0704-XXXX_SPEAK Military Children - Data Collection - Interview Protocol - parents 1.28.2023

OMB CONTROL NUMBER: 0704-XXXX

OMB EXPIRATION DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

AGENCY DISCLOSURE NOTICE

The public reporting burden for this collection of information, 0704-XXXX, 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. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or burden reduction suggestions to the Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, at [email protected]. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

Interview Protocol - Parents

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 schools 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.

In order to ensure that we are asking the right questions, could you please tell me if you have a child that receives special education services or who has a disability?

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. If parent does NOT have a child who receives special education services or with a disability: 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?

   2. If parent has a child who receives special education services or with a disability: Please discuss any differences in the impacts of Advance Enrollment on students based on whether the student is in general education vs. students who receive special education service or with a disability.

4. If parent does NOT have a child who receives special education services or with a disability: Are there any real or perceived barriers to families using Advance Enrollment?

   1. If yes: What are those barriers?

   2. If parent has a child who receives special education services or with a disability: Do families with a student who receives or is eligible to receive services under an IEP or 504 plan experience any barriers to using Advance Enrollment?

      1. If yes: What are those barriers?

5. 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.”

6. 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]

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

8. 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 not: Why do you think they are not?

9. If parent does NOT have a child who receives special education services or with a disability: 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?

   3. If parent has a child who receives special education services or with a disability: Is there any difference in the impact of the Compact on students based on whether the student is in general education vs. students who receive special education services or with a disability.

      1. If yes: What are those differences?

10. If parent does NOT have a child who receives special education services or with a disability: Are families experiencing any real or perceived barriers when attempting to use the Compact?

    1. If parent has a child who receives special education services or with a disability: Are there any real or perceived barriers for families when attempting to use the Compact for children receiving special education services or with a disability?

       1. If yes: What are those barriers?

11. 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.

12. 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]

13. Do you use Military Student Identifier-related data to help you make decisions about your children’s education?

    1. If yes: In what way?

14. If parent does NOT have a child who receives special education services or with a disability: 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?

    3. If parent has a child who receives special education services or with a disability: Please discuss any difference in the impact of the Military Student Identifier on student outcomes based on whether the student is in general education vs. students who receive special education services or with a disability.

15. If parent does NOT have a child who receives special education services or with a disability: Do families encounter any real or perceived barriers to identifying as military families or to using Military Student Identifier data?

    1. If yes: What are those barriers?

    2. If parent has a child who receives special education services or with a disability: Are there any real or perceived barriers to identifying as military families or to using Military Student Identifier data for families with children receiving special education services or with a disability?

       1. If yes: What are those barriers?

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

17. If parent does NOT have a child who receives special education services or with a disability: 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?

    1. If yes: What are they?

    2. If parent has a child who receives special education services or with a disability: 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 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>.

18. 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]

19. Are students/families aware of it and its intention?

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

20. Is the [Purple Star School / or other name] designation being implemented in your child’s school?

21. If the Purple Star School Program is being implemented in the school: How is it being implemented in the school – what are the components of the program?

22. If the Purple Star School Program is being implemented in the school: Overall, what components work well and what components do not work well in the implementation of the [Purple Star School / or other name] designation?

23. If parent does NOT have a child who receives special education services or with a disability AND If the Purple Star School Program is being implemented in the school: 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?

    3. If parent has a child who receives special education services or with a disability AND If the Purple Star School Program is being implemented in the school: Please discuss any difference in the impact of the [Purple Star School / or other name] designation on students based on whether the student is in general education vs. students receiving special education services or with a disability.

24. If parent does NOT have a child who receives special education services or with a disability AND If the Purple Star School Program is being implemented in the school: Are there any real or perceived barriers to students using the services and programs used to obtain the [Purple Star School / or other name] designation?

    1. If yes: What are those barriers?

    2. If parent has a child who receives special education services or with a disability AND If the Purple Star School Program is being implemented in the school: Are there any real or perceived barriers to students who receive special education services or have a disability using the services and programs used to obtain the [Purple Star School / or other name] designation?

       1. If yes: What are those barriers?

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

General/concluding questions

Finally, we have a few concluding questions.

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

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

28. What barriers are there for parents trying to access data that they need from states or school districts?

29. 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?

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

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

32. 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.