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Head Start and Early Child Care: Head Start More to Follow
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CLINTON LIBRARY PHOTOCOPY
Advisory Committee
on
Head Start Research and Evaluation
HUMAN SERVICES
AND
OF HEALTH
DEPARTMENT
U.S.
HEALTHA
THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20201
USA
CHARTER
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON HEAD START RESEARCH AND EVALUATION
Purpose
The purpose of the Advisory Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation is to
review and make recommendations on the design of a study or studies that provide a
national analysis of the impact of Head Start programs. The Advisory Committee will
also advise the Secretary regarding the progress of the study and comment, if the
Advisory Committee so desires, on the interim and final study reports of the
organization(s) selected for carrying out the independent research.
Authority
42 U.S.C. 9844(g); Section 649(g)(1) of the Head Start Act, as amended. The Committee
is governed by the provisions of Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2),
which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.
Function
The Advisory Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation shall advise the
Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Assistant Secretary for Children and
Families concerning research designs that would provide a national analysis of the impact
of Head Start programs. In addition, the Advisory Committee will advise the Secretary
regarding the progress of the study and comment, if the Advisory Committee so desires,
on the interim and final study reports of the organization(s) selected for carrying out the
independent research.
As part of the process, the Committee shall:
review existing and ongoing research and evaluation studies that document the
impact of Head Start programs;
assess the benefits and feasibility of alternative research designs and techniques to
determine if, overall, Head Start programs have impacts consistent with their
primary goal of promoting school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive
development of low-income children;
PAGE TWO
report to the Secretary on recommendations for a study or studies of the impact of
Head Start services, including appropriate designs, techniques, methods of
analysis, and consideration of sources of variation;
advise the Secretary on the progress of the study or studies of the impacts of Head
Start programs; and
review and comment to the Secretary, if the Committee so desires, on the first and
second interim and final impact study reports, to be completed by September 30,
1999, September 30, 2001, and September 30, 2003 respectively.
Structure
The Committee shall consist of up to 36 members appointed by the Secretary. Members
shall be distinguished individuals who have experience in such areas as program
evaluation and research, education, and early childhood programs. The Assistant
Secretary for Children and Families shall serve as chair of the Committee.
Members shall be invited to serve for four-year terms; terms of more than two years are
contingent upon the renewal of the Committee by appropriate action prior to its
termination.
Management and support services shall be provided by the Office of the Commissioner,
Administration on Children, Youth, and Families.
Meetings
Meetings shall be held approximately three times per year at the call of the Chair, who
shall approve the agenda.
Meetings shall be open to the public except as determined otherwise by the Secretary or
other official to whom the authority has been delegated; notice of all meetings shall be
given to the public.
Meetings shall be conducted, and records of the proceedings kept, as required by
applicable laws and Departmental regulations.
Compensation
The members of the Committee shall not receive compensation for the performance of
services for the committee, but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in
lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places
PAGE THREE
of business in the performance of services for the committee. Notwithstanding section
1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may accept the voluntary and
uncompensated services of members of the Committee.
Annual Cost Estimate
Estimated annual cost for operating the committee, including travel expenses and per
diem for members but excluding staff support, is $191,232. The estimated person years
of federal staff support required is .10 at an estimated cost of $9,598.
Reports
The Committee shall submit a report to the Secretary on the design and plan for the
national analysis of Head Start programs by September 30, 1999. The Committee may
review and comment to the Secretary, if the Committee so desires, on the first and second
interim and the final impact study reports, to be completed by September 30, 1999,
September 30, 2001, and September 30, 2003 respectively.
In the event a portion of a meeting is closed to the public, a report shall be prepared
which shall contain, as a minimum, a list of members and their business addresses, the
committees function, dates and places of meetings, and a summary of committee
activities and recommendations made during the fiscal year. A copy of the report shall be
provided to the Department Committee Management Officer.
Termination Date
Unless otherwise renewed by appropriate action prior to its expiration, the Advisory
Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation will terminate two years from the date
this charter is approved.
APPROVED:
MAR 23 1000
DK2
Date
Secretary
MINTON OF HEALTH A SECURITY NUMAN
THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20201
USA
AMENDMENT
To the Charter of
Advisory Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation
Structure
The Committee shall consist of up to 32 members appointed by the Secretary. Members
shall be distinguished individuals who have experience in such areas as program
evaluation and research, education, and early childhood programs. The Committee shall
also consist of four ex-officio members representing: the Administration on Children,
Youth and Families; the Head Start Bureau; the Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Planning and Evaluation; and the General Accounting Office. The Assistant Secretary for
Children and Families shall serve as chair of the Committee.
