Evaluation of the ESSA Title I, Part D,Neglected or Delinquent Programs

Evaluation of the ESSA Title I, Part D Neglected or Delinquent Programs
Case Study Interview Protocol
Local Child Welfare Administrator (of Instruction) Interview

State:	Interviewer:
Interviewee(s):	Date/Time:
Interviewee(s’) Role(s): (select all that apply)

Introduction – Key points to convey to the respondent:

• We are conducting case studies of the ESSA Title I, Part D programs. We are also administering a survey to all State Part D coordinators and a sample of local educational agency (school district) and facility staff to collect data from a wider range of respondents.

• The study’s results will be discussed in a final report that will be available publicly. The main purpose of this study is to share your perspectives and experiences with policy-makers as they continue to refine policy and technical assistance on important issues related to Title I, Part D programs. This is not a compliance study; our purpose is solely to provide policymakers and the general public with insight regarding implementation practices of Title I, Part D programs so programs and student outcomes can continue to be improved.

• The purpose of this interview is to obtain information about your ESSA Title I, Part D, N or D program (hereafter “Part D”) regarding the implementation and progress of the Part D program including how the program is implemented and how are the students’ needs met.

• Officials at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) know that your State is participating in this study and your State will be identified in our public reporting. In addition, staff from ED will see transcripts from our interview, but the transcripts we share will be reviewed and edited to ensure that no personally identifying information is included.

• We know that you are very busy, and we appreciate your time. We anticipate that this interview will take approximately 60 minutes.

• Your participation in this interview is voluntary. You may discontinue your participation in this interview at any time, and through the course of the interview, if we touch on topics that you believe to be sensitive for any reason, please bring that to our attention so we will not include these comments either in public reporting or in discussions with ED.

• Your privacy is important to us and we will protect the confidentiality of the information you provide, to the extent provided by law. The reports prepared for this study will summarize interviews across respondents and will not associate responses with a specific individual. We will not provide information that identifies you to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.

• In order for us to have an accurate account of your responses, we would like to record this interview. The recording will then be transcribed and all personally identifying information will be removed from the transcript. Do we have your permission to record this conversation?

• Do you have any questions before we begin?

First we would like to get some background information

1. Agency Characteristics

1. Please describe your role in the Title I, Part D program. What are your responsibilities?

2. Please briefly summarize the (educational) services and programs provided by your Part D program.

2. Shared Decision Making and Collaborative Planning

1. Are you aware of the 2014 guidance document, Guiding Principles for Providing High-Quality Education in Juvenile Justice Secure Care Settings, that was released by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice in 2014?
   If yes  Have the uses of Part D funds changed in any way since the 2014 guidance was released?

Probe 

1. Has your agency encountered any challenges implementing these guiding principles?

2. Has your agency received any technical assistance on implementing these guiding principles?

2. Please describe how and with which programs/agencies your agency collaborates to provide Part D programming to N or D students.

Probe 

1. Have you experienced any barriers to communication, collaboration, or coordination with other systems or agencies working with N or D students?

C. Education Assessments, Strategies, and Services

Next we would like to talk about the types of services and strategies that Title I, Part D funds support at your agency.

Screening and Risk Assessment

1. Please describe the process of how the children and youth come to your Part D program.

2. What are the most frequent educational issues or problems of children and youth who come to the program?

Probe

1. How have these problems and issues been identified? And by whom? Are any standardized assessments used in identifying educational risks or needs?

3. N or D students often have high rates of mobility. What strategies are used to maintain program consistency as students may enter and leave the facility (and Part D program) frequently?

Probe 

1. How does your Part D program handle students who have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing student records?

2. How does your Part D program ensure youth have the most appropriate educational placements?

General Education Services and Structure

4. Please describe the (educational) services and strategies that your Title I, Part D program supports.

5. Please describe the reading instruction that is used with students. For example are any “name brand” programs used (e.g., READ 180 or Corrective Reading)

Probe 

1. Have your students experienced improved academic performance in reading after participating in these programs?

2. Have there been any changes in students’ attitudes towards reading?

3. Do you have data to support the changes you’ve seen?

6. Please described your program’s mathematics instructional approaches. For example, 1) explicit instruction/direct instruction, 2) strategy instruction, including mnemonic and schema-based instruction, 3) technology-based instruction and real-world problem solving, 4) graduated instructional sequence, 4) graduated instructional sequence, 5) peer-mediated instruction, or 6) instructional adaptation of self-monitoring, graphic organizers, and cue cards.

Are any “name brand” approaches used?

