American Institutes for Research Task Order 18: Study on Sustaining the Positive Effects of Preschool—H-1

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Appendix H. Funder Protocol
American Institutes for Research Task Order 18: Study on Sustaining the Positive Effects of Preschool—H-2

Study on Sustaining the

Positive Effects of Preschool

Funder Protocol

Interviewer_____________________________________ Interviewee ID #_________________

Site __________________________________________ Date/Time_____________________

Introduction

My name is ______, and I work for American Institutes for Research (AIR). We’ve been 

contracted by the U.S. Department of Education to conduct case studies on sites that are 

implementing particular programs to support early elementary students. 

As you may know, the purpose of the study is to document characteristics of programs and 

policies in early elementary school that support student growth and development, such as PK–3 

alignment, differentiated instruction, and other programs designed to sustain the advantages of 

preschool. We are interested in learning more about the theoretical or practical background of 

these programs, how they are implemented, how they are sustained and funded, and their 

outcomes. 

I want to reassure you that your responses to this interview will be used only for research 

purposes. Though your site’s name will appear in the final report, we will not provide your name 

in any reporting or to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. Because we are 

producing case studies of only a small number of named sites, it may be possible for a reader to 

identify you based on the data that we report, even though your name will not be used. If there is 

information that you do not want shared directly in any reporting, please let me know. I will now 

give you a consent form that provides more details about the study and your rights as a 

participant.

Do you have any questions about the study?

I plan to audio record this session, solely for our note-taking purposes. Only research staff will 

use the audio recording, and we’ll destroy it when the project is done. Is that okay with you? 

Role and Perspective

1. I’d like to start by asking you to tell me a bit about yourself. I understand that you are from 

[FUNDING ORGANIZATION]. Briefly, can you tell me what your role has been in relation 

to [PROGRAM]? 

a. How did you come to be involved with [PROGRAM]? 

b. What related experiences did you have before you took on this role?

2. Can you tell me more about the organization that you work for and about the kind of work 

they typically engage in?
American Institutes for Research Task Order 18: Study on Sustaining the Positive Effects of Preschool—H-3

3. Why did [ORGANIZATION] become interested in partnering with [or supporting] 

[PROGRAM]?

a. Can you describe the sequence of [PROGRAM’s] initiation and the 

[ORGANIZATION’s] involvement?

Funding Questions

4. What was the cost of developing and implementing this program initially? 

a. How much did [ORGANIZATION] fund?

b. What types of personnel and nonpersonnel costs did [ORGANIZATION] cover? 

c. What costs did the district cover?

5. What are the ongoing costs of continuing [PROGRAM]?

6. How does [PROGRAM] measure students’ progress? What data do you receive? How do 

you decide whether or not to continue funding the program?

7. What sustainability challenges, if any, do you anticipate for the program going forward?

a. What resources does it need to thrive?

Success, Challenges, and Closing

8. What challenges have you encountered working with a district on this type of initiative? How 

have you overcome those challenges?

9. Overall, what is working well with [PROGRAM]?

10. What aspect of [PROGRAM] needs strengthening? Why? 

11. What challenges have you noticed in the district(s) and schools in implementing 

[PROGRAM], and what steps may be needed to address them?

12. [We already have (XX DOCUMENT)] OR [We do not have any written documents on 

(PROGRAM)]. Are there [other] written resources that document the program and its 

funding? 

a. Could we get a copy of those?

13. Those are all the questions I have. Are they any questions that I should ask about 

[PROGRAM] that I didn’t? Is there anything else you’d like to share with me today in regard 

to [PROGRAM]?