Case Studies of Current and Former Grantees Under the Title III National Professional Development Program (NPDP)
Interview Protocol
Partner Staff (District Administrators and Principals)
Partner Staff (District Administrator) Interview Protocol
Draft 5/14/12
Grantee: |
Interviewer: |
Interviewee(s): |
Date/Time: |
Note to Interviewer:
|
Introduction
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Just as a reminder, this interview is for a study of the National Professional Development Program (NPDP), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The Department is interested in learning more about the approaches being used by grantees to improve the preparation of pre- and in-service teachers to work with English Learners (ELs). The purpose of the interview is to gain more details about how the project is being implemented, what you are finding successful, and what challenges you are encountering. We will ask you questions about your role in the project, the project’s history and goals, your relationship with your partner university, the structure and content of the program, the effects of the program, how the program is being sustained, and any information you have about former participants.
You signed a consent form which stated that our reports will associate your responses with your funded project but not with you as an individual. In addition, to capture the large amount of data your responses will provide, your interview will be recorded. The audio record may be shared with others within our study team for purposes of analysis but will not be shared outside the study team. All data that we collect from you will be stored on a password-protected computer network and destroyed at the conclusion of the study.
This interview will take about 60 minutes, including time for follow-up.
Do you have any questions before we begin?
Role of the Respondent
Could you please describe your role in the district? What are your primary responsibilities?
Could you please describe your role in the NPDP-funded project?
How long you have been involved in the project?
What are your day-to-day activities in support of the NPDP grant?
Approximately what percentage of your time in a given month is spent on these activities?
It was suggested that participants will best recognize the NPDP-funded activities as the [insert name] – is this correct?
Were you involved in the development of the project and its design? [If yes] Please describe the nature and extent of your involvement.
What were the needs that led to the development of the project?
Examples/prompts: a new state requirement that all pre-service teachers have specific preparation in EL curriculum and instructional needs; a district or several districts identified a need for PD in a particular approach to meeting the needs of ELs, e.g., SIOP; change in performance on state tests highlighted need for additional PD in an instructional approach; a recognition that knowledge of EL needs should be shared across instructional teams, including school psychologists, paraprofessionals, etc.
What are the goals and objectives of the project?
Examples/prompts: to upgrade pre-service or in-service teachers’ skills, to certify pre- or in-service teachers in bilingual education or English-as-a-Second language, to develop or refine curricula, to train university faculty, to prepare general education teachers, to reach paraprofessionals or other school staff such as teacher mentors, school psychologists, etc.
[If interviewee indicates multiple goals]: From your perspective, are some goals a greater priority than others? Which ones and why?
Amongst the university and other districts, is there a shared sense of the priorities of the different goals? Please explain.
[If interviewee indicated strong involvement in design]: Was there any research or were there other influences that were helpful in developing the project’s goals and strategies? For example, are the goals and strategies selected based on any empirical data? Please describe.
Examples/prompts: was selection of curricula informed by research evidence, have strategies employed been studied elsewhere, did local districts inform on particular needs, is the project for meeting certain mandates, are you acting on feedback from teachers who have been trained, etc.
Who are the partners in the project and what are their different roles?
Which partners provide input in terms of planning? Delivery? Managing or monitoring? Please describe that input.
What has been most successful about the partnership between your district and the university? Least successful? Why?
Could you tell me a little about the EL population in your district?
Example/prompts: size, growth, languages represented, EL student needs
Structure and Content of the Program
Who is the target population for the project’s activities?
