Nsli-y Focus Group Protocol: Parents

NSLI-Y FOCUS GROUP PROTOCOL: PARENTS

Moderator: “Hello, my name is _____________, and I will be leading this focus group discussion. We are here to gather information about your experience with as the parent of a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship recipient. This information, along with information collected through other focus groups, interviews, and surveys, will help us assess the impact the NSLI-Y program has on students, their families, and communities.” The moderator asks each focus group participant to share his/her name and occupation with the other participants in the focus group. After introductions from participants, the moderator explains the focus group procedures.

Moderator: “This focus group discussion will last approximately one and a half hours. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions I am going ask you. We want to capture the full range of opinions that you may have, so please feel free to disagree. However, please speak one person at a time, because we are recording the focus group session. Recording the focus group will allow me to concentrate on your responses and ensure that I do not miss anyone’s input during the discussion. If at any time, anyone feels that they would prefer to speak with the recorder off, please let me know and I will stop the recorder. Also, please note that the information that is shared here should stay here and not be shared with others who did not participate in the focus group.”

TOPIC I—INTRODUCTION TO THE NSLI-Y PROGRAM
1.	How did you/your child become aware of the NSLI-Y Program?
	1.1	Thinking back to your first exposure to the NSLI-Y program, how did you hear about NSLI-Y and what was your child’s primary reason for being interested in the program?
	1.2	What about the program appealed or appeals to you, and what did the program staff do to make you feel comfortable with sending your child to a foreign country for an extended period? [If applicable] In retrospect, is there anything they could have done that they didn’t do at the time?
TOPIC II—INFORMATION SHARING
2.	To what extent, if at all, did your child share information with you and others in your community about his or her experience and the culture of his or her program site?
	2.1	What kinds of information about the host country did your child share with you? Do you find you are more interested in the host country specifically or international affairs more generally? [Probe on interest in traveling internationally, being more globally/internationally-minded, changes in your view of the world]
	2.2	What kinds of information about the host country did your child share with others in your community (through formal or informal opportunities)? Do you think that information has been useful or interesting to others in the community? How so?
TOPIC III—THE NSLI-Y IMPACT
3.	Any study abroad experience is going to affect its participants in some ways. From your perspective, what differences did you observe in your child after coming back from his or her NSLI-Y program?
	3.1	Describe some of the changes at the personal level that you saw in your child. [Probe on self-confidence, motivation, goal orientation, resilience/flexibility, communication skills, values, world view, etc.]
	3.2	Did you note any changes in your child’s academic career related to NSLI-Y? If so, what were they? [Probe on additional language study, greater interest in/more definite plans to study abroad, undergraduate major selection, etc.]
	3.3	Did you note any changes to your child’s extracurricular or community service activities related to NSLI-Y? If so, what were they? [Probe on working with new populations, working on new issues, leadership responsibilities, etc.]
	3.4	Now, moving from high school to career tracks is quite a journey with lots of inputs along the way, but for those of you whose children are starting their careers, do you have a sense that NSLI-Y contributed to your child’s selection of a career track? [Probe on global/international work, use of languages, intercultural communication skills, etc.]
TOPIC IV—IMPACTS ON COMMUNITY
4.	One of the overarching goals of the program is in some way to contribute to making American communities more secure and resilient and improving American global competitiveness. How, if at all, in your view does NSLI-Y contribute to those goals?
	4.1	If we think about resilience as the ability to cope with and overcome difficulties, would you be able to share an example of how you or your child were able to apply what you gained through NSLI-Y to a situation in your community at home?
	4.2	The other goal I mentioned before was global competitiveness. What examples would you cite to highlight how this program contributed to improved competitiveness in the world economy?
CONCLUDING QUESTIONS
	Turning back to you, can you provide examples of how your child’s NSLI-Y experience may have influenced any changes in yourself? In your family? Any changes in your values? Any changes in your interactions with other people?

Moderator: “Thank you for your participation in this study. We appreciate your comments and information.”

OMB Control Number: 1405-XXXX Burden Estimate:  90 minutes Expiration Date: XX-XX-XXXX

PRA Statement Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 90 minutes per response, including time required for searching existing data sources, gathering the necessary documentation, providing the information and/or documents required, and reviewing the final collection.  You do not have to supply this information unless this collection displays a currently valid OMB control number.  If you have comments on the accuracy of this burden estimate and/or recommendations for reducing it, please send them to: Evaluation Division, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 2200 C St NW Washington, DC 20037.