Program Manager Phone Screen

Attachment 6

Strategies for Preparing At-Risk Youth for Postsecondary Success
Program Screening Protocol

Note: This protocol will be used to screen the nominated case study sites to determine the extent to which each site meets the sampling criteria.

Introduction

This study is intended to systematically document and analyze existing strategies that school districts, schools, and their partners implement to reduce the number of students dropping out of school and improve college going among those students who are at-risk of not graduating. We are conducting case studies of programs that support youth around these two important goals. The final report will highlight lessons from the field. Your program was [nominated/discussed in literature] as a potential site that other practitioners might be able to learn from. I’d like to ask you a few questions about your program to see if it matches the case study selection criteria for the project.

A. Background

1. What is your role in the program?

2. [For stand-alone programs/charters] What local public schools/district(s) do you operate in?

3. General program characteristics:

1. Years in operation

2. Grades/Ages served

3. Number of students served (2011-12)

4. Is the program part of a charter school?

B. Program Description

4. Can you briefly describe the program’s goals?

5. What is the program’s target population?

1. What are the characteristics of current program participants?

2. Are they considered at risk of dropping out and/or at risk for not continuing to postsecondary?

3. What indicators does the program use to identify participants?

6. How are students selected for participation? Is the program mandatory for certain students?

7. What are the program’s key strategies to:

1. Retain students in school/prevent students from dropping out

2. Reengage dropped out youth

3. Prepare at-risk students for postsecondary education

8. Which of these strategies are “tailored” to the individual needs of specific participants?

9. Which of these strategies are meant to be more “comprehensive,” targeting all members of a subpopulation?

C. Partnerships

10. Does your program have community organization [e.g., local businesses, CBO, social services, etc.] and IHE partnerships?

1. How long have these partners been involved?

2. What is the primary role(s) of the partner(s)?

D. Use of Data

11. Does the district have a system to collect data on:

1. Program implementation

2. Intermediate outcomes

• Attitudes towards academics

• Attendance

• Engagement in schoolwork

• Persistence

• Expectations to attend college

• Course-taking patterns

• Achievement

1. Student outcomes [indicators that the program has likely improved the target population’s high school and postsecondary outcomes.]

2. Progress of students once they enter a post-secondary institution [enrollment, persistence and graduation] and/or post-graduation employment status

12. How does the district and/or program use these data to inform program implementation?

E. Wrap-up

Thank you very much for sharing this information. The research team will meet to consider all of the information we have gathered across the different potential sites to select the final case study sample. If your site is selected, would you be willing to host a two-day site visit this fall? Would you be the best contact person going forward? If not, who should we contact?

OMB Information Collection Request: Program Screening Protocol 3