Examples/prompts:
Current teachers or non-instructional staff (such as paraprofessionals, instructional support staff, administrators, student support staff)
Pre-service teachers in a teacher preparation program
IHE faculty or district staff
What is/are the delivery methods for the activities undertaken as part of the project? For example, are there:
Stand alone courses delivered on campus or in schools
Infused content across the curriculum or through a sequence of seminars or workshops
Seminars or other settings involving classroom instruction
Workshops or summer institutes
Research opportunities, including action research
Study or discussion groups
Professional learning communities
Practical learning experiences (e.g., hands-on teaching experience)
Mentoring or coaching with a focus on joining more and less experienced participants
Co-teaching or collaboration with BE/ESL specialists
Class observations/visits with a focus on connecting peers
Class observations/visits with a focus on evaluation
Community awareness experiences (e.g., volunteering in community organizations serving the EL population; working in a refugee center within the school district)
Language/cultural immersion
International experiences
Online learning
Use of videos of best practice
Use of teacher-developed technology-based tools (e.g., blogs, podcasts, digital archives)
Use of other technology (specify)
Is the district involved in any of the delivery?
[If yes] How? Could you tell us a little more about how these different activities operate (e.g., when and for how long, involvement of district staff)? Are they stand-alone?
[If no] How do the different methods relate?
What is the content focus of the project’s activities with respect to preparing pre- or in-service teachers to work with ELs?
Examples/prompts:
Linguistic training particular to English language acquisition (e.g., language components, learning and developmental factors unique to ELs)
Explicit curricular and instructional strategies/best practices for teaching English to ELs (e.g., methods to build academic English, aligning materials to state standards, course/syllabus revision to meet the needs of ELs)
Subject area knowledge (e.g., how to incorporate language and literacy skills into content such as math, science, social studies)
Cultural or community sensitivity/culturally responsive pedagogy (e.g., strategies for communicating with students and families, culture specific norms or context)
Language learning (e.g., developing proficiency in another language through classes, international field experience)
To what extent is the content focused (e.g., on one of these content areas or on application in a particular setting) or broad (e.g., covering multiple content areas or broadly applicable to any work with ELs)?
[For any topics identified:] Could you describe the content in more detail?
Examples/prompts: Is there training with models or approaches that have been shown to be effective with ELs (e.g., modeling, using graphic organizers, contextualizing, using multiple modes of communication, using SIOP)? What instructional strategies are emphasized as important for ELs acquisition of subject matter? Is data-based assessment of learner needs covered? Differentiated instruction? Are materials of relevance to ELs incorporated?
Does the program focus on preparing teachers for working with students from a particular language group or multiple groups?
What would you say have been the most successful aspects of the project?
How would you describe that success? Do you have a brief anecdote that you could share that exemplifies this success?
What do you think were the factors that contributed?
In general, could you describe the challenges your district faces in recruiting or supporting teachers to work with ELs? What is the capacity of teachers in your district to address the needs of ELs?
What are the challenges teachers in your district face in working with ELs?
How are these issues addressed through the NPDP-funded project?
What, if any, have been some of the challenges in implementing the project?
Examples/prompts: lack of buy in by faculty in higher education institution or district staff; challenges in hiring experienced trainers or mentors; lack of participation by target population
Grant Outcomes
What have the impacts of participation in the NPDP grant been on the district and schools? Please describe those impacts.
Example/prompts: change in EL-related qualifications of new or veteran teachers, change in skills of new or veteran teachers, change in relationship with university, change in capacity of schools or districts to deliver EL-related PD, etc.
[If changes are noted]: What factors or conditions do you think supported these changes?
To your knowledge, has there been any formal or informal evaluation of the grant’s implementation—for example, by the university, by the district partners, or by the pre- and in-service teachers in the program? [If yes] What was learned about what is working well? What could be improved?
How would you assess the instructional effectiveness of those who have completed the program?
Sustainability
What strategies or approaches are you using to sustain changes that have occurred as a result of the NPDP grant?
How successful have these strategies or approaches been? Why?
Which activities have you been able to sustain and why?
Follow-up
To your knowledge, does your partner university or program follow up with participants after they have left the program? Does your district?
[If yes] How?
Examples/prompts: in the context of grant reporting requirements, surveying graduates, using data from state records, following up with PD participants or new teachers, etc.
[If no] If the program does not follow up with participants, why?
Wrap Up
Is there anything else you’d like to tell me that might help decision makers who are trying to improve the NPDP program and increase its impact?
That’s all the questions I have. Thank you very much for participating in the study.
