0704-XXXX_SPEAK Military Children - Data Collection - Interview Protocol - PMs & CYM 1.28.2023

OMB CONTROL NUMBER: 0704-XXXX

OMB EXPIRATION DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

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Interview Protocol – Service Branch Headquarters Program Managers and Department of Defense Children, Youth, and Families Program Analyst

Date ___________

State __________

School (if applicable) ___________

Installation ____________

Role (e.g., school liaison, school principal) ___________

Project team member conducting the interview ___________

[Note: Question sections (e.g., Advance Enrollment, Military Student Identifier) may not be asked in the order displayed below. For example, for regions with a Purple Star Schools program, that section will be asked first; for states without an Advance Enrollment program, that question will be last.]

____________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this project. Before we get started can you please confirm that you are [insert role]. Great, thank you! The first thing we are going to do is go over the consent form.

[go over consent form, ask if they have any questions, answer those questions]

We are going to ask you some questions about four specific initiatives that are supported by the Department of Defense. These initiatives are intended to support the educational success of military-connected children. We will also ask about partnerships between the military installation and the local school and about other programs that may be available to support military-connected students’ educational success.

You may not know the answer to some of these questions and that is fine. If you do not know the answer to a question, you can just say that that do not know the answer or that that particular topic does not fall under your job duties/purview.

Advance Enrollment (for the 34 states with the policy)

First, we are going to ask you some questions about Advanced Enrollment.

1. Are you familiar with Advance Enrollment?

   1. If yes: Can you describe the purpose of Advance Enrollment?

[After the first question is asked, if they do not know what Advance Enrollment is:]

Advance Enrollment is a policy in some states where military-connected students are allowed to enroll in school before they are physically present in the school district. Does that sound familiar at all?

[if the answer is no, do not ask any more questions in this section and move on to next section]

2. Are students and families aware of Advance Enrollment and its purpose?

3. In what ways is Advance Enrollment having an impact on student outcomes?

   1. If participant says that it is not: Do you have any thoughts on why it is not having an impact?

4. Can you think of anything that could be done to improve Advance Enrollment or its implementation?

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (for all 50 states/DC)

Next, we are going to ask some questions about the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. For the following questions we will be referring to it as “the Compact.”

5. Are you familiar with the Compact?

   1. If yes: Can you describe the purpose of the Compact?

[After the first question is asked, if they do not know what the Compact is:]

Through the interstate compact, all states have enacted legislation intended to make transferring from one school to another school easier for military-connected students and schools. Does that sound familiar at all?

[if the answer is no, ask only the three questions about the IEP/504 plans, if applicable, and then move on to next section without asking any other questions]

6. In general, are students and families aware of the Compact and its purpose?

7. Are school personnel making use of the Compact to help with course placement, extra-curricular activity participation, graduation, and special education services implementation?

   1. If yes: In what way?

   2. If no: Why do you think they are not?

8. Is the Compact having an impact on students’ experiences and outcomes during school transfers?

   1. If yes: In what way?

   2. If no: Why do you think it is not impacting students’ experiences?

9. How does the Compact address or impact the transfer of students from OCONUS DODEA schools or to OCONUS DODEA schools?

10. Can you think of anything that could be done to improve the Compact itself or how it is implemented?

Military Student Identifier

Now, we are going to ask questions about the Military Student Identifier.

11. Are you familiar with the Military Student Identifier?

    1. If yes: Can you describe the purpose of it?

[After the first question is asked, if they do not know what the Military Student Identifier is:]

This a is federal law requiring schools to ask whether students have a parent in the military. Does that sound familiar at all?

[if the answer is no, do not ask any more questions in this section and move on to next section]

12. Is the Military Student Identifier having an impact on student outcomes?

    1. If yes: In what way?

    2. If no: Why do you think it is not having an impact?

13. Can you think of anything that could be done to improve the Military Student Identifier itself or how it is implemented?

14. Are there ways that the Military Student Identifier and other state-collected data could be used to better help military families make educational decisions for their children in general education?

    1. If yes: What are they?

    2. What about for their children who are eligible for special education services or who have a disability?

       1. If yes: What are they?

Purple Star School Program (or other name of similar initiative) (for the 30 states with a program)

The last specific initiative we are going to ask about is the <insert name of the state’s version of the Purple Star School Program>.

15. Are you familiar with the [Purple Star School Program/name of that states’ military-friendly school designation program]?

    1. If yes: Can you describe the purpose of it?

[After the first question is asked, if they do not know what the Purple Star School Program is:]

This is a program available in some states where schools can apply to be designated a military-friendly school. Does that sound familiar at all?

[if the answer is no, do not ask any more questions in this section and move on to next section]

16. Are students and families aware of it and its intention?

    1. If yes: Does it impact decision-making around school selection?

17. Is the [Purple Star School / or other name] designation having an impact on student outcomes?

    1. If yes: In what way?

    2. If no: Why do you think it is not having an impact?

18. Can you think of anything that could be done to improve the [Purple Star School / or other name] designation itself or how it is implemented?

Installation-LEA partnership (for all 50 states/DC)

The next set of questions asks about formal or informal partnerships between the military installation and the local schools or school districts.

19. Are you aware of formal or informal partnerships or relationships between installations and school districts or schools (e.g., a formal or informal arrangement for interaction between the two)?

    1. If yes: Can you describe the partnership or relationship?

20. If participant answers yes to question 19: Are the partnerships or relationships having an impact on student outcomes?

    1. If yes: In what way?

21. Can you think of anything that could be done to improve partnerships between installations and schools?

General/concluding questions

Finally, we have a few concluding questions.

22. What programs or initiatives are available for military-connected students that we have not discussed so far?

23. If there are any programs/initiatives: What impact are they having on military-connected students?

24. Is there any data or knowledge that parents do not currently have access to that would help military parents make informed decisions about their children’s education during PCS – for both general and special education?

    1. If yes: What is that data or knowledge?

25. How could states or school districts increase parents access to data or information needed to make informed decisions related to PCS and education?

26. What would you recommend to improve local or state policies related to supporting military-connected children?

27. Is there anything that we have not discussed that you think would be important for us to know?

That was our last question, thank you very much for answering our questions today. If you have any questions about the project, please feel free to let us know.