Members shall be invited to serve for four-year terms; terms of more than two years are
contingent upon the renewal of the Committee by appropriate action prior to its
termination.
Management and support services shall be provided by the Office of the Commissioner,
Administration on Children, Youth, and Families.
APPROVED:
MAR 29 1999
Donn E Shlol
Date
Secretary
Page 1 of 4
HEAD START ACT
Sec. 649 Research, Demonstrations, and Evaluation
(g) National Head Start Impact Research
Legislative Authority: Head Start Act, as amended.
U.S. Code Citation: 42 USC 9801 et seq.
ACF Regulations: 45 CFR 1301 et seq.
Legislative History:
The "Head Start Act" is Title VI, Subtitle A, Chapter 8, Subchapter B of the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, PL 97-35 (8/13/81). Minor amendments to this Act
were made by the "Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals With Disabilities
Amendments of 1993," PL 103-218 (3/9/94). This Act was most recently reauthorized,
through fiscal year 2003, by the Coats Human Services Amendments of 1998, PL 105-
285 (10/27/98).
Note:. This compilation was prepared by HHS staff who have striven to ensure it is complete and
accurate. However, this is not an official compilation and may not be completely free of error.
Additions to the previous Head Start Act appear in bold.
(g) NATIONAL HEAD START IMPACT RESEARCH.
(1) EXPERT PANEL.--
(A) IN GENERAL. The Secretary shall appoint an independent panel
consisting of experts in program evaluation and research, education, and
early childhood programs--
(i) to review, and make recommendations on, the design and plan for
the research (whether conducted as a single assessment or as a series
of assessments) described in paragraph (2), within 1 year after the date
of enactment of the Coats Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1998;
(ii) to maintain and advise the Secretary regarding the progress of the
research; and
(iii) to comment, if the panel so desires, on the interim and final
research reports submitted under paragraph (7).
(B) TRAVEL EXPENSES.-- members of the panel shall not receive
compensation for the performance of services for the panel, but shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of
Page 2 of 4
title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places
of business in the performance of services for the panel. Notwithstanding
section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may accept the
voluntary and uncompensated services of members of the panel.
(2) GENERAL AUTHORITY.--After reviewing the recommendations of the expert
panel, the Secretary shall make a grant to, or enter into a contract or cooperative
agreement with an organization to conduct independent research that provides a
national analysis of the impact of Head Start programs. The Secretary shall
ensure that the organization shall have expertise in program evaluation, and
research, education, and early childhood programs.
(3) DESIGNS AND TECHNIQUES.--The Secretary shall ensure that the research
uses rigorous methodological designs and techniques (based on the
recommendations of the expert panel), including longitudinal designs, control
groups, nationally recognized standardized measures, and random selection and
assignment, as appropriate. The Secretary may provide that the research shall be
conducted as a single comprehensive assessment or as a group of coordinated
assessments designed to provide, when taken together, a national analysis of the
impact of Head Start programs.
(4) PROGRAMS.--The Secretary shall ensure that the research focuses primarily
on Head Start programs that operate in the 50 States, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia and that do not specifically target special
populations.
(5) ANALYSIS.--The Secretary shall ensure that the organization conducting the
research--
(A)(i) determines if, overall, the Head Start programs have impacts
consistent with their primary goal of increasing the social competence of
children, by increasing the everyday effectiveness of the children in
dealing with their present environments and future responsibilities, and
increasing their school readiness;
(ii) considers whether the Head Start programs--
(1) enhance the growth and development of children in cognitive,
emotional, and physical health areas;
(II) strengthen families as the primary nurturers of their children; and
(III) ensure that children attain school readiness; and
(iii) examines--
(I) the impact of the Head Start programs on increasing access of
children to such services as educational, health, and nutritional
services, and linking children and families to needed community
services; and
Page 3 of 4
(II) how receipt of services described in subclause (I) enriches the lives
of children and families participating in Head Start programs;
(B) examines the impact of Head Start programs on participants on the
date the participants leave Head Start programs, at the end of kindergarten
and at the end of first grade (whether in public or private school), by
examining a variety of factors, including educational achievement,
referrals for special education or remedial course work, and absenteeism;
(C) makes use of random selection from the population of all Head Start
programs described in paragraph (4) in selecting programs for inclusion in
the research; and
(D) includes comparisons of individuals who participate in Head Start
programs with control groups (including comparison groups) composed
of--
(i) individuals who participate in other early childhood programs (such
as public or private preschool programs and day care); and
(ii) individuals who do not participate in any other early childhood
program.
