[Federal Register: February 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 26)]
[Notices]
[Page 6503-6504]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08fe06-112]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Proposed Projects
Title: National Implementation of Head Start National Reporting
System on Child Outcomes.
OMB No.: 0970-0249.
Description: The Administration on Children, Youth and Families
(ACYF), within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is requesting
comments on plans to implement the Head Start National Reporting System
(HSNRS) on Child Outcomes. Child-outcomes information collected by this
implementation is expected to enhance Head Start programs'
accountability and quality.
HSNRS addresses Presidentially mandated reforms and Congressionally
mandated requirements for information on specific child outcomes and
provides Head Start program managers and teachers with useful
information to support program-improvement strategies.
HSNRS has three major goals. First, HSNRS will provide local Head
Start programs with information about the progress of groups of
children on a limited number of performance measures. This information
is captured by measuring how children are doing at the beginning and at
the end of each program year. Second, HSNRS will capture the same set
of information across the nation in a consistent manner, allowing for
creation of normative comparison groups. Individual programs can use
this information to target needs for training and technical assistance.
Third, the child-outcomes information captured in HSNRS should serve as
one component of the current national progress monitoring effort, which
involves on-site, systematic review of programs. The Head Start Bureau
can use compiled HSNRS data as part of the process for ensuring the
effectiveness of services. These results can highlight the needs of
specific groups of children, identify local programs' technical
assistance and training needs, and contribute to the accountability of
Head Start.
The first three rounds of the HSNRS national implementation (2003-
04, 2004-05, and 2005-06 program years) were successful. In each round
of the data collection, over 400,000 assessments were completed, making
this the largest assessment of preschool children ever conducted. Over
99 percent of Head Start programs and Head Start parents and children
cooperated fully with the HSNRS procedures. The HSNRS data show good
internal reliability, both in terms of Item Response Theory (IRT)
reliability and Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha at the individual child-
level, for both English-language and Spanish-language assessments. IRT
estimates of the internal reliability of the program-level English-
language assessment scores were excellent, with most IRT-reliability
coefficients greater than .90.
For each program year, participating local Head Start programs
received HSNRS Program Reports at the aggregated program-level for the
fall assessment (baseline) and the spring assessment (fall-spring
growth). These reports provided local Head Start programs with
information about the progress of their children in all assessed
domains and demonstrated how these scores compared to all other Head
Start children (national-level reference tables) as well as children in
similar programs (sub-group reference tables).
HSNRS will continue to collect child-outcomes information from
children who are four years old or older and who will enter
Kindergarten next year. As in the previous three years, all eligible
Head Start children will be assessed twice a year using a standardized
direct child-assessment battery. The assessment battery will address a
limited set of early literacy, language, and numerary skills.
Twice a year, HSNRS will also collect teachers' reports of social-
emotional development of Head Start children using standardized rating
scales. These social-emotional rating scales will be field-tested in
spring 2006 prior to national implementation in fall 2006. Head Start
teachers will rate children in their classrooms on the aspects of
cooperative classroom behaviors, preschool learning behaviors, and
problem behaviors.
HSNRS will also collect health and safety information on children
and programs, including children's height and weight, immunization
status, receipt of dental care, and occurrences of injuries requiring
medical attention.
Respondents: Head Start children and Head Start staff.
Annual Burden Estimates
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Number of Average
Number of responses burden Total
Respondents and activities respondents per hours per burden
respondent response hours
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Fall Implementation
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Head Start Children: Participate in Child Assessments....... 425,000 1 \1/4\ 106,250
Head Start Staff (Assessors): Participate in Training on 25,000 1 4 100,000
Child Assessments..........................................
Head Start Staff (Local HSNRS Trainers): Participate in 1,800 1 4 7,200
Training on Child Assessments..............................
Head Start Staff (Assessors): Administer Child Assessments.. 25,000 17 \1/4\ 106,250
Head Start Teachers: Participate in Training on Social- 38,500 1 1 38,500
Emotional Development Ratings..............................
Head Start Teachers: Complete Social-Emotional Development 38,500 11 \1/6\ 70,583
Ratings....................................................
Head Start Teachers: Complete Child Health Questions........ 38,500 11 \1/12\ 35,292
Head Start Staff: Complete Health and Safety of Program 1,800 1 \1/12\ 150
Questions..................................................
[[Page 6504]]
Head Start Staff: Enter Information on Computer-Based 1,800 1 3 5,400
Reporting System (CBRS)....................................
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Spring Implementation
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Head Start Children: Participate in Child Assessments....... 425,000 1 \1/4\ 106,250
Head Start Staff (Assessors): Participate in Refresher 25,000 1 4 100,000
Training on Child Assessments..............................
Head Start Staff (Local HSNRS Trainers): Participate in 1,800 1 4 7,200
Training on Child Assessments..............................
Head Start Staff (Assessors): Administer Child Assessments.. 25,000 17 \1/4\ 106,250
Head Start Teachers: Participate in Refresher Training on 38,500 1 \1/2\ 19,250
Social-Emotional Development Ratings.......................
Head Start Teachers: Complete Social-Emotional Development 38,500 11 \1/6\ 70,583
Ratings....................................................
Head Start Teachers: Complete Child Health Questions........ 38,500 11 \1/12\ 35,292
Head Start Staff: Complete Health and Safety of Program 1,800 1 \1/12\ 150
Questions..................................................
Head Start Staff: Enter Information on CBRS................. 1,800 1 \3/2\ 2,700
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Total Annual Burden Estimates........................... ........... ........... ........... 917,300
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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 this proposed
collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded
by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of
Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC
20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. All requests should be
identified by the title of the information collection. E-mail:
infocollection@acf.hhs.gov.
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: February 2, 2006.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-1160 Filed 2-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M