Probe 

1. Have your students experienced improved academic performance in math after participating in these programs?

2. Have there been any changes in students’ attitudes towards math?

3. Do you have data to support the changes you’ve seen?

7. Could you describe a typical instructional day for your program’s N or D students?

8. What efforts are made to maintain the learning conditions (environment) that promote learning in your Part D program for all participating students?

Probe

1. How do teachers provide learning support to students?

2. How are students made to feel safe, both physically and emotionally?

3. What efforts are made to develop teacher-student rapport?

9. Please describe how your Part D program addresses the unique educational and culturally related educational needs of racial and/or ethnic minorities in the program.

Probe 

1. Hispanic and/or Latino students

2. American Indian and/or Alaskan Native students

3. Other cultural and/or ethnic groups

4. If your district includes a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school within its boundaries, how are services for Native American youth coordinated with the Part D program?

Behavior Management

10. Could you describe your program’s approach to managing student behavior?

Probe 

1. How are conduct problems addressed for these students?

2. What behavior management strategies are used in the classroom?

3. Are any positive behavioral interventions and supports used? If so, please describe these interventions.

Special Education

11. How does your Part D program support children and youth with learning and other disabilities?

Probe 

1. What specific services are provided?

2. How does your program identify students for individualized education programs (IEPs) and how are the IEPs developed?

3. Has your program encountered any challenges or barriers to serving these students?

English Language Learners

12. How does your Part D program support children who are English language learners?

Probe 

1. What specific services are provided?

2. Has your program encountered any challenges or barriers to serving these students?

Social Emotional Learning

13. Please describe how your Part D program addresses the social and emotional needs of students (e.g., managing emotions, setting and achieving positive goals, feeling and showing empathy).

Probe 

1. Are any specific social and emotional learning programs provided for these students?

Career and Technical Education

14. Please describe any vocational education, career technical education, or job training services provided as part of your Part D program.

Probe 

1. How do students access these services?

2. What outcomes have you seen for students who participate in these services?

For example, do they experience increased connections to employment following release from placement? Are their rates of high school and other diplomas earned higher compared to other students who are N or D?

1. Do you have data to support the changes you have seen?

Transition Planning

We would like to ask you some questions about the strategies that your Title I, Part D program uses to support youths’ transitions as they enter custodial settings, and as they transition back into educational and vocational settings.

15. Please describe the transition services and supports that your Part D program provides.

Probe 

1. What are the intended outcomes of your program’s transition services?

2. What transition services are provided to youth: (a) as they enter placement, (b) while they are in placement, and (c) after they leave placement? For example, adult mentor/advocate, orientation or information/counseling to prepare for transition back to school, training while in program, pre-release visit to school/employment setting, etc.?

3. Do you have a formal/structured transition planning model or approach for the Part D program? If yes, what model(s)/approach(es)?

   1. Is this an established model?

4. (At the district level) who is involved in transition planning for the Part D program and how?

Probe 

1. Is there an individual who leads the coordination process or is a team formed? If a team, who are the members and to what degree is the team individualized to the youth/family?

16. [If not mentioned] To what extent are youth and family members/caretakers involved in transition planning?

Probe 

1. What role do they play in the identification of students’ transition goals, strengths, needs, and educational or vocational placement decisions?

2. Are the transition plans reviewed with the youth? With family members/caregivers?

3. What challenges or barriers has your program experienced related to youth or family/caregiver involvement in transition planning and participation in transition services?

4. What strategies have you employed to address challenges, and how successful were they?

We would now like to discuss the specifics of these transition services and supports.

17. Does the process involve the development of a formal (written) transition plan?

If yes, Probe 

1. What are the key elements included or addressed in the written plans? For example, youth strengths/challenges, academic level/needs and goals, special needs/disabilities and related services/supports, community resources, etc.

2. What transition services or strategies (i.e., content) are included in transition plans? Do/how do the plans address:

   1. Educational or vocational tech activities while in residence?

   2. Re-enrollment of youth in school or vocational settings upon release? Alternative educational placements for youth who cannot return to traditional educational settings?

   3. Connections with needed community resources and aftercare support? Including:

Services and supports for the family?

Mental health counseling/treatment?

Academic support/tutoring/mentoring?

Substance use prevention/treatment?

Prosocial activities/supports?

3. How are decisions made about the plans/services that are included in the transition plan? [For example, presence of an adult mentor/advocate, orientation or information/counseling to prepare for transition back to school, training while in program, pre-release visit to school/employment setting, etc.]

