**Appendix D**

*Grantee Screening Protocol---\
Module C: District School Choice Coordinator Interview*

**Conversion Magnet Schools** **Evaluation**

*Grantee Screening Protocol---\
Module C: District School Choice Coordinator Interview (2004 Grantee
Cohort)*

**April 2007**

**Introduction**

**Interviewer:** *Begin each module with this introduction. If the
official has responded to an earlier module, just indicate the goal and
expected duration of the module now being administered.*

Good morning \[or afternoon\], I am \_\_\_\_\_, with \[the American
Institutes for Research/Berkeley Policy Associates\], a research firm in
\[Palo Alto/Oakland, California\]. We are doing preliminary work for a
Department of Education research study on the relationship between
magnet programs and the academic achievement of the students who attend
them. The study will focus on elementary schools that used funds from
Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grants to introduce new magnet
programs beginning in 2004 or 2007. As a first step, we are contacting
all of the MSAP grantees with new magnet elementary schools to determine
whether they meet certain criteria required for the study. If these
interviews show that a scientifically rigorous study is possible, we
will begin a major evaluation study late this year.

Today, we need to learn about the standardized tests that have been
administered to elementary students over the past several years.

You have been identified to us by \[the MSAP Office/ the magnet project
director in this district\] as the person who can answer our questions
about \[topic\]. A few days ago, we scheduled this appointment with you
and sent you a brochure about the study as well as a copy of the
questions we'd like to discuss with you. As indicated in the brochure,
the answers you give us are confidential, and responses to the study's
data collections will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports
prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and
will not associate responses with a specific district, school, or
individual. We will not provide information that identifies respondents,
students, or districts to anyone outside the study team, except as
required by law. \[Interviewer: Verify that the official has received
these documents and has them available to read during the interview.\]

Your participation in this interview is voluntary, though of course we
hope you will be willing to help us in this important evaluation for the
Department of Education.

It will take about 30 minutes to go through the questions I have for
you. Are you able to talk with me now? Or should we set another
appointment?

**Module C. Choice System Representative or MSAP Project Director
Interview---Questions About the District's School Choice and Lottery
System**

One part of the Conversion Magnet Evaluation will examine the effect of
MSAP elementary magnet schools on the achievement of students living
outside the attendance area of the magnet school who transfer into the
school after it has become a magnet school. (In particular, we need to
obtain an estimate of the numbers of non-resident students who gain
admission to oversubscribed magnet schools by participating in
lotteries.) The following questions ask about how students apply to a
magnet school that is not in their local attendance area, how students
are admitted from the applicant lists, and what records the district
keeps on this process.

**The Overall System of School Choice**

1\. Which of the following additional types of public school choice
(beyond federally funded magnet schools) are available to *elementary
school* students in this district?

> \_\_\_\_\_ a. Open enrollment
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ b. Magnet schools other than federally funded
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ c. Charter school(s)
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ d. Traditional busing system designed to integrate students
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ e. Other type of school choice (*Please describe*):
> \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ f. No other type of public school choice

**The Application Process**

**Interviewer:** For questions 2 through 3a, if approaches differ by
school, ask for and record details for the MSAP-funded conversion
magnets.

2\. If a student wants to attend an elementary magnet school that is not
in his or her local attendance area, how does he or she apply?

> \_\_\_\_\_ a. Directly to the magnet school
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ b. Through the district itself

3\. Is there a date by which the student must apply for admission to the
elementary magnet school(s)?

> \_\_\_\_\_ YES (*Go to question 3a.*)
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ NO (*Go to question 4.*)

3a. If a student applies later than this date, is he or she placed later
on a waiting list for admission? If so, are students admitted from this
waiting list only after all the students who applied before the deadline
are admitted?

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

4\. Can the student apply to multiple magnet schools?

> \_\_\_\_\_ YES (*Go to question 4a.*)
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ NO (*Go to question 5.*)

4a. Must the student rank order the magnet schools to which he or she
applied?

> \_\_\_\_\_ YES (*Go to question 4b.*)
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ NO *(Go to question 5.)*

4b. Does the student then get preferences of some sort at his or her
higher ranked schools?

