Introduction
Research Questions
- How are Head Start grantees selecting their training and technical assistance (T/TA)? a) What T/TA needs do Head Start grantees identify and meet from available resources? b) What T/TA needs do Head Start grantees identify but fail to meet from available resources? c) What types of T/TA are helpful to grantees? d) What types of T/TA contribute to capacity-building efforts?
- What T/TA are Head Start grantees’ staff receiving from all available sources? a) What are the characteristics of T/TA grantees receive? b) What grantee resources are being expended to receive and support that T/TA?
- How does T/TA inform practice change within Head Start grantees? a) How does this differ across the practice areas of interest (i.e., fiscal operations; early childhood development and education; family and community services; and health, mental health, and safety)?
The Survey of Head Start Grantees on Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) was conducted in 2019-2020 to understand how Head Start grantees use T/TA of all types and from all sources. A major goal of the study was to identify Head Start grantees’ T/TA needs and how they use a variety of T/TA resources to build organizational capacity and improve practice. Other goals included understanding how grantees share knowledge and skills and how they apply T/TA to improve their programs. The study was designed to provide an opportunity to explore potential relationships between the T/TA that grantees received and their perceptions of changes in practice.
A nationally representative sample of Head Start program directors completed one survey about their program’s use of T/TA, and one manager/coordinator per program completed a separate survey focused on T/TA related to their content area (managers/coordinators represented the following four content areas of Head Start practice: 1) early childhood development and education; 2) fiscal operations; 3) family and community services; and 4) health, mental health, and safety). The study, conducted between October 2019 and April 2020, was sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago.
Purpose
This brief describes the development and data collection procedures of the Survey of Head Start Grantees on Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA), including the research questions the survey was designed to answer, the survey sampling design, the collaborative design process by which the survey was developed, the survey’s contents, and the survey’s data collection procedures.
Key Findings and Highlights
- The study is nationally representative of Head Start grantees that provided direct services in the 2018-2019 program year.
- A notable feature of this study was the active engagement of staff from the Office of Head Start (OHS) Comprehensive Services and Technical Assistance (TA) Division in the survey design process and, later, to co-interpret findings.
- The survey’s responses can inform how OHS’s T/TA System can be more responsive to Head Start grantees’ needs and improve the T/TA provided through its National Centers, regional-level T/TA providers, and the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) website.
- Moreover, by merging data obtained from the study with data from the Program Information Report (PIR) and/or other program information available to OHS, OHS can explore the relationship between grantees’ survey responses and grantee characteristics (e.g., grantee size, region, agency type, program options, enrollment size, number of classrooms, number of centers, urban/rural).
Methods
The study was designed to provide descriptive information on the breadth of grantees’ T/TA needs and experiences across Head Start, Early Head Start, American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership programs. A sample of 1,268 Head Start program directors completed the survey on behalf of their entire grantee organization and addressed questions about T/TA needs, goals, and experiences. In addition, 1,049 managers/ coordinators completed the Manager/Coordinator Survey, which included questions related to practices in four content areas: early childhood development and education; fiscal operations; family and community services; and health, mental health, and safety. The study is nationally representative of Head Start grantees that provided direct services in the 2018-2019 program year.
Citation
Hafford, C., Hernandez, M. (2022). Survey of Head Start Grantees on Training and Technical Assistance: Design and Data Collection Methodology Report. OPRE Report 2024-134. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Glossary
- Content Areas :
- The surveys were designed to obtain insights from program directors and managers/coordinators on four domains of Head Start practice. The domains, and the practice areas addressed by each, are:
- 1. Early Childhood Development and Education:
- Curriculum implementation; coaching/professional development; teaching practices/Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) implementation; and inclusive environments for children with disabilities.
- 2. Fiscal Operations:
- Strengthening financial management systems; five-year planning, oversight, and continuous improvement; data-informed decision-making; and facilities maintenance and repair.
- 3. Family and Community Services:
- Working on program-wide goals related to parent, family and community engagement; using relationship-based competencies for staff development; implementing family support and goal-setting services; and supporting parent training, education, employment, and career development.
- 4. Health, Mental Health, and Safety:
- Active supervision; early childhood mental health consultation; staff wellness; and emergency preparedness.
- Office of Head Start (OHS) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) :
- Supports program staff in delivering quality services to children and families. The TTA System consists of three levels: national, regional, and grantee. While each level has distinct and unique functions, they are designed to complement each other. Structured, intentional, high-quality TTA supports the school readiness of children and their families. For more information, see https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/about-us/article/training-technical-assistance-centers.