Moderator's Guide
Education/Students
INTRODUCTION
MRB, who we are, what we do.
Focus group method -- Peer pressure – everyone’s opinion is important, differences of opinion are encouraged.
Respondent introductions -- Name, age, where they go to school, size of school, activities involved with in school, etc.
Today we’re going to be talking about your experiences in school.
BACKGROUND/WARM UP
You’re all high school seniors. Tell me a little about what it’s like being a senior.
What is good about being a senior?
What is not so good about it?
Tell me a little about your day-to-day activities. What kinds of things do you do at school?
What do you like about your classes?
What don’t you like about them?
Do you do any other academic things aside from your classes? What kinds of things?
What kinds of other non-academic things are you involved in? PROBE FOR:
Sports
Clubs
Music
Work
DECISION MAKING/INFLUENCERS
Did you consider other paths? Which ones?
Why did you not choose to take those?
What factors did you take into consideration when you made your decisions? PROBE FOR:
Friends’ opinions
Parents’ opinions
Money
Time
Location
How do you make decisions on what you plan to do? Tell me a little about the process.
Do you do any research? What kinds of research? PROBE FOR:
Online – what kinds of sites?
Library – what kinds of books/resources?
Media – what kinds?
Do you talk to people? Who? PROBE FOR:
Parents
Other family
Friends
Teachers
Guidance counselors
Doctors/other professionals
What are the most important influencers in your life? Who or what do you listen to or pay attention to the most?
MOTIVATION
What kinds of things do you get excited about? What kinds of things get you motivated to do things?
Are there any particular people that are more likely to motivate you? Who are they?
What else motivates you? PROBE FOR:
Money
Recognition
The activity itself (e.g. having a passion for the work itself)
Fear/avoiding punishment – from whom or what?
Approval/encouragement from parents
Approval/encouragement from friends
Approval/encouragement from teachers, others
Would you say that you’re self motivated? Or do you get your motivation more from other people or other things?
How about sports or hobbies or other activities that you’re involved with – what motivates to you work hard and do all of those kinds of things?
How about your school work – what motivates you to do well on your school assignments? Why do you study and try hard to do well?
How important are grades to you? How do feel when you get your grade on an assignment? How do you feel when you get your final grades for each semester?
What would get you to work even harder or try harder to do well in school?
Do you treat your assignments the same as exams? Are you motivated in the same way to do well on exams?
How do you feel about taking tests?
Do you make any distinction between the tests you take for your classes and other kinds of tests?
What other kinds of tests have you taken?
Do you prepare for different types of tests in the same way?
Do you care about them in the same way?
Are you motivated to do your best for all the different types of tests that you take?
Why do you think you need to take them?
How do you feel when you find out you have to take the test?
How do you feel right before you begin?
How do you feel when you finish the test?
How do you feel when you get the results of any of your tests? If you do well does it make you feel good?
Is it the same feeling as when you do well in sports or other activities? How is it different?
Is it the same feeling as when you do well on your other school assignments? How is it different?
Do you have the same feeling when you do well on standardized tests as when you do well on tests you take for your classes? How is it different?
NAEP CONCEPT EVALUATION
DESCRIBE NAEP IN GENERAL:
NAEP, OR THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS, IS OFTEN CALLED THE "NATION'S REPORT CARD." IT IS THE ONLY MEASURE OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE YOU CAN COMPARE THE PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN YOUR STATE WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS ACROSS THE NATION OR IN OTHER STATES. NAEP, IS SPONSORED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND HAS BEEN CONDUCTED FOR OVER 30 YEARS. THE RESULTS ARE WIDELY REPORTED BY THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL MEDIA.
FEDERAL LAW SPECIFIES THAT NAEP IS VOLUNTARY FOR EVERY STUDENT, SCHOOL, SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND STATE. HOWEVER, FEDERAL LAW ALSO REQUIRES THAT ALL STATES AND DISTRICTS RECEIVING TITLE I FUNDS MUST PARTICIPATE IN NAEP READING AND MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENTS AT FOURTH AND EIGHTH GRADES. ALL OTHER NAEP ASSESSMENTS ARE VOLUNTARY. FOR EXAMPLE, 12TH GRADE NAEP ASSESSMENTS ARE VOLUNTARY FOR EVERY STUDENT, SCHOOL, SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND STATE.
What is your overall reaction to this description?
Have you ever heard of this kind of thing?
Have you ever been a part of this? What was your experience? How did you feel about it when you went through it?
Do you know anyone who’s taken such a test?
Is this different from some of the other tests that you take? In what way?
What would you see as the benefit of this test? Who would it help? PROBE FOR:
The country as a whole
The school system
Your school
Your teachers
Your parents
You
How would it help you?
Do you think it’s important for the government to know how students are doing across the country and across time? How do you think the information will/can be used?
Have you ever taken any tests where you did not get your results or scores?
How did/would you feel about taking a test and not getting the results?
If you were asked to take part in such a test, would you? Why?/Why not?
How do you think it would make you feel to take part in it?
What concerns, if any, do you think you would have in taking part? PROBE FOR:
Missing classes
Being singled out
Not getting any feedback on how you did
Being stressed out over a test
How seriously would you take it? Would you try your best on it? Why?/Why not?
INCENTIVES FOR PARTICIPATION/ENGAGEMENT
What would make you more likely to take part in this kind of test? PROBE FOR:
Recognition (within your school, in your local community)
Credit toward community service requirements
Receiving scores for your school/district
Receiving your own scores
Prizes
Your parents’ support/encouragement
Your teachers’ support/encouragement
Your principal’s support/encouragement
[OTHER THINGS???]
Would you be more likely to participate if your entire class participated?
Do you think it matters whether you do well on the test or not? Why?/Why not?
What would get you to try harder to do well on it?
How important is it to have your teacher or a teacher that you know in the room when you’re taking the test? Would you try harder?
Should the principal be there? Would you try harder?
MESSAGES
What kinds of things would you need to know before you decided to participate in this kind of test? What would be the most important things to tell you about this kind of test?
What would be important to tell your parents?
What would be important to tell your teachers about it?
What kind of things would be important to tell you to get you to take it seriously and do your best on it?
Who would you expect to get the information from? Who would you listen to about this kind of test?
How should they get the information to you? PROBE:
Letters
Web site (which one)
Advertising
Posters
Fliers
Through your teachers
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Where do you get information about what’s happening in your school?
What sources do you trust the most in getting information about your school?
Where do you get other information about your education?
Do you pay attention to education stories in the general media – on the television news or articles in the newspaper or magazines?
Do you check any web sites? Which ones?
What methods does your school use to communicate with you?
CONCLUSIONS
Do you have any additional comments about what we’ve been talking about?
Thank you.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | .Wa$teWi$e |
| Author | Maria Ivancin |
| Last Modified By | Rochelle W Martinez |
| File Modified | 2008-01-11 |
| File Created | 2008-01-11 |