Accomplishments and Outcomes

SYSTEMS AND OUTCOME MEASURES FOR HEAD START NATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Head Start Act, ACYF-IM-HS-00-03, ACYF-IM-HS-00-18, ACYF-IM-HS-03-07, PRISM, FACES

Federal On-Site Systems Monitoring
      "How is our compliance with Head Start regulations and program implementation?"

• After the first full year of operation, grantees are monitored at least once every three years.
• A review of effective management systems supports the implementation of a comprehensive child development program leading to positive child outcomes.
• A partnership between Federal and grantee staff monitors the progress of Early Head Start and Head Start grantees in implementing the Head Start Program Performance Standards and other Federal regulations.
• Using the PRISM (Program Review Instrument for Systems Monitoring), a team of Federal staff and other experts conducts an on-site PRISM review of grantee management systems and program quality through a combination of focus groups and individual interviews; observations; discussions with parents, staff, and policy groups; and review of written program documents. Grantees must correct all identified areas of noncompliance.
• Information from the PRISM, including compliance with the child outcomes requirements of the 1998 Head Start Act and ACYF-IM-HS-00-18, is to be used by grantees for continuous program improvement.

National Reporting System
     "How are 4- and 5-year-old Head Start children progressing on a common national assessment of key indicators of literacy, language, and numeracy learning?"

• In April 2002, President Bush launched the Early Childhood Initiative—Good Start, Grow Smart—that included strengthening Head Start by developing a new accountability system to ensure that every Head Start program assesses child outcomes. This new accountability system is referred to as the National Reporting System (NRS).
• Starting in Fall 2003, all 4- and 5-year olds in Head Start, including children with disabilities and English Language Learners, will be assessed through the NRS. They will be assessed again in the spring before they go to kindergarten.
• All Head Start programs will use a brief, common set of valid, reliable, age-appropriate assessment tools on specific language, literacy, and numeracy outcomes. The assessments will take approximately 15 minutes per child. They will be conducted in English or Spanish by trained program staff.
• The NRS will provide comparable data about the progress that children are making in each Head Start program. NRS information will be reported back to programs to supplement the ongoing child assessment and continuous program self-assessment that each program undertakes. The Head Start Bureau and the Regional Offices will use the NRS information to guide training and technical assistance and to develop new ways of incorporating outcomes into future PRISM reviews. Data on individual children will not be reported by the NRS.

Research
     "What are some key outcomes and indicators of national program quality, effectiveness, and outcome?"

• The Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) is a national, longitudinal study to examine the quality and outcomes of Head Start. In 1997 and 2000, data were collected from a nationally representative sample of several thousand children in about 40 Head Start programs who were followed up in kindergarten. Teachers, staff, and parents were interviewed; observations of classroom quality were made. Results indicate that Head Start children’s social skills improve and that they make more progress than the typical child their age on vocabulary and early writing measures, but still fall short of national averages. Classroom quality is linked to child outcomes. A new national sample is being launched in Fall 2003.
• The Head Start Impact Study is a Congressionally mandated longitudinal study of nearly 5,000 3- and 4-yearolds from a nationally representative sample of agencies. Children have been randomly assigned to Head Start or to a comparison group which does not receive Head Start services. Data collection includes direct child assessments through first grade, parent interviews, surveys with staff, observations of the quality of care settings, and teacher ratings. The study is designed to answer the mandated questions and benefit program quality.
• The Quality Research Centers (QRC) Consortium I (1995-2000) created partnerships among ACYF, Head Start grantees, and the academic research community to enhance quality program practices and outcomes. In 2001, a second cohort of QRCs was funded for five years to improve child outcomes in literacy, social and emotional development, and other domains of school readiness, through enhancements to curriculum, teacher training, parent involvement, and assessment practices. Research teams implement and evaluate their projects with their Head Start partners, then replicate them. Measures from FACES are used across sites.