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School Staff Interviews

Instrument 1: Interview Questions for Principals and Administrators

Project: Students as Agents of Change
Gary Community School Corporation

Funding Source: U.S. Dept. Ed.: Technology Innovation Challenge Grants (Ofc. Educational Research & Improvement)

Purpose: To obtain background information from administrators about their schools and their teachers' involvement with the project, plus their judgments about various aspects of the project

Administered To: Administrators

Topics Covered:

Attitudes & Beliefs (School Staff): technology
Comparisons: content coverage, expectations of impact, methods
Implementation Activities: curriculum/materials use
Perceptions (School Staff): impact, parent attitudes, student attitudes, support, teacher attitudes
Project Evaluation: areas for program improvement, integration
Self-Assessment (School Staff): confidence
Background Characteristics & Activities (School Staff): prior practice

Format/Length: 33 questions total, 12 open- and 21 closed-ended, including yes/no, Likert scale, and short answer responses

Students as Agents of Change

Interview Questions for Principals and Administrators

Name:

School:

Phone #:

Hello Dr./Mr./Ms. XXXXXXXXXX, my name is XXXXXXXXXXXX.

I'm part of the evaluation team for the Students as Agents of Change Project. Over the past couple of years we've had a chance to talk to some of your sixth grade teachers and students about the good things they're doing in the project, but we haven't really had the opportunity to talk to you about it. Would it be possible to do thatÑnow, or at a more convenient time? (Rescheduled:)

Before we talk about the project itself, tell me a little about your school

On a scale of 1 to 7, 1 being low and 7 being high, how would you rate the level of parent participation in your school? (e.g., PTO, volunteers, help with field trips, etc.)

low

medium

high

How about the level of community involvement in your school--tutoring, donations, classroom guests, etc. Again using a scale of 1 to 7, how would you rate that?

low

medium

high

When you first heard about this project or that Gary had received a Challenge Grant, how did you think it would affect your school, or what differences did you think you would see, in maybe 3, or 5 years?
Can you see any of those differences yet? __ Yes  __ No   Can you describe some, or give me some examples?
What do you hear about the project from teachers?
From students?
How does this project fit with your school's technology plans?
What kinds of technology did teachers have access to before this project? (in classrooms, labs, library, etc.)

Again on a 7-point scale with 1 being "very uncomfortable" and 7, "very comfortable," how comfortable do you think your 6^th grade teachers were using technology for instruction before this project?

very uncomfortable

somewhat comfortable

very comfortable

How comfortable are they now--again on a 7-point scale?

very uncomfortable

somewhat comfortable

very comfortable

The African and African-American Infusion curriculum is a big part of this project, and seems to have been an important corporation goal even before the project. What kinds of things were your teachers doing to integrate infusion materials or lessons before this project came along?
What is different now that this project is in place? Are teachers doing more to use Infusion materials? __ Yes   __ No   What are some of the most impressive or most interesting examples you've seen?
Have you had a chance to look at the African and African-American Infusion curriculum materials developed especially for this project? __ Yes    __ No

If so, how consistent is it with what your teachers are already teaching? Is it: very different/will teachers need to make a few changes/or is it very consistent?
How about other long-term goals or initiatives for technology and curriculum changes--does this project blend well with them?    __ Yes    __ No
Have there been any conflicts between the goals of this project and those of other school projects or initiatives?    __ Yes   __ No

(If so) Can you tell me how you see these conflicts being resolved?
What do you think has been the biggest challenge associated with the project?

There are a lot of ways teachers can grow, professionally, in this project. I'm going to read a list of some of those ways, and I'd like you to tell me if you've seen any changes already among the sixth grade teachers participating in the project.

____		enhanced knowledge of technology
____		broader knowledge of the Infusion curriculum
____		changes in the way they teach basic subjects
____		more project-based instruction
____		more effective use of technology with students
____		more student-centered classroom environment
____		more collegiality, group projects, contact, etc.

Obviously, students can profit enormously, too. Again, as I read through the list, tell me if you've seen examples--understanding of course that you can't be in all the classes all the time--of this kind of change among sixth graders.

____		technology skills
____		experience with the African-American infusion curriculum
____		self-esteem
____		writing skills
____		knowledge of other subject matter
____		collaboration skills
____		presentation skills

Finally, one reason these grants are called Challenge Grants is that they challenge schools and communities to change. In Gary, where do you think the greatest challenges will lie--in delivering instruction, in adapting the curriculum, in integrating the technology, in gaining administrative support, in enlisting community support, etc?

Thank you.