Appendix A:  Summer Phase 


Stakeholder Interview Protocols 

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 		

	 	 	 		 		 	 	 	

	 	 	 						

	 	 	 		 		 	 	

		 	 	 	

		 	 	 		 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	

		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	

	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

KITS Year 1 Feasibility & Implementation Study
 

KEY STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW #1 ‐	KITS Administrative Coordinators & KITS Site Supervisors
 

August 2016
 

Rev: 4/27/2017
 

Section to be completed by interviewer prior to call:

1. Person Being Interviewed (ID#):

2. Title: _______________________________________________________________________________________

3. Organization or School Name: _____________________________

4. Interview Date: _______/_________/____________

5. Interview conducted by: ______________

6. Interviewer: Check	stakeholders’	primary role or roles in	KITS	prior	to	starting	interview:	

______	KITS	coordinator	

______	KITS	site	supervisor	

______	School	principal

______	Other,	specify:		___________________________________________________________________________________	

Introduction: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I am from Portland State University

and we are working with the United Way of Lane County and all of the schools involved with the KITS

program to help learn more about the initial start up and recruitment phase of the KITS project this year.

We will be talking to lots of individuals who have been involved in KITS so far, and will use this information

to document what happened during the first year of implementation and to help shape the process for Year

2. I'll be taking notes today, but I won't include your name in the notes. We won't share any of the

information you share with me today with anyone outside of the PSU evaluation team. Instead, we'll group

responses together and identify common issues or topics across the interviews.

[Review Consent Form, receive verbal consent, complete required fields]

Do you have any questions before we start?

A. Let's	start	by	talking	about	your	knowledge	of	the	KITS	Program	prior	to	this	project.	Were	you	

familiar	with	the	KITS	Program,	or	was	it	new	to	you?		

1. What	were	your	impressions	of	the program?		

2. What	surprised	you	most	about	KITS?		What	else	would	you	like	to	have	known	about	the	

program	prior	to	implementation?

B. Thinking	about	communication	with	United	Way	and/or	OSLC	Developments	Inc.	(ODI),	do	you	

feel	you	have	gotten	the	information	you	need,	in	a	timely	fashion?

1. What	if	anything,	would	you	do	to	improve	this	communication?		

2. Did	you	receive	a	KITS	Program	manual(s)?	How	has	that	been	helpful?	How	could	it	be	

more	helpful?	

Rev:		4/27/2017

pg.	1
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

C. Were	you	involved	in	the	recruitment	process	for	this	year's	KITS	program(s)	in	your	

school/district?	[Interviewer ‐	if not involved, and no knowledge of the process, skip to question E].	

Let's	talk	about	the	process	for	recruiting	families	in	your	school	district/neighborhood.

1. When	did	your	recruitment	efforts	begin?			

2. How	did	you	identify	potentially	interested	families?	Did	you	target	a	particular	group	of	

families,	e.g.,	high	need	families?

3. How	did	you	‘get	the	word	out’	to	families	about	KITS?		Did	you use	different	strategies	for	

reaching	different	groups	of	families?	What	seemed	to	work	best?	

4. Are	there	families	in	your	school	for	whom	English	is	a	second	language?		If	so,	how	

effective	were	your	recruitment	efforts	for	these	families?		What	went	well?	What	were	the	

challenges?	

5. What	do	you	think	was most	appealing	to	families	about	KITS?	What	was	the	best	way	to	

“sell”	the	program	to	families?	

6. How	did	you	follow	up	with	interested	families?		What	were	the	challenges	in	doing	this	

follow	up?		What	worked	best	for	this	next	phase	of	follow	up	and	recruitment?

7. Were	the	materials	you	received	from	the	United	Way,	ODI	(OSLC),	and/or	PSU	helpful	in	

recruitment?		What	was	most/least	helpful?	

8. Were	the	other	supports	you	received	from	the	United	Way,	ODI	(OSLC),	your	KITS	coach,	

and/or	PSU	helpful	in	recruitment?	(e.g.,	consultation,	trouble‐shooting	issues,	on‐site	

assistance,	etc.)	What	was	most/least	helpful?	

D. Was	your	program	able	to	recruit sufficient	families	to	fill	your	KITS	program(s)?	If	not,	what	were	

the	barriers?

1. What	were	the	biggest	barriers	for	your	program	in	terms	of	filling	slots?	[Probe	if	not	

mentioned	–	family	barriers/reasons	for	not	participating;	structural	barriers	like	not	

enough	resources,	staff	time,	difficulty	connecting	with/finding	parents,	materials,	etc.]	

2. How	might	your	strategy	be	different	next	year?	

3. Did	you	feel	like	you	were	able	to	recruit	the	families	you	hoped	to	reach	with	KITS?		If	yes,	

what	helped?		If	not,	why	not?		

4. Is	there	anything	else	that	United	Way,	ODI	(OSLC),	or	PSU	could	do	to	help	with	

recruitment?	

E. Were	you	involved	in	the	hiring	process	for	this	year's	KITS	program(s)	in	your	school/district?	

[Interviewer ‐	if not involved, and no knowledge of the process, skip to question G].	

Can	you	tell	me	about	the	process	used	to	staff	your	KITS	program	[KITS	programs]?		

1. Do	you	feel	like	you	ended	up	with	the	"right"	staff	for	the	program?		

2. What	staffing	challenges	did	you	have,	if	any?			

3. How	might	the	process	be	improved	next	year?		

4. Do	you	think	your	KITS	staff	will	be	returning	in	Year	2?	Why	or	why	not?		Do	you	think	

there	is	anything	that would	help	encourage	them	to	return?	

F. Thinking	about	the	other	aspects of	KITS	start‐up	that	you	were involved	with,	what	would	you	

say	went	well	this	year?	e.g.,	finding/setting	up	facilities,	arranging	transportation,	ordering	

supplies,	etc.	[interviewer, probe for why it went well, what helped it work]?	

1. What	would	you	say	were	the	most	challenging	aspects	of	start‐up	for	your	school/KITS	

programs?	

2
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

G. Were	you	involved	in	talking	with	families	about	the	research	component	associated	with	KITS?	

[Interviewer ‐	if not involved, and no knowledge of the process, skip to Question K].	

1. How	did	you	talk	to	or	approach	families	about	the	research	related	to	KITS?		

2. How	did	the	consent	to	contact	process	go,	i.e.,	getting	permission	to	allow	PSU	to	follow	up	

directly	with	parents?	

3. Was	the	research	a	problem	or	concern	for	many	families?

4. If	so,	what	do	you	think	would	help	make	families	more	comfortable	with	participating	in	

the	research?		

H. What	suggestions	do	you	have	for	improving	the	recruitment	and	start	up	process	for	next	year?		

1. Is	there	anything	that	United	Way,	ODI	(OSLC),	or	PSU	could	do	to	help?			

2. Are	there	any	other	supports	and/or	training	that	you	think	would	be	helpful	to	you	in	

your	role	in	regards	to	KITS?	

I. What	do	you	think	were	the	biggest	successes	for	your	KITS	programs/your	District	in	terms	of	

implementing	KITS	so	far?			

Wrap Up, Close, thank you so much for your time.
 

Do you have any other questions for me?
 

Please reach me at [number] if you would like to add anything else or have any questions. Thank you!
 

3
Appendix B: KITS Coach & 


Teacher Surveys 

   

   

    

[TEXT FOR QUALTRICS SURVEY  ‐‐ KITS COACHES] ‐‐ DRAFT, 8/1/16 

Welcome to the KITS Evaluation! 

In partnership with the United Way of Lane County, the Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services at 

Portland State University is conducting an evaluation of the KITS Program. Through this research, we hope to 

learn about the implementation of the KITS Program and the impact on KITS outcomes. You were selected as a 

participant in the study because you are a KITS Coach. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete

this brief, online survey about your background and experience.

Before you begin the survey, it is important that you understand your rights as a research participant. First of all, 

your participation is voluntary. Whether or not you decide to participate will not affect your employment with 

KITS. You may also withdraw from this study at any time without affecting your employment with KITS. All the 

information you provide will be kept confidential. PSU will not inform anyone of your individual responses. All 

the data we collect will be aggregated and reported with all identifying information removed.   

You may decide not to answer any of the questions asked. You may also discontinue the survey at any time. 

While you will not benefit directly from taking part in this study, the study will provide important knowledge

that could improve kindergarten readiness programs for children and families in Oregon and nationally.

If you have any concerns or problems about your participation in this study or your rights as a research subject,

please contact the PSU Office of Research Integrity, Market Center Building (1600 SW Fourth Ave), Suite 620, 

Portland, OR 97201; phone (503) 725‐2227 or 1‐(877) 480‐4400.  If you have any questions about the study

itself, contact Beth Green at (503) 725‐9904. 

If you are willing to participate, please click on the arrow below to begin 

now! 

First name_________________  Last Name_______________________ 

KITS schools for which your provide coaching [drop down menu here...choose all that apply] 

What is your age?  ______ 

What gender identity do you most identify with?
 

o Man 

o Woman 

o Not listed, please specify:___________________ 

o Prefer not to answer 

Do you consider yourself to be:  (check all that apply):

__White/Caucasian

__African American

__Hispanic/Latino 

__Asian/Pacific Islander 

1 
____________________________

__Native American/Alaska Native 

__Not listed please specify: ________________ 

__Prefer not to answer 

What is your primary language (the language you speak most often)?  (Mark one box only.) 

 English  Chinese

 Spanish  Russian

 Vietnamese  Ukrainian

 Other, specify: 

What is the highest level of education that you have ever completed?  (Mark one box only.) 

 8th grade or less  Some college credit but no degree

 9‐12th grade, no diploma  Community college certificate

 GED or high school equivalency  Associate Degree (AA, AS, etc.)

 High school graduate  Bachelor’s Degree (BA, BS, etc.)

 Graduate Degree 

If you have an Associate's and/or Bachelor's degree, what was your Major? ____________________

If you have a Graduate degree, what was your field of study?_________________________________

Are you currently enrolled in school?  YES NO 

If YES, what degree are you working toward? 

 GED or high school equivalency

 Community college certificate

 Associate Degree (AA, AS, etc.)

 Bachelor’s Degree (BA, BS, etc.)

 Graduate Degree 

 Other__________________________ 

Aside from KITS, have you ever worked as a...(check all that apply)

o Head Start teacher? 

o Preschool teacher?

o Kindergarten teacher? 

o Teaching assistant? 

o Childcare provider?

o Other type of teacher/provider? Please specify:__________________________________

o None of the above 

2 
   

    

  

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

       

   

   

Did you have experience working with teachers or early learning providers prior to becoming a KITS 

coach? YES  NO 

Prior to becoming a KITS coach, were you employed by KITS in another role? 

o YES 

o NO 

If YES, in what role? (check all that apply). 

o Lead School Readiness Group Teacher 

o Assistant School Readiness Group Teacher 

o Parent Group Facilitator 

o Parent Group Translator 

o Child Care Provider 

o Assessor/Coder 

o Not listed, please specify:_________________________________ 

How long have you worked as a KITS coach? 

 Less than one year   4‐6 years   More than 10 years 

 1‐3 years   7‐10 years 

Are you currently employed outside of KITS?  YES  NO 

If yes, please describe your other employment:

Please tell us how important you think each of these KITS elements is to Program success: 

Not at all 

important 

Somewhat 

important 

Important  Very 

important 

Emphasis on structure/routine 

Attention to transitions 

Strengths‐based 

Balancing of group with individual needs 

Approach to teaching social‐emotional skills 

Approach to teaching self‐regulation skills 

Approach to teaching early literacy skills 

Approach to behavior management 

Use of homework assignments 

Concurrent parent group/curriculum 

3 
   

   

   

   

   

   

              

        

            

              

           

                

       

        

          

        

        

        

        

                

        

    

        

                

Provision of transportation 

Provision of child care 

Emphasis on model fidelity 

Videotaping and feedback 

Clinical team approach 

Coaching support throughout the program 

Comments: 

In general, knowing that each classroom is unique, what implementation successes and challenges 

are you seeing in the KITS School Readiness Groups for which you provide coaching? 

Very 

challenging 

Somewhat 

challenging 

Somewhat 

successful 

Very 

successful 

Classroom and materials organization

Lesson preparation

Consistency of attendance

Transportation, pick‐ups & drop‐offs

Transitions between activities

Balancing group and individual needs

Behavior management

Early literacy lessons

Social‐emotional lessons

Circle time

Snack time

Project time

Point chart/incentives

Weekly home letter and homework

Teacher forms/paperwork

Videotaping

Clinical meetings

Comments: 

In general, knowing that each Parent Group is unique, what implementation successes and 

challenges are you seeing in the KITS Parent Groups for which you provide coaching? 

Very 

challenging 

Somewhat 

challenging 

Somewhat 

successful 

Very 

successful 

Meeting area and materials organization

4 
        

            

    

                

    

            

              

        

              

        

    

    

        

Lesson preparation

Consistency of attendance

Make‐up sessions with parents (by telephone 

or home visit) 

Balancing group and individual needs

Review of weekly home letter and (child) 

homework assignments 

Weekly topic (instruction)

Weekly topic (group discussion)

Language translation

Parent home practice activities

Weekly raffle/incentives

Facilitator forms/paperwork 

Videotaping

Clinical meetings

Comments: 

Are any of the KITS programs for which your provide coaching, providing language translation 

services for parents?  YES  NO 

If YES, please tell us more about how that is structured and seems to be working: 

What do you think is the most important aspect of your role as a KITS coach? 

What is most challenging about being a KITS coach? 

What suggestions do you have for improving the KITS program?  

5 
Anything else you’d like to share?     

6 
   

[TEXT FOR QUALTRICS SURVEY ‐‐ KITS PROGRAM STAFF] ‐‐ DRAFT, 8/8/16 

Welcome to the KITS Evaluation! 

In partnership with the United Way of Lane County, the Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services at 

Portland State University is conducting an evaluation of the  KITS Program. Through this research, we hope to 

learn about the implementation of the KITS Program and the impact on KITS outcomes. You were selected as a 

participant in the study because you are a member of the KITS Team at your school. If you decide to participate,

you will be asked to complete this brief, online survey about your background and experience, and your initial 

impressions of the KITS model. It should take no longer than 10‐15 minutes of your time. As a thank‐you for

your participation, we will mail you a $15 Amazon gift card.