(6) CONSIDERATION OF SOURCES OF VARIATION.-- designing the research,
the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, consider addressing possible
sources of variation in impact of Head Start programs, including variations in
impact related to such factors as--
(A) Head Start program operations;
(B) Head Start program quality;
(C) the length of time a child attends a Head Start program;
(D) the age of the child on entering the Head Start program;
(E) the type of organization (such as a local educational agency or a
community action agency) providing services for the Head Start program;
(F) the number of hours and days of program operation of the Head Start
program (such as whether the program is a full-working-day, full calendar
year program, a part-day program, or a part-year program); and
(G) other characteristics and features of the Head Start program (such as
geographic location, location in an urban or a rural service area, or
participant characteristics), as appropriate.
Page 4 of 4
(7) REPORTS.--
(A) SUBMISSION OF INTERIM REPORTS.--The organization shall prepare
and submit to the Secretary two interim reports on the research. The first
interim report shall describe the design of the research, and the rationale
for the design, including a description of how potential sources of
variation in impact of Head Start programs have been considered in
designing the research. The second interim report shall describe the status
of the research and preliminary findings of the research, as appropriate.
(B) SUBMISSION OF FINAL REPORT.--The organization shall prepare and
submit to the Secretary a final report containing the findings of the
research.
(C) TRANSMITTAL OF REPORTS TO CONGRESS.--
(i) IN GENERAL.--The Secretary shall transmit, to the committees
described in clause (ii), the first interim report by September 30, 1999,
the second interim report by September 30, 2001, and the final report by
September 30, 2003.
(ii) COMMITTEES.--The committees referred to in clause (i) are the
Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of
the Senate.
(8) DEFINITION. this subsection, the term 'impact', used with respect to a Head
Start program, means a difference in an outcome for a participant in the program
that would not have occurred without the participation in the program.
SERVICES
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
or
Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
330 C Street, S.W.
Washington, D. C. 20201
MEMORANDUM
To:
The Head Start Community
From:
Helen Taylor, Associate Commissioner, Head Start Bureau
HT
Date:
April 12, 1999
Subject:
Advisory Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation
On March 23, 1999, Secretary Shalala signed a Charter establishing the Advisory
Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation. This Advisory Committee will
influence the direction of future research in Head Start and may very well shape thinking
about research in the early childhood field in general.
The purpose of this memorandum is to inform the Head Start program and research
community about this new Advisory Committee. Specifically, this memorandum covers
the following key areas:
Legislative Authority for the Advisory Committee
Charter of the Advisory Committee
Membership of the Advisory Committee
Schedule of Meetings of the Advisory Committee
Opportunities for Providing Input
The Head Start Bureau intends to make material related to the Advisory Committee
available on the Head Start web site, http://www2.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb/.
Legislative Authority for the Advisory Committee
The Head Start Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 9844(g); Section 649(g)(1) calls for the
Secretary to appoint an "independent panel of experts" (i.e., an Advisory Committee) in
program evaluation and research, education, and early childhood programs to review and
make recommendations on the design for a national study or studies of the impact of Head
Start. The legislation calls on the Advisory Committee to transmit to the Secretary a report
on the proposed study design by September 30, 1999. The Advisory Committee will also
advise the Secretary regarding the progress of the study and comment, if the Advisory
Committee so desires, on the interim and final study reports of the organization(s) selected
for carrying out the independent research.
PAGE TWO
The legislation provides specific guidance about how Congress envisions a national impact
study. For example, the legislation calls for research that "uses rigorous methodological
designs and techniques, (based on the recommendations of the expert panel), including
longitudinal designs, control groups, nationally recognized standardized measures, and
random selection and assignment, as appropriate." The legislation states that "the research
shall be conducted as a single comprehensive assessment or as a group of coordinated
assessments designed to provide, when taken together, a national analysis of the impact of
Head Start programs." Impact is to be examined at three points of time: "on the date
participants leave Head Start programs; at the end of kindergarten; and at the end of first
grade."
Charter of the Advisory Committee
On March 23, 1999, Secretary Shalala signed the Charter establishing the Advisory
Committee. The Charter reiterates the requirements spelled out in the Head Start Act, as
amended by the 1998 reauthorization. It also states that as part of the process, the
Committee shall:
review existing and ongoing research and evaluation studies that document the
impact of Head Start programs;
assess the benefits and feasibility of alternative research designs and techniques to
determine if, overall, Head Start programs have impacts consistent with their
primary goal of promoting school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive
development of low-income children;
report to the Secretary on recommendations for a study or studies of the impact of
Head Start services, including appropriate designs, techniques, methods of
analysis, and consideration of sources of variation;
advise the Secretary on the progress of the study or studies of the impacts of Head
Start programs; and
review and comment to the Secretary, if the Committee so desires, on the first and
second interim and final impact study reports of the organization(s) selected for
carrying out the independent research.
