Instrument 9: HPOG 2.0 Tribal Evaluation program participant focus groups

S upporting Statement for OMB Clearance Request

Instrument 9: HPOG 2.0 Tribal Evaluation Program Participant Focus Groups

National and Tribal Evaluation of the 2^nd Generation of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG)

0970-0462

September 2016

Submitted by:

Office of Planning,
Research & Evaluation

Administration for Children & Families

U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services

Federal Project Officers:

Nicole Constance, Hilary Forster, and Amelia Popham

Participant Focus Group for Current HPOG Students¹

Good morning/afternoon. My name is [insert name] and I work for NORC at the University of Chicago. NORC has been contracted by the Administration for Children and Families to evaluate the Tribal Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program. The [HPOG program] you participated in through [HPOG grantee] is part of the Tribal HPOG Program.

The Tribal HPOG Evaluation is a comprehensive evaluation of the design, implementation, and outcomes of the Tribal HPOG Program. The focus group questions will focus on your perceptions of the [HPOG program], including the program design and curriculum, recruitment, orientation, supportive services, family engagement, the quality of instruction, educational attainment and employment outcomes, and overall satisfaction. The focus group will take about 90 minutes. Your participation is voluntary, but it is very important because your responses will help us to improve the program. We will keep information about you private and you will not be identified in any report or publication of this study or its results. You may decline to answer any question you wish. If you have any questions, please let me know.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0462 and the expiration date is XX/XX/XXXX.

1. Please tell us your first name and what academic/training program you are enrolled in.

2. What about the [HPOG program] interested you? Why did you decide to participate?

   1. What are your career goals?

3. How did you learn about the [HPOG program]? Describe the recruitment or referral process.

4. How did you decide which academic/training program to enroll in?

   1. Did you talk with any staff or school counselors?

   2. Why did you choose that particular program?

   3. Did you have any concerns about participating? If yes, please describe.

5. Before or after enrollment, did you talk about any academic or non-academic concerns that would affect completion of the program with a staff, counselor or case manager?

   1. What are some of the needs of students in [HPOG program]?

   2. Does the [HPOG program] ask students their family’s needs? Probe for children needs, elder needs, extended family needs.

   3. What kinds of needs can [HPOG program] help students with? What types of supports does the [HPOG program] provide?

      1. Mentoring, tutoring (Academic services)

      2. Childcare, transportation, counseling, financial management (Social support)

      3. Resume and cover letter preparation, mock interviews, communication skills, dress codes, time management, workplace culture, career transitional (Job readiness).

   4. What kinds of needs is the [HPOG program] helping you with? What services or supports do you receive? Which, if any, are most helpful? Please provide an example.

   5. How often are these needs re-assessed?

   6. Do family or friends help address these needs? Please provide an example.

   7. Have you connected to other services that the academic/training program may offer?

6. Once enrolled, were you welcomed or oriented to the [HPOG program]?

   1. If yes, describe the orientation process.

   2. If yes, was this helpful?

   3. If no, do you think orientation would have been helpful? What types of information would you have wanted to be included in orientation?

7. Tell us about the academic/training program you are enrolled in. We want to know more about the instructional process.

   1. Is it classroom-based or distance learning? Or both? Please describe the program.

      1. How is this instruction different from other training or education programs you have taken?

   2. What worked well for you and what did not work well for you? NOTE to staff: Students may describe and classify in the analysis: accelerated learning models/interventions, including: modularized learning; stacked and latticed credentials; Integrated Basic Education and Skills training (I-BEST); contextualized learning; team teaching; self-paced learning; prior learning assessments.
      
      

8. In addition to your class time, do you participate in training at a job site through job shadowing, internship or apprenticeship clinicals or practicums, or in a lab where work situations are simulated? If yes, describe this experience.
   
   

9. Does the [HPOG program] hold a job fair? If yes, please describe.
   
   

10. Does the [HPOG program] provide a job readiness class? If yes, please describe.
    
    

11. Can you describe your relationship with the [HPOG program] staff (e.g. career navigator, case manager, etc.)? Probe: do you feel comfortable talking with them? Are they helpful?
    
    

12. How are values and culture incorporated in the [HPOG program]?

13. Does the [HPOG program] provide any cultural activities for the students?

14. Does your family take part in any social or cultural activities that are related to the [HPOG program]? Examples are a welcoming ceremony or orientation, family night, presentations for students at local schools, job fairs, special events, graduation activities or ceremonies.

    1. If yes, what types of activities do they take part in? Is this helpful to you? Why or why not? Are there other activities that would be helpful to you and your family? Please describe.

    2. If no, in what ways would you like your family to be involved in your academic or training program?

    3. Have you experienced any challenges to participating in the [HPOG program]? PROBE: Socio-cultural barriers include language and communication differences; navigating personal independence and collective responsibility or traditional authority; practices that differ from your beliefs and traditions; fear or mistrust of institutions; lack of knowledge about how to navigate the system. Other barriers include childcare, housing, transportation, health, mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, GED, training, adult basic education, English language learning.

    4. Have you experienced conflicting/competing demands between academic commitments and non-academic commitments?

15. Does the [HPOG program] help students find a job in your field once you complete the program? If yes, how? Probe for internship opportunities, referrals to local employers, job search services, or referrals to job search services.

    1. Do you have a sense of how easy/hard it will be to find a job in your field once you graduate?

16. Are you satisfied with the education and training you are receiving from the [HPOG program]?

    1. What is your impression of the quality of instruction? Are the teachers good? Is the training content good?

    2. Does this type of training work for you? Please explain.

17. Did the [HPOG grantee] recognize your accomplishments? If yes, how so (e.g. completion of certificate program, graduation)? Are there other ways in which you celebrated success? Was your family involved or engaged in these activities?

18. Based on your experience, what do you think are the best features of the [HPOG program]?

19. How could the [HPOG program] be improved to better serve students?
    
    

20. Some HPOG programs follow a career pathway model², where students take training and receive a certificate or license, get a job, and then come back to get more training to advance in their field. Does the [HPOG program] follow this model? Please describe it.

    1. Are you working on a career pathway?

       1. If yes, how is it working out for you? What are your next steps?

       2. If no, why not?

    2. For students that are following a career pathway and are employed:

       1. Are you enrolled in a second training? For which certificate or degree?

       2. Are you taking time away from work to concentrate on this training? Or combining work and training at the same time? How is this working for you?

21. What are the next steps for you in the [HPOG program]?

    1. What are your education and employment goals? Where are you now in meeting these goals?

    2. Is the training you’re currently enrolled in your first training with the [HPOG program]?

       1. If no, what other training did you complete? Why did you decide to come back for additional training? Did you work in between your trainings or go directly from the first training to the second?

       2. If yes, do you think you would come back to the [HPOG program] for additional training in the future?

    3. Do you have any concerns about the next steps in your career? This could include qualifications, employment opportunities, transportation, family life, or any other concerns.

22. What would you say about the [HPOG program] if you were asked by an interested family member or friend?

23. Before we wrap-up, is there anything else you would like to say?

Thank you for your participation.

1 The Focus Group occurs once a year during the evaluation team’s annual site visit.

2 A career pathway is a sequence of steps by which a worker can progress to more demanding, higher-paying jobs.