Evaluation of the ESSA Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Programs (Study Instruments)

September 5, 2017

Evaluation of the ESEA Title I—Part C Migrant Education Program Serving Children of Agricultural Workers and Fishers

Revised Draft OMB Package: Appendix G — School Interview Protocol

Contract GS-10F-0554N/BPA Order ED-PEP-16-A-0005/TO01

SRI Project P24149

Submitted to:

Joanne Bogart

Policy and Program Studies Service

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202

Prepared by:

Policy Studies Associates

Leslie Anderson

SRI International

Deborah Jonas

Rebecca Schmidt

Introduction to the Interview

• Introduce the interviewer(s).

• Explain the purpose of the study and topics to be covered in the interview. Interviewers will read the following statement to interview respondents at the beginning of each interview:

The Evaluation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I—Part C Migrant Education Program (MEP) is being carried out under contract for the U.S. Department of Education by Policy Studies Associates (PSA), a research organization, Arroyo Research Services (ARS), a research organization, and SRI International (SRI), an independent, nonprofit research institute (collectively “the study team”). The evaluation will describe how state and local MEP-funded programs have evolved in response to changing requirements under ESEA as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and how they are serving the needs of a changing migratory student population.

• Explain the provisions for protecting respondent’s privacy. Interviewers will read the following statement to interview respondents at the beginning of each interview:

As part of the evaluation, the study team will share its findings with the U.S. Department of Education. However, the results of the interviews will be summarized across all the states, districts, and programs participating in interviews. Individuals will not be identified by name in any report, and data will be reported in a manner that does not reveal your identity or the identity of your program. However, we may use anonymous quotes to help illuminate the findings. Except for that which is already public, every effort will be made to maintain the confidentiality for all information collected and we will not provide information that identifies you or your district to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. Participation in this study is required under Section 8306(a)(4) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

• Advise the respondent that the interview will last approximately 45-60 minutes.

• Invite questions from the respondent.

• Ask permission to audio-record the interview using the following statement:

We would like to record this conversation in order to ensure that we accurately capture your comments. If you agree, we would retain the recording only until we are able to validate the transcripts, at which point the voice recording would be destroyed. The transcripts will be destroyed at the end of the study. If at any point you would like to say something off the record, I will stop the recording. Do you agree to allow us to record the interview?

• Confirm respondent’s current roles and responsibilities within the agency/organization and in terms of the MEP Program. Ask if there are others we should speak with regarding MEP.

Interview Questions

NOTE: Interviewers will ask all follow-up questions as specified in the protocol. In addition, interviewers will be directed to seek clarification of any response they judge to be vague or incomplete. The primary strategy for seeking clarification will be to ask respondents to provide specific examples to illustrate their responses. A second strategy will be to ask respondents to “say more” or to “expand on” or “explain the meaning of” a particular comment.

Context

1. Please describe your professional background. How long have you been at this school?

2. What is your current position and responsibilities, including but not limited to migrant education?

3. Which other school staff, if any, work with migrant students in your school?

   1. What portion of their job is dedicated to serving the needs of migrant students?
      [Probe for: migrant advocates, migrant reading teachers, migrant classroom assistants]

4. What agency or organization do you work with directly to coordinate the MEP at your school?
   [Probe for: Local Educational Agency (LEA), Local Operating Agency (LOA), Regional Education Service Provider (RESP), SEA, other?]

Migrant Student Needs

5. What are the primary needs of migrant students in your school?

   1. What are the most significant barriers or challenges that migrant students in your school face that may disrupt or delay their educational progress?
      [Probe for: cultural and language barriers, social isolation, academic achievement, educational continuity, access to services, health-related problems, family support, etc.]

6. Have there been changes in the migrant communities in your area?

   1. If so, how have these changes, if at all, had an impact on the current needs of migrant students?
      [Probe for: changes in length of stay, timing of stay, county of origin, languages, types of agricultural work, small/large migrant population size, concentrated or spreading population, fluctuating migrant population numbers]

Identification and Recruitment

7. What is the size of the eligible migrant student population at your school?

8. How does your school work with state and/or district recruiters to identify and recruit migrant students?
   [Probe for: making referrals to state and/or district recruiters about families who are likely to be eligible for MEP]

   1. [If they do not, why not?]

   2. [If they do:] Approximately how many referrals do you make to state and/or district recruiters a year?