Membership of the Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee includes individuals with expertise in areas of program evaluation
and research, education, early childhood, policy and economics. The complete list of
Advisory Committee members will soon be posted on the Head Start web page.
Olivia Golden, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, will serve as Chair of the Advisory Committee.
PAGE THREE
Schedule of Meetings of the Advisory Committee
There will be three meetings of the Advisory Committee during the Spring/Summer of
1999. All meetings will be open to the public except as determined otherwise by the
Secretary or other official to whom the authority has been delegated. The first meeting will
be held April 26 - 27, 1999 at the Georgetown University Conference Center, 3800
Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC.
It is expected that the first meeting will focus on the critical research questions that should
guide a national analysis of the impact of Head Start and the challenges and opportunities of
various methodological approaches for carrying out such research. The second meeting
will likely focus on a more in-depth discussion of methodology. The third meeting will
likely provide an opportunity for the Advisory Committee members to review and comment
on the final report that will be submitted to the Secretary as a result of the Committee's
deliberations.
Questions about the schedule and locations of meetings can be directed to Stacia Wilson at
Ellsworth Associates, 703/821-3090 extension 264 or [email protected]. This
information will also be available on the Head Start web site.
Opportunities for Providing Input
The Head Start Bureau welcomes ideas from all those interested in shaping a new research
agenda for Head Start - one that will provide a national analysis of the impact of Head
Start. We recognize that there are many concerned individuals and organizations that have
thought about the challenges and opportunities of measuring impact. Please understand
that while only a limited number of individuals could be appointed to this Advisory
Committee, we value the ideas of everyone. For the sake of our ongoing internal
deliberations, we would encourage you to forward written comments to: Deborah Roderick
Stark, Head Start Bureau, 330 C Street, SW Room 2018, Washington, DC 20201.
Advisory Committee on
Head Start Research and Evaluation
Participant List
4/28/99
Membership
Olivia Golden: CHAIR
Martha Abbott-Shim
Assistant Secretary of ACF
Professor
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Educational Psychology and Special
Administration for Children and Families
Education
Aerospace Center, Room 610
Suite 367, COE Building
901 D Street, SW
Georgia State University
Washington, DC 20447
University Plaza
Phone: 202/401-2337
Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
Fax:
202/401-4678
Phone: 404/651-0399
Email:
[email protected]
Fax:
404/651-1415
Email: [email protected]
Lawrence Aber
Rosalinda Barrera
Director
Professor of Curriculum and Instruction
National Center for Children in Poverty
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Columbia University
302 Education Building
154 Haven Avenue
1310 S. 6ᵗʰ Street, MC-708
New York, NY 10032
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: 212/304-7101
Phone: 217/244-8286, 217/333-6497 (direct)
Fax:
212/544-4200
Fax:
217/244-4572
Email: [email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
C. Hendricks Brown
Donna Bryant
Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Research Director of the Family and Child Care
College of Public Health
Research Program
University of South Florida
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center
13201 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Room 2106, MDC-56
Campus Box 8180
Tampa, FL 33612-3805
105 Smith Level Road
Phone: 813/974-6672
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8180
Fax:
813/974-4719
Phone: 919/966-4523
Email: [email protected]
Fax:
919/966-7532
Email: [email protected]
I
Membership
Margaret Burchinal
Thomas Cook
Research Associate Professor
Professor of Sociology, Psychology, Education, and
Department of Psychology
Social Policy
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Institute for Policy Research
Campus Box 8185
Northwestern University
Sherylmar Building
2040 Sheridan Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8180
Evanston, IL 60208-4100
Phone: 919/966-5059
Phone: 847/491-4990
Fax:
919/962-5771
Fax:
847/491-9916
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Gayle Cunningham
Greg Duncan
Executive Director
Professor of Education and Social Policy
Jefferson County Committee for Economic
Institute for Policy Research
Opportunity
Northwestern University
300 8th Avenue, West
2040 Sheridan Road
Birmingham, AL 35204
Evanston, IL 60208-4100
Phone: 205/327-7550
Phone: 847/467-1503
Fax:
205/327-7549
Fax:
847/491-9916
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Harriet Ganson
Richard Gonzales
Assistant Director
Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Head Start
Education, Work Force, and Income Security Issues