Before you begin the survey, it is important that you understand your rights as a research participant. First of all, 

your participation is voluntary. Whether or not you decide to participate will not affect your employment with 

KITS, and/or your school/district. You may also withdraw from this study at any time without affecting your 

employment with KITS and/or your school/district. All the information you provide will be kept confidential. PSU

will not inform anyone of your individual responses. All the data we collect will be aggregated and reported with

all identifying information removed. 

You may decide not to answer any of the questions asked. You may also stop the survey or choose not to answer 

specific questions. While you will not benefit directly from taking part in this study the study will provide 

important knowledge which will improve kindergarten readiness programs like KITS for children and families in 

Oregon and nationally. 

If you have any concerns or problems about your participation in this study or your rights as a research subject,

please contact the PSU Office of Research Integrity, Market Center Building (1600 SW Fourth Ave), Suite 620, 

Portland, OR 97201; phone (503) 725‐2227 or 1‐(877) 480‐4400.  If you have any questions about the study

itself, contact Beth Green at (503) 725‐9904. 

If you are willing to participate, please click on the arrow below to begin 

now! 

First name_________________  Last Name_______________________ 

Best mailing address (for gift card):_____________________________________________________

KITS School [Drop‐down menu here; check all that apply] 

What is your current position with the KITS program? (check all that apply) 

o Lead School Readiness Group Teacher 

o Assistant School Readiness Group Teacher 

o Parent Group Facilitator 

o Parent Group Translator 

o Not listed, please specify:____________________________________________ 

1 
  

           

  

   

  

_____________________________________ 

   

What is your age? ______
 

What gender identity do you most identify with?    

o Man 

o Woman 

o Not listed, please specify:_____________________________ 

o Prefer not to answer 

Do you consider yourself to be:  (check all that apply): 

__White/Caucasian

__African American

__Hispanic/Latino 

__Asian/Pacific Islander 

__Native American/Alaska Native 

__Not listed, please specify: ________________ 

__Prefer not to answer 

What is your primary language (the language you speak the most often)? (Mark one box only.) 

 English  Chinese

 Spanish  Russian

 Vietnamese  Ukrainian

 Other, specify: ____________________________

What is the highest level of education that you have completed? (Mark one box only.) 

 8th grade or less  Some college credit but no degree

 9‐12th grade, no diploma  Community college certificate

 GED or high school equivalency  Associate Degree (AA, AS, etc.)

 High school graduate  Bachelor’s Degree (BA, BS, etc.)

 Graduate Degree 

If you have an Associate's and/or Bachelor's degree, what was your Major? (skip if not applicable) 

If you have a Graduate degree, what was your field of study?_________________________________

Are you currently enrolled in school?   YES NO 

2 
   

   

   

    

If YES, what degree are you working toward? 

 GED or high school equivalency

 Community college certificate

 Associate Degree (AA, AS, etc.)

 Bachelor’s Degree (BA, BS, etc.)

 Graduate Degree 

 Not listed, please specify:__________________________ 

Do you have any of the following certifications or credentials for early care and education or school‐

age care? (Check all that apply.)

 Infant‐Toddler Credential 

 School Age Credential 

 Director’s Credential 

 Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate 

 Some other early childhood/child care credential or certificate, please specify:  

 None of the above 

Not including KITS, which of the following best describes your occupation:  (please select only one): 

 Home‐based child care provider 

 Center‐based  preschool teacher/staff/child care provider (children ages 0‐5)

 Kindergarten Teacher 

 1st‐12th grade Teacher 

 Teaching assistant 

 Special education teacher/assistant 

 Not listed, please specify: ___________________________________________

How long have you worked in the above role? 

 Less than one year   4‐6 years   More than 10 years 

 1‐3 years   7‐10 years 

Were you familiar with the KITS Program prior to your current position with KITS?   

o YES 

o NO 

Have you previously worked with the KITS Program? 

o YES 

o NO 

If YES, in what role? (check all that apply). 

o Lead School Readiness Group Teacher 

3 
o Assistant School Readiness Group Teacher 

o Parent Group Facilitator 

o Parent Group Translator 

o Child Care Provider 

o Assessor/Coder 

o Not listed, please specify:_________________________________ 

How did you hear that the KITS Program was hiring? 

o School district job posting 

o Newspaper 

o Word of mouth 

o Not listed, please specify:________________________ 

Do you hope to return as KITS staff in subsequent years? 

o YES 

o NO 

o MAYBE 

If NO, why not?________________________________________ 

Are you interested in becoming a KITS trainer? 

o YES 

o NO 

o MAYBE 

If NO, why not?__________________________________________ 

Did you attend the KITS training offered this past summer? 

o YES ‐‐ ALL

o YES ‐‐PART 

o NONE 

To what extent would you say the KITS model/approach is consistent with your previous education and 

training? 

o Not at all consistent 

o Somewhat consistent 

o Consistent 

o Very consistent 

If not consistent, please tell us a little bit about the differences between the KITS model/approach and 

your previous education and training: 

4 
       

If you currently work in an early learning or K‐12 school setting, to what extent would you say the KITS 

model/approach is consistent with that school's approach to educating children? 

o Not at consistent 

o Somewhat consistent 

o Consistent 

o Very consistent 

o Not applicable 

If not consistent, please tell us a little bit about the differences between the KITS model/approach and 

the approach taken by the early learning or K‐12 school setting you currently work in: 

With any new program, there may be aspects of the program that feel like a good fit for you 

personally. Other aspects of the program may feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable, at least at first. 

Thinking about KITS, please indicate how you feel, so far, about each element of the KITS Program 

listed below: 

Really 

Dislike 

Dislike  Neutral  Like  Really 

Like 

Emphasis on structure/routine 

Attention to transitions 

Strengths‐based approach 

Balancing of group with individual needs 

Approach to teaching social‐emotional skills 

Approach to teaching self‐regulation skills 

Approach to teaching early literacy skills 

Approach to behavior management 

Use of homework assignments 

Concurrent parent group/curriculum 

Provision of transportation 

Provision of child care 

Emphasis on model fidelity 

Comments: 

5 
   

   

   

   

   

   

   

       

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

      

      

      

      

      

Now please tell us how important you think each of these KITS elements is to Program success: 

Not at all 

important 

Somewhat 

important 

Important  Very 

important 

Emphasis on structure/routine 

Attention to transitions 

Strengths‐based 

Balancing of group with individual needs 

Approach to teaching social‐emotional skills 

Approach to teaching self‐regulation skills 

Approach to teaching early literacy skills 

Approach to behavior management 

Use of homework assignments 

Concurrent parent group/curriculum 

Provision of transportation 

Provision of child care 

Emphasis on model fidelity 

Videotaping and feedback 

Clinical team approach 

Coaching support throughout the program 

Comments: 

KITS follows a specific protocol for behavior management in the classroom. From your perspective, 

please rate the effectiveness of the strategies listed below: 

Very 

ineffective 

Somewhat 

ineffective 

Somewhat 

effective 

Very 

effective 

Ignoring or redirecting non‐compliant 

behaviors 

Inclusionary approach to using "time out" 

(having a child take a break in the classroom) 

"Room clears" in the case of highly disruptive 

behavior 

5:1 ratio of positive reinforcement to 

corrective feedback

Classroom incentive system 

Physical/nonverbal positive reinforcement 

(e.g., pat on the back, thumbs up) 

"Praise a peer" strategy for noncompliance 

Specific praise (more than "good job") 

6 
      

              

        

            

              

           

                

       

        

          

        

        

        

        

                

        

                

        

Tangible rewards (e.g., stickers) 

"Special jobs" as rewards 

Individual attention to support on‐task 

behavior 

Comments: 

[For School Readiness Group Lead Teachers/Assistant Teachers only] Please indicate below the 

successes and challenges you've encountered in implementing KITS School Readiness Groups to 

date: 

Very 

challenging 

Somewhat 

challenging 

Somewhat 

successful 

Very 

successful 

Classroom and materials organization

Lesson preparation

Consistency of attendance

Transportation, pick‐ups & drop‐offs

Transitions between activities

Balancing group and individual needs

Behavior management

Early literacy lessons

Social‐emotional lessons

Circle time

Snack time

Project time

Point chart/incentives

Weekly home letter and homework

Teacher forms/paperwork

Comments: 

[For Parent Group Facilitators only] Please indicate below the successes and challenges you've 

encountered in implementing KITS Parent Groups to date:  

Very 

challenging 

Somewhat 

challenging 

Somewhat 

successful 

Very 

successful 

Meeting area and materials organization

Lesson preparation

7 
            

    

                

    

            

              

        

              

        

    

       

       

Consistency of attendance

Make‐up sessions with parents (by telephone 

or home visit) 

Balancing group and individual needs

Review of weekly home letter and (child) 

homework assignments 

Weekly topic (instruction)

Weekly topic (group discussion)

Language translation

Parent home practice activities

Weekly raffle/incentives

Facilitator forms/paperwork 

Comments: 

Is your KITS program providing language translation services for parents?  YES  NO 

 If YES, please tell us more about how that is structured and seems to be working: 

Please tell us about your experience with your KITS coach: 

Never Rarely  Sometimes Almost 

Always

Always

My coach is readily available to me 

My coach has useful 

information/skills to offer 

My coach is emotionally supportive 

My coach has a positive approach 

My coach offers useful feedback 

My coach is good at problem‐solving 

My coach is skilled at facilitating 

clinical meetings 

Comments: 

8 
       

       

       

       

       

To what extent do you agree with the statements below? 

  Strongly

agree 

Somewhat 

disagree 

Neutral  Somewhat 

agree 

Strongly 

agree 

The weekly clinical meetings have 

been useful for me 

The videotaping and feedback 

process has been useful for me 

The teacher/facilitator forms and 

clinical tracking log have been useful 

for me 

Overall, I have learned a lot through 

the coaching process 

My skills have improved through the

coaching process 

Our team has been strengthened 

through the coaching process 

Comments: 

How often do you read the KITS newsletter? 

Never Rarely Sometimes Almost 

Always

Always

How useful is the KITS newsletter to you? 

Not useful 

at all 

Not very 

useful 

Somewhat 

useful 

Very 

useful 

N/A ‐ do 

not read 

How often do you access the KITS Facebook page? 

Never Rarely Sometimes Almost 

Always

Always

How useful is the KITS Facebook page to you? 

Not useful 

at all 

Not very 

useful 

Somewhat 

useful 

Very 

useful 

N/A ‐ do 

not look at

9 
       

What suggestions do you have for improving the KITS program?  

Anything else you’d like to share?     

Thank you for completing this Survey!  Your input is important to help us learn about the KITS program.  

You will receive your gift card in about 2‐3 weeks! 

10 
Appendix C: Parent Focus Group 


Protocols 

		

	 	 	 	

	 	 	 		

	 	

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

		 	 	 	 		 		

	 	 						

	 	 		 		 	 	

		 		 	 	 	 	

		 	 	 		

 

 

KITS FEASIBILITY PARENT FOCUS GROUP PROTOCOL
 

VERSION FOR KITS PARTICIPANTS
 

Summer 2016
 

Rev: 4/27/2017
 

Section to be completed prior to group:

1. Focus Group Type: __x___ KITS Participants ______ Control Participants

2. Location of Focus Group: ____________________________________________________________

3. Date: _______/_________/____________

5. Facilitator Name: ______________

6. Language Used: _____ English ______ Spanish

7. Number of participants: ______________

Materials Checklist 

 Consent form- two per person 

 Gift cards and receipts – one per family 

“Ground Rules” on large post it 

 Recorder 

Introduction (Facilitator) (5 minutes) 

Thank you all for coming today to participate in this discussion about your experience with the Kids in 

Transition to School project. My name is _________. 

 I am with Portland State University. We are working with the United Way of Lane County and your 

neighborhood schools to learn more from parents about their experiences with the KITS project 

this year. 

	 The purpose of the discussion today is to find out from you how you learned about the KITS 

program, your experiences in the KITS groups and activities, and how you think the program could 

be strengthened. We are especially interested in learning about how you found out about KITS 

and what ideas you have for “getting the word out” next year to families who might want to be in 

KITS. 

Complete & Collect Consent Forms (Facilitator) (5 minutes)

Before we start, we need to make sure you all know your rights and understand that participation is 

voluntary. You all should have a Consent Form that tells you more about the project and by signing, 

you are agreeing to voluntarily participate. I also want you to know that everything you share with 

us today will be kept confidential—we may share quotes in reports, but we won’t identify who said 

what during our time together. 

Rev:		4/27/2017

pg.	1
 

 

 

[Have parents sign consent forms and collect]. Please let me know if you have any questions about 

the consent form. 

Ground Rules (Facilitator) (5 minutes)

To help our group run as smoothly as possible and to maximize our chance to learn from each other, 

we’ll use the following to guide our time together: 

Ground Rules (Already written and taped to wall) 

 No right or wrong answer 

 Listen respectfully to others 

 We want to hear from everyone 

 Please silence cell phones (step out to take a call if urgent) 

 Facilitator role is to guide the discussion 

 What is said in this group, stays in this group (maintain confidentiality). 

Gift Cards 

The focus group will take about one hour. When we’re done, each of you will receive a $20 gift card 

as a “thank you” for taking the time to participate. 

Do you have any questions before we start? 

Introductions (Facilitator) 

Before we jump into the discussion, why don’t we go around the room and please share your name 

and tell us briefly about your family—for example how many kids you have and what grade they are 

in. I’d also like for each of you to tell me one thing that you learned from the KITS program. 

A. How	did	you	first	hear	about	the	KITS	program?		[Prompt:	Did	you...Receive	a	post	card	or	flyer?	

See	a	poster	or	banner?	See	a	bus	billboard?	Hear	a	radio	spot? What	else?]			

 What	else	would	work	to	‘get	the	word	out’	about	KITS	to	more	families?	
 

B. When	you	first	heard	about	KITS, what	was	interesting	to	you	or seemed	valuable	to	you	about	the	

Program?		

 Did	you	have	any	concerns	about	participating,	and	if	so	what	were	they?			
 

