Authors:
Head Start Bureau
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs/index.html

Publisher:
Cleverex Systems, Inc.
301-738-1122
www.cleverex.com
info@cleverex.com

Initial Material Cost:
HSFIS is available free of charge to Head Start programs.

Representativeness of Norming Sample:
None described.

Languages:
English, Spanish

Type of Assessment:
Management information system, including measures of family needs, center-based services, and home-based services, as well as features for tracking child and family outcomes.

Age Range and Administration Interval:
For child-related information, prenatal to school age. For parent- and service-related questions, all adults.

Personnel, Training, Administration, and Scoring Requirements:
Varies. HSFIS is a management information system designed for use in tracking services and outcomes.

Summary
Initial Material Cost: 1 (> $100)
Reliability: 1 (none described)
Validity: 1 (none described)
Norming Sample Characteristics: 1 (none described)
Ease of Administration and Scoring: 3 (administered by a trained individual)

Description: The Head Start Family Information System (HSFIS) is an automated case management record-keeping system. It is designed to collect, organize, maintain, and report on information at both the child and family level to assist agencies in managing and improving services. The next generation HSFIS, a new web-based system called PROMIS (Program Resources and Outcomes Management Information System), has been developed and is being piloted in early 2003. It will include a module that can be used to track the progress and accomplishments of children in efforts to analyze and use data on child outcomes in program self-assessment and continuous improvement. It will be based on the framework set forth in ACF-HS-IM-00-18, “Using Child Outcomes in Program Self-Assessment.”

Uses of Information: Information collected in HSFIS can help programs determine eligibility for enrollment, identify family service needs, provide program-level demographic statistics, track delivery of services to children and families, and track child and family outcomes.

Reliability: Not applicable.

Validity: Not applicable.

Method of Scoring: Not applicable.

Interpretability: Not applicable.

Training Support: Cleverex Systems, Inc. (http://support.cleverex.com, or 1-800-473-4780) provides training and technical assistance in the use of HSFIS and PROMIS. Cleverex Systems provides instruction at its own computer laboratory in Rockville, Maryland and at local and regional training events. Training courses are offered at three levels -- beginner, intermediate and advanced. Also, a 1-800 Help Desk provides technical assistance to users. Each Head Start Regional Office and Quality Improvement Center has a designated HSFIS liaison who can assist programs in obtaining automation funding and technical support.

Adaptations/Special Instructions for Individuals with Disabilities: None necessary.

Report Preparation Support: The HSFIS software includes the capability of producing more than 200 pre-defined reports. An Ad-Hoc Report Builder has been developed in the system so that users can develop their own reports without additional training. In addition, advanced users can use Crystal Report software to develop more-sophisticated reports using HSFIS data.

References:

Angulo, Paulo. HSFIS Update. www.cleverex.com/ShowArticle.asp?id=HSFIS1. February 2000.

Gaidurgis, Andrew. Introducing PROMIS –Next Generation HSFIS. www.cleverex.com/ShowArticle.asp?id=PROMIS. May 2001.