APPENDIX E: INFORMED CONSENT FORM CONSENT FORM

Moving Targets: Elementary Principal Experiences with School Improvement Leigh B. Sears, principal investigator

Liberty University School of Education

You are invited to be in a research study of elementary principal experiences with school improvement. You were selected as a possible participant based on superintendent referral and your completion of three consecutive years at your current location as principal. Please read this form and ask any questions you have regarding the study before agreeing to be in the study. Leigh B. Sears, a doctoral candidate in the School of Education at Liberty University, is conducting this study.

Background Information: The purpose of this study is to describe elementary principal experiences with school improvement in Northeast Georgia Title I schools in the age of accountability.

Procedures: If you agree to be in this study, I would ask you to do the following things: • Complete a descriptive self-efficacy survey. (10 – 15 minutes)

• Complete a one-to-one semi-structured interview with the researcher (60 – 90 minutes)

• Provide researcher with a copy of or access to individual school improvement plans for three consecutive years. (10 – 15 minutes)

• Review transcribed interview (30 minutes)

• Participate in a focus group discussion with the researcher and other participating principals via Google ZOOM technology (60 – 90 minutes) • Review transcribed focus group session (30 minutes)

Risks and Benefits of being in the Study:

Risks involved in this study are minimal and are no more than those encountered in day-to-day life. Participants should not expect to receive a direct benefit from taking part in the study.

Compensation:

Participants will be compensated for participating in this study. Compensation will be a gift card to a local restaurant. Additionally, participants will be debriefed on outcomes and implications

Confidentiality:

The records of this study will be kept private. In any sort of report that I might publish, I will not include any information that will make it possible to identify a subject. Participants will be assigned a pseudonym, and the interview will be conducted in a location where others will not easily overhear the conversation. Research records will be stored securely, and only the

researcher will have access to the records. Records, recordings, and transcripts will be housed in password-protected files, may be used in future presentations, and will be destroyed after three years. Hard copy records will be stored in a locked file cabinet and will be destroyed after three years. All electronic files will be backed up on a flash drive which will also be stored in a locked file cabinet when not in use and destroyed after three years. Access to interview and focus group data will be made available to the researcher and a hired transcriptionist. Data will not be used for any other purpose outside of this study without consent. Because focus group structure requires involvement from additional participants, identity and information protection during focus group participation cannot be assured. I also cannot assure participants that other members of the focus group will not share what was discussed with persons outside of the group.

Voluntary Nature of the Study:

Participation in this study is voluntary. Your decision regarding participation will not affect your current or future relationship with Liberty University, Barrow County School System, Hall County Schools, or Gainesville City School System, or the study’s principle investigator, Leigh Sears. If you do decide to participate, you are free to decline answering any question or

withdraw from the study at any time without affecting those relationships. How to Withdraw from the Study:

If you choose to withdraw from the study, please contact the researcher at the email

address/phone number included in the next paragraph. Should you choose to withdraw, data collected from you, apart from the focus group data, will be destroyed immediately and will not be included in this study. Focus group data will not be destroyed, but your contributions to the focus group will not be included in the study if you choose to withdraw.

Contracts and Questions:

The researcher conducting this study is Leigh B. Sears. You may ask any questions you have now. If you have questions later, you are encouraged to contact her via e-mail to

. If you have questions later, you can contact the researcher at the same e-mail address or telephone number. You may also contact the researcher’s faculty chair,

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study and desire to speak with someone other than the researcher, you are encouraged to address the Institutional Review Board, 1971 University Blvd, Green Hall Ste. 1837, Lynchburg, VA 24515 or email at [email protected].

Please notify the researcher if you would like a copy of this information for your records.

Statement of Consent: I have read and understood the above information. I have asked questions and have received answers. I consent to participate in the study.

The researcher has my permission to audio-record/video-recordme as part of my participation in this study.

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Signature of Participant Date

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