Administration for Children's Services, Head Start
U.S. General Accounting Office
30 Main Street
441 G Street, NW, Room 5915
Sweeney Building, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20548
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: 202/512-9045
Phone: 718/260-7083
Fax:
202/512-6826
Fax:
718/260-7079
Email:
[email protected]
Email: N/A
Sarah Greene
David Hayes-Bautista
Chief Executive Officer
Professor of Medicine
National Head Start Association
Director, Center for the Study of Latino Health
1651 Prince Street
UCLA School of Medicine
Alexandria, VA 22314
10911 Weyburn Avenue, Suite 333
Phone: 703/739-0875
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Fax:
703/739-0878
Phone: 310/794-0663
Email: [email protected]
Fax:
310/794-2862
Email: [email protected]
2
Membership
Wade Horn
Jacqueline Jones
President
Senior Research Scientist
National Fatherhood Initiative
Educational Testing Service
One Bank Street, Suite 160
Mail Stop 16R
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Rosedale Road
Phone: 301/948-0599
Princeton, NJ 08541
Fax:
301/948-4325
Phone: 609/734-1929
Email: [email protected]
Fax:
609/734-1090
Email: [email protected]
Helena Kraemer
Joan Lombardi
Professor of Biostatistics
Senior Associate
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Bush Center in Child Development and Social Policy
Stanford University School of Medicine
Yale University
401 Quarry Road, C305
1941 Shiver Drive
Stanford, CA 94305-5717
Alexandria, VA 22307
Phone: 650/723-7217
Phone: 703/660-6711
Fax:
650/853-1265
Fax:
703/660-8924
Email:
[email protected]
Email: [email protected]
John Love
Patricia Montoya
Senior Fellow
Commissioner of ACYF
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
P.O. Box 2393
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
Mary Switzer Building, Room 2136
Phone: 609/275-2245
330 C Street, SW
Fax:
609/799-0005
Washington, DC 20447
Email:
[email protected]
Phone: 202/205-8347
Fax:
202/205-9721
Email:
[email protected]
Craig Ramey
Director
Civitan International Research Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham
1719 Sixth Avenue South, Room 137
Birmingham, AL 35294-0021
Phone: 205/934-8900
Fax:
205/975-6330
Email: [email protected]
3
Membership
Suzanne Randolph
Peter Rossi
Associate Professor
Retired Professor Emeritus
Department of Family Studies
34 Stagecoach Road
University of Maryland
Amherst, MA 01002-3527
1204K Marie Mount Hall
Phone: 413/256-0308
College Park, MD 20742-7515
Fax:
413/253-7589
Phone: 301/405-4012
Email:
[email protected]
Fax:
301/314-9161
Email: [email protected]
(wife's fax: 413/253-9487)
Lawrence Schweinhart
Ann Segal
Chair, Research Division
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Initiatives
High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
600 North River Street
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and
Ypsilanti, MI 48198-2896
Evaluation
Phone: 734/485-2000 ext. 256
Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 415F
Fax:
734/485-0704
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Email:
[email protected]
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: 202/690-7858
Fax:
202/690-7383
Email:
[email protected]
Jack Shonkoff
Margaret Spencer
Dean
Professor
Florence Heller Graduate School
Graduate School of Education
Brandeis University
University of Pennsylvania
P.O. Box 9110 - MS 035
3700 Walnut Street
Waltham, MA 02454-9110
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216
Phone: 781/736-3883
Phone: 215/898-1945
Fax: 781/736-3852
Fax:
215/573-3893
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
Robert St. Pierre
Helen Taylor
Vice President
Associate Commissioner of the Head Start Bureau
Abt Associates, Inc.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
400 North Park Avenue, 10B
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
P.O. Box 7399-167
Head Start Bureau
Breckenridge, CO 80424-7399
330 C Street, SW
Phone: 970/453-7295
Mary Switzer Building, Room 2018
Fax:
970/453-7295 (phone/fax)
Washington, DC 20447
Email:
[email protected]
Phone: 202/205-8573
Fax:
202/260-9336
Email:
[email protected]
4
Membership
Grover Whitehurst
Diane J. Willis
Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics
Director of Psychological Services and Training
Chair, Department of Psychology
Child Study Center
State University of New York, Stony Brook
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Stony Brook, NY 11794-2500
1100 NE 13th Street
Phone: 516/632-7870 (lab); 516/632-7805 (chair)
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
Fax:
516/632-7871 (lab); 516/632-7876 (chair)
Phone: 405/271-5700
Email: [email protected]
Fax:
405/271-8835
Email: [email protected]
Hirokazu Yoshikawa
Edward Zigler
Assistant Professor
Sterling Professor of Psychology
Department of Psychology
Department of Psychology
New York University
Yale University
6 Washington Place
P.O. Box 208205
Room 279
2 Hillhouse Avenue
New York, NY 10003
New Haven, CT 06520-8205
Phone: 212/998-7826
Phone: 203/432-4576
Fax:
212/998-7781
Fax:
203/432-7147
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Nicholas Zill
Vice President
Westat, Inc.
