Form 1820-NEW Youth Parent Interview Guide

Appendix A

Youth and Parent Participant Interview Guide

Pathways to Partnerships Youth and Parent Participant Interview Guide

Thank you for meeting with me today. My name is [NAME], and I am from Mathematica. We are working with the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration to learn more about the Pathways to Partnerships project in [STATE] called the [STATE PROJECT NAME]. I’m joined by my colleague [NAME], who will be taking notes.

We’d like to learn more about your experience with services that help with [your/YOUTH’S] education, employment, and plans for the future. There are no right answers to anything we’ll discuss today; we just want to understand what it has been like for [you/YOUTH] as a participant in [PROJECT NAME/REFERENCE]. You can decide not to answer a question or to stop the interview at any time.

Let me first review how we will protect your privacy. We will summarize what we talk about today in a report along with the information we receive from other [parents/participants]. We will not share your name in anything we write, and we will remove any details you share that could identify you to someone reading the report. We will not share details from our conversation with anyone outside the Mathematica study team, including the people and organizations you go to for services.

We will talk today for about half an hour. To thank you for your time, we will send you a $30 electronic gift card.

Do you have any questions for me?  

I would like to record our talk to make sure I do not miss anything you share. I will not share the recording with anyone outside of the study team. Is it okay with you if I record our talk today?

[If participant consents:] I will turn on the recording now but let me know if you would like me to stop at any time. You’re welcome to turn your camera on or keep it off. It’s up to you.

[If participant does not consent:] If you aren’t comfortable with the recording, that’s fine. My colleague will take notes so we can remember our conversation. If you change your mind at any time and would like to turn on the recorder, please just let me know.

Would you still like to take part in this interview?

[If participant consents:] Thank you, let’s get started.

[If participant declines:] Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the interview. If you change your mind and would like to speak in the future, you can reach me at [CONTACT INFORMATION]. [END INTERVIEW]

A. Background

First, I would like to hear a little bit about [you/YOUTH].

1. [Are you/Is YOUTH] currently enrolled in school?

[IF ENROLLED]

2. What grade [are you/is YOUTH] in?

3. Have [you/YOUTH] started to plan for what [you/YOUTH] will do after high school? Will you be working, enrolling in training or college, or something else?

[IF NO LONGER ENROLLED]

4. When were [you/YOUTH] last enrolled in school? In what grade?

5. [Are you/is YOUTH] currently looking for a job, working, enrolled in training or school, or something else?

[ALL]

6. What kinds of services, resources, or people have [you/YOUTH] ever used to help with school, finding a job, or planning for life after high school?

   1. IF NEEDED: These could be services that help [you/YOUTH] find an after-school or summer job, information about education and training opportunities, or services to learn about different career paths and plan for the future.

7. Which of these services were most useful in helping [you/YOUTH] plan for the future?

8. Is there someone who helps/helped connect [you/YOUTH] to services or information to help [you/YOUTH] plan for life after high school?

   1. Probe: Who is that person? How often do you meet/speak/communicate with them? How are they helpful?

B. Use of Pathways to Partnerships services

Next, I’d like to learn about what services you have been receiving as part of the [STATE PROJECT NAME] at [REFERRING ORGANIZATION].

9. Of the services you just mentioned, which services or activities [are you/is YOUTH] currently participating in?

   1. Probe: Do you know which of these services [you receive/YOUTH receives] as part of the [STATE PROJECT NAME]? It’s ok if you’re not sure.

10. How did you learn about those services?

11. What made you interested in those services?

12. Are there services that you know [you/YOUTH] could receive but are not currently receiving?

    1. Probe: Why aren’t [you/YOUTH] receiving [MENTIONED SERVICE]?

       1. IF NEEDED: For example, the times services offered don’t work for you, you don’t have transportation to get there, or you don’t think it’ll be helpful.

13. Are there any services you wish were offered that are not available?

    1. Probe: What about [MENTIONED SERVICE] would be helpful to [you/YOUTH]?

C. Perceptions of Pathways to Partnerships services

Now I would like to hear more about what has been positive or successful about the services [you/YOUTH] received and what has been more challenging with [PROJECT NAME/REFERENCE] at [ORGANIZATION].

14. What has been most useful about the services [you are/YOUTH is] participating in with [PROJECT NAME/REFERENCE] at [ORGANIZATION]? What do you like about them?

1. Probe: [Ask about services mentioned previously but not brought up here; if cannot distinguish between project and other services, discuss services in general.]

15. What, if anything, has least useful about the [PROJECT NAME/REFERENCE] services? What don’t you [or YOUTH] like about them?

1. Probe: [Ask about services mentioned previously but not brought up here; if cannot distinguish between project and other services, discuss services in general.]

D. Expectations and goals

Finally, I would like to learn about [your/YOUTH’s] expectations and goals for the future.

16. What do you think the next few years will be like for [you/YOUTH] when it comes to school and work?

    1. Probe: Will [you/YOUTH] be finishing school, applying for college, exploring career options, training or looking for a job, or something else?

17. [Do you/does YOUTH] have any specific goals for your education or career?

    1. Have the services [you/YOUTH] received from [PROJECT NAME/REFERENCE] helped [you/YOUTH] with achieving [his/her/your] goals for [his/her/your] education or career?

    2. What other services would [you/ YOUTH] find useful to help with achieving [his/her/your] goals for [his/her/your] education or career?

18. Is there anything we haven’t discussed today that you think is important for [your/YOUTH’s] future?

E. Wrap up

19. Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experiences with [STATE PROJECT NAME]?

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today!

A.1