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Figure II.1: ACF Regions and Regional Offices
This figure shows a map of the United States, with the 10 geographical Administration for Children and Families (ACF) regions shaded and labeled. Region 1 includes Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Region 2 includes New York and New Jersey. Region 3 includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and West Virginia. Region 4 includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Region 5 includes Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Region 6 includes Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. Region 7 includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Region 8 includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Region 9 includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada. Region 10 includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Figure III.1: Conceptual Model: Theory of Change
This figure shows the key components that need to be included in a theory of change for a quality enhancement. The figure shows three boxes. In the first box, labeled “T/TA Quality Enhancement,” the key areas to be covered are the relevance of the enhancement to Head Start and the distinctiveness of the enhancement, or how its key components are different from current practice. An arrow moves from the first box to the second box, labeled “Potential Targets of Change.” These potential targets might include teachers’ skills, the classroom arrangement, children’s activities, and interactions between teachers and children, directors and teachers, directors and parents, or teachers and parents. An arrow moves from the second box to the third box, labeled “Outcomes.” Outcomes can include any aspects of children’s development and learning.
Figure III.2: Conceptual Model: Theory of Change with Measurement
This figure shows a conceptual model of the theory of change, identifying the areas for measurement at critical points from implementation through outcomes. The theory of change is again depicted by three boxes (shown with solid boundaries). The first box shows T/TA Quality Enhancement, or the training and technical assistance associated with implementing the quality enhancement. An arrow connects the first box to the second box, labeled “Targets of Change,” or the aspects of the classroom or of teacher knowledge or behavior that are targeted by the quality enhancement. An arrow connects this box to the third box, labeled “outcomes,” or the aspects of teachers, classrooms, parents, and children that might change because of the quality enhancement. The figure also includes four boxes made of dashed lines that indicate what can be measured to gauge this process. One box, labeled, “Quality of Implementation,” is connected by an arrow to the space between T/TA quality enhancement and targets of change boxes. Another box, labeled, “Fidelity to Enhancement,” is connected by an arrow to the space between “targets of change,” and “outcomes.” Inside the box labeled, “outcomes,” are two dashed boxes labeled “intermediate outcomes,” and “child outcomes.”
Figure IV.1: Schedule of Activities for Small-Scale Evaluation of a Mathematics Curriculum Three-Year Study Beginning in January
This figure is a Gantt chart showing the schedule for activities for a small-scale evaluation of a mathematics curriculum. Activities, arranged by year, are listed down the left hand side of the chart. Three years are shown by month, from January through December. Year 1 activities include drafting the study design (January and February of year 1); OMB review of the study design (March through August of year 1); drafting data collection protocols (March through May of year 1); informing grantees about the evaluation (March through August of year 1); IRB and OMB review (June through December of year 1); and recruiting grantees and centers for the study (September through December of year 1). Year 2 activities include random assignment (January of year 2); training teachers and providing technical assistance (January through June of year 2); implementation and cost study visits and data collection (January through October of year 2); selecting children for the study and obtaining parent consent (August through October of year 2); and fall baseline data collection (September and October of year 2). Year 3 activities include classroom observations (February and March of year 3); spring follow-up data collection (April and May of year 3); analysis of the data (April through September of year 3); and reporting findings (September through December of year 3).
Figure V.1: Schedule of Activities for Small-Scale Evaluation of a Classroom Behavioral Enhancement Three-Year Study Beginning in January.
This figure is a Gantt chart showing the schedule for activities for a small-scale evaluation of a classroom behavioral enhancement. Activities, arranged by year, are listed down the left hand side of the chart. Three years are shown by month, from January through December. Year 1 activities include drafting the study design (January and February of year 1); OMB review of the study design (March through August of year 1); drafting data collection protocols (March through May of year 1); informing grantees about the evaluation (March through August of year 1); IRB and OMB review (June through December of year 1); and recruiting grantees and centers for the study (September through December of year 1). Year 2 activities include random assignment (January of year 2); training teachers and providing technical assistance (January through June of year 2); implementation and cost study visits and data collection (January through October of year 2); selecting children for the study and obtaining parent consent (August through October of year 2); and fall baseline data collection (September and October of year 2). Year 3 activities include classroom observations (February and March of year 3); spring follow-up data collection (April and May of year 3); analysis of the data (April through September of year 3); and reporting findings (September through December of year 3).
