American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES)

In 1997, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) was launched to provide descriptive, nationally representative information on the characteristics, experiences, and development of Head Start children and families, and the characteristics of the Head Start programs and staff who serve them. FACES has historically not included Region XI, whose programs are designed to serve predominantly American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) children and families. AIAN Family and Child Experience Survey (AIAN FACES), designed to fill this information gap, was first fielded in 2015. A second cohort was fielded in 2019.

AIAN FACES 2015
Data collection with Region XI children, families, classrooms, and programs was conducted in the Fall of 2015 and Spring of 2016. Twenty-one Region XI Head Start programs were included. Procedures for tribal review and approval in each of those 21 communities were followed. Information about this study has been shared broadly with tribal Head Start programs and tribal leaders via Office of Head Start tribal consultations, nationally-broadcast webinars, National Indian Head Start Directors Association annual conferences, the Head Start National Research Conference on Early Childhood, the National Research Conference on Early Childhood, and the Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Council.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS), and Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) have planned the study to be responsive to the needs of Region XI Head Start children, families, and programs. The AIAN FACES 2015 study design, engagement with programs, and dissemination efforts reflect advice from members of the AIAN FACES Workgroup, comprising Region XI Head Start directors, researchers, and federal officials. The members of the Workgroup share a commitment to addressing cultural issues in how the study will be carried out and findings shared with the Head Start community.

AIAN FACES 2019

A second cohort of AIAN FACES was launched in Fall 2019, using many of the same questionnaires and methods employed in FACES 2015. Some refinements to questions were made based on priorities at ACF, suggestions from the AIAN FACES 2019 Workgroup, or based on low variation in FACES 2015 data. Twenty-two Region XI Head Start programs were included. Procedures for tribal review and approval in each of those 22 communities were followed.

Similar to AIAN FACES 2015, the AIAN FACES 2019 study design, engagement with programs, and dissemination efforts reflect advice from members of the AIAN FACES Workgroup, comprising Region XI Head Start directors, researchers, and federal officials. The members of the Workgroup share a commitment to addressing cultural issues in how the study will be carried out and findings shared with the Head Start community.

AIAN FACES 2019 Study Flyer.pdf

Data from AIAN FACES 2015 are archived at the Child and Family Data Archive. If you have any questions about accessing this restricted data set, please visit the Child and Family Data Archive Visit disclaimer page or email AIAN_OPRE_Data@acf.hhs.gov. All applications for data access will be reviewed by the Data Committee, comprising Head Start directors and researchers with tribal experience.

AIAN FACES 2015 and AIAN FACES 2019 are conducted through a contract with Mathematica Policy Research.

Point(s) of contact: Meryl Barofsky

Related Resources

Skip tab Navigation

At a Glance: Region XI Head Start During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Communicating with Families

August 3, 2021
Expand

Explore OPRE's infographic on barriers to communicating with Region XI Head Start children's families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a Glance: Region XI Head Start During the COVID-19 Pandemic: New Supports for Staff

August 3, 2021
Expand

Explore OPRE's new infographic on the new supports offered to Region XI Head Start staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

At a Glance: Region XI Head Start During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Preparation for Future Emergencies

August 3, 2021
Expand

Explore OPRE's infographic on Region XI Head Start's preparation for future emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

American Indian & Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015: Education & Professional Development of Lead Teachers Poster and Key Indicator Slides

November 5, 2020
Expand

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national descriptive study of children and families enrolled in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes. These programs are known as Region XI. Region XI programs incorporate their unique history, community traditions, and beliefs into their operations and integrate language and culture into the delivery of services to children and families.

Native Language and Culture Experiences among Children in Region XI Head Start Classrooms & Programs: Findings from the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015

August 25, 2020
Expand

The American-Indian Alaska Native Head Start Family and Children Experiences Survey (AI/AN FACES 2015) was planned over two years, with advice from members of a work group comprised of Region XI Head Start Directors, ACF partners, University-based tribal early childhood researchers, and the study research organization. In the Fall of 2015 and Spring of 2016, data were collected from children, families, and Head Start Programs. Using data from AI/AN FACES 2015, this research brief...

2019 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) and American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AI/AN FACES): Questions from Program Director and Center Director Questionnaires about COVID-19

August 18, 2020
Expand

In 1997, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) was launched to provide descriptive, nationally representative information on the characteristics, experiences, and development of Head Start children and families, and the characteristics of the Head Start programs and staff who serve them. Until 2015, FACES only included children, families, and programs in Head Start Regions I-X...

At a Glance: Native Language Use in Region XI Head Start Households

April 7, 2020
Expand

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national descriptive study of children and families enrolled in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes. These programs incorporate communities’ unique histories, traditions, and beliefs into their operations. AI/AN FACES 2015 reflects advice from the AI/AN FACES Workgroup, comprising Region XI Head Start directors, researchers, and federal officials.

Home and Community Native Language and Cultural Experiences Among AI/AN Children in Region XI Head Start: Findings from the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015

January 8, 2020
Expand

Research shows Native culture and language support children’s development in positive ways. In this brief, we examine the Native language and cultural experiences of American Indian and Alaska Native children in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes or tribal consortia (Region XI). The data presented in this report inform our understanding of the Native language and cultural experiences that AI/AN children in Region XI Head Start have at home and in their communities...

Native Culture & Language in the Classroom Observation

November 19, 2019
Expand

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national descriptive study of children and families enrolled in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes. Region XI Head Start provides grants to federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native tribes, tribal governments, or consortia...

Native Culture & Language in the Classroom Observation Brief

November 19, 2019
Expand

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national descriptive study of children and families enrolled in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes. These programs are known as Region XI. Region XI programs incorporate their unique history, community traditions, and beliefs into their operations and integrate language and culture into the delivery of services to children and families...

Presentation: American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AIAN FACES 2015): Key Findings from Fall 2015 and Spring 2016

June 4, 2021
Expand

Explore key findings from OPRE's American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AIAN FACES 2015) for information about Region XI Head Start children, families, classrooms, and programs in Fall 2015 and Spring 2016.

 

Webinar: COVID-19 Response in Region XI AIAN Head Start: How Children’s Centers and Programs Faced the Pandemic

April 8, 2021
Expand

This webinar provides a selection of findings from questions to children’s program and center directors on how they were providing services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 and the perspectives of the Office of Head Start Region XI Regional Program Manager and a Region XI Head Start program director at the onset of the pandemic.

Webinar: Fall 2019 First Findings from a National Study of AIAN Head Start Programs: What Can We Learn and How Can We Use the Data in Our Work?

April 8, 2021
Expand

This webinar is the first of a series on findings from the second round of AIAN FACES (first done in 2015). The webinar provides a preview of first findings from fall 2019, information on how programs can use data from the study, and the perspectives of the Office of Head Start Region XI Regional Program Manager and a Region XI Head Start program director on the data.

More Resources On This Project