C. How	did	you	go	about	enrolling	in	KITS?	What	was	that	process	like?

	 Were	there	things	that	the	school	or	the	KITS	Program	did	that	made	it	possible	or	easier	

for	you	and	your	child	to	participate?	

D. The	KITS	Program	also	involves	a	research	component	in	which	families	may	or	may	not	choose	to	

participate	–	you	may	remember	getting	a	packet	in	the	mail	or	at	your	parent	group	that	

contained	a	consent	form	and	a	survey?			

	 What	concerns,	if	any,	did	you	have	about	participating	in	the	research and	data	

collection?		

 Is	there	anything	we	could	do	to make	families more	comfortable	with	the	research?	

E. How	often	have	you	and/or	your	child	been	able	to	attend	KITS?	Let’s	talk	about	the	summer	first,	

and	then	the fall.		

2
											

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

 Was	there	anything	that	got	in	the	way	of	attending	during	the	summer?	What	might	help?	

 Was	there	anything	that	got	in	the	way	of	attending	during	the	fall?	What	might	help?	

F. What	did	your	child	like	best	about	participating	in	KITS?	What	were	the	greatest	benefits	for

him/her?	What	were	the	greatest challenges?	

G. What	did	you	like	best	about	participating	in	the	Parent	Group?	What	were	the	greatest	benefits	

for	you?	What	were	the	greatest	challenges?	

H. Do	you	think	your	child	was	better	prepared	for	kindergarten	after	participating	in	KITS?	In	what	

ways?	

I. Do	you	think	you	were	better	prepared	to	support	your	child	in	kindergarten	after	participating	in	

KITS?	In	what	ways?

J. Can	you	tell	me	a	little	bit	about	your	involvement	with	your	child’s	classroom,	school,	and/or	

homework	activities	at home,	now	that	she/he	is	in	kindergarten?	

K. What	suggestions	do	you	have	for	how	the	KITS	program might	be	improved	for	children?	For	

parents?	

Wrap Up, Close, thank you so much for your time.
 

Do you have any other questions for me?
 

Please reach me at [number] if you would like to add anything else or have any questions.
 

Thank you!

3
Appendix D: Spring Parent 


Interview Protocols 

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	

	 	

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

	 	 		

	 	 		

	 	 		

							

		 	 	 	

						

		 	 	

		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 			

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

KITS Year 1 Feasibility & Implementation Study
 

DRAFT Parent Interview (No participation)
 

Winter 2017
 

Rev: 4/27/2017
 

Section to be completed by interviewer prior to call:

1. Person Being Interviewed (ID#):

3. KITS School Name: _____________________________

4. Interview Date: _______/_________/____________

5. Interview conducted by: ______________

Introduction: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I am from Portland State University

and we are working with the United Way of Lane County and all of the schools involved with the Kids in

Transition to School (KITS) program to help learn more about how the KITS program went this year. We

will be talking to lots of people who have been involved with KITS in different ways, and will use this

information to help improve the program next year. We know that you weren’t actually able to participate

in KITS this year, but we’re hoping to learn more about what the barriers might have been so that we can

engage more families next year.

I'll be taking notes today, but I won't include your name in the notes. We won't share any of the information

you share with me today with anyone outside of the PSU evaluation team. Instead, we'll group responses

together and identify common issues or topics across the interviews.

[Review Consent Form, receive verbal consent, complete required fields]

Do you have any questions before we start?

Introduction

A. When	you	first	heard	about	KITS, what	was	interesting	to	you	or seemed	valuable	to	you	about	the	

Program?		

	 A1.	Did	you	have	any	concerns	or	questions	about	being	in	the	program,	and	if	so	what	

were	they?			

B. Did	you	ever	connect	with	anyone	at	the	school	or	school	district	about	the	KITS	program?			If	so,	

please	tell	me	about	this:	

 B1.	How	did	you	make	contact	‐‐was	it	by	telephone,	email,	or	some	other	way?

 B2.	To	what extent	were	your	questions	addressed?	

 B3.	What	else	would	you	liked	to	have	known	about	the	program	at	the	beginning?	

C. Did	you	ever	enroll	in	KITS?		
 

 C1.	NO:		If	not,	why	not?	
 

 C2.	YES:		If	you	did	enroll,	what	happened	so	that		you	were	not	able	to	participate?		
 

Rev:		4/27/2017

pg.	1
	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

D. What	could	the	school	or	the	KITS Program	have	done	to	[increase	your	interest	in	participating]	

or	[make	it	possible	or	easier	for	you	and	your	child	to	participate?]	(Depending on how parent

answers C‐‐	may not be relevant if school told parent they had no more room or were not eligible).

E. Did	you	and/or	your	child	participate	in	any	OTHER	program	or	activities	(besides	KITS)	that	

were	intended	to	help	children	and	families	be	ready	for	kindergarten?	[Probe for preschool/Head

Start, Safety Town, kindergarten camp, kindergarten orientation, etc.]

 E1.	Tell	me	a	little	about	that	–	what	was	it	like?		
 

 E2.	Where	was	it	located?		
 

 E3.	What	kinds	of	things	did	you/your	child	learn?			
 

F.	 How	did	the	transition	to	kindergarten	go	for	you	and	your	child?	

	 F1.		Is	there	anything	that	you	think could	have	made	it	easier or	smoother	for	you	and/or	

your	child?	

Wrap Up, Close, thank you so much for your time.
 

Do you have any other questions for me?
 

Please reach me at [number] if you would like to add anything else or have any questions.
 

As a thank you for your time today, we would like to send you a $20 gift card. What is the best mailing

address for you?

Thank you!

2
 

    

   

      

       

        

   

  

   

              

Rev: 4/27/17

pg. 1

KITS Year 1 Feasibility & Implementation Study 

FINAL Parent Interview (Spanish speaking) 

Winter 2017 

Rev:  4/27/17 

Section to be completed by interviewer prior to call:   

1. Person Being Interviewed (ID#):

3. KITS School Name: _____________________________

4. Interview Date: _______/_________/____________      

5. Interview conducted by:   ______________ 

Introduction: Gracias por tomar el tiempo para hablar conmigo hoy. Yo soy de La Universidad Estatal de 

Portland o Portland State University y estamos trabajando con el United Way del Condado de Lane y todas las 

escuelas involucradas con los niños en el programa se llama Kids in Transition to School o KITS para ayudarlos 

aprender más sobre como estuvo el programa de KITS este año. Estaremos hablando con mucha gente que ha 

estado involucrada con KITS y usaremos esta información para ayudar mejorar el programa en el próximo año. 

Estamos especialmente interesados en hablar con ustedes para entender mejor como funcionó — o no 

funcionó el programa para las familias latinas y los niños cuya lengua materna es el español. Déjeme saber si

tiene alguna pregunta sobre eso, ok?

Estaré tomando notas hoy, pero no voy a incluir su nombre en las notas. Tambien, tengo un grabador para que 

no me olvida ningún pensamiento suya que comparte conmigo hoy.  ¿Está bien grabar nuestra conversación? 

No compartiremos ninguna de la información que compartes conmigo hoy con nadie fuera del equipo de 

evaluación de PSU. 

[Review Consent Form, receive verbal consent, complete required fields] 

¿Tiene alguna pregunta antes de que empecemos?

Introduction

A. Cuando se enteró por primera vez de KITS, ¿Qué fue interesante para usted o le pareció valioso para 

usted acerca del programa? 

• A1. ¿Tenía alguna preocupación o pregunta acerca de estar en el programa? Y si es así ¿qué 

eran? 

• A2. ¿Qué más le hubiera gustado saber sobre el programa antes de que usted decidió a 

participar? 

B. ¿Cuáles fueron los mayores beneficios para su hijo/a por estar en KITS? 
     

   

__________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________ 

•	 B1.  ¿Cuáles fueron los mayores retos? 

C.  ¿Se proporcionó traducción en español a los niños que hablan español en las clases de KITS?

•	 ____NO.  Si no fue así, piensa que la traducción en el salón de clases le habría ayudado a su 

hijo(a)? ¿de qué manera? 

•	 ____SI:  ¿Cómo funcionó eso?

•	 C1.  ¿Había algo más que pudiera haber ayudado a su hijo estar más cómodo en el aula? 

D.  ¿En que maneras, si las hayan, fueron las actividades en el aula de KITS de su hijo(a) consistentes con su 

cultura?  [Probe — Escuchó de los maestros de su niño(a) o de su niño(a) sobre cualquier juego, canciones o 

actividades que eran similares a lo que usted hace en casa?]

E.  ¿Cuáles fueron los mayores beneficios para usted por participar en el grupo de padres? 

•	 E1.  ¿Cuáles fueron los mayores retos? 

F. ¿Cómo fue la traducción al español proporcionada en su grupo de padres? 

•	 F1.  ¿Fue eficaz/útil para usted? 

•	 F2.  ¿Qué podría ayudar a facilitar la traducción? 

G. ¿Hasta qué punto se sintió incluido(a) y acogido(a) en el grupo de padres? 

•	 G1. ¿Qué tan cómodo(a) se sintió hablando con otros padres de su grupo acerca de sus 

pensamientos, ideas y situaciones diferentes en casa con su hijo(a)? 

•	 G2. ¿De qué manera, si la hubo, fue consistente con su cultura la información sobre la crianza 

que recibió en el grupo de padres? ¿De qué manera, si la hubo, fue diferente? 

•	 G3. ¿Hasta qué punto se sintió que su cultura fue reconocida y respetada en el grupo de 

padres? 

H.  ¿Cómo fue la transición al jardín de niños/kinder para usted y su hijo(a)? 

•	 H1. ¿Hay algo que usted piensa que podría haber hecho el proceso más fácil o más suave para 

usted y/o su hijo(a)? 

I. ¿Cuáles sugerencias tiene para cómo el programa de KITS puede ser mejorado para los niños? 

•	 I1.  ¿Para los padres? 

•	 I2. ¿Tiene alguna sugerencia sobre cómo el programa podría llegar a incluir más familias latinas 

e hispanohablantes? 

Wrap Up, Close, Muchas gracias por su tiempo. ¿Tiene algunas otras preguntas para mí? 

Por favor llámeme a mi número [number] si le gustaría incluir cualquier otra cosa o si tiene alguna pregunta.  

Para darle las gracias por su tiempo hoy, nos gustaría mandarles una tarjeta de regalo de $20. ¿Qué es la 

mejor dirección para usted? 

¡Gracias!

2	
		

	 	

	 	 	 	

	 	 		

	 	 		

	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	

	 	

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

							

		 	 	 	

						

		 	 	

		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

KITS Year 1 Feasibility & Implementation Study
 

DRAFT Parent Interview (Low Participating)
 

Winter 2017
 

Rev: 4/27/2017
 

Section to be completed by interviewer prior to call:

1. Person Being Interviewed (ID#):

3. KITS School Name: _____________________________

4. Interview Date: _______/_________/____________

5. Interview conducted by: ______________

Introduction: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I am from Portland State University

and we are working with the United Way of Lane County and all of the schools involved with the Kids in

Transition to School (KITS) program to help learn more about how the KITS program went this year. We

will be talking to lots of people who have been involved in different ways with KITS and will use this

information to help improve the program next year. I'll be taking notes today, but I won't include your name

in the notes. We won't share any of the information you share with me today with anyone outside of the PSU

evaluation team. Instead, we'll group responses together and identify common issues or topics across the

interviews.

[Review Consent Form, receive verbal consent, complete required fields]

Do you have any questions before we start?

Introduction

A. When	you	first	heard	about	KITS, what	was	interesting	to	you	or seemed	valuable	to	you	about	the	

Program?		

 A1.	Did	you	have	any	concerns	or	questions	about	being	in	the	program,	and	if	so	what	

were	they?			

	 A2.	What	else	would	you	like	to	have	known	about	the	program	before	you	agreed	to	

participate?

B. We	are	interested	to	learn	more	about	why	families	may	not	have been	able	to	attend	some	of	the	

scheduled	KITS	classes	and/or	parent	groups	.		Let’s	talk	about	the	summer	classes	first,	and	then	

the	fall.		

	 B1.	Was	there	anything	that	got	in	the	way	of	your	child	being	able	to	attend	classes	during	

the	summer?	What	might	have	helped	him/her	attend	more?			

 B2.	Was	there	anything	that	got	in	the	way	of	you	being	able	to attend	parent	workshops	

during	the	summer?	What	might	have	helped	you	attend	more?			

 B3.	Was	there	anything	that	got	in	the	way	of	your	child	attending	KITS	classes	during	the	

fall?	What	might	have	helped	him/her	attend	more?	

 B4.	Was	there	anything	that	got	in	the	way	of	you	attending	parenting	workshops	during	

the	fall?		What	might	have	helped	you	attend	more?			

Rev:		4/27/2017

pg.	1
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. What	were	the	greatest	benefits	for	your	child	from	being	in	KITS?		
 

 C1.	What	were	the	greatest	challenges?	
 

D. What	were	the	biggest	benefits	for	you	from	being	in	the	Parent	Group?		
 

 D1.What	were	the greatest	challenges?	
 

E. Was	there	anything	you	were	hoping	to	get	out	of	being	in	KITS	that	you	didn’t	get?		
 

 E1._____	NO.			
 

 E2._____Yes:			If	so,	what	was	it?			
 

F. How	did	the	transition	to	kindergarten	go	for	you	and	your	child?		

	 F1.		Is	there	anything	that	you	think could	have	made	it	easier or	smoother	for	you	and/or	

your	child?	

G. What	suggestions	do	you	have	for	how	the	KITS	program might	be	improved	for children?	

H. What	suggestions	do	you	have	for	improving	the	parent	groups?		Anything	else	you	would	suggest	

to	make	the	program	better,	or	make	it	easier	for	families	to	participate?			

Wrap Up, Close, thank you so much for your time.
 

Do you have any other questions for me?
 

Please reach me at [number] if you would like to add anything else or have any questions.
 

As a thank you for your time today, we would like to send you a $20 gift card. What is the best mailing

address for you?

Thank you!

