Learner Profile Additions

CLLS Requirement:
Libraries receiving family literacy funds should prepare to count:

• The number of enrolled adult learner families served and the number of children ages (a) under 5 and (b) 5 and older served.
   
• The number of families served that include low-literate adults who are eligible to participate but are not currently enrolled, and the total number of their children ages (a) under 5 and (b) 5 and older served.
   
• The total number of family literacy programs and activities provided (this does
   not include one-to-one tutoring provided to enrolled adults)

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 You can create a panel with subpanels and fields in your Learner profile to track these statistics.

Here’s a schematic of the Qualitative Single-Select fields and our recommended corresponding field options:
 

Here’s how do build this out:
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, select Groups.
   
   
2. Find the section called Manage Groups and use the drop-down to choose the group you’d like to work on.
   
   
3. On the top-right, use the More menu to click Manage Profile Layouts and Fields.
   
   
4. On the top-right, use the More drop-down menu and click Create a Panel.
   
   

Once your panel, subpanel and fields are created, you might consider using the Learner export/import features to update all your currently enrolled Learners at one time.

(2019-20 Update) Family Literacy Reporting: New Group Tracking System

CLLS Requirement:
Libraries receiving family literacy funds should prepare to count:

• The total number of family literacy programs and activities provided (this does not include one-to-one tutoring provided to enrolled adults)
• The number of trainings provided for staff and volunteers, and the number other family literacy trainings literacy staff attended
  
• The partners worked with inside and outside the library and they roles they played (we will ask for the names of those partners as well as the number of partners)

Video Support: 

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For these three reporting requirements our team suggests that you create three new Groups (like your Learner Group):
 

1. Events and Activities
2. Training
3. Partners

Creating Groups will allow your team to track each unique program, activity, event, and partnership as they happen, and will allow you to avoid duplicate reporting.

To create a Group:

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, click Our Groups.
    
2. In the Create a Group section on the next page.
   
   

(2019-20 Update) Changes that May Require Additions to Your Monthly Reports

CLLS Requirement:
Libraries should prepare to count the following:

• We would like libraries receiving family literacy funds to count the total number of books that were given away, if any. (This question would be included on a monthly report completed by a staff member or volunteer.)
  
   
  
   Another way programs collect this data is by capturing it in the Learner Profile.
  
  
  
   
• We would like libraries to report the total number of hours of training you provided to volunteer tutors.
  
   
  
   
• We would like libraries to report the number of locations, including library outlets (main and branch libraries and bookmobiles) and community locations, where literacy services for enrolled learners were provided. This includes tutoring, small group instruction, and computer lab time; it does not include outreach activities.
  
   
  
   
• We would like libraries to share their best story from their adult learner program. We would like libraries that provide family literacy, ELLI, and/or MLLS, and libraries that provide ESL services, to share their best story from each of those programs, too.

Here are the steps for adding these questions and adding them to your reporting forms: 

Step 1: Create the Question

Here’s how:
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, select Report Management.
   
   
2. On the right, select the link Create and manage questions.
   
   
3. Next, select the Group: Create a New Question.
   
    

Step 2: Add the Question to Current Forms

After creating the question you’ll want to add this to all of your currently created forms by cloning them and adding the question.

Here’s how:
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, click Report Management.
   
   
2. On the right, click Manage forms.
   
   
3. Find the form and click Clone.

Step 3: Relaunching Your Forms
 When you’re ready you’ll need to cancel any scheduled launches and reschedule using your new form(s).

Here’s how:
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, click Report Management.
    
2. On the right, click Manage existing & scheduled launches.
   
   
3.  Open your Scheduled Launches by clicking on the green triangle.
    
4. Use the Action drop-down menu to cancel your currently scheduled launches.
   
   
5. Now, at the top-right of the page, chose Schedule New Launches and use your new form(s).

NEW FEATURE: Tracking Age and Creating Queries for CLLS Reporting

Your program can now track the current age of your Group Identifiers.  

