Interview Protocol – Education & Training Planning & Counseling Services Overview

CJC Implementation Research Protocol:

OMB Control No.1290-0012

OMB approval expires 02/29/2020

Abt Associates IRB approval No.0917

Persons are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. Respondents’ responses are voluntary.

Education & Training, Planning, and Counseling Services

Introduction of and Informed Consent for the Study (read to all respondents)

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview today.

My name is____________, and this is _____________and we are researchers from MDRC. We are here because MDRC and our partners, Abt Associates, are conducting a five-year study of the Cascades Program on behalf of the United States Department of Labor (DOL).

We are visiting to conduct in-person interviews with center staff and partners (such as referral partners and employers) to learn what is happening on the ground and what are the challenges of implementing this new program. Interviews will cover the organizational characteristics of the center, as well as its mission and vision, and how it fits within the Job Corps network.

These interviews will provide important qualitative information on the implementation at Cascades. We will use what we learn from these interviews to contribute to a report about the impacts and implementation of the Cascades program. This report will be submitted to DOL to inform the federal government about this new model.

Privacy Statement [Interviewer must read this to all respondents]

Before beginning the interview, we want to thank you for agreeing to participate in this study and remind you that your participation is voluntary. We know that you are busy and will try to be as brief as possible. We have many questions and are going to talk to many different people, so please do not feel as though we expect you to be able to answer every question. You may also refuse to answer any question. The interview today should last about 60 minutes. This interview is not part of a Job Corps audit or a compliance review. We are interested in learning about your ideas, experiences, and opinions about Cascades’ implementation. There are no right or wrong answers. We want to know what you think.

In addition, before we start, I want to let you know that although we will take notes during these interviews, information is never repeated with the name of the respondent in any reports or in any discussions with supervisors, colleagues, or anyone from DOL. When we write our reports and discuss our findings, information from all the people we speak with is compiled and presented so that no one person can be identified. There is a small risk of loss of privacy, but we have many procedures in place to ensure your information does not get lost.

To help me accurately report on the information you share, it would help if I could tape record this call; of course, I could turn off the recorder at any point if you so desire. I do not have a recorder on now; is it okay with you for me to turn it on? Great, once I turn it on, I am going to ask you to state your name and verbal consent to being recorded.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

Start recorder.

Do I have your permission to begin and record the interview?

Staff Title: Title
Staff Initials:
Interviewer: Interviewer last name
Write-up: Last name of person doing write-up

INTERVIEW DATE/TIME: Date/Time

Staff Background

1. Please describe the major responsibilities of your position. Describe

2. How long have you been at this center? 0.00 years

3. How long have you been in your current role at this center? 0.00 years

4. Have you worked at other Job Corps Centers? For how long? 0.00 years

5. Where did you work prior to Job Corps? Describe

6. What role did you have at your previous employer? Describe

7. What is your educational background? Describe

8. What made you interested in working at this center? Describe

Staffing and Management

9. Please describe this department’s staff titles and roles and responsibilities.

Staff title	Roles/Responsibilities
Title	Describe

10. Who do you directly report to?

11. What staff report directly to you?

12. How do you supervise staff? What is your management approach/style? Describe

    1. How often do you meet with them, do you meet as a group or one-on-one, what is discussed in these meetings?

13. When hiring new staff members, what qualities do you look for? (Experience in the IT/Healthcare field? Certifications? Connections with employers in the region? Experience working with youth?) Describe

1. Do you think the backgrounds, or the qualifications, of your staff differ from those at other Job Corps Centers? How? Why? Describe.

14. What professional development opportunities are available to staff? Describe

    1. How do you think the training or professional development at this center differs from other centers?

    2. Do you think there are higher expectations of the staff at this center?

    3. What additional opportunities do you think staff would benefit from? Describe

Center Values, Center Environment, and Relationships

15. How would you describe this Job Corps center’s values and philosophy? Describe

1. Do these values and philosophy differ from those of other Job Corps centers? Describe

16. How would you describe the culture and environment at this Job Corps center?

    1. Do you think the culture and philosophy of this center is different than other Job Corps centers? Describe

17. [Cascades and Ottumwa only] How would you explain student-centered design?

    1. How does the center incorporate a student-centered design? Examples

18. What do staff relationships with the students look like?

1. Do you think these relationships at this center differs from other Job Corps centers? Describe

19. What do the relationships between the students look like?

    1. Do you think these relationships at this center differs from other Job Corps centers? Describe

20. [Cascades Only] What affect, if any, does the cohort system have on students?

    1. Does it affect student relationships?

    2. Does it affect student progress?

21. How diverse is the student population?

    1. Does this have an effect on the center? Culturally, Socially?  

    2. What are the pros and cons of having older students at the center?

22. [Cascades only] Does the fact that students at Cascades are younger (ages 16-21 only) have any effect on the center? How? Why not? Describe

23. [Cascades only] Does that fact that students at Cascades had additional screening during intake have any effect on the center? How? Why not? Describe

24. How do you think the typical student that attends this Job Corps center compares to the students at other Job Corps centers?