2
Appendix E: Spring Stakeholder 


Interview Protocols 


(Teacher, PG Facilitator, PG Translator)
 
		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

	 	

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 		

	 	 	 		 		 	 	 	

	 	 	 						

	 	 	 		 		 	 	

		 	 	 	

		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

KITS Year 1 Feasibility & Implementation Study
 

KITS Teacher/Facilitator Interview
 

Jan/Feb 2017
 

Rev: 4/27/2017
 

Section to be completed by interviewer prior to call:

1. Person Being Interviewed (ID#):

2. Title: _______________________________________________________________________________________

3. Organization or School Name: _____________________________

4. Interview Date: _______/_________/____________

5. Interview conducted by: ______________

6. Interviewer: Check	staff’s	primary role or roles in	KITS	prior	to	starting	interview:	

______	Lead	teacher	for School	Readiness	Group	

______	Assistant	teacher	for	School	Readiness	Group	

______	Parent	Group	Facilitator	

______	Parent	Group	Translator	

______	Other,	specify:		___________________________________________________________________________________	

Introduction: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I am from Portland State University

and we are working with the United Way of Lane County and all of the schools involved with the KITS

program to help learn more how the KITS project went this past year. We will be talking to lots of

individuals who have been involved in KITS so far, and will use this information to document what happened

during the first year of implementation and to help shape the process for Year 2. I'll be taking notes today,

but I won't include your name in the notes. We won't share any of the information you share with me today

with anyone outside of the PSU evaluation team. Instead, we'll group responses together and identify

common issues or topics across the interviews.

[Review Consent Form, receive verbal consent, complete required fields]

Do you have any questions before we start?

Introduction

A. Let's start by talking about your knowledge of KITS prior to this summer . Were you
 

familiar with the KITS program, or was it new to you?
 

 A1.____NEW	

 A2.____	Familiar	

 A3.	What	surprised	you	most	about KITS?		

 A4.	What	else	would	you	like	to	have	known	about	the	program	prior	to	implementation?

Rev:		4/27/2017

pg.	1
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	

	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 			

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

B. KITS offers a comprehensive training for Teachers and Facilitators. To what extent was this

training helpful to you?

	 B1.	What	was	most	helpful?	

	 B2.	What	was	less	helpful?	

	 B3.	Do	you	have	any	suggestions	for	how	the	training	could	be	improved?	

C.	 As you know, KITS is a manualized, evidence‐based program that is designed to be

implemented according to particular fidelity guidelines.

	 C1.	What	did	it	feel	like	to	implement	this	kind	of	a	program?	

	 C2.		What	was	helpful	about	the	fidelity	guidelines?

	 C3.		What	was	challenging?		

D. How did you know whether or not you/your team was implementing with fidelity to the

KITS model?

	 D1.	What	kind	of	feedback	did	you/your	team	get	from	your	Coach	regarding	fidelity?

	 D2.	How	did	you/your	team	use	that	feedback?	

E.	 To what extent did you utilize the KITS Manual in preparing for class/group and delivering

curriculum?

	 E1.	What	was	most	useful	about	the	Manual?	

	 E2.	What	was	less	useful?	

	 E3.	Do	you	have	any	suggestions	for	how	the	Manual	could	be	improved?	

F.	 Is there anything else that OSLC or your school or District could have done to help you with

implementing the program?

G.	 In what ways, if any, do you think the children in your class were more "kindergarten

ready" by the end of the KITS program this fall? [For Parent Group Leaders – In what ways

do you think the parents in your class were better prepared to support their children in

kindergarten, by the conclusion of KITS?]

	 G1.	Can	you provide	specific	examples?	

	 G2.	Is	there	anything	else	that	KITS		could	done	to		help	them	to	be	more	ready?		

H. Did you encounter any challenges in meeting the needs of particular subgroups of children

and/or families	(like	children	with	special	needs	or	English	Language	Learners)?		

	 H1.	If	yes,	can	you	provide	specific	examples?

	 H2.	How	did	you	work	to	address	those	needs?		

	 H3.	What	might	you	do	differently	next	time?

	 H4.	Is	there	anything	that	OSLC	or	your	KITS	coach	could	provide	to	help	you	work	more	

effectively	with	these	groups	of	children	and families?

2
		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 		

		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 			

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I. Have you incorporated any aspects of the KITS model into your work with children or

families in other contexts outside of the KITS classes/workshops? (If	applicable)	Tell	me	about	

what	that	looks	like....	

J. Have you shared the KITS approach with other teachers, staff or administrators in your

school or where you work? (if applicable)?

 J1.	If	yes,	what	aspects	have	you	shared	or	talked	about?			

 J2.	If	not,	do	you	think	other	teachers	or	leaders	where	you	work	could	benefit	from	

learning	more	about	KITS	approaches		

o J2a.	If	so,	what	specifically/why	would	this	be	helpful?		

K. What suggestions do you have for improving the KITS program next year?

 Knowing	what	you	know	now,	what	might	you	do	differently?	

Wrap Up, Close, thank you so much for your time.
 

Do you have any other questions for me?
 

Please reach me at [number] if you would like to add anything else or have any questions.
 

As a thank you for your time today, we would like to send you a $20 gift card. What is the best mailing

address for you?

Thank you!

3
		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			

	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 		

	 	 	 		 		 	 	 	

	 	 	 						

	 	 	 		 		 	 	

		 	 	 	

		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

KITS Year 1 Feasibility & Implementation Study
 

KITS Parent Group Translator Interview
 

Jan/Feb 2017
 

Rev: 4/27/2017
 

Section to be completed by interviewer prior to call:

1. Person Being Interviewed (ID#):

2. Title: _______________________________________________________________________________________

3. Organization or School Name: _____________________________

4. Interview Date: _______/_________/____________

5. Interview conducted by: ______________

6. Interviewer: Check	staff’s	primary role or roles in	KITS	prior	to	starting	interview:	

______	Lead	teacher	for School	Readiness	Group	

______	Assistant	teacher	for	School	Readiness	Group	

______	Parent	Group	Facilitator	

______	Parent	Group	Translator	

______	Other,	specify:		___________________________________________________________________________________	

Introduction: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I am from Portland State University

and we are working with the United Way of Lane County and all of the schools involved with the KITS

program to help learn more how the KITS project went this past year. We will be talking to lots of

individuals who have been involved in KITS so far, and will use this information to document what happened

during the first year of implementation and to help shape the process for Year 2. I'll be taking notes today,

but I won't include your name in the notes. We won't share any of the information you share with me today

with anyone outside of the PSU evaluation team. Instead, we'll group responses together and identify

common issues or topics across the interviews.

[Review Consent Form, receive verbal consent, complete required fields]

Do you have any questions before we start?

Introduction

A. Let's start by talking about your knowledge of KITS prior to this summer . Were you
 

familiar with the KITS program, or was it new to you?
 

 A1.____NEW	

 A2.____	Familiar	

 A3.	What	surprised	you	most	about KITS?		

 A4.	What	else	would	you	like	to	have	known	about	the	program	prior	to	implementation?

Rev:		4/27/2017

pg.	1
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

			

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 		

B. KITS offers a comprehensive training for Teachers and Facilitators. Did you attend this

training?

 B1._____NO	
 

 B2._____YES	
 

 B3.	If	YES,	to	what	extent	was	this	training	helpful	to	you?	
 

o	 B3a.	What	was	most	helpful?	

o	 B3b.	What	was	less	helpful?	

o	 B3c.	Do	you	have	any	suggestions	for	how	the	training	could	be	improved?	

C.	 Did you receive a copy of the KITS Parent Group Manual?

 C1._____NO	
 

 C2._____YES	
 

 C3.	If	YES,	was	the	Manual	you	received	translated	into	Spanish?	
 

o	 C3a.	To	what	extent,	if	at	all,	did	you	utilize	the	KITS	Manual	in	preparing	for	the	

Parent	Group?	

o	 C3b.	Do	you	have	any	suggestions	for	how	the	Manual	could	be	improved?	

D. How was Spanish language translation provided in the Parent Group?

	 D1.		How	effective	was	this	method	of	translation	for	the	Spanish‐speaking	parents	in	your	

parent	group?			

 D2.		What	might	help	make	the	translation	easier?	

 D3.		To	what	extent	did	you	adapt/modify	Parent	Group	content	during	translation,	in	

order	to	meet	the	needs	of	Spanish‐speaking	parents?	

E.	 To what extent do you feel Latino culture was acknowledged and respected within the

Parent Group?

 E1.	In	what	ways,	if	any,	do	you	think	the	activities	in	the	Parent	Group	were	consistent	

with	Latino	culture?			

 E2.	In	what	ways,	if	any,	do	you	think	the	parenting	information	conveyed	to	the	Parent

Group	was	consistent	with	Latino culture?	In	what	ways,	if	any, was	it	different?	

 E3.	How	do	you	think	the	Parent	Group	might	better	reflect	Latino	culture?	

F.	 To what extent do you think Spanish‐speaking parents felt included and welcomed in the

group?

 F1.	How	comfortable	did	parents	seem	to	feel,	sharing	their	thoughts,	feelings	and	

experiences with	other	parents	in	the	group?	

 F2.	What	do	you	think	might	help	Spanish‐speaking	parents	feel	more	respected	and/or	

comfortable	in	the	Parent	Group?	

 F3.		[If group was run with English and Spanish speakers together] In	your	opinion, did	

Spanish‐speaking	parents	get	the	same	amount	of	“talking	time”	that	other	families	got?		

G. What do you think were the biggest benefits for Spanish‐speaking parents of participating

in the Parent Group?

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_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

	 	

	 H1.		What	were	the	greatest	challenges?	

H.	 In what ways do you think the Spanish‐speaking parents in your class were better prepared

to support their children in kindergarten, by the conclusion of KITS?

 I1.	Can	you	provide	specific	examples?	

 I2.	Is	there	anything	else	that	KITS	could	have	done	to	help	Spanish‐speaking	parents	be	

more	ready?	

I.	 What other suggestions do you have for how the KITS program might be improved for

Spanish‐speaking families?

	 J1.		Do	you	have	any	suggestions	for	how	the	program	might	reach	out	to	and	include	more	

Latino	and	Spanish	speaking	families?			

Wrap Up, Close, thank you so much for your time.
 

Do you have any other questions for me?
 

Please reach me at [number] if you would like to add anything else or have any questions.
 

As a thank you for your time today, we would like to send you a $20 gift card. What is the best mailing

address for you?

Thank you!

3
Appendix F: Brief Reports and 


CPI Documents 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids in Transition to School 

Highlights from Summer 2016 

Prepared by Beth Green, Lindsey Patterson & Lorelei Mitchell 

Portland State University 

What is the KITS Program? 

In June and July 2016, Lane County launched an 

ambitious project to expand the evidence-based 

Kids in Transition to School (KITS) Program in 12 

school districts. KITS is an intensive, 16 week 

program that provides biweekly group-based 

kindergarten readiness activities to children 

(“School Readiness Groups”) and weekly parenting 

groups for family members. As part of this effort, 

Portland State University is conducting an 

evaluation of the KITS implementation and 

outcomes. Information presented here includes 

data from: (1) KITS teacher and facilitator surveys; 

(2) Baseline surveys with 256 participating parents; 

(3) Qualitative interviews with school and district 

staff; (4) Parent focus groups held in four participating schools. Some key 

early learnings from these sources are summarized below. Program 

outcomes will be shared in Spring 2017. 

Baseline Parent Survey Findings 

Multiple Ways of “Getting the Word Out” are Important. Families heard 

about KITS a number of different ways: 

•	 56% of families learned about KITS at their local kindergarten round 

up 

•	 26% learned from their Head Start or PreK partner 

•	 23% got flyers or other information from the elementary school 

•	 13% heard about it from other parents, 

•	 4-10% heard about it from other community advertisements (e.g., 

radio, Facebook, community flyers, posters, etc.) 

WHAT WE HEARD FROM 

PARENTS ABOUT 

BENEFITS TO CHILDREN 

“My daughter was in Head 

Start, which was a great school 

as well. I think this just pushed 

her even farther because she 

had the summer off. Having 

that extra time in KITS before 

school started made the 

transition really easy. It just 

kind of opened up the door and 

made it easier to just walk in 

school and she is ready to go!” 

“My daughter had high 

anxiety. Because of what 

[KITS] was teaching, her 

anxiety lessened and she was 

able to open up more around 

the class...it was awesome to 

see her not be afraid”. 

“Riding the bus was a huge 

thing. He loves that. He will 

not let me take him to school. 

He loves the independence and 

he knows what he is doing. It 

really boosted his confidence”. 

“Before this, because both me 

and my husband are stay-athome, [my son] never got 

much socialization....so I was 

very happy with the program”. 

KITS 2016 Baseline Key Findings 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Programs Recruited Families with Relatively Diverse Experiences & 

Characteristics 

•	 83% of children were white; 17% were Latino/Hispanic, 6% Alaska 

Native/Native American, and 5% African American 

•	 About half (54%) of children had participated in Head Start or another 

Preschool prior to KITS 

•	 About a quarter (24%) had experienced no regular childcare from 

persons other than the parent/guardian 

•	 30% of parents had a high school diploma or less education; 22% had a 

bachelor’s degree or higher 

•	 Two thirds (62%) of parents were married 

At Enrollment, Many Children Would Benefit from Additional Support for 

Kindergarten Readiness 

Parents varied in how much developmental support they provided in the 

home before the KITS Program: 

•	 One in four parents (24%) engaged in relatively few developmentally 

supportive activities with children (e.g., singing, reading, doing 

shopping, playing games) 

•	 30% reported reading to the child 1-2 times per week or less, and only 

35% reported daily reading to their child 

•	 Most families have access to books, although 1 in 5 had fewer than 25 

books at home, and 5% had fewer than 10 books at home 

•	 Only about half of parents felt their child was “very ready” to start 

school, and 37% reported being worried about their child starting 

school 

•	 Parents were least confident in their own ability to support children’s 

math learning at home; more felt confident supporting reading and 

most reported understanding the importance of attendance 

•	 About 25% of parents reported challenges setting boundaries for 

children and using consistent discipline 

At Enrollment, Many Children Could Benefit from Support to Develop SelfRegulation and Social Skills 

•	 Parents were most likely to report that children had problems with 

self-control and paying attention. These critical dimensions of selfregulation are a central focus of the KITS program 

PARENTS BENEFITED 

FROM KITS AS WELL 

“Just approaching her more 

gently versus getting 

frustrated myself. That just 

helped remind me of 

everything I’ve already 

learned, and to use those 

strategies versus getting 

frustrated.” 