1650 Research Boulevard
TA2126
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 301/294-4448
Fax:
301/294-2030
Email: [email protected]
5
A REVITALIZED HEAD START RESEARCH AGENDA:
How Head Start Has Responded to the Changing Needs of
Children and Families in Poverty
(4/5/99)
"Head Start is entering an historic period of reexamination,
improvement in quality, and expansion of services. The size of the
program, its comprehensive services, and diversity of the population it
serves, and the fact that it is federally funded suggest a role for Head
Start as a national laboratory for best practices in early childhood and
family support services in low-income communities. Because Head
Start needs to expand and renew itself in order to assume its role as a
state-of-the-art 'technology,' there is a concomitant and compelling
need for a new, expanded, and formal role for Head Start research."
-- Creating a 21st Century Head Start,
Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality
and Expansion, 1993
1
QUALITY
A. CONDUCT NEW HEAD START RESEARCH FOCUSING ON QUALITY AND
OTHER POLICY ISSUES: Head Start has made dramatic progress toward
developing an outcome-oriented accountability system, the Program
Performance Measures Initiative, which can be used, on an ongoing basis, to
determine the quality and effectiveness of Head Start programs nationally.
Descriptive Study of the Head Start Health Component: This study was
designed to provide a "national snapshot" of how local Head Start programs
meet the medical, dental, nutritional, and mental health needs of the
children and families they serve. Data were collected in 1994 on a national
probability sample of 1200 children and families in 81 centers across 40
Head Start programs to provide information on program procedures,
community health risks, and health resources available to participating
families. The final report is available at: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/rde.
Head Start Quality Research Center (QRC) Consortium: The objective
of the Consortium is to create an ongoing partnership among ACYF, Head
Start grantees, and the academic research community to enhance quality
program practices and program outcomes. A cooperative agreement in
September, 1995 established four Quality Research Centers at the
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, High/Scope Educational
Research Foundation in Ypsilanti, MI, Education Development Center, Inc.
in Newton, MA, and Georgia State University in Atlanta. More information
is available at: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/rde.
Head Start Performance Measure Center (PMC): As part of the Head
Start Quality Research Center Consortium, the PMC is responsible for the
collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of data on Head Start
Performance Measures. In the Spring of 1997, the PMC conducted the
pilot test of the first nationwide data collection -assessing Head Start
children and following them up in kindergarten, also assessing parents'
experiences and the quality of Head Start classrooms, as part of the Family
and child Experiences Survey (FACES). The Head Start Performance
Measures Center Second Progress Report, including the results of the
Spring 1997 data collection was disseminated in Fall, 1998 [See also Head
Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) below].
2
Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES): FACES is
designed to collect longitudinal data on a nationally representative sample
of 3200 families with children enrolled in 40 Head Start programs, starting
in Fall, 1997. Its purposes are to provide descriptions of the
characteristics, experiences, and outcomes for children and families served
by Head Start and to observe the relationships among family and program
characteristics and outcomes. The Head Start Performance Measures
Second Progress Report, including findings from the Spring 1997 Pilot, is
available at: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/rde.
LONGITUDINAL
B.
CONDUCT LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
SERVED IN HEAD START PROGRAMS: Conduct longitudinal studies that seek
to identify early and intermediate outcomes of a Head Start experience and that
explore the interacting influences of preschool, family, and later schooling in
mediating the long-term effects of child and family participation in Head Start.
Build our partnership with ongoing longitudinal research, which will provide
valuable information about the characteristics and needs of the Head Start
population, both parents and children.
Evaluation of the Head Start/Public School Early Childhood
Transition Demonstration: The Transition Demonstration was designed
to assist low-income students grades kindergarten through three and their
families in obtaining supportive services including health, immunization,
mental health, nutrition, parenting education, literacy, and social services,
as well as supporting the active involvement of parents in the education of
their children. The 31 demonstration grantees participated in a national
evaluation under experimental design conditions to determine the effects of
the demonstration on children, families, the Head Start program, the
public school system, and the community. Data were collected annually
from the time the children entered kindergarten until they completed third
grade, using interviews and standard assessments with children, their
parents, teachers and principals. A report on program implementation is
under review, and a final report on program impact is expected in June
1999.
3
NICHD Study of Early Child Care: Early Child Care and Head Start
Children: ACYF and the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development are collaborating on a low-income sub-study of this
prospective, longitudinal natural history study of 1200 children from 10
sites across the U.S. ACYF's participation is designed to explore the
concurrent, long-term, and cumulative influences of variations in early
child care experiences on the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and
physical development of young children who grow up in poverty. A report
is in preparation on children from birth through age 3, and analyses are
ongoing through early school age.
