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II. OVERVIEW OF THE 2006 STUDY DESIGN

A.    SAMPLE AND SAMPLING DESIGN

The sample design for FACES 2006 is similar to that of earlier FACES studies and includes a multistage sample selection of (1) programs, (2) centers, (3) classrooms, and (4) children.  Sampling at the first three stages is done with probability proportional to size; that is, programs with a larger expected enrollment of children new to Head Start have a higher chance of getting into the sample than smaller programs, although all eligible programs have a chance of getting into the sample.  The same principle applies for larger centers and classrooms with a larger number of newly entering children.

The sampling frame of eligible Head Start programs for FACES 2006 is constructed from the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR). However, migrant and seasonal worker programs, American Indian and Alaska Native programs, programs in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories, and programs not directly providing services to 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds (such as Early Head Start) are excluded from the frame. From this frame, a sample of 60 programs is selected. In addition, approximately two centers per program and three classrooms per center are selected for participation. Within each classroom, a sample of newly enrolled children with parental consent is selected.  We initially oversampled 3-year-olds to ensure comparable sample sizes between 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds at the kindergarten year, given the longer follow-up time for this younger cohort.

Thus, the FACES 2006 sample includes 60 programs, about 120 centers, 350 classrooms, and 3,500 children (see Table 2).  The children will be followed through the spring of their kindergarten year if they remain in Head Start during the year prior to kindergarten.

TABLE 2 . SAMPLE SIZES

Expected number of eligible and participating programs	60
Expected number of centers selected and participating (up to 2 per program)	110-120
Expected number of classrooms selected and participating (up to 3 per center)	330-360
Expected number of children with parental consent (90%)	3,646
Expected number of assessed children in fall 2006 (95%)	3,464

Note: In each stage, the sampling unit (program, center, class) may also refer to grouped sampling units (program groups, center groups, class groups).

B. STUDY COMPONENTS

As noted, to describe the characteristics, experiences, and outcomes for children and families served by Head Start, FACES includes a battery of child assessments across multiple developmental domains; interviews with children’s parents, teachers, and program managers; and observations of classroom quality (see Table 3).

TABLE 3. SUMMARY OF FACES 2006 CHILD ASSESSMENT AND CLASSROOM OBSERVATION BATTERY

Measure		Instrument
Language and Literacy Outcomes	Simon Says (PreLas 2000)	Child Direct Assessment
	Art Show (PreLas 2000)	Child Direct Assessment
	Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - 4 (PPVT) / Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody (TVIP)	Child Direct Assessment
	Spelling (Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement / Batería Woodcock-Muñoz Pruebas de Aprovechamiento-III)	Child Direct Assessment
	Letter-Word Identification (Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement / Batería Woodcock-Muñoz Pruebas de Aprovechamiento-III)	Child Direct Assessment
	Word Attack (Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement / Batería Woodcock-Muñoz Pruebas de Aprovechamiento-III) a	Child Direct Assessment
	Story and Print Concepts - Little Bear / Osito	Child Direct Assessment
	Child’s Accomplishments: color naming, writing, recognize name/letters, pretends to read	Teacher Report, Parent Interview
	Academic Skills Ratings	Teacher Report
Mathematics Outcomes	Applied Problems (Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement / Batería Woodcock-Muñoz Pruebas de Aprovechamiento-III)	Child Direct Assessment
	Mathematics Assessment Items from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort PreK version (ECLS-B) and ECLS-K Kindergarten Version	Child Direct Assessment
	Counting Circles / Counting Stars	Child Direct Assessment
	Child’s Accomplishments: counting	Teacher Report, Parent Interview
	Academic Skills Ratings: mathematics, science, and social studiesb	Teacher Report
Physical Health and Development	Child’s height and weight	Child Direct Assessment
	Child’s Accomplishments: speech, motor development	Teacher Report, Parent Interview
	Child’s health and disability	Teacher Report, Parent Interview
	Special Concerns: difficulty hearing, seeing test materials, speech difficult to understand	Interviewer Observation
Social-Emotional Outcomes and Approaches to Learning	55 items from Behavior Problems Index, Personal Maturity Scale, Social Skills Rating Scale, and Preschool Learning Behavior Scale	Teacher Report
	21 items from Behavior Problems Index, Personal Maturity Scale, Social Skills Rating Scale, and Preschool Learning Behavior Scale	Parent Interview
	Leiter Examiner Ratings: (1) Attention, (2) Organization/Impulse Control, (3) Activity Level, (4) Sociability (Leiter International Performance Scale Revised, Examiner Rating Scale)	Interviewer Observation
Classroom Environments	Child-Adult counts	Classroom Observation
	Arnett Caregiver Interaction Scale (lead teacher)	Classroom Observation
	Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R)	Classroom Observation
	Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Instructional Support)	Classroom Observation