“Being with other parents and 

hearing everybody’s struggles 

and achievements in a safe 

place, and knowing we are all 

in the same boat together and 

we are not alone in this... 

“Getting ideas from advice 

from other parents helped me 

a lot, because [my son] can be 

a little difficult”. 

“There were things I said, ‘oh, 

this isn’t going to work’, but I 

gave it a shot. One of them 

was time outs – this isn’t going 

to work, we’ve tried this. 

Within two days of doing it, it 

was like, ‘wow, this is working 

and we are still implementing 

that now. Wow, it worked!” 

KITS 2016 Baseline Key Findings 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Most children had relatively strong social skills, however, and relatively 

infrequent externalizing behaviors (e.g., tantrums, hitting, etc.) 

Teachers in the child School Readiness Groups were generally very positive 

about the KITS model. The more beneficial parts of the program were it’s: 

• Strengths-based approach, 

• Strategies and approach to teaching social-emotional skills, 

• Emphasis on supporting structure and routine, 

• Support for and attention to transitions, and 

• Strategies for teaching self-regulation skills. 

Consistent attendance was the challenge most often reported: close to half 

of teachers reported that consistent attendance had been very challenging or 

somewhat challenging. 

KITS Teacher & Facilitator Survey Findings 

Parent Group Facilitators were likewise enthusiastic about the program, and 

saw the biggest success in terms of: 

• The content and strategies for weekly topic instruction, 

• The weekly group discussions, 

• Use of raffles and incentives for parent participation. 

Teachers and Facilitators reported that consistent attendance was the 

biggest challenge, especially for KITS workshops in the Fall. 

Over three-quarters (78%) of KITS staff would like to return in Year 2. 

TEACHERS LEARNED 

NEW SKILLS 

“I'm really grateful to have the 

opportunity to be a part of 

such a fantastic program! I 

have learned so much in the 

short time I've been involved 

with KITS, and I am truly a 

better teacher for it!” 

“I feel the KITS training and 

approach has given the school 

staff involved better skills for 

managing student behavior 

and for supporting students to 

help them with self-regulation 

skills. I like that it gives them 

skills to encourage positive 

behavior rather than working 

from a deficit model” 

“I was involved in KITS several 

years ago, and it's actually 

what convinced me to go into 

teaching. The behavior 

management strategies really 

work, and I love how 

structured the program is. It's 

really hard to fail when you 

have so much structure and 

support.” 

“KITS has given me tools to 

support student learning and 

manage group and classroom 

behavior. I am much more 

effective in my school district 

job since participating in KITS 

training.” 

KITS 2016 Baseline Key Findings 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KITS Teacher and Facilitator Survey
 

Summer 2016
 

In June and July 2016, Lane County launched an ambitious project to expand the evidence-based Kids In 

Transition to School (KITS) program in 12 school districts. KITS is an intensive, 16 week program that provides 

biweekly group-based kindergarten readiness activities to children (“School Readiness Groups”) and weekly 

parenting groups for family members. As part of this effort, Portland State University is conducting an 

evaluation of the KITS implementation and outcomes. 

As one part of the evaluation, KITS School Readiness Group Lead Teachers, Assistant Teachers, and Parent 

Group Facilitators completed a web-based survey in August, 2016. The purpose of the survey was to describe 

the characteristics of KITS staff and their perceptions of the nature and quality of KITS implementation after 

the first 8-week summer session. Ninety-one percent (91%, n=59) of KITS Teachers and Facilitators 

participated in the survey. 

Survey Findings 

KITS staff characteristics 

Respondents were predominantly white, English-speaking, women, with at least some college education. 

•	 Most SRG Lead Teachers were kindergarten teachers (57%) or 1st-12th teachers (14%). 

•	 Most SRG Assistant teachers were Teaching Assistants (31%) or preschool/childcare teachers (31%). 

•	 Parent Group Facilitators were primarily from social service/therapeutic occupations, including Family 

Resource Coordinators, Parent Educators, School Counselors, and Psychologists. 

KITS staff expressed strong support for the KITS model 

KITS Teachers and Facilitators indicated their comfort with various components of the KITS model on a scale of 

1 ("Really Dislike") to 5 ("Really Like"). Overall, respondents were very positive about the model: 

•	 12 out of 15 model components received a "Like" to "Really Like" rating. 

•	 Staff were most positive about the following aspects of the program: 

o	 the strengths-based approach, 

o	 the KITS approach to teaching social-emotional skills, 

o	 the emphasis on structure/ routine, and 

o	 the support for and attention to transitions 

•	 Only 3 model components fell into the "Neutral" to "Like" range, including the number and length of 

child and parent sessions and the use of homework assignments. Many staff felt that 8 weeks of 

additional KITS sessions after the start of school was challenging, especially with full-day kindergarten. 

Social-emotional and self-regulation components of KITS seen as more important than academic 

KITS Teachers and Facilitators also indicated how important they felt each of the model components was to 

program success, on a scale of 1 ("Not at all important") to 4 ("Very Important"). 

•	 Staff felt that the most important aspects of KITS were the model’s emphasis on: 

o	 teaching social-emotional skills (76% said this is very important), 

o	 structure/routine, 

o	 strengths-based strategies, 

KITS 2016 Teacher & Facilitator Survey Highlights	 1/25/2017 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o	 teaching self-regulation skills, and 

o	 strategies for behavior management 

•	 Homework assignments were seen as least important to success of the program (40% said not at all or 

somewhat important). 

KITS approach to behavior management seen as effective 

KITS follows a specific protocol for behavior management in the classroom. SRG Lead and Assistant Teachers 

rated the perceived effectiveness of the behavior management techniques on a scale of 1 ("Very ineffective") 

to 4 ("Very effective"). 

•	 Overall, SRG Teachers seemed to find the KITS approach to behavior management effective, with all 

items receiving a mean rating in the somewhat effective to very effective range. 

•	 Teachers saw the following components as most effective: 

o	 using specific praise, 

o	 providing individual attention to support on-task behavior, and 

o	 providing a 5:1 ratio of positive reinforcement to corrective feedback 

• Incentives and rewards received slightly lower mean ratings, as did the two strategies for "time out." 

Overall SRG implementation successes & challenges 

SRG Lead and Assistant Teachers were asked about the relative ease/difficulty with which they were able to 

carry out various elements of the KITS program. 

• Teachers reported the greatest success in executing: (1) snack time, (2) social-emotional lessons, and 

(3) the use of point chart/incentives. 

•	 Some areas of implementation were rated as more challenging: (1) weekly home letter and homework, 

(2) early literacy lessons, and (3) transportation. 

•	 Consistent attendance was the challenge most often reported: close to half of teachers reported that 

consistent attendance had been very challenging or somewhat challenging. 

Overall PG implementation successes & challenges 

Parent Group Facilitators were likewise asked to indicate the relative ease/difficulty with which they were able 

to implement elements of the KITS Parent Group program. 

•	 PG Facilitators reported the greatest success in executing: (1) weekly topic instruction, (2) weekly topic 

group discussion, and (3) weekly raffle/incentives. 

•	 Greatest reported challenges were in the areas of attendance and make-up sessions with parents, with 

30% of Facilitators reporting that consistency of attendance was very or somewhat challenging, and 

almost half of Facilitators reporting that make-up sessions with parents were very or somewhat 

challenging. 

•	 Facilitators likewise reported challenges in carrying out the parent home practice activities, with the 

majority (71%) reporting that execution was somewhat challenging or only somewhat successful. 

KITS Coaching experienced as helpful 

Ongoing coaching is a crucial component of the KITS model, intended to support program implementation 

with high fidelity. Coaches meet with teaching teams weekly to review implementation and provide feedback, 

as well as act as a resource for emerging questions and support. SRG Teachers and PG Facilitators were asked 

to indicate how often their Coach utilized a variety of KITS coaching strategies, on a scale of 1 ("Never") to 5 

("Always"). Overall, KITS Coaches received very high ratings from both Teachers and Facilitators, with 92%-

100% of Teachers and Facilitators indicating that their Coach almost always or always engaged in each of 6 

different coaching behaviors. 

•	 Coaches received highest rating for having a positive attitude, being emotionally supportive, and being 

readily available. 

KITS 2016 Teacher & Facilitator Survey Highlights 1/25/2017 
 

 

 

 

 

 

•	 Respondents said the coaching process had been useful in supporting team development, skill
 

improvement, and the learning process. 

•	 More challenges were reported in terms of the weekly clinical meetings, the videotaping process, and 

the program-required paperwork. 

Most KITS Staff would like to return in Year 2 

Respondents indicated their interest in returning as KITS staff, as well as in becoming a KITS trainer. 

•	 Most (78%) of Teachers and Facilitators said they would like to return. 

•	 Fewer indicated interest in becoming a KITS trainer (36%), although a sizeable number (42%) put 

themselves in the "Maybe" category. 

Overall, survey results point to generally high levels of buy-in and support from KITS staff for the KITS 

curriculum and approach. A few areas were identified for potential improvement for next summer, and 

modifications to ensure fidelity to KITS content while adapting where possible to strengthen participation and 

implementation are being incorporated. 

KITS 2016 Teacher & Facilitator Survey Highlights	 1/25/2017 
     

   

  

KITS Key Stakeholder Interviews

Summary of Issues Related to Recruitment

10‐18‐16 

Telephone interviews were conducted in Fall 2016 with 24 persons involved in the start up phase of the KITS 

expansion in Lane County.  Those interviewed included 13 KITS site supervisors, 7 District Coordinators, and 4 

KITS Coaches.  To provide timely feedback related to planning for recruitment for 2017, PSU staff did a 

preliminary review of the qualitative data to identify key challenges and barriers encountered during Year 1 

recruitment efforts.  These findings are summarized below.   

Identified Barriers to Recruitment 

Timing of recruitment  

 Late start in Year 1.
 

 Overlap with very busy end‐of‐school‐year period.
 

 In many cases, key staff were not yet hired/trained prior to recruitment efforts. 

Lack of understanding of the recruitment process  

 Most sites didn't realize how much effort and staff time it would take.
 

 Most sites lacked a comprehensive recruitment strategy or plan.
 

 There were some sites with a basic misunderstanding of the role of the schools/districts in recruitment 

(e.g., some sites thought OSLC would do the recruitment). 

Inadequate staffing

 Most sites did not have designated recruitment staff.

 For most staff, KITS recruitment efforts were layered on top of full‐time job responsibilities, limiting the 

time available for recruitment and reducing the effectiveness of recruitment efforts . 

 Staff were not yet trained in KITS and therefore, many struggled to  answer parent questions and 

successfully convey messages about program benefits. 

 Delays in hiring KITS staff meant that interim staff often "filled in" on a temporary basis, resulting in 

some disorganization and lack of ownership around recruitment efforts.

 In some cases, staff felt they had no time to follow up on OSLC's offers of support. 

Confusion re: eligibility for KITS & appropriate target population 

 Varying perceptions of KITS as a "universal" program vs. intervention for high‐need families.

 Sites used different eligibility criteria to screen families in/out, e.g., SES, race/ethnicity, preschool 

participation, special needs, etc. 

 In many cases, stakeholders expressed the belief that  that the children /families who ended up in KITS 

were the ones who needed it least.

Lack of district support 

 Many sites reported insufficient district involvement in/support for recruitment.
   

   

   

   

 Would have liked to have seen district “higher‐ups” facilitating coordinated efforts and relationships 

with relevant community‐based agencies. 

 Would have liked to have seen “higher‐ups” building support for the program internally, "selling" it to 

schools and teachers ‐‐ need more buy‐in because KITS requires "a lot of effort on everybody's part."

Length, frequency and timing of KITS 

	 Widespread perceptions that:

 Summer is a very hard time to engage families. 

 KITS is "too long" ‐ requires too long of a commitment, both during the summer and especially

during the fall. 

 KITS is too infrequent to meet the needs of working families (who need more full time child 

care/activities).

 Many families are interested in KITS but unwilling/unable to make such a commitment.

 Multiple recommendations to shorten and/or compress KITS.  

 Many sites reporting as much as 50% attrition this fall (children and parents).

 Widespread perception that the KITS fall session is incompatible with full‐day kindergarten.

Lack of interest in the parent education component

	 A number of sites reported that parents were not interested in participating in the parent education 

component and thus passed on KITS.

Recommendations from Key Stakeholders: 

 Start early ‐ Jan/Feb. 

 Work with Family Resource Centers/Early Learning Alliance/Housing/Head Start/DHS foster 

care/Libraries/Other partners. 

 Provide designated staff for recruitment. 

 Use face‐to‐face contact; home visits. 

 Use familiar faces, both in recruiting and staffing. 

 Ensure that staff (recruitment and program) reflect the community. 

 Utilize creative approaches, customized to the community. 

 Ask parents: 

 What are convenient times for KITS?

 What would work for them in terms of program length/frequency? 

 What would work best for bilingual parents?
 

 Put more effort into customizing the program for bilingual/bicultural parents
 

 Work toward a culture shift in messaging ‐ all families benefit from KITS ‐ make it "normal."
 

 Adapt the model to:
 

 Eliminate the fall session, adding more class meetings in the summer, or; 

 Move KITS to August and compress, e.g., meet 4x/week, and/or make it a longer day, or; 

 Significantly shorten the fall session. 
 Ensure more effort by “higher‐ups” to sell the program to the community, including schools/teachers

and external  partners.
      

   

   

   

       

   

KITS Parent Interview Themes

SUMMARY for ODI & UWLC 

3/16/17

Total interviews: n=18

English‐speaking parents: 14 

 Non‐enrolling: 5
 

 Low child and low parent attendance: 3 

 Low parent attendance: 6
 

Spanish‐speaking parents: 4 

English‐speaking families

Where did you hear about KITS?

 Kindergarten round‐up: 6 (43%) 

 Unsure: 2
 

 Unspecified: 2 

 School mailing: 1 

 School poster: 1 

 Early intervention: 1
 

 Head Start: 1
 

What was appealing about KITS?