This article will walk you through the steps for:
 

• Creating the new field type
• Converting date of birth fields to age
   

Creating the Current Age Field

First, you’ll need to create the new age field in your Group(s):
 

1. On the left, in your Mission Control, select Groups.
   
   
2. Find the section called Manage Groups and use the drop-down to choose the group you’d like to work on.
   
   
3. On the top-right, use the More menu to click Manage Profile Layouts and Fields.
   
   
4. On the next page, use the More drop-down menu and select Create a New Field.
    
5. The Create a New Field window will open.
   
   
   
   
6. After giving the field a name and assigning the field to all appropriate groups, you will choose the Field Type: Current Age (Converts birthdate to age in years).
    
7. Complete the Create a New Field window and click Create.

Remember you can move newly created Fields to any custom panel (or to a subpanel in the Assignment Details panel) just by dragging and dropping.

Creating Queries Using the Age Field
Check out this video walking you through the process for creating queries that track age ranges for your CLLS report.

(NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) Guidelines for Collection Demographic Information

California Library Literacy Services (CLLS) has expanded the demographic categories it will use to collect information in its annual report from 2020-2021 onward.

Please update gender identity and ethnic and racial identity information from learners and tutors active in your program as of July 1, 2020 and from all participants who join the program after that date. You will also need to change your data collection and management systems to capture the new information.

Together, the ethnicity and race categories from the U.S. Census and the expanded gender identity categories will yield more accurate data about who receives CLLS services and how program participants reflect the broader community that each library serves. The new categories also provide more inclusive language that welcomes all members of a community into CLLS’s services.

To help you collect demographic information, you will find below:

• a form with the updated demographic questions and response categories that will be on the CLLS annual report from 2020-2021 onward;
  
  
• guidelines to help staff or volunteers collect demographic information through conversations and in writing;
  
  
• a sample interview script for asking learners or tutors questions about their gender, ethnic and racial identity; and
  
  
• a template for writing a letter to a tutor requesting that they update their own demographic information in writing.

How you gather this information is totally up to you, though, and depends on what will work in your program.

Thank you for collecting this useful data!

(NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) Support for Collecting Information through Conversation and in Writing

Explain why you’re asking these questions and let participants know that their responses are confidential.

Make it clear that a person doesn’t have to answer any question they don’t feel like answering. Be sure to offer the option to decline to respond.

Gather demographic information from learners through conversation instead of asking them to read through the form.

Updating the database is a great excuse to catch up with learners and tutors. You might consider adding tutoring support and technical assistance-type questions to these demographic ones.

(NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) When gathering information through conversation

It’s important that people use their own words to describe themselves and that you write down what they say.

Ask short open-ended questions and move to more descriptive language only if the listener needs added context to understand.

Keep your conversation low-key and follow the participant’s lead.

Here’s a sample script and sample interview questions you can customize:  

We ask everyone who joins the program a little bit about their identity so we can do a good job serving everyone and helping new people feel welcome. Knowing who’s in the program also lets us know how well our library serves different groups in our community. 

In our program, everyone’s identity is confidential. That means that staff people, learners and tutors don’t share anyone’s name or image with people not in the program. 

We can skip any question you don’t feel like answering. It’s no problem, and it’s always your choice!

Question 1: What is your gender identity?

Ask:  

What is your gender identity? - for example a man, a woman…

OR, model an answer:  

For this question about gender identity, I identify as ________. How do you identify your gender?

Give a preview of possible responses:  

For this question about gender identity, people might say they identify as a man, as a woman, or as non-binary, or genderqueer. Other people might not be sure, or they might prefer a different term or decide they don’t want to answer the question. How do you identify your gender?

For more information about gender identity, see the resources on the funding, applications, and resources page of the CLLS website: https://libraryliteracy.org/for-coordinators/reporting-state-funding/

Question #2: Are you of Hispanic, Latinx or Spanish origin?

Ask:  

Are you of Hispanic, Latinx or Spanish origin?

If they say, “yes,” ask another question using context:  

Is there a country or culture your family is from – for example, Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador?

For more information about this question, see the U.S. Census page: https://2020census.gov/en/about-questions/hispanic-origin.html

Question #3: What is your race and origin? 