Thank you so much for your time!
Partner Staff (Principal) Interview Protocol
Draft 5/14/12
Grantee: |
Interviewer: |
Interviewee(s): |
Date/Time: |
Note to Interviewer:
|
Introduction
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Just as a reminder, this interview is for a study of the National Professional Development Program (NPDP), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The Department is interested in learning more about the approaches being used by grantees to improve the preparation of pre- and in-service teachers to work with English Learners (ELs). The purpose of the interview is to gain more details about how the project is being implemented, what you are finding successful, and what challenges you are encountering. We will ask you questions about your role in the project, the project’s history and goals, your relationship with your partner university, the structure and content of the program, the effects of the program on your school, how the program is being sustained, and any information you have about former participants.
You signed a consent form which stated that our reports will associate your responses with your funded project but not with you as an individual. In addition, to capture the large amount of data your responses will provide, your interview will be recorded. The audio record may be shared with others within our study team for purposes of analysis but will not be shared outside the study team. All data that we collect from you will be stored on a password-protected computer network and destroyed at the conclusion of the study.
This interview will take about 60 minutes, including time for follow-up.
Do you have any questions before we begin?
Role of the Respondent
Could you please describe your role in the NPDP-funded project?
How long you have been involved in the project?
It was suggested that participants will best recognize the NPDP-funded activities as the [insert name] – is this correct?
Were you involved in the development of the project and its design? If so, please describe the nature and extent of your involvement.
What were the needs that led to the development of the project?
Examples/prompts: a new state requirement that all pre-service teachers have specific preparation in EL curriculum and instructional needs; a district or several districts identified a need for PD in a particular approach to meeting the needs of ELs, e.g., SIOP; change in performance on state tests highlighted need for additional PD in an instructional approach; a recognition that knowledge of EL needs should be shared across instructional teams, including school psychologists, paraprofessionals; an increase in the EL population; etc.
What are the goals and objectives of the project?
Examples/prompts: to upgrade pre-service or in-service teachers’ skills; to certify pre-service or in-service teachers in bilingual education or English-as-a-Second language; to develop or refine curricula, to train university faculty; to prepare general education teachers; to reach paraprofessionals or other school staff such as teacher mentors, school psychologists, etc.
[If interviewee indicates multiple goals]: From your perspective, are some goals a greater priority than others? Which ones and why?
Amongst the partners (including the university and district partners), is there a shared sense of the priorities of the different goals? Please explain.
[If interviewee indicated strong involvement in design]: Was there any research or were there other influences that were helpful in developing your project’s goals and strategies? For example, are the goals and strategies selected based on any empirical data? Please describe.
Examples/prompts: was selection of curricula informed by research evidence; have strategies employed been studied elsewhere; did local districts inform on particular needs; is the project for meeting certain mandates; are you acting on feedback from teachers who have been trained, etc.
Who are the partners in the project and what are their different roles?
Which partners provide input in terms of planning? Delivery? Managing or monitoring? Please describe that input.
Could you tell me a little about the EL population in your district and in your school?
Example/prompts: size, growth, languages represented, EL student needs
Structure and Content of the Program
Who is the target population for the project’s activities?
Examples/prompts:
Current teachers or non-instructional staff (such as paraprofessionals, instructional support staff, administrators, student support staff)
Pre-service teachers in a teacher preparation program
IHE faculty or district staff
[Depending on answer to the first part]: How many teachers or non-instructional staff from your building take part in the project? or Is your school involved in hosting or working with pre-service teachers as part of the project? If so, how many pre-service teachers and in-service teachers are involved?
How were participants recruited or selected to participate in the project?
