[Federal Register: December 6, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 233)]
[Notices]               
[Page 72639-72640]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06de05-42]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

 
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Proposed Projects:
    Title: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES)
    OMB No.: 0970-0151.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of 
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is requesting 
comments on plans to collect data on a new cohort for the Head Start 
Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES). This study is being 
conducted to collect information on Head Start performance measures 
under contract with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (with Juarez and 
Associates and Educational Testing Service as their subcontractors) 
(contract HHSP23320052905YC).
    FACES will involve four waves of data collection. The first wave 
will occur in fall 2006. Data will be collected on a sample of 
approximately 2,800 children and families from about 350 classrooms 
across 60 Head Start programs. Data collection will include assessments 
of Head Start children, interviews with their parents, and ratings by 
their Head Start teachers. Furthermore, site visitors will interview 
Head Start teachers and make observations of the types and quality of 
classroom activities.
    The second wave in spring 2007 will be very similar to the fall 
2006 data collection, except that we will not repeat interviews with 
the Head Start staff interviewed in the fall and will add an interview 
of the family services coordinator. The children in the second wave 
will be at the end of their first year of Head Start.
    The third wave will occur in spring 2008 and will involve follow-
ups with children who at this time are either completing a second year 
in Head Start or completing Kindergarten. For those children who are 
still attending Head Start, data collection will follow the same 
procedures as in spring 2007. For those children attending 
Kindergarten, data collection will include assessments of the children, 
an ``update'' survey of the information collection from the parent 
interview, and ratings of the children's academic progress and school 
adjustment by Kindergarten teachers.
    The fourth wave of data collection will occur in spring 2009. 
Children who attended Kindergarten the previous year will not be 
included in this wave. The procedures for this effort will be the same 
as for Kindergartens in spring 2008.
    This schedule of data collection is necessitated by the mandates of 
the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 (Pub. L. 103-
62), which requires that the Head Start Bureau move expeditiously 
toward development and testing of Head Start Performance Measures, and 
by the 1994 reauthorization of Head Start (Head Start Act, as amended, 
May 18, 1994, Section 649 (d)), which requires periodic assessments of 
Head Start's quality and effectiveness.
    Respondents: Federal Government, individuals or households, and 
not-for-profit institutions.

Annual Burden Estimates

    Estimated Response Burden for Respondents to the Head Start Family 
and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2006)--Fall 2006, Spring 2007, 
Spring 2008, Spring 2009.

[[Page 72640]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Number of      Average burden
                 Instrument                     Number of       responses per      hours per       Total burden
                                               respondents       respondent         response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Year 1 (2006)
Head Start Parent Interview................            2,800              1                1.00            2,800
Head Start Child Assessment................            2,800              1                0.66            1,848
Teacher Child Rating.......................              350              8                0.25              700
Program Director Interview.................               60              1                1.00               60
Center Director Interview..................              120              1                1.00              120
Education Coordinator Interview............              120              1                0.75               90
Teacher Interview..........................              350              1                1.00              350
                                            ------------------
    Year 1 Total...........................            6,600  ................  ...............            5,968
                                            ==================
               Year 2 (2007)
Head Start Parent Interview................            2,400              1                0.75            1,800
Head Start Child Assessment................            2,400              1                0.66            1,584
Teacher Child Rating.......................              350              6.75             0.25              591
Family Service Coordinator Interview.......              120              1                0.75               90

    Year 2 Total...........................            5,270  ................  ...............            4,065
                                            ==================
               Year 3 (2008)
Head Start Parent Interview................              850              1                0.75              638
Head Start Child Assessment................              850              1                0.66              561
Teacher Child Rating.......................              175              4.5              0.25              197
Kindergarten Parent Interview..............            1,110              1                0.75              833
Kindergarten Child Assessment..............            1,110              1                0.75              833
Kindergarten Teacher Questionnaire.........            1,110              1                0.50              555
                                            ------------------
    Year 3 Total...........................            5,205  ................  ...............            3,615
                                            ==================
               Year 4 (2009)
Kindergarten Parent Interview..............              725              1                0.75              544
Kindergarten Child Assessment..............              725              1                0.75              544
Kindergarten Teacher Questionnaire.........              725              1                0.50              363

    Year 4 Total...........................            2,175  ................  ...............            1,450
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 15,101.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours (average of 4 years): 3,775.
    In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and 
Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the 
information collection described above. Copies of the proposed 
collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded 
by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of 
Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, 
SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail 
address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be identified 
by the title of the information collection.
    The Department specifically requests comments on: (a) Whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection 
of information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology. 
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted 
within 60 days of this publication.

    Dated: November 30, 2005.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-23643 Filed 12-5-05; 8:45 am]

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