Opportunity to: 

 Practice kindergarten (routines, bus) 

 Become familiar with the school 

 Meet other parents and kids prior to kindergarten

 Enhance social skills  

 Provide extra support/practice for kids with disabilities 

 Make sure child is at grade level (only 1 parent)

Concerns about enrolling

 Very few concerns expressed overall
 

 Lack of clarity regarding eligibility
 

 I initially wasn’t sure if we qualified based on our income and where we live. I wasn’t 

sure if it was district wise or just a couple of schools.  

 I guess I didn’t know what the population, what families it was set up for. My son had

already had experience in preschool for two or three years. I wasn’t sure if it was meant 

for kids who hadn’t had any preschool prior to kindergarten.

	 Riding the bus

	 About the transportation. Being a kindergartener, the bus picking him up, I just wasn't 

ready to let go on that. And then the school was 20 minutes away, so it was just a long

commute time for a short time.  

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What else would you liked to have known about KITS? 

That the program continued into the fall 

 Going into the fall, I didn’t know that.  But that’s the only thing I didn’t know.  I thought it was

just 8 weeks in summer, but still would have signed up if I’d known it was for fall too.   

 I didn’t know that it went into the fall until we'd already started. We didn't necessarily get to 

every Saturday during the fall because school was during the week, and we couldn't keep up with 

his attendance like I would have liked to just because we weren't prepared for it.

 I didn't know it ran into the fall, so I wasn't expecting that, but that ended up working out great.

 The only thing that got in the way was that I didn’t know that they were continuing to go into 

the school year. He missed a couple classes and then I got an email letting me know that he 

needed to be there on Monday, so after that email he kept going. I just wasn’t initially aware 

that it continued after school started. 

More about the target population and benefits

 I didn’t feel like I had a good understanding of what it was and how it could benefit us..What 

would be beneficial for participating in the program? I would want to know if for kids and 

families who haven’t had any kind of school yet or preschool or kindergarten readiness or if it 

was more social and meeting other kids or help with parenting. I just wasn’t sure.

The purpose of the parent group

 I didn't know much about the parent meetings either. I knew that there was something about a 

parent group in there, but I didn't know the extent of the parent group. 

Appropriateness for children with disabilities

	 It didn’t work for him so much because it’s really structured on what you’ve got to do and when 

you’ve got to do it. That didn’t work so well with him. 

Options other than KITS to support the kindergarten transition

 At that point I didn’t know if there were any other options. That just kind of ended there. I didn’t 

know if there was a KITS program somewhere else that I could participate in or if that was still 

relevant to participate. I wasn’t given any other options or information.

Other types of early learning experiences 

All but two children had at least some preschool experience (mostly center‐based/more than a third in 

Head Start); many had been enrolled full‐time and/or for a period of years:

 He was going full time for the full year prior to entering kindergarten. I felt like he was very ready for 

kindergarten.  

 She did two years of Prek at the Lane Community College child care center. We also had to have a 

parent group where we had like parent group therapy. She did that for two years and I did that for 

two years. We had parent meetings and we talked a lot about what you should do and provide to

your kid while they are the age that they are. 

 He's been in preschool for years. He started when he was little. Last summer, he did swimming

lessons and that was pretty much it, but he's been in preschool. He was in a Montessori school and

then he was in the child development program at the local high school.  

 We lived in Alaska before we moved here, and I worked out of the home. So from the time my 

daughter was about four months to three and a half, she went to in home daycare that had a 

preschool curriculum.

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One stay‐at‐home mom mentioned a number of efforts to access early learning experiences in the

community:

 Programs for stay‐at‐home moms, such as "Learning Littles" (3‐4 times) bilingual drop‐in playgroup; 

preschool program at the library/science and story time. 

Another parent mentioned using a parenting app that sends daily text messages: 

 I signed up for those text messages. It tells you ideas on how to incorporate learning in everyday 

activities around the house or how often you should read to your kid...It’s been almost a year. It’s

free. Each age had a different number to text. It follows you for what they should be learning. You

get a tip, a growth, and a fact every week. 

One parent reported that her child had attended a week‐long kindergarten orientation prior to the

beginning of the school year. 

Non‐enrolling Parents (n=5) 

Reasons for not enrolling (multiple reasons/respondent)  

	 Summer trips/ commitments (2)

	 Work conflict (1) 

	 Parent group conflict (1) 

	 Long commute time not worth short time in KITS (1) 

	 Enrolled in a different (private) school (1) 

	 Not offered in neighborhood (1) 

How KITS could have made participation possible

 Offering different sessions at different times during the summer, e.g., early summer vs. late 

summer

	 Extending the length (number of hours/day) of KITS

	 Letting families know the dates far in advance, to facilitate planning

	 Offering KITS in more locations 

	 Offering incentives for rural families  

 I do think I would have enrolled him if the program had been closer to our house....Honestly, 

I would have thought about it more and tried to figure it out and said maybe we can make 

this work if there was some kind of incentive that I could justify by putting towards gas or

groceries.  I really have a special place in my heart for people who live in rural areas and the

challenges they have in getting to school. 

Kindergarten transition for non‐enrolled children

Went well (4) 

 Him being in preschool and a learning environment like that for so long really helped. It also helped 

that I had already put two other kids through kindergarten. So I knew what was expected of us and

our son, so we did prep him for it. He also was acclimated to being away from us so that wasn’t a

challenge. 

 She was ready for it because she had two years of Prek. It was a schedule and it wasn’t as long as 

kindergarten as now but she did really good. There was no issues. It was exciting, I was excited.

Some challenges (1)

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 The first couple of months were a little challenging for him....I think there is a very big difference

between where he was at his other programs in terms of expectations from his younger time period

to kindergarten. It's really rigorous now.  I don't think it was a transition as much for him in going all‐

day, 5‐days a week, but more that he's just in a more challenging environment. Basically listening 

and amount of attention span required, having self‐control, those kinds of things. In his previous 

programs, there was more activity built in, and now it's very academic.   There’s more sitting and 

more worksheets.

Low participating families (n=9)

Some KITS groups were better attended than others. In order to better understand the reasons for low 

attendance, interviews were conducted with two groups of parents: 1) parents who were themselves 

low‐attending (attended less than 5 of 13 PG meetings) and whose children were low‐attending 

(attended less than 8 of 24 KITS classes) (n=3), and 2) parents who were low attending but whose 

children attended a higher proportion of KITS classes (n=6). It should be noted that two of the three low 

child/low parent attendance respondents identified that their child had special needs, as did two of the

six low parent attendance respondents. Parents of children with special needs (e.g., autism spectrum

disorders) represent close to half of the sample. Findings are summarized below. 

Reasons for missing summer SRG sessions: 

The primary reason given for missing summer SRG sessions was family vacation: 

 Vacation was an issue in the summer, but that was about it. 

 The only times that I can think of that he missed was when he was on a vacation with his dad. So 

that wasn’t anything to do with the program.  

 I don’t recall but there may have been because we did quite a bit this last summer with family

vacation times on the week‐ends.

In some instances, the child her/himself was reluctant to attend:

 It was kind of hard some days to get him to want to go because he’d rather be at grandma’s 

house playing with all his brothers and cousins. 

One family encountered inconsistent bus service: 

 We had a little bit of trouble with the bus driver in the summer. It wasn't the program. It was

more the bus driver. Our bus driver wasn’t consistent. I don't know if it was something personal 

with the bus driver or miscommunication.  But my son missed KITS several times because the bus 

came late or way early, and we missed it. 

One child was asked by the program to leave, due to the child's disruptive behavior: 

 He did really well for the first two weeks and then his issues started and they had to do room

clears. There was one time he took off out the back door. He ran through to the high school 

before they got him to come back...They were just like it’s not really working and we’re almost 

done so why don’t we just have next Thursday be his last day.

Reasons for missing fall SRG sessions:

In many cases, SRG attendance decreased dramatically for the fall portion of KITS. The primary reason 

given by parents was conflicts with other (usually weekend) activities: 

 I usually do my work on the weekends, and we have other kids that are in sporting events and 

things like that. So it threw a little bit of kink in the schedule to get kids everywhere they needed

to be.

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 She couldn’t attend because her dad came back into the picture, and she was going over to his 

house on week‐ends. They only did KITS on Saturdays and that made it hard for her to be in 2 

places at once.   

Parents also reported that their children were tired from attending full‐time kindergarten and reluctant 

to attend additional "school":

 My son also wasn’t interested in going back to school on Saturdays. It wasn't anything about the 

program. He always came home excited about what he was he learning, he liked the other kids. 

That was fine. It was just mentally he needed a break from school. 

 She would say she was tired. She just didn’t want to go. In the fall she started refusing a lot it 

was too much school, it was six days a week.

Some families were unaware of the fall portion of KITS:

 I think he went in just the summer and then started kindergarten. Then he just started

kindergarten. I believe it was just the summer part. They either didn’t have it or they didn’t 

inform me if they did. 

 I think he went in just the summer and then started kindergarten. Then he just started

kindergarten. I believe it was just the summer part. They either didn’t have it or they didn’t 

inform me if they did. 

 One child started kindergarten at another school:

 He ended up going to another school in the fall so that’s reason why we didn’t go to fall 

program.  It was too complicated for me at the time to keep him in KITS at the other school. 

Another family was facing a family crisis: 

 We were going through some family health issues with my grandmother and my mom who got 

into a bike accident and was paralyzed. So I was taking care of my mother while my 

grandmother ended up passing away. So our life was upside down and backwards. The program 

couldn’t have done anything to help, it was our family.  

Reasons for missing Parent Group sessions: 

Statement here about parent attendance overall? By far, the primary reason given for low parent 

attendance (both summer and fall) was conflict with work: 

 The reason I didn’t attend is I work night shifts so was sleeping during day.  The parent group 

classes were held at the same time kids were in class. I knew about the parent group classes 

and let them know I wasn’t going to be able to make it to classes very often because of time 

classes were. 

 I wasn’t able to participate in the parent group. They were held at the same time I was at work, 

and I couldn't participate.  I think it could have helped if they would have offered more on the 

weekends or evenings. I wasn't working the type of position where I had the luxury to ask for 

three hours off every Thursday. 

 I wasn’t able to attend the parent groups. I worked during those times.  They were on Saturdays 

from 1‐3, and I work Saturdays from 9‐5.  The kids had their program at that same time, and 

every other Saturday parents could come too.  I worked 2 full‐time jobs, so my only day off was

Friday, so there was no way I could have attended.  I knew there was a parent part, and I 

explained I wouldn’t be able to attend.   

 Not KITS related, I just work full time so it’s really hard for me to take extra time out of my day. 

Although childcare was provided by KITS, it did not always work out for families: 

 Mainly my son wouldn’t stay in the other group. He wasn’t super comfortable in the adult group. 

He’d be there for a minute and they’d try to encourage him to stay but it’s a lot of adults around 

him. He usually just wanted to be out in the hallway the whole time.  

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 My oldest daughter, she's 12, and she didn't want to go to the daycare section with the little 

kids, so that was my biggest barrier. I was trying to find a place for her either with her grandma 

or a place for her to hang out while I was in the parent group.  If I had something set up for her, 

that would have helped. 

One parent with a special‐needs child found herself repeatedly asked to leave the Parent Group and 

intervene in the classroom: 

 Some days I was sitting in the parent group and they would come get me. You got to get him 

and take him home because he’s hiding under a table. I missed a lot after, I think I only went to

the parent group for the first three weeks because after that I was with him.

Benefits of KITS for child

Parents reported numerous benefits of KITS participation for their children.  

 Familiarity with school and staff 

 And, getting a better idea of what his school looked like, then he knew some of the staff and 

knew his way around, so it helped him build relationships before he was there all day every

week. 

	 Gaining social skills 

 I think he really benefited socially. He just needed to get out of the environment of just being at 

home in his comfort zone with me. He needed to be around other kids. He's the baby of the 

family so being around other children, learning how to be polite and have manners and patience, 

and all of those kinds of things that he wasn't used to necessarily at home. I think that was a 

huge part for us just socially and his being able to adapt to those types of situations before being 

thrown into school full‐time. 

 She picked up a lot of social skills that helped her in kindergarten and the kits was specifically at 

the school she was going to so her transition into the school was a lot smoother than her

transition into other schools in the past. She’d been to four or five schools by the time she started

kindergarten. Preschools, head starts, a few private preschools, head start, and two different 

schools here through EC Cares.

	 Learning routines (getting up in the morning, homework, etc.) 

 I also think he benefited from just getting in a routine of getting up, getting ready, getting on the 

bus, going to school. They would also have some work sent home, so there was also a good 

routine of doing some after‐school study and things like that. 

 Her being able to go was a routine for her, so when she started going to school 5 days a week, it 

wasn’t that big of a deal. She didn’t even really care.  She didn’t have any melt‐downs when

school started. 

	 Making friends 

 I would say meeting friends that he has continued to grow friendships with into the school year. 

He actually met his best friend in the KITS program.

 She had a great time, made a lot of good friends, and it was very fun to get to know all the

different teachers.

	 Gaining confidence

 The whole school experience ‐ being in the classroom, and going through the motions of school ‐  

she loved that. She gained a lot of confidence and made some new friends.  

	 Generating excitement for starting school 

 Oh yes, I would say she benefited from being in KITS.   I don't necessarily think ‐ when I think back 

I don't think anything educationally necessarily. It was more that she was excited to go to school.

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 I think it helped her overall, in general, to be prepared her for school.  She was prepared and 

excited to go to school full‐time 

The primary benefit reported specifically by low child/low parent attending respondents, was the early 

identification of special needs: 

 The people that work at the school and would be working with him full‐time once he got into 

kindergarten got to see the issues that he was going to have. So we were able to build a plan 

before he even started school. They got to see the issues especially because the school

psychologist was involved with it. She got to see what was going on and what his issues were,

what his triggers were and what worked and what didn’t. That was super helpful.

 I definitely think he benefitted.  Part of it was the fact that he was in same classroom.  He got in 

the same classroom when he started kindergarten that KITS was held in. So that definitely helped

his  transition because he knew the room.  That was amazing. The psychologist at the school had 

already met him because we did his evaluation for an IEP, and she was part of the KITS program, 

so that really helped. So when kindergarten started, it went pretty good.  