a Word Attack is administered in the kindergarten year only. b Teachers rate children’s skills in science and social studies in the kindergarten year only.

Direct Child Assessment and Parent and Teacher Ratings. To examine the developmental changes and school readiness skills of children who participate in Head Start, FACES 2006 administers the following, both during and after the period of program participation:

• A child assessment battery consisting of tasks drawn from available standardized preschool assessments measuring children’s cognitive (language, literacy and mathematics) and physical (height and weight) outcomes. All direct measures of children’s developmental outcomes are obtained through an untimed, one-on-one assessment of the child at each wave.

• Questionnaires for obtaining parent and teacher ratings of children’s academic and social-emotional development and health.

Parent Interview.  Parent interviews collect information in a variety of areas, including the characteristics of households and household members, levels and types of participation in Head Start and in other community services, parent-child relationships and aspects of the child’s home life, and parents’ ratings of their child’s social behavior and development.  For FACES 2006, interviews are conducted with (1) Head Start parents in fall 2006 and spring 2007, (2) Head Start parents in spring 2008, and (3) kindergarten parents in spring 2008 and spring 2009.

Head Start Staff Interviews. To examine classroom characteristics that relate to the quality of educational services for children, FACES 2006 conducts interviews with lead teachers about their educational background, professional experience, and instructional practices in the fall of 2006, and in the spring of 2007 and 2008.  To measure program characteristics that relate to service quality, the study conducts brief telephone interviews with program directors prior to the start of the 2006 program year and longer face-to-face interviews with center directors and education coordinators in fall 2006.  Program directors confirm information from the most recent version of the Program Information Report (PIR) and provide information about the training and technical assistance provider in their region, the curriculum or curricula used in their program, and their program’s methods of child assessment. They also describe their educational background and experience, as well as their satisfaction with their current position. We ask questions concerning details of educational philosophy, curriculum, and classroom activities of the center director, education coordinator, and classroom teachers. Center directors also provide additional information about organizational and administrative features of their program, including challenges they face, the collaboration and coordination of services for Head Start families, parent involvement in program activities, and staff recruitment and retention.

Head Start Classroom Observations. In the spring of each Head Start year, the study conducts classroom observations of the quality of equipment, materials, and teacher-child interactions using standardized observational methods and coding schemes that have been widely used in child development research.

Kindergarten Teacher Questionnaires. Children’s kindergarten teachers complete questionnaires in the spring of 2008 and 2009 after children have completed Head Start and have entered kindergarten. The kindergarten teacher questionnaire asks about teachers’ demographic characteristics, education levels, degrees and teaching certificates, courses in child development, and years of teaching experience.  We also ask teachers about the frequency of language, literacy, and early mathematics activities in the classroom and about the overall behavior of children in the class.

C. DATA COLLECTION SCHEDULE AND PERIODICITY

As noted, FACES 2006 collects data at four time points over a 33-month period beginning in fall 2006 and ending in spring 2009.  Table 4 shows the timing of the data collection components by wave.

TABLE 4. SUMMARY OF DATA COLLECTION COMPONENTS, BY WAVE

		Fall 2006	Spring 2007	Spring 2008		Spring 2009
		Child in Head Start		Child in Head Start	Child in Kindergarten	Child in Kindergarten
3-Year-Old Cohort	Assessment
	Parent Interview
	Teacher Child Rating
	Teacher Interview
	Classroom Observation
	Center Director Interview
	Education Coordinator Interview
4-Year-Old Cohort	Assessment
	Parent Interview
	Teacher Child Rating
	Teacher Interview
	Classroom Observation
	Center Director Interview
	Education Coordinator Interview

 

 

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