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Appendix A: Section 649(g) of the Head Start Act, 1998 (PL 105-285)

(g) NATIONAL HEAD START IMPACT STUDY.--

  1. EXPERT PANEL.--

(A) IN GENERAL.--The Secretary shall appoint an independent panel consisting of experts in program evaluation and research, education, and early childhood programs--

  1. to review, and make recommendations on, the design and plan for the research (whether conducted as a single assessment or as a series of assessments) described in paragraph (2), within 1 year after the date of enactment of the Coats Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1998;
  2. to maintain and advise the Secretary regarding the progress of the research; and
  3. to comment, if the panel so desires, on the interim and final research reports submitted under paragraph (7).

(B) TRAVEL EXPENSES.--The members of the panel shall not receive compensation for the performance of services for the panel, but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the panel. Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may accept the voluntary and uncompensated services of members of the panel.

  1. GENERAL AUTHORITY: After reviewing the recommendations of the expert panel, the Secretary shall make a grant to, or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement with an organization to conduct independent research that provides a national analysis of the impact of Head Start programs. The Secretary shall ensure that the organization shall have expertise in program evaluation, and research, education, and early childhood programs.

  2. DESIGNS AND TECHNIQUES.--The Secretary shall ensure that the research uses rigorous methodological designs and techniques, (based on the recommendations of the expert panel) including longitudinal designs, control groups, nationally recognized standardized measures, and random selection and assignment, as appropriate. The Secretary may provide that the research shall be conducted as a single comprehensive assessment or as a group of coordinated assessments designed to provide, when taken together, a national analysis of the impact of Head Start programs.

  3. PROGRAMS.--The Secretary shall ensure that the study focuses primarily on Head Start programs that operate in the 50 States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the District of Columbia and that do not specifically target special populations.

  4. ANALYSIS.--The Secretary shall ensure that the organization conducting the research--

(A)(i)determines if, overall, the Head Start programs have impacts consistent with their primary goal of increasing the social competence of children, by increasing the everyday effectiveness of the children in dealing with their present environments and future responsibilities, and increasing their school readiness;

(ii) considers whether the Head Start programs--

  1. enhance the growth and development of children in cognitive, emotional, and physical health areas;
  2. strengthen families as the primary nurturers of their children; and
  3. ensure that children attain school readiness; and

(iii) examines--

  1. the impact of the Head Start programs on increasing access of children to such services as educational, health, and nutritional services, and linking children and families to needed community services; and
  2. how receipt of services described in subclause (I) enriches the lives of children and families participating in Head Start programs;

(B) examines the impact of Head Start programs on participants on the date the participants leave Head Start programs, at the end of kindergarten, and at the end of first grade (whether in public or private school), by examining a variety of factors, including educational achievement, referrals for special education or remedial course work, and absenteeism;

(C) makes use of random selection from the population of all Head Start programs described in paragraph (4) in selecting programs for inclusion in the research; and

(D) includes comparisons of individuals who participate in Head Start programs with control groups (including control groups) composed of--

  1. individuals who participate in other early childhood programs (such as public or private preschool programs and day care); and
  2. individuals who do not participate in any other early childhood program; and
  1. CONSIDERATION OF SOURCES OF VARIATION.--In designing the research, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, consider addressing possible sources of variation in impact of Head Start programs, including variations in impact related to such factors as—

  1. Head Start program operations;

  2. Head Start program quality;

  3. the length of time a child attends a Head Start program;

  4. the age of the child on entering the Head Start program;

  5. the type of organization (such as a local educational agency or a community action agency) providing services for the Head Start program;

  6. the number of hours and days of program operation of the Head Start program (such as whether the program is a full-working-day, full calendar year program, a part-day program, or a part-year program); and

  7. other characteristics and features of the Head Start program (such as geographic location, location in an urban or a rural service area, or participant characteristics), as appropriate.

  1. REPORTS.--

    1. SUBMISSION OF INTERIM REPORTS.--The organization shall prepare and submit to the Secretary two interim reports on the research. The first interim report shall describe the design of the research, and the rationale for the design, including a description of how potential sources of variation in impact of Head Start programs have been considered in designing the research. The second interim report shall describe the status of the study and preliminary findings of the study, as appropriate.

    2. SUBMISSION OF FINAL REPORT.--The organization shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a final report containing the findings of the research.

    3. TRANSMITTAL OF REPORTS TO CONGRESS.--

  1. IN GENERAL.--The Secretary shall transmit, to the committees described in clause (ii), the first interim report by September 30, 1999, the second interim report by September 30, 2001, and the final report by September 30, 2003.
  2. COMMITTEES.--The committees referred to in clause (i) are the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate.
  1. DEFINITION.--In this subsection, the term 'impact', used with respect to a Head Start program, means a difference in an outcome for a participant in a program that would not have occurred without the participation in the program.


 

 

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