> \_\_\_\_\_ YES (*Please explain*):
> \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ NO (*Go to question 5.*)

**The Admission Process**

*Decisions about who decides which applicants will be admitted to
elementary magnet schools and who contacts the applicant families differ
among districts. Either district staff, school staff, or both may be
involved.*

5\. Which of the following best describes the admissions process at
elementary magnet schools in this district?

> \_\_\_\_\_ a. The central district office determines the order in
> which to admit students and contacts families directly.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ b. The central district office determines the order in
> which to admit students, gives this information to individual schools,
> and then the schools themselves contact families directly.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ c. Individual schools decide the order in which to admit
> students and then contact families directly.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ d. Other (*Please explain*):
>
> **Interviewer**: Write additional comments in the space below the
> question.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Comments**

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

6\. Which of the following best describes who decides on the number of
students who can be admitted to each magnet school and when this
decision is made:

> \_\_\_\_\_ a. The school determines the number of students to admit
> before reviewing applications.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ b. The school determines the number of students to admit
> after reviewing applications.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ c. The school and district work together to determine the
> number of students to admit before reviewing applications.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ d. The school and district work together to determine the
> number of students to admit after reviewing applications.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ e. Other (*Please explain*):
> \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

7\. Because there may sometimes be more students who apply to a school
than there are slots, each district must decide how to admit students.
Does the district use a lottery, random drawing, or a similar randomized
method to decide upon the order in which applicants will be admitted?

> \_\_\_\_\_ YES (*Go to question 9a.*)
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ NO (*Go to question 8.*)

8\. What method(s) other than lotteries are used to decide the order in
which students will be admitted?

> \_\_\_\_\_ a. First come, first served
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ b. First come, first served, but with preferences to
> certain groups of students (for example, based on where they live,
> their test scores, socioeconomic background, whether they applied by a
> deadline, etc.)

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Please Describe:**

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

> *(Skip to question 10.)*

9a. Does the district itself conduct this randomized ordering, or do
individual magnet schools do this?

> \_\_\_\_\_ District
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ School

9b. Which best describes whether and how records of the randomized
admission order are kept after each year's admissions decisions:

> \_\_\_\_\_ (1) Both schools and the district keep these records.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ (2) Only the district keeps these records.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ (3) Only the schools keep the records.
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ (4) Nobody keeps these records. (*Skip to question 10.*)

9c. How is this information on applications and lotteries maintained?
Who oversees it? Is it digital? How long is it kept?

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Often school districts will divide applicants to a given school into
several separate groups for purpose of admissions. For instance they
often divide students by grade and make separate admission decisions by
grade.*

9d. Do magnet schools in your district make separate admission decisions
for each grade level?

> \_\_\_\_\_ YES (*Go to question 9e.*)
>
> \_\_\_\_\_ NO (*Go to question 10.*)

*Within grades, districts may also divide applicants into various groups
and then give preferences in admission to students from some groups.
(For example, the preference groupings might include students who
already have siblings at the school, or groups based on geographic
distance, test scores, family income, parental education, or other
measures of socioeconomic status.)*

9e. Are applicants to a particular grade in magnet elementary schools in
your district divided into groups before students are randomly assigned
to admission rankings?

\_\_\_\_\_ YES (*Go to question 9f.*)

\_\_\_\_\_ NO (*Go to question 10.*)

9f. For each MSAP-funded elementary school, please describe the way in
which applicants to a particular grade are prioritized. For example, you
might say "Siblings are given top priority, followed by students who do
not have siblings in the school, with preference given to students from
certain geographic areas of the city before others, and finally,
inter-district transfers*."*

> **Interviewer**: Once the respondent gives a list of preference
> categories, ask: "Are there any other categories that are used?"

  ----------------------- -----------------------------------------------
  **MSAP-funded           **Preference categories in order of priority**
  elementary school       
  *(name*)**              

  1\.                     

  2\.                     

  3\.                     

  4\.                     
  ----------------------- -----------------------------------------------

10\. Please answer the following for each of the MSAP-funded elementary
magnet schools. In 2006-2007, how many non-resident students in each
grade (1) applied to the school; (2) were admitted and enrolled in the
school; and (3) were admitted but did not enroll in the school?

