Interviews

Appendix R

Site Visit Interview Protocol: Yard Supervisor

U.S. Department of Education State Bullying Laws and Policies Implementation Study

Field Interview Protocol

Yard Supervisor

The U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring a study about bullying in schools. The purpose of the study is to find out how districts and schools are implementing state laws and policies related to bullying. We are asking you to share your observations about bullying among students on your school campus and your experiences responding to bullying situations. [SCHOOL NAME] has been randomly selected as one of 24 school sites nationally to participate in the bullying study. You have been invited to participate in this study because you may be knowledgeable about bullying practices in this district or on this school campus.

POTENTIAL RISKS OR BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION

There are no anticipated risks involved in taking part in this study. Participation may not benefit you personally. However, the information gathered in this study may be valuable for developing effective policies for responding to bullying in schools.

CONFIDENTIALITY

We will not share information identifying you or your district with anyone outside of the study team except if required by law. No one in your school or district administration will be told of your responses to interview questions and your responses will not be tied to any review or evaluation of your professional performance. Responses will be summarized in individual case studies for districts and schools to provide examples of policy implementation in a manner that does not associate responses with a specific individual and does not identify a school or district by name.

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION/WITHDRAWAL

If you agree to complete the interview, you will be considered a participant in a research study on the implementation of state bullying laws and policies. Your participation in the research study is completely voluntary. You may decide not to join, to only answer some questions, or to leave the study at any time. There is no penalty for choosing not to participate.

U.S. Department of Education State Bullying Laws and Policies Implementation Study

Yard Supervisor Interview

Respondent Information
Interview Questions			Open-Ended Elaboration
	How long have you been a yard supervisor at this school? Less than one year 1-2 years 3 -4 years 5-9 years 10 years or more

Problem Definition
Interview Questions			Open-Ended Elaboration
	Tell me about bullying that happens among students during recesses.
	How do you recognize a bullying situation when you see one? What criteria do you use to determine when a conflict between students should be defined as bullying? What challenges do you encounter when determining whether or not an incident constitutes bullying behavior?
	Are there individual students or groups of students in your school who are more vulnerable to bullying? If so, who are these students, and why are they more likely to be targeted?

Communication
Interview Questions			Open-Ended Elaboration
	Tell me about the bullying policy at your school.
	How were you informed about the school’s bullying policy? Posted on the district website Posted on school campuses Published in the district employee manual Discussed in staff meetings Reviewed as part of in-service training Other communications
	How familiar are you with the specific requirements in the policy (e.g., expectations about when to report bullying)? Very familiar Somewhat familiar Not very familiar Not at all familiar
	Do you think the bullying requirements are clear in communicating expectations for how you should respond to bullying incidents?

School Personnel Training
Interview Questions			Open-Ended Elaboration
	Tell me about any training you’ve received from your district or school administration on how to respond to bullying.
	Have you ever participated in bullying training? Yes No
	Is participation in training voluntary or required? Training was mandatory Training was voluntary
	How often is training required (e.g., upon hiring, annually)?
	What issues or topics were covered in the training program? How to identify or recognize bullying behavior How to appropriately intervene in bullying situations How to implement or enforce bullying policies (e.g., responsibilities and expectations) Other: _____________________________________________________
	How useful was the training information when you were faced with an actual situation? What about it has been helpful or not helpful?

Reporting/Monitoring
Interview Questions			Open-Ended Elaboration
	Tell me about how you would respond when you observe a student bullying another student.
	What would be your reaction to bullying that you witness first-hand? No immediate response, monitor future interactions Intervene to stop the behavior, monitor future interactions Intervene to stop the behavior and report the incident Report the incident to a school administrator Other: __________________________________________________
	What would be your reaction to bullying that a student reported to you? No immediate response, monitor future interactions Intervene to stop the behavior, monitor future interactions Intervene to stop the behavior and report the incident Report the incident to a school administrator Other: __________________________________________________
	If you choose to intervene in a bullying situation, how would you intervene?
	How would you make the decision to report or not report the incident? How do you recognize that it’s a bullying situation? Which criteria would you use?
	What are the expectations for reporting by school personnel and students? Is reporting mandatory? Yes, immediate, mandatory reporting by students and school personnel Yes, immediate, mandatory reporting by school personnel Yes, school personnel must intervene to stop bullying; if situations is unresolved, school personnel must report. No, encouraged reporting only Unaware of reporting requirements
	Is there a designated person on campus who you would go to for reporting bullying situations? Who is that person?
	Describe the procedure for reporting bullying incidents. Must submit a standard reporting or complaint form Must submit report in writing (no standardized form or structure) May submit a verbal report to a school administrator May submit an anonymous report. Other: __________________________________________________

Investigations and Written Records
Interview Questions			Open-Ended Elaboration
	Tell me about what happens when a bullying incident is reported.
	Have you personally ever reported a bullying incident to the school administration? Yes No
	Have you ever been involved in a follow-up investigation or response? Yes No No, never been involved in a bullying incident
	If you have been involved in a follow-up investigation, how would you describe the process? What steps were involved?
	Have you ever been asked to take steps to safeguard students from further bullying or retaliation? If so, what were these expectations? Yes No No, never been involved in a bullying incident
	Were you notified about how the bullying situation was resolved? Yes No

Policy Application and Effectiveness
Interview Questions		Open-Ended Elaboration
	Tell me about some of the challenges associated with implementing the bullying policy in this school?
	[PROBES] What are the particular components or requirements of the policy that are most challenging to put into practice? What is it about these components that makes them challenging? How have you coped with these challenges? What have you done to resolve them in particular cases? What (additional) steps would help you put the policy into practice in your district?
	Are there components or requirements in your school’s bullying policy that stand out as particularly effective in addressing bullying? If yes, what are these components? What makes them effective?

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