Table of Contents | Previous | Next |
CHILD CARE QUALITY: STRUCTURAL QUALITY
HEAD START FAMILY AND CHILD EXPERIENCES SURVEY
Measure: Selected “child care” and “school characteristics” items from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey Parent Interviews (Head Start Parent Interview, Kindergarten Parent Interview, First Grade Parent Interview)
Source
The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) evaluation is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The project team for FACES 1997 included Westat (prime contractor), Abt Associates, Ellsworth Associates, and the CDM group. The project team for FACES 2000 included Westat (prime contractor), Xtria (formerly Ellsworth Associates), and the CDM group. The project team for FACES 2003 included Westat (prime contractor), Xtria, and the CDM group.
The “child care” items were developed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study of early child care [See Emlen, A. (1998). From a parent’s point of view: Flexibility, income, and quality of child care. Background paper for New Perspectives on Child Care Quality Conference, SEED 2000 Consortium of Federal Agencies, Bethesda, MD]. The “school characteristics” items have been modified from similar items in the National Household Education Survey.
In addition to FACES, some of these items and variations of the items were also used by the following EDCP evaluations and surveys: National Head Start Impact Study (Fall 2002 Parent Interview, Spring 2003 Parent Interview).
Population Assessed
Each cohort of FACES employs a nationally representative sample of Head Start programs, centers, classrooms, children, and parents. Each sample is stratified by three variables: region of the country (northeast, Midwest, south, or west); urbanicity (urban versus rural); and percentage of minority families in the program (50 percent or more versus less than 50 percent). Data collection methods included child assessments, parent interviews, teacher reports, staff interviews, and classroom observations. Since its inception, FACES has involved an initial field-test sample and three nationally representative cohorts: FACES 1997, FACES 2000, and FACES 2003.
FACES 1997 field test. FACES was field tested in spring 1997 with 2,400 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds and their parents in a nationally stratified random sample of 40 Head Start programs. These children were followed up in spring 1998 when the children were in kindergarten.
FACES 1997. Data from the initial cohort for the main study of FACES 1997 was first collected in fall 1997 on 3,200 children and families from the same 40 Head Start programs employed in the field test. Data were collected on 1,200 3-year-olds new to Head Start; 1,280 4- and 5-year-olds new to Head Start; and 720 4- and 5-year-olds who were in the field-test study and returning for another year of Head Start. Data on these children were also collected in spring 1998 (spring of the Head Start year), spring 1999 (spring of the kindergarten year or spring of the Head Start year for those who were 3 years old in fall 1997), spring 2000 (spring of the first-grade year or spring of kindergarten for those who were 3 years old in fall 1997), and spring 2001 (spring of the first-grade year for those who were 3 years old in fall 1997).
FACES 1997 also included a validation substudy or embedded case study of 120 randomly selected families from the larger FACES sample. (NB. The embedded case study was not a part of FACES 2000 or FACES 2003). Data collection included in-person parent interviews, home and neighborhood observations, monthly telephone contacts for demographic updates, and community agency interviews regarding the amount and overall nature of collaboration between the agency and the Head Start program.
FACES 2000. A new national cohort of FACES was launched in fall 2000 (FACES 2000). Beginning in fall 2000, data from 2,800 children and families in a new nationally stratified random sample of 43 Head Start programs were collected to ascertain what progress was made in improving program performance. Data were collected in fall 2000, spring 2001, spring 2002 (when children were in kindergarten or in a second year of Head Start), and spring 2003 (when the children who were 3 years old in fall 2000 were in kindergarten).
FACES 2003. Data on a third national cohort (FACES 2003) were collected in fall 2003. Data from 2,700 children and families in a new nationally stratified random sample of 66 programs were collected in fall 2003 and will be collected in spring 2004, spring 2005 (when children are in kindergarten or in a second year of Head Start), and spring 2006 (when the children who were 3 years old in fall 2000 are in kindergarten).
Each cohort of FACES has approximately equal numbers of girls and boys and representative samples of white, African American, Hispanic, and children of other races (see exhibits 1 and 2).
| Weighted Percentages | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| All (n=3,120) | Age 3 (n=1,129) | Age 4 (n=1,991) | |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 50.4 | 48.7 | 51.2 |
| Female | 49.6 | 51.4 | 48.8 |
| Ethnicity | |||
| African American | 28.8 | 34.7 | 26.1 |
| White | 30.7 | 29.0 | 31.4 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 27.6 | 22.5 | 30.0 |
| Native American | 1.9 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Other | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 |
| African American | White | Hispanic | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | N | % | N | % | N | % | |
| Male | 343 | 13.8 | 471 | 19.0 | 363 | 14.6 | 65 | 2.6 | 1242 | 50.1 |
| Female | 383 | 15.4 | 415 | 16.7 | 371 | 14.9 | 68 | 2.7 | 1237 | 49.9 |
| Total | 726 | 29.3 | 886 | 35.7 | 734 | 29.6 | 133 | 5.4 | 2479 | 100 |
Periodicity
In the initial field test for FACES, parent interviews were collected in spring 1997 and in a spring 1998 follow-up when the children were in kindergarten.
