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Appendix D: Moderator Guides

Administrative Staff

	A Feasibility Study of Head Start Recruitment and Enrollment     Administrative Staff Focus Group

Site _____ October 1999

A Feasibility Study of Head Start Recruitment and Enrollment Procedures                                                                 Administrative Focus Group

 

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A Feasibility Study of Head Start Recruitment and Enrollment Procedures

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR'S GUIDE

1. Introduction (5 Minutes)

Hello. Thank you all for coming today.
My name is _______________ and I will be the moderator for the session today. I work for a company called (Abt Associates/The CDM Group), a research firm located in (Cambridge, MA/Chevy Chase, MD). I would also like to introduce _______________ who is (also from/from) (Abt Associates/The CDM Group). He/she will be taking some notes and helping me during the session today.

Purpose of the Group
As you know, the purpose of this session is for us to talk about recruitment and enrollment at Head Start.

Role of the Moderator
My role as moderator will be to direct the flow of the discussion and keep us on track. I need to make sure we get through all the topics in the next hour and a half. In order to do so and to make sure everyone has a chance to contribute to the discussion, I have a few guidelines for the session.

Guidelines for the Session

Confidentiality. Anything that is said in this discussion will be strictly confidential. Nobody's name will be associated with any opinions included in the report. So, please feel free to express your opinions.

Frank opinions on the topics under discussion. We asked you to come today because what you have to say is important. We want to know exactly how you feel on the topics under discussion. It's important that I hear from each of you. Some of you may not feel comfortable talking at first. If I notice that as the discussion progresses, I'm not hearing from all of you, or that I'm hearing from some of you a lot, I may call on someone directly.

You may comment on the opinion of others. We do not expect that everyone here will agree or disagree on a given issue or point of view. We ask, however, that you respect each other's opinions. You may tell us that you disagree with what ________ said, and proceed to tell us what you think on that given topic. Just always do so in a respectful manner. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers.

Audio taping. This session is being tape recorded so that we will have an accurate record of what was said and so that it will be easier for us to write our report. I want to assure you again, that you will never be mentioned by name.

Speak loudly enough to be heard by everyone. It is important that everyone hears what you have to say and for us it is especially important that the tape recorders pick up what you say. So please speak loudly and clearly.

Talking over each other. When the discussion starts to get exciting, you may want to say what you are thinking without waiting for someone else to finish. That is exactly when we want to ensure that we hear everyone. So, I'm asking that you talk one-at-a time, and avoid side conversations so I don't miss any of what you are saying.

[OPTIONAL]
Hand Gestures. In order to ensure the discussion follows these guidelines, I have found some hand gestures work pretty well. I am not being rude, but trying to communicate to you without speaking. By using them, it allows me to guide the discussion more efficiently without getting my voice on the tape more than necessary. The first is (palm up and raising the hand up and down) indicates you are not speaking loudly enough so please speak up. Second (pointing at a participant) means I am recognizing you and it is your turn to speak. Third (fingers up as if to say stop) means I want you to hold that thought for a moment while another person finishes what they are saying. Finally, (holding palms parallel to the floor and fingers from the left hand about an inch above the fingers of the right hand, moving hands back and forth in opposite lateral direction) this indicates people are talking over each other and someone should back up and hold their point so it does not get lost. The tape cannot separate overlapping speech and we don't want to miss your point.

Are there any questions so far?

Style. It is important to me that you are comfortable here today. If you feel uncomfortably warm or cold, or anything else, please let me know and we will try to address that.

[Optional]

Feel free to move around the room to stretch if you need to. You can get up to get a beverage or leave to go to the rest room at any time.

For everyone's comfort and safety, we are asking you not to smoke during the session.

Warm-up Exercise (5 minutes)

I'd like to start by having us get to know a little bit about each other. Could you please briefly tell us: [Go around the table -begin with notetaker]

• Your first name;
  
• Your current position at Head Start;
  
• The number of years you have been affiliated with Head Start and in what capacity(s);
  
• A favorite thing you like to do outside of work.

 

1.0  THE CHILD EDUCATION AND CARE ENVIRONMENT

(5 minutes)

I'd like to start by asking you to give me some impressions of Head Start.

1.2 When you think about what Head Start can do for families, what words or impressions come to mind? [Optional - record on easel]

 

2.0. RECRUITMENT

(25 Minutes)

I would like to begin the discussion by hearing a little bit about your program's recruitment guidelines or policy.