25. [Cascades only] Do you think that Cascades students are better prepared for Job Corps or for college than typical Job Corps students? Why? How? Describe

26. Overall, what, if anything, do you think sets this center apart from other Job Corps centers?

Center Orientation Services

27. Briefly describe what takes place, what is covered, during the orientation. Describe

    1. [Cascades Only] Since our visit last year how has orientation changed? Why? Describe

28. Are orientation services contextualized for the student’s trade/ pathway? Describe

29. What other activities/courses/classes are students participating in during the orientation period?

30. How and when do students complete orientation? What happens at the completion of orientation?

31. How do the orientation services offered at this center differ from orientation at other Job Corps centers?

32. Can you describe particular strengths and challenges of the orientation services? Describe

1. What non-student related challenges do you face and what is the center doing to mitigate these challenges? (Staffing, facilities, curriculum, etc.)? Describe

Education & Training Planning

33. Describe the process you use to determine what services are appropriate for an individual student and the process of putting together a plan.

    1. How and when do you make an initial determination and plan?

    2. How and when do you decide when a student is ready for technical training?

    3. How and when do you decide when a student is ready for college?

    4. How and when do you decide when a student is ready for graduation?

34. Do you use assessments? When? What kind? Academic assessments? College-readiness assessments? Soft-skills assessments? Describe

35. Do you revisit the plan or plans? When? How often?

36. Is the education & training plan part of a larger plan? If so, what else is included in that plan? Does the plan Non-Cognitive Social and Workplace Skills Development?

    1. Are there other separate or additional plans?

37. Is the process for creating the plan or plans a group process or a one-on-one process? Which staff are involved in determining what services students need? Are the students themselves involved? How? Describe

38. Do students take ownership of the plan or plans and of their future? How? Describe

39. Does this differ from the process or plans at other Job Corps centers?

Non-Cognitive Social and Workplace Skills Development

40. Can you describe any social and workplace skills services offered by the center (e.g. life skills, career planning, work readiness)? Describe

    1. What kind of social and workplace skills courses are offered? Are they required?

    2. How are these services provided and what staff provide them?

    3. Are these classes contextualized for the student’s trade/pathway?

41. Are there any other non-cognitive skills development courses?

42. [Cascades Only] Since our last visit how have these services changed? Describe

    1. Why did services change? (Was is staff driven or conceptually driven or market driven?)

Curriculum Development

43. How did the center determine the content of the orientation and the Non-Cognitive Social and Workplace Skills Development services?

    1. Are you using existing curricula? Did you create new curricula? Did you develop the courses with help from local employers or community colleges or other outside sources? Describe

Measures of Academic Progress, Student Challenges and Support Services

44. How do you measure academic progress?

    1. How are students fairing?

    2. Are students struggling?

45. What challenges do students face academically? Describe

46. What type of supplemental support services, such as on-site tutoring, online classes and evening classes are offered? Describe

    1. Are these services contextualized for the student’s trade/pathway?

47. What other types of extra support or guidance do students receive if they fall behind in their studies? Describe

    1. Is some kind of education & training improvement plan created?

• When, at what point?

• Who participates in creating the plan?

44. How do [Foundations or Career Success Standards], HS, HSE, Basic Ed, E&T Support Services and the Non-Cognitive Social and Workplace Skills Development services staff coordinate with each other?

45. How do [Foundations or Career Success Standards], HS, HSE, Basic Ed, E&T Support Services and the Non-Cognitive Social and Workplace Skills Development services staff coordinate with other departments?

Community Culture and Student Support Systems

50. What are the center’s community culture standards?

    1. [Cascades and Ottumwa only] Was this developed using student-centered design? Describe

51. Other than education & training, what do the students struggle with? Culture issues? Addiction? Mental health? Other? Describe

    1. Are there sufficient supports for these students?

52. Do you think the student support systems available at this center differ from those at other Job Corp centers?

53. Does the center have any kind of student mentor program?

    1. Can you describe the program?

    2. [Cascades and Ottumwa only] Was this developed using student-centered design? Describe

54. [Cascades only] Can you describe the peer leadership program?

55. Can you describe the Student Government Association?

    1. [Cascades and Ottumwa only] Was this developed using the student-centered design?

    2. What are some accomplishments of the student government?

    3. How, if at all, does student government here differ from other centers?

    4. Who participants? why do you think that is?

Disciplinary Policies

50. Can you describe the practices you currently use to maintain a safe environment for the students at your center? Describe

51. Please describe the center’s behavior management system and disciplinary policy and your role.

    1. [Cascades and Ottumwa only] Was this developed using student-centered design? Describe

    2. Do any of the policies implemented, mirror behaviors, attitudes or expectations that students would encounter in the workplace? (Dress code, attendance, punctuality, productivity) Describe

    3. How do you think the behavior management system at this center differs, if at all, from other Job Corps centers?

Student Rewards & Recognitions

58. Does the center have a points or rewards and recognition program?

    1. How do students earn rewards or get recognized? Describe

    2. [Cascades and Ottumwa only] Was this developed using student-centered design? Describe

Student Retention and Separations 

59. What is the average length of time students remain at the center?

60. About what percent of students do you think leave the center within 3 months? Within 12 months? 

61. About what percent of students do you think stay at the center for more than 24 months? 36 months? 

62. What is your sense of why students leave the center early?   

1. How does this compare with other Job Corps centers?

63. At what point do students tend to separate? What are the biggest drop-off points?  

1. Do students drop-out of the center during orientation? During or before trade? After getting an HSE or GED? After getting an initial credential? After starting college? Other? Describe

64. What are the center’s policies with regard to student retention? 

1. How does the center attempt to retain students?  

2. What actions are taken? By what staff?   

3. How are students involved/engaged in this effort? 

Partnerships

65. Do you partner with any organizations in the community in providing these services to students?

    1. Can you describe those relationships?

Name of partner	Description of services or resources provided	How is partnership formalized (contract, informal)
Name of partner	Describe	Describe

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