Focus Group Questions

Appendix D

Focus Group Plan and Questions

Focus Group Plan

Focus groups will be formed from the types of participant responses we receive on the online teacher survey. Two protocols (see below) have been developed to facilitate and promote discussions during focus groups. Many questions are the same on both protocols but have some distinguishing content. The protocol for the groups that consist of teachers who indicate that they like the assessments (Protocol 1) will include questions to probe participants on the perceived usefulness of the assessments. The second protocol for the groups that consist of teachers who had mixed feelings about the assessments (Protocol 2) will include questions that query participants on why (and which aspects) they found the assessments to be least useful or most challenging.

After the research team identifies participants for each focus group, the participants will be invited to participate. Focus groups will be scheduled outside of school hours and will take place at a central location in each school district. Participants will be provided with 3 options for the meeting and the focus group will be scheduled when most participants can be in attendance.

Once focus groups are scheduled, participants will receive the focus group questions in advance so that they can prepare information for the questions that request specific examples.

Responses to this data collection will be used only for study purposes. No information that identifies any project participant will be released. Information from participating institutions and respondents will be presented at aggregate levels in reports. Information on respondents will be linked to their institution but not to any individually identifiable information.

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. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850-xxxx. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 90 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. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this instrument, please contact Instructional Research Group directly at 714-826-9600.

Focus Group Protocol 1 – Liked the assessments

Some of you indicated that you find the IKAN and/or GloSS assessments to be useful. We would like to better understand what features you like best, and why you find them useful.

1. Let’s talk about how you used the IKAN/GloSS in your class. Can you provide specific examples for how you used the data from the assessments in your classroom?

Potential Probes

1. Has anyone used it in another way?

2. Can anyone give us an example of how the information on student strategy stages from the GloSS impacted your teaching?

2. Some of you indicated that you find the assessments useful. Could you describe the most helpful aspect of the IKAN and GloSS? Feel free to provide examples...

Potential Probes

1. Do you find both the IKAN and GloSS equally useful?

2. What types of useful information did IKAN and GloSS produce to inform changes to your mathematics instruction?

3. Some of you indicated that you find the assessments useful. But there are always things that can be improved. If you could change something to improve the assessments, what would it be?

Potential Probes

1. Did you find that the PD training adequately prepared you for implementing the assessments?

Focus Group Protocol 2 – Disliked the assessments (or liked them less)

You have indicated that you use the IKAN/GloSS assessments but have mixed feelings about them. We would like to use this focus group to find out why.

1. Let’s talk about how you used the IKAN/GloSS in your class. Can you provide specific examples for how you used the data from the assessments in your classroom?

Potential Probes

1. Has anyone used it in another way?

2. What types of information did IKAN and GloSS produce to inform changes to your mathematics instruction?

3. Can anyone give us an example of how the information on student strategy stages from the GloSS impacted your teaching?

2. All of you indicated that you had mixed feelings about the assessments. So, could you describe some of the aspects of GloSS and IKAN that you found to be less useful…Again, specific examples will help.

Potential Probes

1. Are there any other aspects of the assessments that were challenging, not useful, or did not yield the information you were expecting?

2. Do you find both assessments equally difficult to use?

3. Is the time it takes to administer GloSS and IKAN an issue?

4. Is it too easy or too hard for some of your students?

5. What do you think of the scoring system for each assessment?

6. What other aspects of the assessments were problematic?

7. What would you say was the least useful aspect of using this assessment in your mathematics classroom?

2. If you could change something about the IKAN and GloSS to improve its usefulness, what would it be?

Potential Probes

1. Did you find that the PD training adequately prepared you for implementing the assessments?

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