      1. What reporting mechanisms are in place to coordinate with state and/or district recruiters about students who might be eligible for MEP?

      2. Are there special procedures that your school uses to identify and recruit migrant students who may be eligible for Priority for Service (PFS), including students who are at risk of failing or have dropped out?

      3. Has your school been instructed to add or change procedures for identifying migrant students as PFS?

         1. If so, by whom?

         2. What additions or changes did you make to your strategies for identifying PFS students?

Services and Supports

9. What academic or instructional services does your school provide to support eligible migrant students’ academic needs?
   [Probe for: individual and small group instruction, reading and resource teachers, technology, afterschool tutoring, migrant advocates, etc.]

   1. Who delivers each service to eligible migrant students?

   2. When is each service delivered (e.g., during the school day, before or after school, in the summer months)?

   3. How many students are served by each service?

   4. Which services are required by the State/region/district?

   5. Which services are emphasized and why?

   6. What benefits have resulted from these services?

   7. What are the challenges to delivering these services and how have you overcome them?

   8. To what extent are services differentiated for migrant students designated as PFS?

10. [High schools only] What services and supports does your school provide to students to increase the likelihood of their completing high school and preparing for postsecondary education and the workforce?
    [Probe for: Algebra completion support, test preparation, credit accrual/ recovery, college awareness tours, etc.]

    1. Who delivers these services to eligible migrant students and when (e.g., during the school day, before or after school, in the summer months)?

    2. How many students participate?

    3. What strategies are emphasized?

       1. Why?

       2. What are the benefits, if any?

    4. What are the challenges to delivering these services and how do they impact the services your school provides to migrant students?

       1. How have you overcome these challenges?

11. Does your school use MEP funding to provide professional development and training to teachers who work with migrant student populations?

    1. If not, why not?

    2. If so, what was the focus or purpose of the professional development and training?
       [Probe for: identification and making referrals, needs assessment, providing culturally sensitive academic or other support services, etc.]

       1. How much time was spent on this topic?

       2. How many staff participated?

12. How does this school guarantee migrant students’ access to programs and services intended to support their needs?
    [Probe for: Title I, special education (such as IEPs and 504 plans), Head Start, ESL/bilingual education, Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program; before or after school programs]

    1. What policies/strategies have been most effective in providing in-school services to migrant students at this school?

       1. Why?

13. What types of outreach materials and activities does your school use to encourage migratory children and their families to participate in educational, health, nutrition, and social services?

    1. What materials does your school disseminate to migrant children and their families to encourage participation?

    2. Who is responsible for coordinating outreach activities?

Coordination and Collaboration

14. Does your school partner with any organizations to address your migrant students’ needs?

    1. If not, why not?

    2. If so, which types of agencies?
       [Probe for: community-based organizations, institutions of higher education, medical services, etc.]

       1. What service does each partner organization provide?
          [Probe for: additional education services, health, dental, and eye care, school supplies, transportation, parent education and support, English language development, counseling, clothing and basic needs]

       2. [For each partner organization/service:] Who delivers these services to eligible migrant students?

       3. When are services delivered (e.g., during the school day, before or after school, in the summer months)?

       4. What benefits have resulted?

    3. Which partnerships are emphasized

       1. Why?

    4. What are the challenges of any of these partnerships and how have you overcome them?

Accountability and Data Use

15. What records does your school maintain on its migrant students?
    [Probe for: immunizations, academic records, birth certificates, proof of legal guardianship, evaluations for special services or programs, etc.]

    1. How are student records transferred across schools, districts, and states for both incoming and exiting migrant students?

       1. Who manages this process?

       2. What are the challenges associated with this process, if any?

    2. How long does it typically take to receive a migrant student’s records upon request?

16. What programmatic and student outcome data, if any, does your school collect and report to the district, region, and/or state?

    1. Programmatic data
       [Probe for: enrollment; participant/parent/staff surveys; individual student plans; MEP reports, migrant funded student services]

    2. Student outcomes data
       [Probe for: student performance data, graduation data, course completion, etc.]

    3. Can you describe a particular decision regarding MEP-funded services or supports that was informed by data?

       1. Who was involved in making the decision?

Parent Involvement

17. How has your school engaged with the parents of migrant students?
    [Probe for: school-based migrant parent advisory council (MPAC), ELA classes, open houses, family events, etc.]

    1. Which parent engagement activities have worked best to engage migrant families?

       1. Why?