III. Frequently Asked Questions About The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework

     To help education leaders fully understand what the Framework means for a Head Start program, here are responses to the most frequently asked questions about the Framework and the new accountability requirements.

Why is The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework needed?
     Head Start has always taken the lead in early childhood education by operating according to a set of national Program Performance Standards. They describe what programs are required to do in early childhood development and health services, family and community partnerships, and program design and management. The new emphasis in the Child Outcomes Framework is on what programs are required to accomplish for children. Head Start parents, teachers, home visitors, and administrators—as well as the nation's policymakers and citizens—want to know that what is happening in Head Start is benefiting children. Keeping track of children's progress toward accomplishing positive child outcomes helps assure that all children benefit fully from their participation in the program.

What is an outcome?
     An outcome is a learning or developmental goal. It is a long-term goal. The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework explicitly states the goals toward which preschool children should be progressing over the course of their participation in the Head Start program. When outcomes are measured, it is assumed that outcomes are changes in children's learning and behavior related to their participation in the program. These are referred to as gains.

Are all children expected to achieve all the outcomes at the same time?
     No. Children learn and develop at different rates and in different ways. They bring different levels of prior learning to their Head Start experiences. However, groups of children should demonstrate significant progress toward the outcomes during their participation in preschool Head Start. The outcomes are not fixed points of progress.

Is the Child Outcomes Framework a curriculum?
     No. The Child Outcomes Framework describes long-term goals while curricula guide programs in how to get there. The Framework provides guidance for programs in selecting, developing, planning, and adapting curricula. A curriculum goes beyond goals or outcomes to describe a cohesive framework with a strong philosophical base that guides learning experiences, materials, teaching strategies, and roles of adults. Program personnel need to be sure that their written curriculum is comprehensive enough to address all the areas of the Framework yet specific enough to help children achieve desired outcomes.

Is the Child Outcomes Framework an assessment?
     No. The Framework itself is not a checklist or tool for assessing children's learning. However, it can and should be used to make decisions about assessment tools that the program will use to determine children's progress and to inform teaching. Assessment tools are often designed to relate to specific curricular approaches.

Does the Framework apply to children with disabilities?
     Yes. As with every dimension of Head Start, children with identified disabilities are fully included in the child outcomes, with appropriate accommodations for instruction and assessment. Programs will want to collect information on the progress toward child outcomes of children with disabilities. In addition, specific outcomes from the Framework will be included in children’s Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

Does the Framework apply to Early Head Start?
     No. Because the Framework describes outcomes for children entering kindergarten, it does not apply directly to Early Head Start. However, achieving the outcomes by kindergarten entry is the result of cumulative experiences that begin at birth. Programs are required to have a written curriculum that provides developmentally appropriate experiences for all Early Head Start and Head Start children that build the necessary foundations for later learning. Many of the practices described here are appropriate for infants and toddlers as long as they are adapted for the age, abilities, interests, and experiences of the children—that is, as long as they are developmentally appropriate. For example, reading to children should begin in the first months of life, using age-appropriate board books (Barclay, Benelli, & Curtis 1995; Barclay and Benelli 1997). Essential language development occurs during the first three years of life that lays the foundation for all later learning. Relationship building in the earliest years supports not only social and emotional development but also the foundation for all other areas of development.

Does the program have to address all the Indicators in the Framework?
     No. The Indicators are examples that help describe the outcome areas of the Framework. Other examples can be cited. However, the Domain Elements and Indicators that are starred * are required by legislation to be assessed through the National Reporting System (NRS). Programs must address all the Domains and Domain Elements in their curriculum. At a minimum, programs must demonstrate that children are making progress toward the legislatively mandated child outcomes and include them in their local assessments.

Are the Head Start Program Performance Standards in use along with the Child Outcomes Framework?
     Yes. The Program Performance Standards (2002) include specific requirements regarding many aspects of Head Start. They specify requirements related to initial screening of children, child observation and ongoing assessment, and written curriculum. The Framework provides a consistent set of child outcomes that are supported by other aspects of the educational program described in the Program Performance Standards.

Does a Head Start program set individual goals for children in addition to the long-term goals specified in the Framework?
     Yes. For each Head Start child, there are short-term goals based on their unique developmental status and progress. They represent the "next steps" for a child in working toward the long-term goals specified in the Outcomes Framework. For example, in the Literacy Domain, specifically in the area of alphabet knowledge, one 4-year-old's short-term goal is to learn the first letter of her name. For another 4-year-old, who already knows the letters in her name, the immediate goal is to help her recognize those same letters in other words. The individual, short-term goals are based on observations of the child and other forms of assessment by the Head Start staff and parents. Learning experiences that are part of the curriculum are planned to help children reach their individual goals. As a child shows progress, the short-term goals are revised. The long-term goals are the learning outcomes in the Framework and they remain the same for all Head Start children who will enter kindergarten.

Does the Framework prescribe teaching strategies?
     No. The Framework specifies the learning outcomes for children – the destination – but not how to get there. Along with a Head Start’s program curriculum, this Guide provides something of a road map. It suggests instructional strategies that teachers and home visitors can apply to each of the 8 Domains of the Framework. These strategies can be implemented across a variety of different comprehensive curricula that are currently used in Head Start settings.

Does the Framework indicate that the teacher’s role has changed?
     No. The teacher's or home visitor’s roles are unchanged, but some aspects are emphasized even more under the Framework. Working with parents, Head Start educators will need to make educational decisions based on their understanding of the Framework and incorporating what they know about child development and learning; about the strengths, interests, and needs of individual children in the group; and about the social and cultural contexts in which the Head Start children live (Bredekamp & Copple 1997).