TRP Recruitment Letter

Appendix D

TOPICS TO BE COVERED IN PHONE CALLS AND SITE VISITS with residency programs AND districts

Appendix D

Topics to be Covered in Phone Calls and Site Visits with residency programs AND districts

Residency programs

The process of recruiting grantees (and selected non-grantee residency programs) into the study will consist of two primary stages. In the first stage, after sending a notification letter (Appendix A) and an information sheet (Appendix B), we will call programs to provide an overview of the study and to obtain some basic information about their program to make an initial determination of their suitability for the study. In the second stage, we will call and/or visit programs to provide more detailed information on the study and the programs’ participation, as well as to obtain more detailed information from the programs regarding their suitability for the study. During the two stages, we will cover the following topics, with the more detailed information provided and sought in the second stage of the program recruiting process:

• Provide overview of the study

• Describe what participation in the study will involve (including activities for programs participating in the in-depth study and activities for those also in the outcomes study)

• Answer any immediate questions about the study or programs’ participation

• Obtain a basic description of each program and its participants

• Basic program features

• Size of the program, including the number of residents expected to be placed as teachers of record in local districts in the 2011-2012 school year

• Expected grade levels and subjects of residents placed in district(s)

• Description of teacher placements during the residency year

• State of program implementation, including topics such as characteristics of residents, pattern of residency placements across schools, and progress in integrating coursework and residency experiences

• Obtain information about features of the program or schools/district(s) likely to affect the feasibility of participation in the study; these discussions might touch upon:

• Program’s relationship with district

• General cooperation level of district(s)/schools

• Likely availability, nature, and format of student records data

• Likely availability and format of teacher employment data

• Seek agreement of selected programs to participate in study; develop with these programs a mutually acceptable memorandum of understanding (MOU) and address any issues related to obtaining approval from an institutional review board (IRB)

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

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 xxxx-xxxx. The approximate time required to discuss your participation in the evaluation is estimated to be 4.75 hours. Participation is voluntary. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimates or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: [insert program sponsor/office], U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., [insert building/room number], Washington, D.C. 20202-xxxx.

Districts

Once we have secured the agreement of selected programs to participate in the study, the next step will be to recruit districts in which program residents are likely to be placed as teachers of record during the 2011-2012 school year. After sending a notification letter (Appendix A) and an information sheet (Appendix B) as well as an initial telephone contact to the district, we will have a more detailed conversation with the district and, if necessary, visit these sites in person. We will initially meet with district staff, preferably with a liaison from the program present. The topics covered in these meetings will include:

• Providing overview of the study

• Describing requirements of the district to participate in the study

• Answering any immediate questions about the study or the district’s participation

• Determining the process for obtaining formal approval to conduct research in the district and for communicating with study teachers in schools

• Obtaining information on administrative data available in the district and the process and requirements for obtaining it

• Seeking permission to conduct research in the district

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

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 xxxx-xxxx. The approximate time required to discuss your participation in the evaluation is estimated to be 4 hours. Participation is voluntary. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimates or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: [insert program sponsor/office], U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., [insert building/room number], Washington, D.C. 20202-xxxx.