> **Interviewer**: If respondent cannot provide numbers, ask alternate
> questions 10 and 11 on the next page.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 11%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td colspan="3"><strong>MSAP School #1</strong></td>
<td colspan="3"><strong>MSAP School #2</strong></td>
<td colspan="3"><strong>MSAP School #3</strong></td>
<td colspan="3"><strong>MSAP School #4</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><strong>School Name</strong></td>
<td colspan="3"></td>
<td colspan="3"></td>
<td colspan="3"></td>
<td colspan="3"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><strong>Grade</strong></td>
<td><p><strong>N</strong></p>
<p><strong>Applied</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N Admitted/</strong></p>
<p><strong>Enrolled</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N Admitted/</strong></p>
<p><strong>Not Enrolled</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N</strong></p>
<p><strong>Applied</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N Admitted/</strong></p>
<p><strong>Enrolled</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N Admitted/</strong></p>
<p><strong>Not Enrolled</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N</strong></p>
<p><strong>Applied</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N Admitted/</strong></p>
<p><strong>Enrolled</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N Admitted/</strong></p>
<p><strong>Not Enrolled</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N</strong></p>
<p><strong>Applied</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N Admitted/</strong></p>
<p><strong>Enrolled</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>N Admitted/</strong></p>
<p><strong>Not Enrolled</strong></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>PK</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>K</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>1</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>2</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>3</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>4</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>5</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>6</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

11\. How did these numbers change between 2004-05 and 2006-07? (That is,
for each school, between the first and last year of the grant, did the
number of applicants increase or decrease? How did the number of
admissions for applicants change? How did the rate of no-shows change?
Did the grades at which most students applied/were admitted change over
time?)

  --------------------- -------------------------------------------------
  **School Name**       **Changes between 2004-2005 and 2006-2007**

  1\.                   

  2\.                   

  3\.                   

  4\.                   
  --------------------- -------------------------------------------------

10\. (alternate) For the following MSAP-funded elementary magnet schools
in 2006-2007, which of the following best describes the number of
applications compared to the number of spaces available:

> a In almost all grades there have been enough slots to admit all the
> students who apply.
>
> b\. In some grades there have been enough slots to admit all the
> students who apply, but in other grades the school was not able to
> admit all applicants.
>
> c\. In almost all grades the school did not have enough slots to admit
> all the students who apply.

**Interviewer**: Check one in each row---comment if necessary.

  ----------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------------------
  **School Name**   **a. Enough  **b. Enough  **c. Not     **Comments**
                    slots for    slots for    enough slots 
                    all          all          for all      
                    applicants   applicants   applicants   
                    in most or   in some      in most or   
                    all grades** grades**     all          
                                              grades.**    

  1\.                                                      

  2\.                                                      

  3\.                                                      

  4\.                                                      
  ----------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------------------

11\. (alternate) How did these numbers change between 2004-05 and
2006-07? (That is, did the availability of slots for applicants increase
or decrease over the 3 years of the grant, and by how much?)

  ------------------ ----------------------------------------------------
  **School Name**    **Changes between 2004-2005 and 2006-2007**

  1\.                

  2\.                

  3\.                

  4\.                
  ------------------ ----------------------------------------------------

**The Recruiting Process**

12\. Please describe the principal methods your district uses to recruit
applicants for these magnet schools (e.g., newspapers, presentations at
other elementary schools, internet site).

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

13\. Are recruitment materials and activities targeted to families in
particular neighborhoods or with particular characteristics, or are they
targeted to all families in the district? (Do recruitment methods differ
by school?)

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

14\. Over the course of the past 3 years, has the district changed its
recruitment strategies for any of the MSAP elementary schools? If yes,
please describe.

  --------------------- -------------------------------------------------
  **MSAP Elementary     **Description of How Recruitment Strategies
  School *(name)***     Evolved over the Past 3 Years**

  1\.                   

  2\.                   

  3\.                   

  4\.                   
  --------------------- -------------------------------------------------