Design Options for the Assessment of Head Start Quality Enhancements:
Final Report Volume 1

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Title Page

Tables

Figures

1. Introduction

1. POTENTIAL QUALITY ENHANCEMENTS IDEAS

2. CRITERIA FOR ENHANCEMENTS

3. A STAGED APPROACH TO EVALUATION

4. PLAN FOR THE REPORT

2. THE HEAD START PROGRAM AND RELATED RESEARCH

1. OVERVIEW OF THE HEAD START PROGRAM

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAD START PROGRAMS

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAD START CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

4. PROGRAM MONITORING AND OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES

5. CURRENT HEAD START RESEARCH AND DATA

1. Family and Child Experiences Survey

2. The National Head Start Impact Study

3. Head Start Quality Research Center Consortium and Data Coordinating Center

4. Other Studies of Promising Practices that Include Head Start Programs

6. LESSONS FROM PREVIOUS HEAD START PLANNED VARIATION STUDIES

3. STAGE 1: DEVELOPING QUALITY ENHANCEMENT IDEAS

1. THE DEVELOPMENT STAGE: RATIONALE AND OVERVIEW

2. GOALS OF THE DEVELOPMENT STAGE

1. Defining the Enhancement

2. Documenting Implementation

3. Developing Measures

3. ACTIVITIES AND DURATION OF STAGE 1

1. Implementation Studies

2. Outcomes Studies

3. Products from Stage 1

4. Entities Involved in Stage 1 Activities

4. EXAMPLES OF STAGE 1 ACTIVITIES FOR THREE ENHANCEMENTS

1. Family Foundations Project, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock, AR)

2. English Language Learners Project, Community Development Institute (Denver, Colorado)

3. Violence, Intervention and Prevention Program, Circles of Care, Melbourne, Florida

4. SMALL-SCALE EVALUATION: MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM

1. CURRICULUM MODELS

2. STUDY DESIGN

1. The Quality Enhancement and Its Contrast

2. Research Questions

3. Major Activities and Timetable for the Evaluation

4. Sampling, Random Assignment, and Sample Sizes

3. IMPLEMENTING THE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM

1. Measuring Implementation

4. OUTCOMES MEASUREMENT AND DATA COLLECTION PLANS

5. ANALYSIS AND REPORTS

1. Estimating Impacts of the Mathematics Curriculum

2. Subgroup Analyses

3. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

5. SMALL-SCALE EVALUATION: APPROACHES TO SUPPORTING CHILDREN’S SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

1. ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES

2. STUDY DESIGN

1. The Quality Enhancement and Its Contrast

2. Research Questions

3. Major Activities and Timetable for the Evaluation

4. Sampling, Random Assignment, and Sample Sizes

3. IMPLEMENTING THE CLASSROOM AND CHILD-FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS

1. Measuring Implementation

4. OUTCOMES MEASUREMENT AND DATA COLLECTION PLANS

5. ANALYSIS AND REPORTS

1. Estimating Impacts of the Behavioral Enhancement

2. Subgroup Analyses

3. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

6. FIELD TESTING QUALITY ENHANCEMENTS

1. APPROACH TO FIELD TESTING QUALITY ENHANCEMENTS

1. Field Test Design

2. Implementation

3. Measuring Outcomes and Other Family and Program Characteristics Using Head Start Administrative Data

2. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT PROGRAM ASSESSMENT TO IMPROVE QUALITY

1. Study Design

2. Implementing the Quality Enhancement

3. Measuring Outcomes and Other Family and Program Characteristics Using Head Start Administrative Data

3. APPROACHES TO ENHANCING EARLY LITERACY

1. Major Activities and Timetable for the Evaluation

2. Study Design

3. Implementing the Quality Enhancement and Measuring Fidelity

4. Outcomes Measurement and Data Collection Plans

4. ANALYSIS AND REPORTS

1. Weighting the Sample

2. Estimating Impacts of the Quality Enhancement

3. Adjusting for Participation

4. Subgroup Analyses

5. COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS

REFERENCES

APPENDIX A: THE HEAD START CHILD OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK

APPENDIX B: SAMPLE SIZE REQUIREMENTS