Figure VI.1: Schedule of Activities for Field Test of a Continuous Program Improvement Initiative Using NRS Data Three and One-Half Year Study Beginning in June
This figure is a Gantt chart showing the schedule for activities for a field test of a continuous program improvement initiative at the grantee level using National Reporting System data as outcome measures. Activities, arranged by year, are listed down the left hand side of the chart. Four years are shown by month, from January through December. Year 1 activities, which begin in June, include drafting a sampling design and analysis plan (June and July of year 1); selecting grantees and randomly assigning them (August of year 1); recruiting selected grantees (August through October of year 1); and training program staff and providing technical assistance (September through December of year 1). Year 2 activities include training program staff and providing technical assistance (January through May of year 2 and August through December of year 2); and program staff implementing the improvements (August through December of year 2). Year 3 activities include training program staff and providing technical assistance (January through May of year 3); program staff continuing self-study and improvements (August through December of year 3); and obtaining NRS data from the previous program year on grantees in the sample (September and October of year 3). Year 4 activities include program staff continuing self-study and improvements (January through May of year 4); obtaining NRS data on grantees in the sample (April and May of year 4); analyzing the data (April through September of year 4) and reporting the findings (September through December of year 4).
Figure VI.2: Schedule of Activities for Field Test of a Continuous Program Improvement Initiative with Additional Data Collection Four-Year Study Beginning in January
This figure is a Gantt chart showing the schedule for activities for a field test of a continuous program improvement initiative at the grantee level with data collection beyond the NRS in a sample of centers. Activities, arranged by year, are listed down the left hand side of the chart. Four years are shown by month, from January through December. Year 1 activities include drafting a study design and protocols for recruiting grantees and centers as well as protocols for the implementation study (January and February of year 1); OMB review of the study design package (March through August of year 1); draft data collection protocols (March through May of year 1); IRB and OMB review of the study and data collection plans (June through December of year 1); select grantees and randomly assign them (June of year 1); train program staff and provide technical assistance (August through December of year 1); implementation and cost study visits and data collection (August and September of year 1); and randomly select and recruit centers for the study (September and October of year 1).
Year 2 activities include training program staff and providing technical assistance (January through May of year 2 and August through December of year 2); implementation and cost study visits and data collection (February, March, September and October of year 2) and program staff implementing the improvements (August through December of year 2).
Year 3 activities include training program staff and providing technical assistance (January through May of year 3); implementation and cost study visits and data collection (March and April of year 3); program staff implementing improvements (January through May and August through December of year 3); program staff continuing self-study (August through December of year 3); randomly selecting children and obtaining parental consent (August through September of year 3); and conducting the fall baseline data collection (August through October of year 3).
Year 4 activities include program staff continuing self-study and improvements (January through May and August through December of year 4); conducting classroom observations (March and April of year 4); conducting spring follow-up data collection (April and May of year 4); analyzing the data (April through September of year 4) and reporting the findings (September through December of year 4).
Figure VI.3: Schedule of Activities for Field Test of Alternative Early Literacy Curricula Three-Year Study Beginning in January
This figure is a Gantt chart showing the schedule for activities for a field test of alternative early literacy curricula. Activities, arranged by year, are listed down the left hand side of the chart. Three years are shown by month, from January through December. Year 1 activities include drafting a study design and protocols for recruiting grantees and centers as well as protocols for the implementation study (January and February of year 1); OMB review of the study design package (March through August of year 1); draft data collection protocols (March through May of year 1); IRB and OMB review of the study and data collection plans (June through December of year 1); select grantees (September of year 1); and recruit grantees and centers and randomly assign them (November of year 1 through February of year 2).
Year 2 activities include training center staff and providing technical assistance (February through April of year 2); randomly selecting children and obtaining parental consent (August through September of year 2); and collecting fall NRS data (September through November of year 2).
Year 3 activities include training program staff and providing technical assistance (January through May of year 3); implementation and cost study visits and data collection (March and April of year 3); conducting classroom observations (March and April of year 3); conducting spring follow-up data collection (April and May of year 3); obtaining spring NRS data (June and July of year 3); analyzing the data (April through September of year 4) and reporting the findings (September through December of year 3).
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