Leadership Interview (Grades Preschool-Grade 3)

21st CCLC Early Childhood

Best Practices Study

Leadership Interview

(Grades Preschool-Grade 3)

Instructions for Interviewer:

The interviewer should make the interview experience as comfortable as possible. It is important to have the setting in a private space away from interruptions. After a few moments of casual conversation to settle in, the interviewer provides the introduction:

“Thank you for taking the time to sit with me and talk about the program, especially about its early childhood components. This interview will help us fill in the gaps of information we have gathered from staff and site coordinator surveys, parent surveys, observations, and other sources of information. At the end of the interview, if you have remembered anything else you’d like to add, please do. Shall we begin?”

After they agree, start asking the questions in order. The probes are offered as a way to gain deeper insights into their responses. Thus, if their responses to a question are less informative you can follow up with the probing questions. In some cases, probes may not be needed. However, they can help clarify or elaborate on information provided by the site interviewee.

At the end of the interview, ask:

“Is there anything else you may have remembered to add to any of the questions?”

When they have finished, thank them for their participation.

1. What is your vision of a high-quality early childhood after school program?

Probes:

• What are the most important elements of a high quality after school program?

• How does the afterschool environment best help children develop and grow?

• How does your program incorporate academic learning or curricula?

• Does your program have the resources in place to nurture your vision?

2. What policies and procedures are important for an early childhood after school program?

Probes:

• How do you communicate policies and procedures with staff?

• How do you communicate policies and procedures with parents and families?

• How do you communicate policies and procedures with children?

3. What is your vision for how staff should interact with PreK and Kindergarten children?

Probes:

• How do you convey this vision to your staff?

• How do you handle classroom management issues?

• Do you get a sense that the parents and children in your program appreciate the way the staff interacts with children?

4. How do you promote the early childhood after school program?

Probes:

• What community organizations or institutions help you promote the program?

• How much time and effort goes into promoting the program?

• Do you feel that the program is growing because of these efforts?

• What has been the most successful way of promoting the program?

5. How do you promote positive communication with parents, students, staff members and volunteers?

Probes:

• What have you found to be the most effective way to communicate with parents?

• What have you found to be the most effective way to communicate with staff members?

• How do you find volunteers for the program?

6. How does the center collaborate and partner with community organizations on behalf of PreK and Kindergarten children and families?

Probes:

• How do you stay up-to-date on resources available for children and families?

• During the last year, how did you find out about local, state and national efforts?

• During the last year, how did you participate in local, state and national policy efforts?

7. What strategies do you implement to assure school/after school alignment for your early childhood program?

Probes:

• Do you work collaboratively with a school or schools?

• How important do you feel alignment with school day is for your program?

• What are some strategies you have for aligning with the school day?

• What are some obstacles to aligning with the school day?

8. Describe how your center serves children in PreK and Kindergarten with identified special needs.

Probes:

• Are IFSPs/IEPs used in the classroom.

• Describe your staff’s role in committee meetings and assessments.

• What training, if any, is provided to prepare staff to serve children with special needs?

• Does anyone from your center support families in advocating for their children? If so, how?

9. Describe your process for planning professional development of your early childhood staff.

Probes:

• How do you determine the professional development needs of your staff?

• During the past 6 months, what professional development opportunities were made available for your staff?

• How long was the PD (e.g., number of sessions and hours per sessions)?

• How many of your staff participated?

• How is staff encouraged to pursue credit-bearing coursework?

10. Over the past year which professional development opportunities specifically addressed:

• child assessment and child progress,

• program quality, and

• curriculum development?

11. Describe how your center evaluates program quality.

Probes:

• How often does your center participate in a program evaluation process?

• What stakeholders are involved?

• With whom are the results shared?

• What information is shared with whom?

• How are evaluation results used?