Interview Protocol – Skagit Valley College Liaison and Sedro-Wooley School District Liaison

Form Approved

OMB Control No. 1290-XXXX

Expiration Date X/XX/2020

Abt Associates IRB Approval No. XXXX

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CJC Implementation Research Protocol: [Skagit Valley College / Sedro Woolley School District] Liaison

Introduction of and Informed Consent for the Study (read to all respondents)

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview today.

My name is (insert name here), and I’m a researcher from MDRC, located in (Oakland CA or New York, NY). I’m here because Abt Associates and MDRC, on behalf of the United States Department of Labor (DOL), are conducting a five-year study of the Cascades Program.

We are visiting to conduct in-person interviews with center staff and partners (such as referral partners and employers) to learn what is happening on the ground and what are the challenges of implementing this new program. Interviews will cover the organizational characteristics of the center, as well as its mission and vision, and how it fits within the Job Corps network.

These interviews will provide important qualitative information on the implementation at Cascades. We will use what we learn from these interviews to contribute to a report about the impacts and implementation of the Cascades program. This report will be submitted to DOL to inform the federal government about this new model.

Privacy Statement [Interviewer must read this to all respondents]

Before beginning the interview, I (we) want to thank you for agreeing to participate in this study and remind you that your participation is voluntary. I (we) know that you are busy and will try to be as brief as possible. We have many questions and are going to talk to many different people, so please do not feel as though we expect you to be able to answer every question. You may also refuse to answer any question. The interview today should last about 30 minutes. This interview is not part of a Job Corps audit or a compliance review. We are interested in learning about your ideas, experiences, and opinions about Cascades’ implementation. There are no right or wrong answers. We want to know what you think.

You can send comments regarding the time estimate or any other aspect of this interview, including suggestions for reducing the duration, to (insert contact name and provide address if necessary).

In addition, before we start, I want to let you know that although we will take notes during these interviews, information is never repeated with the name of the respondent in any reports or in any discussions with supervisors, colleagues, or any one from DOL. When we write our reports and discuss our findings, information from all the people we speak with is compiled and presented so that no one person can be identified. There is a small risk of loss of privacy, but we have many procedures in place to ensure your information does not get lost.

To help me accurately report on the information you share, it would help if I could tape record this call; of course, I could turn off the recorder at any point if you so desire. I do not have a recorder on now; is it okay with you for me to turn it on?

Do you have any questions before we begin?

Do I have your permission to begin the interview?

These questions should be asked of the individual in [Skagit Valley Community College / Sedro Woolley School District] that is responsible for interacting with the center.

Text in italics is background information for the interviewer.

The interview should take around 30 minutes

Staff Title: Title
Staff Initials: Initials
Interviewer: Interviewer last name
Write-up: Last name of person doing write-up

INTERVIEW DATE/TIME: Date/Time

Respondent Background

You may use this section to verify information you already know about the interviewee or as a means of rapport building with the interviewee.

1. Please describe the major responsibilities of your position. Describe

2. How long have you been at the [SVCCL: college / SWSDL: school district]? 0.00 years

3. How long have you been in your current role? 0.00 years

4. What is your title and role working with Cascades? Describe

[SWDSL only:] School District Context

The intent of this section is to gain an understanding why the district wanted to provide services to Cascades and to what degree students with Cascades Job Corps’ students’ profiles are new to the district’s instructors.

1. Why did the District become involved in the Cascades College and Career Academy? What does it hope to get out of the partnership? [For second round: What has the school district gotten out of this partnership?] Describe

2. What services does the district now offer for its students who have a similar profile to those who attend Cascades? [Probe: To what extent are specialized services available at local schools versus specialized/alternative programs?] Describe

3. Are there any challenges with providing the Cascade services? How have you tried to address these challenges? Describe

[SWDSL only:] Management of District Instructors

8. How were the instructors who teach at Cascades selected? Did you select them with any specialized background or qualities that differ from your regular instructors that teach similar classes? Describe

9. How does the school district monitor and evaluate the instructors at Cascades? Describe

[SVCCL only:] Cascades’ Students Experiences with Skagit College

In this section, we want to understand how the college interacts with Cascades Job Corps and its students.

1. Currently, what are the procedures Cascades students go through to enroll in the college? (Probe for details of the application procedures.) Describe

2. Currently, how are the Cascades students vetted? Do they need to take reading and math placement exams to determine if they can take college-level courses? Describe

3. Even after meeting the educational threshold level established at program entry [i.e., the level established for the STAR 360 assessment], are students prepared for college-level work, or do they need to take remediation classes prior to enrolling in college classes? Describe

4. How are the Cascade students currently faring in your classes? (Probe for trouble academically? Or behaviorally?) Describe

5. How many, if any, Cascades students are taking classes outside of the pathway they entered the college pursuing? Describe

6. Currently, what challenges are the Cascades students having (if any) succeeding at Skagit Valley? (Probe for academic issues? Culture issues? Transportation?) Describe

7. How are these being dealt with, if at all? (Probe: Who is providing support services, the college and/or Cascades?) Describe

8. Are there services Cascade students are not getting that would be beneficial to helping them acclimate to the college environment? (Probe related to time management, problem solving, working collaboratively.) Describe

[SWSDL only:] Partnership with Cascades

In this section, we want to understand how the school district’s relationship with Cascades might influence Cascades’ operations. We want to probe into any policies or procedures at the school-district level that might influence how Cascades provides services.

1. What services and materials does the school district provide to Cascades now? [Probes: Instructors, ESL support, textbooks, trainings for teachers, equipment] Describe

2. What school district policies also apply to Cascades? (i.e., zero-tolerance policies, regulations around expulsion and suspension.) Describe

[SWDSL and SVCCL] Reflection Questions

1. How would you say the college preparation offered now by Cascades differs from those provided by traditional schools [SVCCL: your students typically go to / SWSDL: in your district] ? Describe

2. Are there any challenges to working with Cascades [SVCCL only: center staff]? (Probe: If so, what are they?)Describe

3. What component(s) of Cascades services do you feel are the most valuable to the students [SVCCL only: when getting to college]? Describe