Principal Interview Protocol for Control Schools

OMB Number: xxxx-xxxx

Expiration Date: xx/xx/07

Appendix J

Principal Interview Protocol for Control Schools

Name of Principal: ______________________

Name of School: ________________________

Interviewer Name: _______________________

Date of Interview: _______________________

The principal interview should be administered to the principals in schools where one teacher is observed and interviewed, and one additional teacher is interviewed. Ideally, the interview should occur subsequent to the teacher observations and interviews, so that the interviewer can interview the principal in the context of greater knowledge about the instructional practices, student response, and additional training and technical assistance needs of teachers observed and/or interviewed. If this is not possible, however, the principal interview can occur prior to the teacher observations and interviews. The interviewer should begin by providing a very brief description of the overall AMSTI study, the purpose of the principal interview, and assurance of confidentiality procedures.

The collection of information in this study is authorized by Public Law 107-279 Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part C, Sec. 151(b) and Sec. 153(a). Participation is voluntary. You may skip questions you do not wish to answer; however, we hope that you will answer as many questions as you can. Your responses are protected from disclosure by federal statute (PL 107-279 Title I, Part C, Sec. 183). All responses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals may be used only for

statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose, unless otherwise compelled by law. Data will be combined to produce statistical reports. No individual data that links your name, school name, address, telephone number, or identification number with your responses will be included in the statistical reports.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.  The valid OMB control number for this information collection is XXXX-XXXX (expiration date: XX/XX/07).  The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 20 minutes, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete the information collection.  If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or suggestions for improving this form, please contact: the Department of Education 50 North Ripley Street PO Box 302101 Montgomery, AL 36104.  If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission, e-mail directly to: rsawyer@aed.org.

INTERVIEW INTRODUCTION

Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. We are conducting brief interviews with principals of schools that applied for AMSTI, but are not participating this year, as part of a comprehensive research study of AMSTI. As you may know, the AMSTI study involves collecting data from state staff, AMSTI trainers, teachers, principals, and students. The principal interviews are intended to provide us with baseline information, from the principal’s perspective, about school math and science programs prior to participation in AMSTI. It is not, in any way, concerned with you or your school’s math or science performance. This interview is different from a survey that you were asked to complete several months ago. The interview should take between 10 - 20 minutes.

Your responses to the interview are completely confidential. Data from the interviews we are conducting with the principals from schools delaying AMSTI implementation for a year will be combined for each region and comparisons made (1) among regions and (2) between AMSTI and not-yet-AMSTI schools. We would like to ask you to sign two copies of a data collection consent form. I will leave one copy with you.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. How do your see your role with regard to the implementation of math and science curricula and instruction in your school?

2. What has been your school’s overall experience in supporting the math and science curricula? What has been successful? What has been challenging?

3. Has your school been provided any on-site technical assistance, support, or coaching from a university-based math and science program?

1. What type of support has been provided?

2. Has the support been provided when teachers need it?

3. How has this technical assistance or support been helpful?

4. What additional assistance and support was/is needed?

4. How would you assess the availability and usefulness of hands-on math and science materials for use by your school staff?

5. To what extent have teachers who have recently received training in math and science improved their math and science instructional practice? In what ways have teachers experienced success teaching math and science? What has been challenging for them?

6. In what ways has technology been integrated into math and science instruction? What has been done to facilitate the use of technology in the math and science lessons? What, if any, challenges have the teachers had incorporating technology into the math and science lessons?

7. What, if any, feedback have you received from other teachers and parents about your school’s math and science program?

8. Have you and/or your school staff been engaging in any work to prepare for becoming an AMSTI school next year? If so, please describe.

Do you have any additional comments, questions, or concerns about AMSTI or this evaluation?

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