One parent likewise mentioned getting connected to appropriate community resources:

 And then because of the issues he did have in KITS, [he was referred] to the Spirit program and 

now we’re involved with that. So they’re working with him which has been great. 

Benefits of KITS for parent(s) 

Parents likewise reported a variety of benefits of participation in the Parent Group: 

 Connections with other parents

 There were great parents in the Parent Group, so I made a lot of good connections with parents 

of other kindergarteners.  A lot of times you're with those same parents for 6 years, so that was 

good. 

 It was kind of fun to watch how all the kids were at the beginning and how much the kids were

learning at the end. And it was nice to compare with all the other parents.  

 And as a stay at home mom, it was really nice to talk to other adults and not just children!

 Having other parents that knew what was going on when the school was kind of disorganized.  

	 Information

 There was a lot of good information. I did feel like I benefitted from the parent group.

 And then also, just the ideas and suggestions that were made throughout to help with reading

and different aspects. So other parent suggestions were super helpful. 

 I did like the reminders on how to set up a homework routine. I have a 17 and 15 year old and

then a 5 and 3 year old so some of the stuff was good reminders for getting back into the habit

of all that. I 

	 Validation 

 I LOVED the parent group. I loved being able to hear that other people were having the same

difficulties that I was with my child. 

 I don’t know if this is going to sound weird or not but also hearing the other parents talk about 

things that weren’t so great with their kids and where the frustrations were and realizing that

my son’s not the only one that can totally piss me off in about five seconds. That’s completely 

normal to every parent. 

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	 Familiarity with the school and staff

 I got to see the kindergarten building and feel more comfortable in that building and feel 

comfortable with all the teachers. So when they went to pick the teacher for my daughter, and I

didn't know who it was, I was okay because I knew all those teachers, and I felt comfortable with 

them all. So no matter what teacher she got, I knew it was going to be okay because I felt like I

knew them all at that point.  

	 Sense of reassurance

 I think it's just that confidence that I had that she's okay, she feels comfortable there, she's going 

to do okay. That was good for me.

Parent Group Challenges

A few parents also reported challenges associated with the Parent Group:

 Homework 

 I felt like the homework was a problem for me because I was busy. I couldn't always do my 

homework, and then when I came back to class the next time, and you don't have your

homework then you don't know what to write. It felt like the teacher was a little 

disappointed and that fellow parents were disappointed. For me, the group took on a little 

more sour note, so I ended up skipping every other session so I didn't have to go through 

that...I didn't realize there would be homework for the parents when I enrolled. 

	 Sense of exclusion 

 I felt like maybe they all knew each other [the other parents in the group]. I’m new to the 

state and new to the area. They were talking a lot more about their more personal stuff. I 

didn’t really get engaged a lot. There were times during the group conversation at the 

beginning where I’d want to walk out of the room because it seemed like friends catching up. 

	 Over‐representation of first‐time parents 

 A lot of them seemed like maybe first time parents to so there was a bit of gap between me

and them because I’ve raised teenagers. Some of them seemed like they were just learning 

how to raise children so their questions were kind of basic. A lot of bonding over cute kids 

stories. Stuff like that wasn’t interesting to me or really relevant all the time.  

	 Insufficient understanding of child disability issues

 But I know that anytime I would bring up specifics with my child it seemed like my child was

the only that had any sort of disabilities so there was kind of cookie cutter answers for 

things. The other parents weren’t really able to offer support on things for my child. The 

facilitator wasn’t really well versed with Special Ed it seemed like so it wasn’t really inclusive

to me specifically. I wanted more substance to the material.  

Kindergarten transition for low child participation/low parent participation 

All but one of the parents interviewed indicated that the transition to kindergarten had gone well for 

their child:

 She actually ended up going to the same classroom that she was in KITS, so I think that was 

exciting for her. She already knew the teacher, she already knew the classroom and a little bit of 

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the routine. There were quite a few of the KITS kids in that class as well, so she already knew 

quite a few kids coming into the class. It was very cool. 

 It was smooth.  We didn’t have any problems.   

 It actually went a lot better than I thought it was going to. Since they are full days, some of the 

days are still a bit long for my son, but I would say transition wise we did really well and didn’t 

really have a lot of issues. We both did well with it.

 So it actually went AMAZING. My daughter jumped right in. The transition for me was also 

AMAZING. It was really good.  

In particular, the parents of the three children with special needs reported that KITS participation had

eased the transition:

	 Because of the KITS experience we started off with only an hour and they knew what his issues 

were so they were a little bit more prepared for him. So I think it actually went better than if he 

had not done KITs and he would have went straight into the regular classroom. 

	 The transition went good. He ended up in the same class that he was in for KITS, so that was a 

great transition, knowing that already and just the fact that he was aware of his school a little 

bit. It was actually a lot less of an issue or stress or challenge than I expected it to be for him to 

start kindergarten, and I really feel like KITS was a big part of that. The school had arranged with 

his IEP which teacher he would have so he doesn’t have the same teacher he had in KITS, but he 

still sees her and loves the fact that he sees her. 

	 Pretty smooth. She seemed to enjoy going to school. She was excited about stuff most days. We 

didn’t have any issues trying to run out which was good. She finally started learning her friend’s 

names which is nice. She’s never been able to pick up people’s names before. It was just 

somebody at school or my friend but she doesn’t normally talk to them that much. KITS had such 

a team aspect to a lot of the tasks that it got her forcibly engaged with other kids.(Child with

autism)

One parent reported a challenging transition for her son: 

 It has been rough. He will just flat out tell me he doesn't like school ‐  it's way too long, it's too 

boring, it takes too long. He's kind of my home body anyway, so I think part of it is just his 

personality. He really likes just to be at home. He likes to be with me, and with his family, or 

playing with his toys. He's not a real big let's go out and do anything kid, so I kind of already

knew that it was going to be a struggle. It's just such a hard thing to get him off to school in the 

mornings. I didn't have that problem with my other kids, although they didn't go to full‐day

kindergarten either, so we haven't been through the whole day thing before.  

Suggestions for improving KITS 

School Readiness Group

Parents made a number of suggestions for improvement of the SRG group, most notably in the area of 

scheduling. Several parents suggested providing more options to accommodate different schedules, as 

well as extending the KITS day and/or number of days in KITS, to better prepare children for full‐day 

kindergarten:

 The only thing I had thought is maybe if there's any way to start out going 2 days a week and 

then maybe go 3 days a week and start out going 2 hours and then start going 3 hours ‐ easing

into it. KITS was just 2 days a week, 2 hours a day, so going from that to 5 days a week and 6‐7

hours a day, it was just so much for him.

 Since they don't have part‐time kindergarten (it's full‐day) I think increasing the hours of the KITS 

program might help with the children transitioning into kindergarten.  

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Several parents mentioned the importance of recess, a possibility that might be more feasible were the

KITS day extended:

 I’m not sure what activities they did with them specifically but she likes recess and outdoor 

play. Maybe if there was more outdoor play or the outdoor play came earlier in the session

or something like that. I think that would have probably motivated her to go more.  

 The other thing (I know they didn't do it because of the limited amount of time they were in 

the program), but I think giving that outside time is important for the kids especially when

they're younger and they're used to having that. 

One parent suggested decreasing the amount of homework:

 In my opinion, with my son, they sent home a lot of homework each week.  At his age, they

don’t like to go home and do a ton of homework.  More than 2 pages is a little overwhelming

for the little ones. It took my son, he has ADHD, it took him probably for more than 2 pages –

1.5‐2 hours just to get the homework done.

Another parent would like to see more accommodations for children with disabilities:

 I would have liked to of had more resources for me and my son to participate more fully. 

Parent Group 

Many parents likewise suggested offering different scheduling options for Parent Group participants: 

 Work with the parents. Some parents work in the mornings when they have KITS. If they could

have afternoon or evening classes, that would be really good. 

 I just think generally speaking most of our kids have soccer or basketball games somewhere from 

mid‐morning to afternoon, so maybe if the parent group was offered during the evening when 

there wasn't all the sporting events during the day, maybe that was something that would have 

helped.

 Aside from different meeting times, there was nothing the program could have done. I really

could have only gone if they were evening meetings.

One parent also suggested less homework associated with Parent Group:

 I think the paperwork and the homework were a little much. I know we tried to stay on topic a 

lot, but I also felt like it held us back from getting into some good conversations. I prefer a little 

more organic kind of meeting, not so structured. That's my preference.  I thought it just felt like 

every time we got there, there were lots of papers and things to fill out. And we're supposed to 

take notes on what we're talking about.  

Another parent would like to see separate Parent Groups for English and Spanish speakers:

 Maybe, not that this was a problem, but it did take a lot longer because it was bilingual. We had 

to translate everything so it took a lot longer. So maybe separate the English and the Spanish

groups for time purposes.   

Finally, one parent asked for more information regarding children with special needs:

 I don’t think it would take too much to add with there being so many kids with different

spectrum disorders. I do think it would take too much to have a little basic information on those 

kids and say well sometimes with kids on the spectrum this might work better than this. Not like 

a whole ADA level of awareness but adding some sort of component in there that addresses 

special needs kids specifically ones that are on the spectrum and with sensory issues given that 

we have so many.  

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Spanish‐speaking parents (n=4)

What was appealing about KITS?

Similar to English‐speaking parents, Spanish‐speaking parents reported that they were interested in KITS 

as a way to prepare their child for kindergarten. In particular, Spanish‐speaking parents seemed 

concerned about their child's social skills. Three out of four parents reported having a "very shy" child.

	 It was interesting to me because my first son, who went to the program four years ago, was very 

shy and the program helped him a little, and it took away the fear of the school, and he became 

more confident, and felt more comfortable with the teachers. 

 That my son was going to get to know other kids. I was worried about my son because he’s very 

shy, and I knew that if he participated in the program he would feel well about school. 

 I found very interesting what they were going to be learning, like how to adapt to kindergarten, 

and what the parents were going to be learning too. 

	 Because I knew my son was going to start kindergarten, I needed to know how to help him. My 

son is very shy.  I was very concerned about my son because he is so shy and because he did not 

have any interest in the letters.

What else would you liked to have known about KITS? 

One parent reported that she did not initially understand that there was a parent component. 

Participation in the Parent Group was challenging for her, due to two other children at home. Another 

parent said that she wished she had known that there would be other parents who spoke Spanish in the 

group.

Benefits of KITS for child

Spanish‐speaking parents reported a number of benefits of KITS participation for their child, including 

learning routines, social skills, and gaining confidence regarding school. Distinct from the English‐

speaking parents, Spanish‐speaking parents also emphasized the importance of learning to respect the 

teacher, and gaining academic skills such as reading and writing.

	 There were many good benefits. My son learned to get used to a schedule to go to bed, to share 

and get along with peers, to be nice to his peers, to respect his teachers, and to do his

homework.  He learned much. 

	 The fact that they taught him how to share with peers and work with the teachers too. Also, to 

learn to get along with other kids, and to learn to read and write. 

	 I think it helped my son to be prepared for kindergarten, especially because the program started

in the summer. Normally most kids forget much of what they have learned in pre‐school during 

the summer.  Also, the fact that he got used to doing his homework. 

	 When he started school, he was not afraid of school anymore. 

One parent reported that the greatest benefit of KITS was opportunity to learn English:

	 The greatest benefit is to learn English, so that when he gets to kindergarten he doesn’t struggle 

so much.  

Challenges of being in KITS 

Two of the four parents reported no challenges associated with KITS: 

	 It was not hard at all! We had an interpreter, and this made everything easier.

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One parent reported that her son initially struggled with following teacher directions, but, " By the end

of the program, he was co‐operating with the teachers, they had to work very hard with him." 

Another parent reported that her child struggled to get into the routine of doing homework. This parent

likewise described the effort she put into applying the Parent Group curriculum to her own parenting:

	 For me as a parent, my greatest challenge was to learn what was being taught and to put into 

practice.  I knew the importance of learning all the good things they were teaching us, and I

knew that I needed to get used to these things for my son’s wellbeing.   

Spanish‐language interpretation in the classroom

Three of the four parents interviews reported that their child had had at least one Spanish‐speaking

teacher (or at least they thought so) in their KITS classroom. 

	 They had a teacher’s assistant who spoke Spanish, it helped that the assistant explained 

everything to the kids in Spanish, so they knew what to do and could follow the teacher’s 

instructions. 

	 I think they had a teacher who spoke Spanish in the classroom, but I am not sure.  I was never in 

the class with my son.

	 I think they had a teacher assistant who spoke Spanish. I am not very sure about this because I

did not attend the class with my son.  I know the teacher spoke a little Spanish, because on one

occasion I spoke to her in Spanish.  When I spoke to the teacher on said occasion, the teacher 

understood what I was saying, and I could understand her too.  

The fourth parent reported that her child was one of only two Spanish‐speaking children in the class and 

none of the staff spoke Spanish: 

	 My son had already attended the Head Start Program so he spoke a little bit of English. They had 

a teacher and a teacher’s assistant, but none of them spoke Spanish.

Most of the parents indicated that having Spanish‐speaking staff was important to their child's success 

and comfort:

 I think it worked very well with the assistant speaking Spanish. 

 I believe [having someone who speaks Spanish in the classroom] is important, so that the 

children can understand the teacher’s instructions and not feel lost.

	 I think it would have been helpful if they had had someone who Spoke Spanish to help my son,

when he didn’t understand something. My son would have been able to express himself better in 

Spanish.  

Consistency of classroom with Latino culture

Spanish‐speaking parents were asked about the ways, if any, KITS activities reflected their family's 

culture. Most parents reported that they did not see Latino culture represented in the KITS classroom: 

	 No, the activities did not have anything to do with our Hispanic culture. There were about 18 kids 

in the classroom and only about 6 or 8 of the kids were Hispanic kids, and I never heard any of 

our traditional Spanish songs.

 No. All the activities were in English. My son did not tell me, but in the parent group, they 

showed us all the activities they were doing so we could learn to do them at home too.   

 No, there was nothing consistent with my culture.  I would have enjoyed if they had even taught 

them at least one Spanish song. 

