REL SW 5.1.1 SWELL OMB Appendix A3_Administrator Interview

Appendix A3. Interview – Administrator

This is the administrator interview protocol to be used for the study.

Administrator ID: ______________

Administrator Role (School or District Administrator): ______________

Date: _________________________

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today. The study team appreciates your time and willingness to share your experiences with the Write to Succeed program. As a reminder, what you share will be used to understand successes and challenges with implementing Write to Succeed and any adaptations that support scaling Write to Succeed across the state. This interview is voluntary, and you can stop at any time or choose not to answer a question. Your answers will be kept confidential and shared only with the Write to Succeed team. We will not individually attribute responses to you in the report. Do you consent to this interview? [Wait for verbal agreement.] So that I don’t forget what you say, may I record this conversation? [Wait for verbal agreement.] I may also jot down some notes as we talk.

For the Write to Succeed program, instructional coaches were trained on the program, and then held group professional learning and individual coaching sessions with teachers to support the implementation of Write to Succeed practices in teachers’ instruction. These practices include evidence-based literacy practices, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction (or CLRI), and teacher peer collaboration. I’m going to ask you a few questions about implementation, the supports you provided, adaptations made during the program, and any disruptions to implementation.

1. Implementation successes and challenges

First, I want to talk about the successes and challenges you experienced during the Write to Succeed program.

1. What were some of the successes and challenges you experienced with the Write to Succeed program?

   1. What have you heard from teachers and coaches about the Write to Succeed program?

   2. To what extent do you feel that the program was useful for instructional coaches, teachers, and students?

   3. How easy or challenging was it for instructional coaches and teachers to hold trainings, conduct check-ins, and support teachers and students? (Possible probe: Did you experience challenges in the timing and frequency of program activities (e.g., providing release time)?

   4. What are the facilitators for successful implementation?

   5. What are the barriers of successful implementation?

2. Supports provided

Next, I want to ask about the support provided during the Write to Succeed program.

1. What was your role in supporting coach and teacher participation in Write to Succeed?

   1. How easy/difficult was it to support coaches and teachers as they participated in Write to Succeed?

2. Is there any additional support REL Southwest staff could have provided to you, your coaches, or your teachers?

3. Constructive adaptations

Next, I want to talk about any adaptations made to the program.

1. Are you aware of any adaptations made to the Write to Succeed program (e.g., scheduling the trainings, instructional strategy, etc.)?

   1. [If yes] Why were these changes necessary?

   2. [If yes] How did those changes affect coaching, teaching, and/or student learning?

   3. [If no] Is there anything you would have changed about how the program was implemented?

2. What recommendations would you make to other schools or districts who are about to start engaging in the Write to Succeed program?

3. How could the Write to Succeed program be improved to meet participants’ needs?

   1. Any suggested changes to better meet student needs or teacher needs specifically?

4. Disruptions unrelated to the program

Next, I want to ask about any disruptions unrelated to the program

1. Were there any shifts in learning priorities, curricular resources, personnel, instructional models, or professional learning changes that came from your school or district that impacted the implementation of Write to Succeed?

2. Throughout implementation, to what extent did you feel that the Write to Succeed program was aligned with current school/district instructional practice, strategy, and focus?

5. Closing questions

Finally, I have three more closing questions before we conclude this interview.

1. Would you choose to continue implementing Write to Succeed practices after the conclusion of this study?

   1. Would you choose to scale the practices to other classrooms or subject areas within your school?

2. Do you think Write to Succeed could or should be scaled to more classrooms and/or other subject areas across the state?

   1. What other school-level supports might support with such scaling?

3. Do you have any other comments, suggestions, or feedback you’d like to share?

Thanks again for your time! The information you have shared will be very useful to us. And feel free to reach out if anything else comes up that you’d like to discuss.

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