Core BSC Team Focus Group Topic Guide

Attachment N: Core BSC Team Focus Group Topic Guide

The purpose of the information collection is to understand the in-depth experiences of teams that participate in the BSC.

This information is planned to be used to further the proper performance of the functions of the agency by assessing the ways in which child care and Head Start program staff engage in, and potentially benefit from, participation in the BSC.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.25 hours per response. This collection of information is voluntary and all responses collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-XXXX and the expiration date is XX/XX/XXXX.

Culture of Continuous Learning Project: A Breakthrough Series Collaborative for Improving Child Care and Head Start Quality

Focus group Topic Guide

Core BSC Team Focus Group Topic Guide

As part of the feasibility study data collection, a focus group will be conducted with up to six staff members at the early care and education sites who are participating in the Core BSC Teams. The purpose of the focus group is to answer key research questions of the Feasibility Study that cannot be answered through secondary measures review nor observation only. Topics covered by this focus group include, but are not limited to: BSC elements that were beneficial and challenging for BSC Team Members, strengths and limitations of a 12-month timeline, and perceptions and experiences with how implications of the BSC have resulted in changes or other effects among staff who are not a part of the Core BSC Team. At the start of each focus group, we will read a consent statement to the participant, in addition to the information on the cover page for this measure:

Thank you very much for agreeing to participate in this discussion. Your participation is very important to the study. My name is __________ and I work for Child Trends, a nonprofit research organization.

We are conducting a study for the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation at the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to learn about the feasibility of using the Breakthrough Series Collaborative model to affect change and quality improvement in child care and Head Start settings. We want to talk to members of the core BSC teams about their involvement in the BSC, including the challenges and benefits of the BSC and their perceptions and experiences with spread. This focus group will last approximately an hour and a half. Being part of this discussion is up to you, and you can choose to not answer a question if you wish. Participants will receive a $25 honoraria in the form of a gift card for participating in this discussion.

This conversation will be recorded for note-taking purposes only, and recordings will be deleted after the notes have been cleaned. We will not share your comments with anyone outside of the research team in any way that will reveal your identity. Our report will describe the experiences and viewpoints expressed, but comments will not be attributed to specific individuals or programs. No individuals will be quoted by name. Thank you for taking the time to candidly and thoughtfully talk with us today, we greatly appreciate your help!

Do you agree to participate in this focus group?

• Yes

• No

[Note to interviewer: The box below provides additional information as reference, in case participants have questions

Topic	Subtopic	Type of informant
BSC elements that were most helpful and most challenging to Core BSC Teams	Types of BSC elements used	Core BSC Team members (ECE administrative staff, classroom staff, parents)
	Overall experience with each type of element
	Expectations for each BSC element at the beginning of the learning sessions
	How did expectations for each BSC element change over time
	Similarities and differences of experiences across team members (e.g. administrative staff compared to classroom staff or program staff compared to parents)
	Extent to which each Core BSC Team member felt included in the process
	Successes and challenges of the BSC to assess SEL needs and strengths; strategies to address SEL needs
	Extent to which the BSC addressed differences in perceived SEL needs among ECE staff, parents
	Lessons learned from each element
12-month timeframe and whether it promotes or impedes progress	Overall strengths and limitations of the 12-month timeline	Core BSC Team members (ECE administrative staff, classroom staff, parents)
	Impact of including the summer as a part of the BSC, including financial impacts
	Impact of the 12-month timeline on promoting or impeding quality improvement in SEL, specifically
Changes in program culture and practices	Extent to which each Core BSC Team member felt included in the process	Core BSC Team members (ECE administrative staff, classroom staff, parents)
	Extent to which each Core BSC Team member felt that their needs for improving SEL practices were met
	Changes in SEL practices over time
	Changes in tracking progress and change in SEL practices within the ECE programs, communication of progress and change with families, when applicable; changes in other data tracking processes within the ECE program
	Changes in how the ECE programs address needs other than those included in the BSC (for SEL quality improvement)
	Strategies developed for improving SEL practices
	Extent to which changes in culture or practice vary among ECE sites based on available resources, program type, level of engagement in the BSC
	Program characteristics associated with patterns or levels of organizational change in terms of culture or practice
	Similarities and differences of changes in practices across team members (e.g. administrative staff compared to classroom staff or program staff compared to parents)
	What resources (financial and otherwise) do you think would be necessary to keep this process going in your center?

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