INFANTS AND TODDLERS
C. CONDUCT INTENSIVE EVALUATION OF SERVICES FOR INFANTS AND
TODDLERS: Provide opportunities for formative local evaluation, a national
impact study, and innovative research partnerships to explore the issues of
service delivery to children from birth to three and pregnant women.
Evaluation of the Comprehensive Child Development Programs
(CCDP): The purpose of this evaluation was to assess the effectiveness of
CCDP by examining the impact of each program model on the cognitive,
socio-emotional and physical development of a participating and control
group of children (approximately 4,100) through the administration of
standardized assessment batteries (at 24, 36, 48 and 60 months) and a
series of annual interviews with the parents of the children in the study,
including the use of observational instruments to measure the home
environment and parent-child interactions. The final impact evaluation
and process study reports have been completed and are available
electronically via the internet at: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/rde.
Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project: In order to
evaluate the new Early Head Start program, serving children from birth
through age three and pregnant women, this project has launched a study
of approximately 3000 families living in 17 diverse communities across the
U.S. The project has four central purposes: 1) creating a system for
continuous program improvement; 2) conducting a rigorous cross-site
impact study; 3) encouraging a new generation of research for
understanding the role of program and contextual variations; and 4)
creating the foundation for a series of longitudinal research studies. A
descriptive report on program implementation will be available in 1999,
4
with the first impact results due in 2001. The National Institute on Child
Health and Human Development (NICHD), The Assistant Secretary for
Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), and the Ford Foundation are
collaborating on a related study of low-income fathers of infants and
toddlers. For more information see http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/rde.
INNOVATIVE PROGRAM STRATEGIES
D. CONDUCT STUDIES OF HEAD STARTS OTHER EMERGING INNOVATIVE
PROGRAM STRATEGIES: Develop a long-term approach to research that
draws upon emerging themes and developments in the broader early childhood
field. In developing innovative demonstration programs, the demonstration and
the evaluation should be planned simultaneously and interactively.
Evaluation of the Head Start Family Child Care Demonstration: This
evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the 18 Head Start Family Child
Care Homes (HSFCC) demonstration projects funded by ACYF in FY1992
to serve families who were working, in school or involved in training
activities. The evaluation demonstrated that Head Start services provided
through FCC homes compare favorably to services provided through
centers, particularly in terms of their quality and effectiveness in
promoting outcomes for children, parents and families. Findings from the
evaluation have been incorporated into plans for making FCC a regular
Head Start program option. The final report is expected in 1999.
Evaluation of the Family Service Center Demonstration: The purpose
of this national evaluation was to utilize Wave III demonstration projects to
evaluate the effectiveness of the Head Start Family Service Center
Demonstration Projects in their efforts to ameliorate the interrelated
problems of illiteracy, substance abuse and unemployment which limit the
capacity of many Head Start families to achieve self-sufficiency. Recently,
local evaluation reports on Waves I-III were reviewed and analyzed for
information to supplement the results of the national evaluation. The final
report is being under review and is expected to be released in Fall 1999.
5
SPECIAL SUBPOPULATIONS
E.
CONDUCT STUDIES OF SPECIAL SUBPOPULATIONS SEPARATELY OR
EMBEDDED IN LARGER STUDIES: Special studies should target Head Start
subpopulations that may not be included in significant numbers in other
research and evaluation studies (e.g., Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians,
migrant farm-worker families, children with disabilities, and geographically and
socially isolated families).
Descriptive Study of Bilingual/Multicultural Head Start Programs:
This study was designed to: (1) assess the number, geographic
distribution, and socio-demographic characteristics of the Head Start-
eligible population using U.S. Census data; (2) assess the number,
geographic distribution, and socio-demographic characteristics of the
children and families from bilingual and multicultural backgrounds,
currently being served by Head Start; and (3) identify the range of
bilingual and multicultural services currently provided by Head Start
programs. The draft final report is being revised and expected to be
completed in the summer of 1999.
Descriptive Study of the Characteristics of Families Served by the
Migrant Head Start Program: The purpose of this study was to: (1)
characterize the currently served Migrant Head Start (MHS) client
population; (2) provide an overall description of the MHS service delivery
system and operational issues affecting both the nationwide service
delivery system and local centers; and (3) estimate the universe of need for
MHS services, as well as the proportion of MHS-eligible families currently
served. The draft final report is being revised and expected to be completed
in the Summer of 1999.
RESEARCH CAPACITY
F.
