Form E Poetry Out Loud Student Interview Protocol

ATTACHMENT E:
POL STUDENT INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

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POL Student Interview Protocol
My name is _________, and I am with Social Policy Research Associates, the organization that
is conducting a study about the Poetry Out Loud program. Thank you for taking the time to talk
to us. Our goal today is to learn about your experiences in Poetry Out Loud program.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 minutes
per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. This agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond
to, a collection information unless that collection displays a valid OMB control number XXXXXXXX, expiring [date]. Our discussion here should last about 45 minutes.
Your participation in this interview is voluntary, and there is no right or wrong answer – we just
want to understand your experiences. There are no program consequences (i.e., loss of
benefits) for deciding not to participate in the interview, or for deciding not to answer any
particular question. Also please note that your name will not be associated with any
information you provide. We will keep your responses private to the extent permitted by law.
[if you will be recording] We will be taking notes so we can later recall your perspectives more
accurately. In addition, so we can stay focused on the conversation, we would like to record
today’s discussion. If at any point you would like me to pause or turn off the recorder, please let
me know. I want to let you know that Social Policy Research Associates will not use your name
in any reports.

Background
1. Tell me a little bit about how you feel about school. Do you like it? Dislike it? Do you
have favorite subjects and least favorite subjects?
2. What’s something you like to do outside of school?

Poetry Out Loud
3. Tell me about the poetry you’ve studied in school this year. (e.g., did it happen all in one
week, or does your teacher weave it in with other types of writing? do you read and
discuss particular poems as a class? get assignments to write your own poem?)
a. Are you participating in the Poetry Out Loud competition?
b. Have you picked your poems and started memorizing them yet?
c. Why did you pick the poems you did?
d. How have you prepared to perform your poems – e.g. imagining being the
person speaking trying on different roles and points of view?
4. Had you ever memorized a poem before Poetry Out Loud? If yes, when/what for? If no,
tell me about what that was like?

Poetry Appreciation & Engagement
5. What are some of the things you like about poetry? What are some of the things you
dislike about poetry?
6. Do you have different feelings about different kinds of poetry that you’ve read? If so,
what are they?
7. How is poetry different from other kinds of writing? What makes it special?
8. What do you think poetry is good for, if anything?
9. Do you write poetry?
10. How does poetry work? (if poetry were a machine, how would it function? what makes
it GO?)
11. Has your feeling about poetry changed over time? If yes, what changed? When did the
change happen?
12. Do you read poetry outside of school (not as homework)? If yes, what do you read? How
often?
13. Do you write poetry on your own (that is, not as part of a school assignment)?
14. If you have access to social media, do you post poems on social media? If yes, what
platforms?
If yes, your own poems or those of other people? If no, why not?

Academic Engagement and Achievement
15. Do you think that studying poetry has helped you improve in your work in English class?
In what way? [Probe to help them articulate specifics―has it improved their writing?
Their reading comprehension? Their vocabulary?]
16. What are you learning through your study of poetry that is most meaningful or
interesting to you? [For probes, consider: creative expression, different modes of
expression, different perspectives/world views, etc.]
17. Has studying poetry changed the way you feel about studying English language and
literature? If yes, in what way?
18. How about your other subjects or school in general? Has your experience with poetry
studies changed the way you approach or think about other subjects? Or your interest in
learning in general?

Social & Emotional Development
19. Has studying poetry for POL helped you in any way? If so, how? (e.g., self-confidence,
self-expression, increased sense of belonging, etc.)
a. Has reading and thinking about the poetry helped you? How?
i. Has it changed the way you see yourself?
ii. Has it changed your relationships with your friends? With school?
iii. Has it affected your participation in other activities – extracurricular or
outside of school altogether?
iv.
b. Has memorizing and reciting poems for others helped you? [note: how students
are able to respond to this question will depend on whether the student has
started memorizing and practicing or even already performed the POL poem]
i. Has it changed the way you see yourself?
ii. Has it changed your relationships with your friends? With school?
iii. Has it affected your participation in other activities – extracurricular or
outside of school altogether?

Wrap Up
I think you’ve answered all my questions. Do you have any questions for me? Is there
anything else you would like to share about your relationship with poetry and participating
in POL?