2.1		If you were asked to describe your most successful recruitment staff person to Head Start administrators, what would you tell them? 2.1a What is it about this person that makes him/her successful?
2.2.		Who does the recruitment for your program? 2.2a  Is recruitment done program-wide or at the center-level? [if center-level] 2.2a(1) Are some centers more successful than others in reaching eligible families? Why?
2.3		Do you consider a family's cultural background in your assignment of recruitment staff? If so, how?
[Pass out maps]. I am passing out maps of your geographical service area.
2.4		Looking at the map, are there some sections of your geographical service area from where you recruit or find most of your families, and if so, why?
2.5		Are there sections within your geographical service area that are particularly hard to recruit families from, and if so, why?
2.6		Is the personal safety of your staff a consideration in your recruitment? 2.6a What do you do to assure safety of your recruitment staff?
2.7		Do you find that you are recruiting in the same areas as other Head Start Programs? 2.7a If so, how do you manage that?

2.8	What other preschool or child care options are available for children whose parents can't get them into Head Start or who choose not to enroll their children in Head Start? [Please check if mentioned]
	2.8a		Family Day Care	_____
	2.8b		Day Care Centers	_____
	2.8c		Nurseries	_____
	2.8d		Child Development Centers	_____
	2.8e		Public Preschool	_____
	2.8f		Cared for by own family members	_____
	2.8g		Other	_____

2.9		What formal or informal arrangements does your program have with other community agencies to assist you in identifying or recruiting families? 2.9a How helpful are other agencies to you in locating families for Head Start?
2.10		What factors other than income and age does your program consider in making enrollment decisions?
2.11		Are any of these other factors more important than others, and if so, how are they prioritized?
2.12		How are these factors assessed? 2.12a Who does the assessment?
2.13		Who makes the final enrollment decision?
2.14		What would help make your program's recruitment and screening efforts more successful?

 

3.0. WAITING LISTS

(20 Minutes)

Next I would like to talk about your program's policy on waiting lists.

3.1		What is your definition of a waiting list?
		3.1a At what point is the list created? 3.1b Who is on the list? 3.1c Have all the families on the list already been determined to be eligible? 3.1d What information do you have about waiting list families, prior to their enrollment? 3.1e Are the families on the list ranked or ordered in anyway?
3.2		Is there one program-wide waiting list or does each center have its own list? [If program-wide] 3.2a How does that work? [For both program-wide and center-specific] 3.2b (Is the list/are the lists) computerized?
3.3		How often is the list updated or verified? 3.3a Do you continue to add families to the list throughout the year? How is this done? 3.3b Do you call families during the year to verify interest, even when a slot is not open?
Now, I would like to find out about waiting lists over a period of time. You may have to think about last year to answer some of these questions.
3.4		About how many total children were enrolled in your program at the beginning of the school year?
3.5		About how large was your waiting list at the beginning of the school year?
3.6		How many slots open up over the program year?
3.7		How many of these families actually move from the waiting list to the program?
3.8		Were there families from the waiting list that you offered a spot that chose not to enroll? If yes, what were some of the reasons?

 

4.0 RETENTION

(15 Minutes)

Now I would like to talk about issues of retention.

4.1		Think of a typical family that dropped out of Head Start, what characteristics did they have? 4.1a How were they different from families that remained? 4.1b Why do you think families drop out of Head Start?
4.2		When a child begins to have many absences from school, what guidelines do staff follow?
4.3		How does your program deal with drop outs? 4.3a How do you define a "drop-out?" 4.3b What efforts are made to contact a family to find out why they have decided to drop out? 4.3c What efforts are made to re-enroll children?
4.4		Describe a successful strategy you have used to retain families that have shown a risk for or intention to drop out?

 

5.0 USE OF HEAD START T & TA

(5 minutes)

5.1

How helpful has Head Start training and technical assistance been to your recruitment and retention efforts? 5.1a What other sources of T & TA have you used? 5.1b What formal training does your recruitment staff have? 5.1c What kind of additional training would you like Head Start to offer?

 

6.0. PERCEPTION OF HEAD START

(5 Minutes)

I would like to finish the discussion by talking about how Head Start is perceived by parents who live in this community.

6.1		If a parent of a preschool child who lives in this community was asked about Head Start, what do you think he or she would say? 6.1a (Is the list/are the lists) computerized?
6.2		Where and how do parents in the community learn about Head Start?

 

7.0 WRAP-UP

(5 minutes)

7.1

What other comments or observations would you like to add about recruitment, enrollment or retention of families into your Head Start program?

 

Those are all of the questions I have for this session. You have been very helpful. Thank you very much for coming and helping us on this project.

 

 

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