REL SW 5.1.1 SWELL OMB Appendix A5_Teacher Interview

Appendix A5. Interview – Teacher

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

Teacher ID: ______________

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. So that I don’t forget what you say, may I record this conversation? I may also jot down some notes as we talk.

For the Write to Succeed program, this year you were asked to select two instructional units with a writing focus in which you could integrate the Write to Succeed practices. You have been invited to group professional learning sessions with other teachers at your schools and individual coaching sessions. In the professional learning, you have focused on evidence-based literacy practices, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction (or CLRI), and teacher peer collaboration. That preparation aimed to prepare you to implement Write to Succeed practices within the instructional units you selected to focus on. I’m going to ask you a few questions about each part of your Write to Succeed experience.

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 Write to Succeed?

   1. To what extent was the program helpful for your teaching?

   2. To what extent was the program helpful for student learning?

   3. How easy or challenging was it to engage in the different aspects of training for and implementing Write to Succeed? (Possible probe: What are your reflections on the timing and frequency of group training and individual coaching sessions?)

   4. What has supported successful implementation of Write to Succeed?

   5. What has been a barrier to successful implementation of Write to Succeed?

2. Supports provided

Next, I want to ask about the support you received through the Write to Succeed program.

3. Overall, how helpful did you find the support from your instructional coach? Is there anything the instructional coach could have done differently to better support you?

4. How helpful was your administrator/school leader in supporting your participation in Write to Succeed?

5. How helpful were your colleagues as you participated in the Write to Succeed program?

3. Constructive adaptations

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

6. Did you make any adaptations to the program when implementing the scaffolded writing instruction in your classroom with students?

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

   2. [If yes] How did those changes affect your teaching and student learning?

   3. [If no] Is there anything you feel you should have changed, or would change next time, in light of your experiences this year?

6. Did you make any adaptations to the culturally and linguistically responsive instructional practices?

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

   2. [If yes] How did those changes affect your teaching and student learning?

   3. [If no] Is there anything you feel you should have changed, or would change next time, in light of your experiences this year?

6. What recommendations would you make to other teachers who are about to start engaging in the Write to Succeed program?

6. 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 to implementation that were unrelated to the program itself.

10. Were there any unexpected disruptions unrelated to the program that impacted your ability to engage in and implement the Write to Succeed program?

1. Was there anything that impacted the group training sessions?

2. Was there anything that impacted the individual coaching sessions?

3. Was there anything that impacted the implementation of the lessons?

10. Were there any shifts in school/district 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?

5. Closing questions

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

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

1. Continue using the scaffolded writing instruction?

2. Continue using the evidence-based literacy practices?

3. Continue using culturally and linguistically responsive instructional practices?

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

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

13. 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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