[Federal Register: January 25, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 16)]
[Notices]
[Page 4144-4145]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25ja06-81]
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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 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 on Child
Outcomes. This implementation has been conducted to collect child-
outcomes information that will be used to enhance Head Start program
quality and accountability.
The Head Start National Reporting System (HSNRS) was designed to
meet Presidentially mandated reforms and Congressionally mandated
requirements for information on specific child outcomes and to provide
Head Start program managers and teachers with useful information to
support program-improvement strategies.
HSNRS has three major goals. First, HSNRS is intended to provide
local Head Start programs with additional information regarding the
progress of groups of children by capturing baseline information on how
children are doing at the beginning and at the end of the program, in a
limited number of areas. Second, HSNRS is intended to capture the same
set of information across the nation in a consistent manner. This
information can be used to plan for targeted training and technical
assistance. Third, the child-outcomes information captured in HSNRS is
intended to be used within the current program monitoring effort, which
involves an onsite, systematic review of programs. HSNRS can create and
compile information that the Head Start Bureau can utilize as part of
the process for ensuring the effectiveness of services. These results
also will be used to provide for program improvement and accountability
of Head Start.
The first three rounds of the HSNRS national implementation (2003-
04, 2004-05, and 2005-06 program years) have been successful. In each
round of the data collection, over 400,000 assessments were completed,
making this the largest assessment of preschool children ever
conducted. Also, over 99 percent cooperation was obtained from local
Head Start programs and Head Start parents and children. HSNRS data
show good internal reliability, both in terms of I----R----T---- (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.
Participating local Head Start programs have received HSNRS Program
Reports at the aggregated program-level for the fall assessment
(baseline) and the spring assessment (fall-spring growth), in each
program year. These reports provided local Head Start programs with the
progress of their children in all assessed domains, and showed how the
reports 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 4 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 include a
[[Page 4145]]
limited set of early literacy, language, and numeracy skills.
Social-emotional development of Head Start children reported by
classroom teachers will be collected in HSNRS twice a year using a
standardized rating scale developed for HSNRS. The social-emotional
development 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
Respondents and activities Number of responses per burden hours Total burden
respondents respondent per response hours
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Fall Implementation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Head Start Children: Participate in Child 425,000 1 \1/4\ 106,250
Assessments....................................
Head Start Staff (Assessors): Participate in 25,000 1 4 100,000
Training-on-Child Assessments..................
Head Start Staff (Local NRS Trainers): 1,800 1 4 7,200
Participate in Training-on-Child Assessments...
Head Start Staff (Assessors): Administer Child 25,000 17 \1/4\ 106,250
Assessments....................................
Head Start Teachers: Participate in Training on 38,500 1 1 38,500
Social-Emotional Development Ratings...........
Head Start Teachers: Complete Social-Emotional 38,500 11 \1/6\ 70,583
Development Ratings............................
Head Start Teachers: Complete Child Health 38,500 11 \1/12\ 35,292
Questions......................................
Head Start Staff: Complete Health and Safety of 1,800 1 \1/12\ 150
Program Questions..............................
Head Start Staff: Enter Information on CBRS..... 1,800 1 3 5,400
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Spring Implementation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Head Start Children: Participate in Child 425,000 1 \1/4\ 106,250
Assessments....................................
Head Start Staff (Assessors): Participate in 25,000 1 4 100,000
Refresher Training-on-Child Assessments........
Head Start Staff (Local NRS Trainers): 1,800 1 4 7,200
Participate in Training-on-Child Assessments...
Head Start Staff (Assessors): Administer Child 25,000 17 \1/4\ 106,250
Assessments....................................
Head Start Teachers: Participate in Refresher 38,500 1 \1/4\ 19,250
Training on Social-Emotional Development
Ratings........................................
Head Start Teachers: Complete Social-Emotional 38,500 11 \1/6\ 70,583
Development Ratings............................
Head Start Teachers: Complete Child Health 38,500 11 \1/12\ 35,292
Questions......................................
Head Start Staff: Complete Health and Safety of 1,800 1 \1/12\ 150
Program Questions..............................
Head Start Staff: Enter Information on CBRS..... 1,800 1 \3/2\ 2,700
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 the 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: January 18, 2006.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-675 Filed 1-24-06; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M