Parent interview data from the initial cohort for the main study of FACES 1997 were first collected in fall 1997 and spring 1998 (spring of the Head Start year). Follow-up parent interviews were conducted in spring 1999 (spring of the kindergarten year or spring of the Head Start year for those who were 3 years old in fall 1997), spring 2000 (spring of the first-grade year or spring of kindergarten for those who were 3 years old in fall 1997), and spring 2001 (spring of the first-grade year for those who were 3 years old in fall 1997).
For FACES 2000, Parent interview data were collected in fall 2000, spring 2001, spring 2002 (when children were in kindergarten or in a second year of Head Start), and spring 2003 (when the children who were 3 years old in fall 2000 were in kindergarten).
For the FACES 2003 cohort, Parent interview data were collected in fall 2003 and will be collected in spring 2004, spring 2005 (when children are in kindergarten or in a second year of Head Start), and spring 2006 (when the children who were 3 years old in fall 2000 are in kindergarten).
Subscales/Components
The majority of questions about child care quality (structural) come from two sections within the parent interviews: child care and school characteristics. The child care section asks about child care arrangements other than Head Start that parents have used for a child. Most of the questions ask about how old the child was when he/she started care, the type of arrangement, the number of different arrangements, and the hours per week that care is used. Specific questions that address quality are whether the person or place is licensed, certified, or regulated and the child’s experience in the care including whether he/she feels safe/secure, whether the child receives enough individual attention, and whether the caregiver is open to new information and learning. The school characteristics section asks about the type of school, but addresses structural quality by asking about the number of students and teachers in each class.
Procedures for Administration
Head Start Parent Interview: The parent or the primary caregiver of the study child completes the interview in a one-on-one setting, typically at the Head Start center, where the interviewer asks questions and writes the respondent’s answers. The complete Head Start parent interview takes about 60 minutes.
Kindergarten Parent Interview: The parent or the primary caregiver of the study child completes the interview in a one-on-one setting either in-person or by telephone. The complete kindergarten parent interview takes about 30 minutes.
First Grade Parent Interview: The parent or the primary caregiver of the study child completes the interview in a one-on-one setting either in-person or by telephone. The complete kindergarten parent interview takes about 30 minutes.
Psychometrics/Data Quality
Psychometric information is not yet available.
Languages Available
The parent interviews can be administered in English and Spanish. For respondents who speak a language other than English or Spanish, an interpreter is used (if possible).
Items Included
Note: Items included are from the FACES 2003 Parent Interviews. These items have been included in previous cohorts with minor differences/additions/changes. The full parent interview from the original cohort, FACES 1997, is available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hs/faces/index.html.
Child Care Items:
Now, let’s talk about any child care arrangement that you use for CHILD right now. Child care does not include time in Head Start class, but may include separate child care at the Head Start center before or after class. This does not include babysitting used for social activities such as going out in the evening.
- Is CHILD in child care before or after Head Start?
- In how many different child care arrangements does CHILD spend time each week?
- Where is that care provided? (If more than one child care arrangement, ask about primary arrangement. Do not read list. Circle one response.)
a. At CHILD’s home by a relative
b. At CHILD’s home by a non-relative
c. In a relative’s home
d. In a friend’s or neighbor’s home
e. Family day care home
f. Other child care center/child development program
g. At Head Start (not including time in class)
h. Other (please specify) - Is that person or place licensed, certified, or regulated?
School Characteristics Items:
Now let’s talk about the school [CHILD] goes to (now).
- Does [CHILD] go to a public or private school?
- Approximately how many students are in [CHILD]’s class?
- How many teachers are in [CHILD]’s class?
References and Source Documents
The parent interviews are available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hs/faces/index.html.
A number of FACES reports are available on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hs/faces/index.html.
The reports include the following:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2003, June). Head Start FACES (2000): A whole child perspective on program performance, fourth progress report. Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2002, January). A descriptive study of Head Start families: FACES technical report I. Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2001, January). Head Start FACES: Reaching out to families: Head Start recruitment and enrollment practices. Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2001, January). Head Start FACES (1997): Longitudinal findings on program performance, third progress report. Washington, DC:
Author.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000, June). FACES findings: New research on Head Start program quality and outcomes. Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1998, June). Head Start FACES (Pilot): Program performance measures, second progress report. Washington, DC: Author.
Information about FACES presentations and papers is available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hs/faces/index.html.
More information about the FACES validation substudy is available in the following paper: Vaden-Kiernan, M., D’Elio, M. A., & Sprague, K. (n.d.). The FACES embedded case study: Documenting the methodology and early findings. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hs/faces/pres_papers/embedded_casestdy/embedded.pdf
| Table of Contents | Previous | Next |