 The only thing I noticed similar to our culture, was a song they sang, this song is the elephant 

song in Spanish, and in English they sing it with monkeys instead of elephants.

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Benefits of Parent Group 

Three of the four parents reported that participation in the Parent Group had been helpful. Parents 

mentioned learning strategies for managing their own anger; for responding to child misbehavior; for 

encouraging clean‐up; and for supporting homework. One parent also mentioned the camaraderie and 

support offered by the group:

	 I also enjoyed to share with other parents, and to know that we have the same situations at 

home. I really enjoyed the parents group. 

One parent who studied early childhood education found the group redundant, but felt it was helpful for 

the other participants:

	 Almost everything they taught I already knew.  I felt that I went to lose my time. I studied early 

childhood education, and I already knew about all the topics. Other parents who have not taken

early childhood education do need the class. 

Challenges of participating in PG

Two parents reported no challenges associated with participation in the KITS Parent Group, noting, "In 

Spanish, it was easy." One parent reiterated that it had been difficult for her to attend the Parent Group, 

due to her two other children at home. One parent found it difficult to participate due to issues with 

interpretation and her sense of being an outsider in the group.

Addressing language needs in the Parent Group

Two different methods of addressing the language needs of Spanish‐speaking parents in the Parent

Group were reported by respondents:  1) providing separate English‐only and Spanish‐only groups, and 

2) providing an interpreter for Spanish‐speaking parents in the context of a predominantly English‐

speaking group. In one case, the parent was the only Spanish‐speaking person in the Parent Group:

	 The hardest part was that I was the only Hispanic who did not speak English.  I felt that 

sometimes the interpreter wasn’t focused on what we were doing.
 

All four parents expressed a preference for separate English‐only and Spanish‐only groups, reporting

that this approach was/would be more efficient, comfortable, and effective for them:  

 For my part, I really enjoyed it this way. It doesn’t take as long when they only do it in one

language. It takes too long when they do it in the two languages.

 Yes. I think it takes too long when they present everything in English and then in Spanish. I also 

feel it’s more uncomfortable and difficult for the parents who don’t speak English.

	 The translator was very good at her job.  I realize that this worked because there were only two 

of us who spoke Spanish, I don’t think this would have worked if there had been more persons 

who spoke Spanish. I think that this system works for small groups, but I can’t imagine doing this 

with a larger group. I think with a larger group it would be best to have two separate parent 

groups, one in English and another one in Spanish. 

	 I think, it would be better to have the class in Spanish and include more Hispanic families. 

In particular, the parent who was the only Spanish‐speaking person in the Parent Group reported a

negative experience with this method of interpretation: 

	 The interpreter was next to me, and she didn’t translate everything that was being said. I lost 

much of the information given because of the translation. 

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Other parents noted similar issues with the interpretation provided in their groups: 

	 I also noticed that when the class was being translated there was quite a bit lost in the

translation. It’s better to have all the presentation in Spanish for those who can’t understand

English. 

With the exception of one parent, the parents reported feeling welcome in their Parent Groups:

 I felt very welcome from the beginning to the end.
 

 I always felt welcomed and included. 

 I always felt welcomed and included. They all were very nice. 

However, the Spanish‐speaking parent in the primarily English‐speaking group did not have the same

experience:

	 I felt uncomfortable because of the English. I did not feel accepted by the other parents because I 

was the only Hispanic who did not know English.

Similarly, the parents who felt welcome also reported feeling comfortable sharing their thoughts and 

experiences in the Parent Group, while the parent who did not feel comfortable reporting sometimes

avoiding the group:

	 Sometimes I felt comfortable, but for the most part, I felt uncomfortable. I even stopped going 

for a while because I did not feel comfortable due to the language barrier. 

Consistency  of PG curriculum with Latino culture

When asked the extent to which the parenting information they received in the KITS Parent Group was 

consistent with their culture, three of the four parents reported that there were some similarities as 

well as differences:

	 You would think, that it would be the same, but it’s not.  The mentality of Hispanics when it 

comes to treating the kids‐‐ it’s very different.  

	 When it comes to differences, the Hispanics‐‐ we are not used to doing time out, this was 

different for me. Some things I found in common were the fact that in both cultures, we struggle 

to make kids eat some things that are healthy for them, but they don’t want to eat them. 

	 The only thing I found consistent with our culture is when they taught about how to teach the 

kids where to place their bag pack and their shoes.  

One parent did not perceive any differences between the KITS and Latino approaches to parenting:

	 I think that when it comes to raising children, what they taught us is the same in our culture too. 

The basic principles for raising kids are the same. 

Several parents expressed appreciation for the parenting information they received in the KITS group 

that may have been new or different for them:

	 I think in general the rules in English are different, but they are good rules when we put them 

into practice. 

	 Most Hispanics when it comes to discipline, we don’t do what we need to do that’s so important, 

like helping the kids with their homework, reading to them daily, and giving them rewards when

they do something right.  

Acknowledgement of Latino culture

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When asked about the extent to which their culture was acknowledged and respected within the Parent

Group, Spanish‐speaking parents gave a variety of responses, perhaps reflecting different 

interpretations of "acknowledged and respected."  

For example, one parent highlighted the delivery in Spanish, "To the extent that they provided 

everything in Spanish" ( basic adequacy).  Another parent explained that she never "heard any bad

comments about [her] culture," (absence of negativity) whereas a different parent stated, "I did not see 

anything where my culture was acknowledged" (invisibility). Only one parent reported specifically being

asked about her background and active efforts to support inclusion:

	 I felt my culture was acknowledge because the American parents took the time to ask us 

questions, like where we came from, how we lived there, and took the time to make us feel 

included and supported in the parent group. 

Transition to kindergarten

All four parents reported that the transition to kindergarten had gone very well for their child. Similar to 

the English‐speaking parents, they often mentioned the child's familiarity with the school as a major 

factor in supporting the transition: 

	 Very well because he made friends by the time he went to kindergarten, and because he was 

already used to the school. I was really surprised to see how happy he was to go to school 

	 It was fine how they taught me to prepare him for kindergarten. They had an open house, and it 

was not hard for him to go to kindergarten, the school where they had the program was the 

same school where he was going to attend for kindergarten, this helped. I was not afraid 

anymore for him. 

Suggestions 

For SRG

Several parents suggested including some components of Hispanic culture: 

 I would like to see some other activities included of the Hispanic culture too, traditional Hispanic 

songs for kids, games, and crafts. 

 If this was a perfect world, I would have included a few songs in Spanish. I realize there are other 

kids from other cultures, and maybe they wouldn’t have liked it. 

For PG

Similarly, parents suggested both recruiting more Hispanic families, and facilitating Parent Groups in 

Spanish:

 To include more Hispanic families, I don’t understand why there were only two of us in our 

group. I found out about the program because of my daughter’s school, an elementary school. 

 For parents like me who do not speak English, to have someone who speaks Spanish, so we don’t 

have to be guessing what's being said and taught. 

Recruitment of Spanish‐speaking families 

Many KITS sites struggled in Year 1 to attract Latino families. As one parent observed, "I don’t think 

many families know about the program. I noticed signs in English around the community, but I didn’t see 

any in Spanish." 

All four parents suggested recruiting Hispanic families via Hispanic churches and businesses.

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 I  think that informing the local churches would be a good way and local Hispanic businesses too,
 

because many families do not know about the program, like I didn’t with my first daughter. 

 Maybe if they placed signs at the Hispanic churches and at the only Hispanic store we have here 

in Cottage Grove. 

 Sending the information to the Hispanic churches and Hispanic businesses.
 

 Taking the information to local Hispanic churches and local Hispanic businesses. 

Several also mentioned connecting with Head Start programs that serve large numbers of Latino 

children:

	 Also, taking the information to the head start program. I asked at the Head Start program about 

KITS, and they did not have any information. I had to call the program to find out more

information.  The Head Start program has many Hispanic kids, they need to have this 

information there. 

	 Maybe having a meeting in the head start program where they tell us about the program

Respondents also suggested providing transportation, which KITS does provide, suggesting there may 

have been a breakdown in communication somewhere: 

 I don’t know if transportation was offered or not. I believe transportation would help more 

families to attend the program.  

 The program did not provide transportation, maybe providing transportation.

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3/8/17

KITS Brief Summary for UWLC & OSLC 

Excerpts from Key Stakeholder Interview write‐up 

Meeting the needs of Spanish‐speaking families

Historically, KITS has addressed the language needs of participating Spanish‐speaking parents by 

providing simultaneous translation, delivered by an interpreter (not the Group facilitator), within the 

context of an integrated English‐speaking/Spanish‐speaking group. For the purposes of this project, 

however, some sites requested and were permitted to deliver language translation services using an

alternate approach, most notably: 1) hosting separate English‐only and Spanish‐only groups, or 2) 

delivering all content sequentially, first in Spanish, then in English.

Feedback from district/school staff, teachers/facilitators, and KITS Coaches regarding the various 

methods of providing translation revealed some differences of opinion. Some expressed support for the 

separate, Spanish‐only approach: 

	 My partner/facilitator is also Spanish speaking, our parent group was done all in Spanish. 

Culturally appropriate, able to manage the many issues of raising bilingual and bicultural 

children. Thank you for allowing us to do it all in Spanish!!  

	 The two woman who do the Spanish parent group are doing a wonderful job with the families. It 

makes our part (Readiness group) much smoother with the Hispanic children.

	 Spanish only group. I [Coach] don't watch the video ‐ someone else does. From what I've heard, I 

think for these specific families where even Spanish may be a second language, the group has 

helped them feel more comfortable.

	 I like the idea of having a Spanish speaking parent group if the demand is great enough.  I feel 

the non‐English speaking families would get more out of the session because they are not trying 

to navigate two conversations. 

Several respondents described the OSLC approach as adequate, but potentially open to improvement. In

particular, it seems that the slight physical separation of the Spanish‐speakers from the rest of the group 

may introduce an element of distance and/or distraction:

	 Our group has two Spanish‐speaking parents. We have a Spanish‐speaking translator ...the three 

typically sit next to each other at some distance from the Parent Group Facilitator. The translator 

reports that the Spanish‐speaking parents are able to access the material quite well and feel 

integrated with the group.

	 Interpreter sets up seating so as to not make the interpreting too conspicuous. This setup can be 

slightly distracting at times, but seemed to cause no issues for other participants. 

	 The translator/interpreter sits with them [the Spanish‐speaking family].  Most of the time they 

seem to be involved in a private conversation.  I will ask specific questions to the family to try 

and draw them into the group discussion. I can tell that the family is not always sure where to

focus their attention.  I feel like this is an area that needs improvement. 

In at least one site, there appeared to be some disagreement between the KITS Coaching staff and 

school/district and teaching staff regarding the effectiveness of the particular approach to translation 

adopted at that site:

	 The Family Resource Coordinator who is bilingual/bicultural facilitated the parent groups. She 

would say the information first in Spanish and then in English. She translated the material

herself. OSLC felt like this was too time consuming but we didn't feel it took up too much time. 
   

       

   

     

           

         

   

   

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

The Parent Group Facilitator had some conflict with the KITS Coach and won't be returning in this 

role next year. She didn't feel supported by the Coach. 

	 At my site, they presented all of the material in both English and Spanish. It felt didactic and 

wasn't great for group participation. It took so long to present the information in both languages 

that by the time they finished the Spanish version, they'd lost the English speakers. 

In at least one classroom, interpretation for KITS students was provided by a Spanish‐speaking Assistant 

Teacher, although such interpretation is not necessarily a component of the KITS model: 

	 For English Language Learners ‐ we go back and forth on this. Need to do more research into

this. On the one hand, all of these kids are going to be put into monolingual classrooms, so KITS 

gives them a chance to practice that, but with a lot more support than they would ordinarily get. 

So I feel conflicted about it.

There was also a perception in this case that the Spanish‐speaking Teacher and children were less 

integrated into the broader classroom: 

	 She worked well with the children but didn't share what the children were saying with the other 

teachers. That resulted in a lack of connection between the children and the class. It wasn't a

matter of hiring but of training. 

Research is likewise underway regarding the potential benefits and drawbacks of providing separate, 

Spanish‐only Parent Groups: 

	 For parents, we've always provided materials and translation, but [one school] wanted to do an 

all‐Spanish group this year. We never would have said yes in the past, but they had 17 Spanish 

speaking parents, so we let them. And a lot of good ideas came out of that group.

Culturally speaking, one respondent reported some differences between the KITS approach to behavior 

management and the attitudes expressed by Spanish‐speaking families:

	 Culturally, they have a lens about behavior management that is different from English speaking.

They were really opposed to time‐out. They viewed it as a punishment, so trying to work around 

that. We did get a few people that remained skeptical but others that would try it. Some of the

cultural differences were a little off with the instruction. They didn't buy into some of it, but it 

was a good learning experience to be more culturally sensitive.

Finally, although homework assignments and letters were provided in Spanish for Spanish‐speaking 

families, one respondent reported that the assignments didn't always make sense when translated into 

Spanish, e.g., rhyming exercises do not necessarily translate meaningfully.  The Parent Group curriculum 

is currently in the process of being translated into Spanish, so that may be an opportunity to review 

materials for any such errors. 

Interviews with Parent Group translators as well as Spanish‐speaking parents are currently underway, in

order to explore additional perspectives on the various approaches to translation, as well as other issues

related to culture/language. As one school/district staff commented, "If they want bilingual families at 

the table, they should ask them what works best for them."

Recruitment of Spanish‐speaking families 
   

A number of respondents described specific efforts to reach Latino families, including having 

interpreters available at kindergarten roundups, making Spanish‐language materials available, 

identifying Spanish‐speaking staff to answer calls from and follow up with interested, Spanish‐speaking 

families, attending events for Spanish‐speaking families, and partnering with Family Resource Centers. 

Such efforts, however, were not always successful, often for reasons not well understood:

 I would say [our efforts to reach Latino families] were not really effective. We're looking at eight 

percent [Latino] in our community and we got one kid. 

 None of the Latino families enrolled in KITS despite the fact that I'm bilingual and attended the 

kindergarten open house and explained KITS to them in Spanish. 

 We need to ask more questions. Did they not know about it? Were they not interested? Why are 

families reticent?