Please note that a person can have more than one racial identity, for example, “Black” and “American Indian,” so the number of participants’ races can exceed the number of participants you count in your program.

Part 1 - Race

Ask:  

What is your race? for example, White, Chinese, Samoan? Some people have more than one race, so I’ll write down as many as you like.

OR Model an answer first:   For this question about race, I identify as _____. How do you identify your race? Some people have more than one race, so I’ll write down as many as you like.

Part 2 - Origin

Model an answer:  I identify as White, and originally, my family is Austrian and Finnish. What would you say about your family origin?

OR Give a preview of possible responses:  For this question about origin, a person might say their family is part Ecuadorian, Hmong, or Jamaican. I’d say that my family is Austrian and Finnish. What would you say about your family origin?

For more information about this question see the U.S. Census page: https://2020census.gov/en/about-questions/2020-census-questions-race.html

(NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) Collecting information through writing

An efficient way to collect volunteer tutors’ information is to mail or email the demographic information forms from pages 2-3 along with a friendly message explaining the process.

Here’s a sample message to tutors that you can customize:  

Dear Amazing Volunteer Tutor,

I hope this message finds you well! It was great seeing you on the last Tutor Round Table Zoom call, and I look forward to the day when I see you again in person tutoring at the library!

We are updating our database, and I’m writing to ask you if you would please fill out the attached demographic information form. If you could return it to me by _________, that would be great!

We’re asking everyone in the program for this information because we receive funding from the California State Library and we need to change the way we submit gender, ethnicity and race information in our annual report to them.

The new information we gather will yield more accurate data about who receives California Library Literacy Services and how our literacy program participants reflect the broader community that our library serves. These updated categories will also help us include and welcome all members of the community into our program.

When answering the questions on the form, please use whatever language you like to describe yourself, check more than one box if that makes your response more accurate, and feel free to skip any question. It’s no problem to skip a question, and it’s always your choice whether to answer or not. I want to remind you that in our program your identity and the information you provide here is strictly confidential. 

Thank you so much for your help with this demographic form. And thank you for all the time and talent you share with the program. We’re lucky to have you as a volunteer! Please let me know if you have any questions at all.

Take good care,

Your Literacy Coordinator

(NEW from CLLS: Aug 2020) Form Sample

Gender, Ethnic, and Race Identity Questions

Name: _______________________________                                     Date:  ___________________ 

Gender Identity: 

1. What gender do you identify as?  

____     a man (cis or transgender)

____     a woman (cis or transgender)

____     non-binary or genderqueer

____     not sure

____     I prefer not to answer this question.

____     I prefer the term  _______________________________.

Ethnic Identity and Origin: 

2. Are you of Hispanic, Latinx, or Spanish origin?

____     No, not of Hispanic, Latinx, or Spanish origin

____     Yes, Mexican, Mexican American, Chicanx

____     Yes, Puerto Rican

____     Yes, Cuban

____     Yes, another Hispanic, Latinx, or Spanish origin

If you like, you can write your origin here:  _________________________

for example, Salvadoran, Dominican, Colombian, Guatemalan, Spaniard, Ecuadorian, etc.

Racial Identity and Origin:

3. What is your race? 

Please select as many responses as you like.

____     White

If you like, you can write your origin here:  _________________________

for example, German, Irish, English, Italian, Lebanese, Egyptian, etc.

____     Black or African American

If you like, you can write your origin here:  _________________________

for example, African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Somali, etc.

____     American Indian or Alaska Native

If you like, you can write your enrolled or principal tribe(s) here:

_______________________________ for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, etc.

____     Chinese                                                ____     Vietnamese

____     Filipino                                                  ____     Korean

____     Asian Indian                                                       ____     Japanese

____     Other Asian

If you like, you can write your origin here:  _________________________

for example, Pakistani, Cambodian, Hmong, etc.

____     Native Hawaiian

____     Samoan

____     Chamorro

____     Other Pacific Islander

If you like, you can write your origin here:  _________________________

for example, Tongan, Fijian, Marshallese, etc.

____     Some other race.

If you like, you can write your race or origin here:  _________________