DEVELOP AND ENHANCE CAPACITY FOR RESEARCH ON HEAD START IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LARGER CHILD DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY:
Take a visible leadership role in stimulating a comprehensive and coordinated
set of research activities on the diverse populations served by Head Start in
the child development community, using the model of reflective research
partnerships of researchers, staff, families, and communities. Take
responsibility for dissemination of critical research findings and best practices
(in both program and research methodology) back to practitioners and other
relevant consumers of such information.
6
National Academy of Sciences Roundtable on Head Start Research: The
Board on Children and Families, within the National Academy of Sciences
was funded by ACYF to convene a roundtable of national experts, both
researchers and practitioners, to review relevant early childhood research
and provide input to the agency's ongoing effort to develop a long-term,
revitalized Head Start research agenda. This two year effort resulted in the
publication of an NAS report entitled "Beyond the Blueprint: Directions for
Research on Head Start's Families." The report is available at:
http://ericps.ed.uiuc.edu/nccic/research/nrc_bynd/nrc_bynd.html.
Head Start's National Research Conferences: The fifth Head Start National
Research Conference will be held in Washington, DC, on June 28-July 1,
2000. This bi-annual research conference regularly brings together both
practitioners and leading child development researchers, including, but not
limited to researchers focusing on studying Head Start children, families, staff
and programs. The next conference theme is "Developmental and Contextual
Transitions of Children and Families: Implications for Research, Policy and
Practice." Additional information is available on the internet at:
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb.
Head Start/University Partnerships & Head Start Research Scholars
Program: The purpose of this category of discretionary funding is to support
research conducted by universities on behalf of faculty or doctoral-level
graduate students who form partnerships with Head Start or Early Head Start
programs for the purposes of contributing new knowledge or testing research
applications which will enhance the optimal development of young low-income
children or improve services for these children and their families. Three areas
are targeted as priorities for fiscal year 1999: 1) Infant and toddler
development in the cultural context; 2) Theory-driven applications for the
prevention, identification and/or treatment of children's mental health
disorders; and 3) Field-initiated research focusing on child development
(including health and mental health) or public policy issues with major
implications for low-income children; cross-disciplinary research is invited.
Additional information is available on the internet at:
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb.
7
Department of Education Early Childhood Longitudinal Study
Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) - Head Start Substudy: The purpose of this
Interagency Agreement is to join with the Department of Education in their
study of children's early school experience. This is a longitudinal study of
approximately 23,000 children from 1000 schools nationwide, of which an
estimated 3000 will be former Head Start children. Starting in fall, 1998, the
study will assess children as they enter kindergarten and continue through
the fifth grade.
Department of Education Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth
Cohort (ECLS-B) - Head Start Substudy: The Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study, Birth Cohort 2000 (ECLS-B) will provide detailed information on
children's development, health, early care, and education on a nationally
representative sample of 12,000 children born in 2000 who will be followed
longitudinally from birth through the end of first grade. ACYF currently is
exploring the following: (1) development of questionnaires on parental
decision-making related to selection of child care and/or early intervention
programs; (2) direct observation of the quality of childcare and early education
programs; and (3) supplementing already planned assessments in child
development, family functioning, care provider competence, and community
support, including direct observations of parent/caregiver-child interactions.
Head Start/Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative with NIMH:
Through an ongoing collaborative agreement with the National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH), ACYF seeks to generate new knowledge to improve the
capacity of Head Start and related early childhood programs to deliver high
quality, comprehensive, developmentally appropriate prevention and
intervention services to support the mental health of low income young
children, their families, and program staff. ACYF and NIMH awarded five
research grants in September of 1997 as the core component of this
collaborative mental health research initiative, including: the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of New Mexico, University of Oregon,
Vanderbilt University, and Columbia University. The HSMHRC currently is
conducting research in multiple Head Start communities that include a
diversity of populations (Caucasian, African American, Hispanic American,
and Native American) and settings (rural and urban). Within these diverse
Head Start communities, the HSMHRC aims to: 1) identify current mental
health related services; 2) determine prevalence, type and severity of
emotional, behavioral and language problems; and 3) assess the impact of
home-based, classroom-based, and/or skills training interventions on
emotional, behavioral and language problems.
8
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This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HUMAN SERVICES FURA
ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
HEALTH
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
or
Head Start Bureau
DEPARTMENT
Head Start
Research and Evaluation:
A Blueprint for the Future
HEAD START
RESEARCH AND EVALUATION:
A Blueprint for the Future
Recommendations of the Advisory Panel
for the Head Start Evaluation Design Project
September 1990
This report was prepared by Collins Management Consulting, Inc., of Vienna, Virginia, under contract No. 105-89-
1610, for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Human Development Services,
Administration for Children, Youth and Families, Head Start Bureau.
DHHS Publication No. (ACY) 91-31195