What is/are the delivery methods for the activities undertaken as part of the project? For example, do participants from your school participate in any of the following:
Stand alone courses delivered on campus or in schools
Infused content across the curriculum or through a sequence of seminars or workshops
Seminars or other settings involving classroom instruction
Workshops or summer institutes
Research opportunities, including action research
Study or discussion groups
Professional learning communities
Practical learning experiences (e.g., hands-on teaching experience)
Mentoring or coaching with a focus on joining more and less experienced participants
Co-teaching or collaboration with BE/ESL specialists
Class observations/visits with a focus on connecting peers
Class observations/visits with a focus on evaluation
Community awareness experiences (e.g., volunteering in community organizations serving the EL population; working in a refugee center within the school district)
Language/cultural immersion
International experiences
Online learning
Use of videos of best practice
Use of teacher-developed technology-based tools (e.g., blogs, podcasts, digital archives)
Use of other technology (specify)
Is your school involved in any of the delivery and if so, how? Could you tell us a little more about how these different activities operate (e.g., when and for how long, involvement of school staff on the delivery side)? Are they stand-alone? If not, how do the different methods relate?
What is the content focus of the project’s activities with respect to preparing teacher candidates or teachers to work with ELs?
For example, are the following topics covered:
Linguistic training particular to English language acquisition (e.g., language components, learning and developmental factors unique to ELs)
Explicit curricular and instructional strategies/best practices for teaching English to ELs (e.g., methods to build academic English, aligning materials to state standards, course/syllabus revision to meet the needs of ELs)
Subject area knowledge (e.g., how to incorporate language and literacy skills into content such as math, science, social studies)
Cultural or community sensitivity/culturally responsive pedagogy (e.g., strategies for communicating with students and families, culture specific norms or context)
Language learning (e.g., developing proficiency in another language through classes, international field experience)
To what extent is the content focused (e.g., on one of these content areas or on application in a particular setting) or broad (e.g., covering multiple content areas or broadly applicable to any work with ELs)?
[For any topics identified:] Could you describe the content in more detail?
Examples/prompts: Is there training with models or approaches that have been shown to be effective with ELs (e.g., modeling, using graphic organizers, contextualizing, using multiple modes of communication, using SIOP)? What instructional strategies are emphasized as important for ELs acquisition of subject matter? Is data-based assessment of learner needs covered? Differentiated instruction? Are materials of relevance to ELs incorporated?
Does the program focus on preparing teachers for working with students from a particular language group or multiple groups?
What would you say have been the most successful aspects of the project?
How would you describe that success Do you have a brief anecdote that you could share that exemplifies this success?
What do you think were the factors that contributed?
In general, could you describe the challenges your school faces in recruiting or supporting teachers to work with ELs? What is the capacity of teachers in your school to address the needs of ELs?
What are the challenges that teachers in your school face in working with ELs?
How are these issues addressed through the NPDP-funded project?
What, if any, have been some of the challenges in implementing the project?
Examples/prompts: lack of buy in by faculty in higher education institution or district staff; challenges in hiring experienced trainers or mentors; lack of participation by target population
Grant Outcomes
What have the impacts of participation in the NPDP grant been on your school? Please describe those impacts.
Example/prompts: change in EL-related qualifications of new or veteran teachers, change in skills of new or veteran teachers, change in relationship with university, change in capacity of school or district to deliver EL-related PD, etc.
[If changes are noted]: What factors or conditions do you think supported these changes?
To your knowledge, has there been any formal or informal evaluation of the grant’s implementation—for example, by the university, by the district partners, or by the teacher candidates and teachers in the program? [If yes] What was learned about what is working well? What could be improved?
How would you assess the effectiveness of those participants from your school who have completed the program?
Sustainability
What strategies or approaches are you using to sustain changes that have occurred as a result of the NPDP grant?
How successful have these strategies or approaches been? Why?
Which activities have you been able to sustain and why?
Follow-up
To your knowledge, does your partner university follow-up with participants after they have left the program? [If yes] How? [If no] What are the reasons?
Examples/prompts: in the context of grant reporting requirements, surveying graduates, using data from state records, following up with PD participants or new teachers, conducting observations of participants following conclusion of project, etc.
Wrap Up
Is there anything else you’d like to tell me that might help decision makers who are trying to improve the NPDP program and increase its impact?
That’s all the questions I have. Thank you very much for participating in the study.
Thank you so much for your time!
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | mstephens |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-30 |