MSAP Project Director Key Informant Interview (Telephone

MSAP Project Director Key Informant Interview

(Telephone)

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. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 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. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or email [email protected] and reference the OMB Control Number 1800-0011. Note: Please do not return the completed MSAP Project Director Key Informant Interview to this address.

Interviewer ID: ___ ___

Interview Date: ___ ___ / ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ Interview Time: ___ ___ : ___ ___ AM PM

Grantee Name: _________________________________________________

Project Director: _______________________________________________ Telephone: (__ __ __) __ __ __ - __ __ __ __

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview. It will take 30 minutes. We are assessing the 2010 Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grantees’ current technical assistance needs, and these interviews are part of our initial data collection effort. There are no right or wrong answers. We are interested in identifying your needs in program implementation and management in order to provide you with the most relevant and focused technical assistance.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

1. How many years have you worked in K-12 education?

• 0-2 years

• 3-5 years

• 6-8 years

• 9 or more years

2. Based on your plans for MSAP-funded program implementation, please indicate your program’s progress towards implementing your magnet program.

• Program installation

• Initial implementation

• Full operation

3. How would you characterize your knowledge and experience in the following MSAP activities, and how helpful would it be for you to receive technical assistance for each activity?

Knowledge

1=Needs improvement

2= Adequate

3= Good

Technical Assistance

1= Not helpful

2= Somewhat helpful

3=Very helpful

	Knowledge			Technical Assistance
	1	2	3	1	2	3
Encouraging leadership at all levels of the magnet program
Hiring and retaining key staff for the MSAP project
Providing professional development and support for magnet school staff
Providing professional development based on teacher needs
Developing innovative education methods and practices that promote diversity and increase public school choice
Ensuring that the MSAP project is implemented with fidelity
Assessing the development of magnet themed curriculum
Assessing the integration of the magnet theme throughout magnet schools
Assessing the instructional delivery of magnet teachers
Providing meaningful feedback to magnet teachers
Responding to magnet staff requests for assistance or information
Encouraging the elimination, reduction, or prevention of minority group isolation in magnet programs
Understanding what information needs to be collected each year of the MSAP grant
Understanding how to report data
Understanding project-level reporting
Using report findings
Creating a project sustainability plan
Implementing a project sustainability plan

4. Please select three groups with whom you would like to improve communications.

• Magnet school staff

• School community

• Magnet school parents

• Magnet school students

• Other, specify:

5. Please select the top three student recruitment needs that you and your staff have as a result of starting the MSAP project.

• Building student enrollment

• Retaining students

• Improving the image of your magnet project

• Recruiting diverse students and families from outside traditional school boundaries

• Other, specify:

6. Please select the top three marketing needs that you and your staff have as a result of starting the MSAP project.

• Developing a marketing plan

• Assessing the effectiveness of your marketing plan

• Developing a recruitment plan

• Assessing the effectiveness of your recruitment plan

• Other, specify:

7. Please select the top three professional development needs that you and your staff have as a result of starting the MSAP project.

• Developing the magnet program curriculum

• Integrating the magnet theme into curriculum and instruction

• Integrating the magnet theme school-wide

• Engaging diverse families and communities in the magnet program

• Other, specify:

8. How helpful would it be for you and your staff to receive technical assistance in the following areas?

	Not helpful	Somewhat helpful	Very helpful
Improving magnet program communications
Building student enrollment
Retaining students
Improving the image of your magnet project
Recruiting diverse students and families from outside traditional school boundaries
Developing a marketing plan
Assessing the effectiveness of your marketing plan
Developing a recruitment plan
Assessing the effectiveness of your recruitment plan
Developing the magnet program curriculum
Integrating the magnet theme and curriculum into the classroom
Integrating the magnet theme school-wide
Engaging diverse families and communities in the magnet program

9. How challenging has it been to implement the following school improvement strategies in your district successfully, and how helpful would it be for you to receive technical assistance in each activity?

Challenge

1=Not at all

2= Somewhat

3= Very

Technical Assistance

1= Not helpful

2= Somewhat helpful

3=Very helpful

	Challenge			Technical Assistance
	1	2	3	1	2	3
Providing professional development linked to state standards and the magnet curriculum
Developing or adopting assessments linked to standards and the magnet curriculum
Improving the knowledge and skills of magnet staff
Providing supplemental targeted academic services to magnet students
Expanding the use of technology in the magnet classroom
Engaging magnet school families into their students’ magnet education
Building partnerships with the community

10. How involved were the following groups in the development of your magnet program?

	Not involved	Somewhat involved	Very involved
Parents	1	2	3
Staff	1	2	3
Community	1	2	3
Students	1	2	3

11. How well do you think the MSAP project has been received by the following groups?

	Not well	Well	Very well
Teachers	1	2	3
Principals	1	2	3
Parents	1	2	3
Students	1	2	3
Community	1	2	3

12. What are the top three challenges to successfully implementing your magnet project?

13. What needs do you have as a result of any changes in initiatives, administration, and/ or operation since the MSAP grant was awarded?

14. Do you have any other technical assistance needs?

• No

• Yes, please explain:
  
  

15. Please select your top three preferred methods for receiving technical assistance.

• Conference workshops

• Email

• Fact sheet

• Newsletter

• Telephone conferences

• Toolkits

• Webinar

• Website

• Other, specify:

• Other, specify:

Glossary of terms

Full operation- the program becomes integrated into practitioner, organizational, and community practices, policies, and procedures. At this point, the implemented program becomes fully operational with full staffing complements and all of the realities of “doing business” impinging on the newly implemented magnet program. Once fully operational, practitioners carry out the magnet program with proficiency and skill, administrators support and facilitate new practices, and the community has adapted to the presence of the magnet program.

Initial implementation- requires attempts to implement new practices effectively and make changes in the overall magnet environment. Changes in skill levels require education, practice, and time to mature. The program is struggling to begin and confidence in the decision to adopt the program is being tested during this stage of implementation.

Program installation- after a decision is made to begin implementing MSAP, there are tasks that need to be accomplished; these activities define the installation stage of implementation. Resources are being consumed in active preparation for actually doing things differently in keeping with the tenets of MSAP and structural supports necessary to initiate the program are put in place.

(Definitions adapted from The National Implementation Research Network at: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~nirn/implementation/06/06d_fullopera.cfm)

MSAP Project Director Interview 12