4. When does transition planning/development of the written transition plan begin?

5. What is the typical length (duration) of transitional services covered in youths’ transition plans?

6. How is youth progress noted or tracked within the transition plan?

18. How are the results of educational (needs) assessments or screenings [completed prior to or during a youth’s placement] used in your transition planning and supports?

Probe

1. [If not previously mentioned] What kinds of assessment or screening information might be available? [academic, vocational/career technical assessments, disabilities, learning style/study skills]

19. What challenges or barriers has your Part D program experienced in transition planning (and supports)? How have you worked to address these challenges? Have the strategies proven successful?

20. What aftercare/post exit services are included in the Part D program (directly)?

Probe

1. Is there a transition specialist who remains involved in providing support and coordination of services? If yes, what is the level, type, and timing of aftercare involvement?

2. What is the extent, nature, and frequency of contact with youth and families during the aftercare period?

3. What challenges or barriers does your agency encounter with aftercare services/supports?

21. What strategies does your program employ to prevent dropout for youth who will return to an educational setting upon exiting custody?

22. What have you learned about the efficacy of your transition strategies?

Probe 

a. How have these lessons and findings informed transition-related activities?

4. Instructional Staff Qualifications and Professional Development

Next I would like to ask you about how you recruit and retain instructional staff in your Title I, Part D programs.

1. Please describe the educational team for your Part D Program.

Probe

1. Who are the team members, e.g., teachers/instructional staff and administrators? Agency staff or contracted staff? Who does the educational team report to?

   1. [If agency contracts with LEA to provide educational services] Please describe the level of involvement and support your program receives from the school district?

2. Please describe the qualifications for instructional staff in your Part D Program.

Probe

1. Do staff need any special qualifications or certifications to work with N or D youth? If so, what are they?

2. What, if any, additional qualifications required for staff that teach English language learners?

   1. Does your program include at least one instructional staff certified to teach English language learners?

3. What, if any, additional qualifications required for staff that teach students with disabilities?

   1. Does your program include at least one instructional staff certified to teach students with disabilities?

3. Are there opportunities for instructional staff and administrators to participate in professional development?

If yes, Probe 

1. What are your perceptions on the availability and usefulness of professional development opportunities?

   1. [If not mentioned] What types are offered and how often?

2. Are there areas/topics in which you think your staff would benefit from professional development, but that have not been previously available?

4. Has your program encountered any challenges with hiring, retaining, or training qualified staff?

If yes, Probe 

1. What strategies has your program used to address these challenges?

E. Outcome Assessment and Utilization

1. Please describe the key educational outcomes for students participating in your Part D program that your program measures.

Probe 

1. How are the outcomes measured? What assessments are used (are they standardized)? Is the assessment of any specific educational outcomes required (e.g., improvement in reading/math, high school course credits earned)?

2. Who is responsible for collecting the data?

3. How often does data collection take place? (e.g., pre-post?)

4. Are some educational outcomes measured specifically for certain sub-populations of students (e.g., students with disabilities or English language learners) or in specific settings (e.g., specific to child welfare settings)?

2. Please describe any State-level guidelines or legislation that guide your assessment of specific educational outcomes for participating students (including those with disabilities or English language learners).

Probe 

1. Any assessments that are required?

2. Which outcomes are assessed and when are you required to assess them?

3. Are there benchmarks or requirements around demonstrating “improvement” in certain educational outcomes? If so, what happens if those benchmarks are not met?

3. Please describe any (successes and) challenges that you may have experienced in assessing educational outcomes for students while they are participating in your Part D-funded educational program.

Probe 

1. Please also describe challenges related to specific sub-populations such as students with disabilities or English language learners or in specific settings (e.g., specific to child welfare settings).

4. Are there educational outcomes (short or longer term) that you are not currently tracking, but would like to? Why are these outcomes of interest to you? Why are they not being tracked?

G. Overall Facilitators, Challenges, and Perceived Benefits

1. In terms of implementing the key Part D program activities, what has gone well overall?

Probe for facilitators.

2. What have been the key challenges in implementing Part D program activities overall (in addition to what we have already covered in this interview)? Please describe.

   1. How have these challenges been handled? Please describe.

3. In your opinion, what have been some of the key benefits for children and youth involved in the Part D programming?

Probe 

1. What evidence is available to document these benefits?

4. Is there anything else that you would like to add regarding the topics we have talked about?

THANK YOU!

PPSS Task Order 25—Evaluation of Title I, Part D: Local Child Welfare Program Administrator (Instruction) 1