Ameri can Institutes for Research Task Order 18: Study on Sustaining the Positive Effects of Preschool

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## Appendix **H .**  **Funder Protocol**Ameri can Institutes for Research Task Order 18: Study on Sustaining the Positive Effects of Preschool

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# 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 (AI R). We’ve been contracted b y the U.S. Department of Education to conduct case studies on sites that are implementing particular programs to support early elementary students. As y ou may know, the purpose of the study is to document characteristics of programs and policies in earl y elementary school that support student growth and development, such as PK

– 3 alignment, differentiated instruction, and other programs designed to sustain the a dvantages 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 y our 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 y our name in any reporting or to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. Because we are producing case studie s of only a small number of named sites, it may be possible for a reader to identify y ou based on the data that we report, even though y our name will not be used. If there is information that y ou do not want shared directl y 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 y ou have an y questions about the study ? I plan to audio record this session, solely for our note

- taking purposes. Only research staff w ill use the audio recording, and we’ll destro y it when the project is done. Is that okay with y ou? **Role and Perspective** 1. I’d like to start b y asking you to tell me a bit about yourself. I understand that you are from [FUNDING ORGANIZATION]. Briefl y, can yo u tell me what y our role has been in relation to [PROGRAM]? a. How did y ou come to be involved with [PROGRAM]? b. What related experiences did y ou have before you took on this role? 2. Can y ou tell me more about the organization that y ou work for and about the ki nd of work they t ypically engage in?Ameri can Institutes for Research Task Order 18: Study on Sustaining the Positive Effects of Preschool

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3. Why did [ORGANIZATION] become interested in partnering with [or supporting] [PROGRAM]? a. Can y ou 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 ty

pes 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 doe s [PROGRAM] measure students’ progress? What data do you receive? How do yo u decide whether or not to continue funding the program? 7. What sustainability

challenges, if an y, do you anticipate for the program going forward? a. What resources does it need to thri ve? **Success, Challenges, and Closing** 8. What challenges have yo u encountered working with a district on this ty pe 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 yo u 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 cop y of those? 13. Those are all the questions Ihave. Are they any questions that Ishould ask about [PROGRAM] that Ididn’t? I s there an ything else y ou’d like to share with me today in regard to [PROGRAM]?