(OII) Magnets and School Turnarounds and (OS) Future Ready Leaders

Magnets and School Turnarounds

Focus Group Protocol for Parents (In-Person)

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 30 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 1880-0542. Note: Please do not return the completed Magnets and School Turnarounds Focus Group Protocol for Parents to this address.

Background questions

• Tell me a little bit about yourselves and how long you’ve been connected to the school.

Turnaround Focus

• Have you noticed any shifts in the school’s focus and/or direction over the years? If so, could you talk about what you’ve seen?

Magnet Focus

• What drew your family to the school? Did the magnet theme appeal to you and your child?

• What do you like most about the school? What do you think it’s doing particularly well?

• Any challenges?

• Have there been any changes in outreach, transportation and admissions procedures since you’ve been connected to the school?

Culture of Collaboration/Leadership for Diversity

• How diverse is the teaching staff in your experience?

• Do you feel like any racial disparities related to academic achievement and disciplinary issues are addressed by school leadership and teachers? If so, how?

• How, if at all, is promoting a positive diverse learning environment central to the mission of the school?

Community and Parent Engagement

• Are diverse families actively engaged in the school community? How?

• What kinds of strategies are employed by school personnel to establish engagement with diverse groups of parents?

• Do you know of any community partnerships in place to improve both academic and diversity efforts?

2