MSAP Superintendent Key Informant Interveiw (Telephone)

MSAP Superintendent Key Informant Interview

(Telephone)

Public Burden Statement:

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1800-0011. Note: Please do not return the completed MSAP Superintendent Key Informant Interview to this address.

Interviewer ID: ___ ___

Interview Date: ___ ___ / ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ Interview Time: ___ ___ : ___ ___ AM PM

Grantee Name: _________________________________________________

Superintendent: ________________________________________________ Telephone: (__ __ __) __ __ __ - __ __ __ __

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview. It will take 15 minutes. We are assessing the 2010 Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grantees’ current technical assistance needs, and these interviews are part of our initial data collection effort. There are no right or wrong answers. We are interested in identifying your needs in program implementation and management in order to provide you with the most relevant and focused technical assistance.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

1. How many years have you worked in the district?

• 0-2 years

• 3-5 years

• 6-8 years

• 9 or more years

2. How well does the MSAP project fit into the district’s mission?

• Not well at all

• Not too well

• Well

• Very well

3. How would you characterize your knowledge and experience in the following MSAP activities, and how helpful would it be for you to receive technical assistance for each activity?

Knowledge

1=Needs improvement

2= Adequate

3= Good

Technical Assistance

1= Not helpful

2= Somewhat helpful

3=Very helpful

	Knowledge			Technical Assistance
	1	2	3	1	2	3
Aligning the magnet school objectives with the district mission
Implementing policies that align with your vision for school improvement
Improving the image of your district
Improving the image of magnet schools within your district
Identifying and publicizing magnet school successes
Monitoring magnet school implementation and outcomes data to determine whether changes are needed
Hiring and retaining qualified key staff for the magnet program
Building capacity through professional development for the magnet school staff
Promoting innovative education methods and practices that promote diversity and increase public school choice
Accessing and distributing resources for the magnet programs
Encouraging the elimination, reduction, or prevention of minority group isolation in magnet programs
Sustaining magnet programs once the grant period ends

4. How would you characterize your magnet staff’s knowledge and experience in the following MSAP activities, and how helpful would it be for them to receive technical assistance for each activity?

Knowledge

1=Needs improvement

2= Adequate

3= Good

Technical Assistance

1= Not helpful

2= Somewhat helpful

3=Very helpful

	Knowledge			Technical Assistance
	1	2	3	1	2	3
Engaging families to enhance student learning
Partnering with the community to improve academic achievement
Creating a sustainability plan for the MSAP project
Implementing the MSAP project sustainability plan

5. What other technical assistance needs do you have?

6. What three magnet staff positions need the most technical assistance and what type of assistance do each need?

7. Please select your top three preferred methods for receiving technical assistance.

• Conference workshops

• Email

• Fact sheet

• Newsletter

• Telephone conferences

• Toolkits

• Webinar

• Website

• Other, specify:

• Other, specify:

Glossary of terms

Full operation- the program becomes integrated into practitioner, organizational, and community practices, policies, and procedures. At this point, the implemented program becomes fully operational with full staffing complements and all of the realities of “doing business” impinging on the newly implemented magnet program. Once fully operational, practitioners carry out the magnet program with proficiency and skill, administrators support and facilitate new practices, and the community has adapted to the presence of the magnet program.

Initial implementation- requires attempts to implement new practices effectively and make changes in the overall magnet environment. Changes in skill levels require education, practice, and time to mature. The program is struggling to begin and confidence in the decision to adopt the program is being tested during this stage of implementation.

Program installation- after a decision is made to begin implementing MSAP, there are tasks that need to be accomplished; these activities define the installation stage of implementation. Resources are being consumed in active preparation for actually doing things differently in keeping with the tenets of MSAP and structural supports necessary to initiate the program are put in place.

(Definitions adapted from The National Implementation Research Network at: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~nirn/implementation/06/06d_fullopera.cfm)

MSAP Superintendent Interview 5