Introduction
Research Questions
- What is the background and importance of AI/AN FACES 2015 and AI/AN FACES 2019?
- What are the plans for the AI/AN FACES 2019 study?
- What information will be gathered by AI/AN FACES 2019?
Since 1997, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) has been a regular source of nationally representative data on Head Start programs, centers, classrooms, children, and families. Until the 2015—2016 program year, however, FACES had not been conducted in Region XI AI/AN Head Start programs. This was due in part to the time and resources required to engage in the intensive community-based planning and implementation process needed to successfully carry out the study in partnership with Region XI Head Start programs and communities. In 2015, the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family Experiences Survey (AI/AN FACES) was the first national study of Region XI American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Head Start children, families, and programs. The next American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019 (AI/AN FACES 2019) will provide the latest information about Region XI and reflect current policy and program practices, with a particular focus on children’s school readiness skills.
Purpose
The purpose of this flyer is to provide background on AI/AN FACES 2015, introduce AI/AN FACES 2019, and explain the importance of nationally representative data for Region XI. The flyer also addresses the timeline for AI/AN FACES 2019, from the current recruitment process to restricted-use data availability for qualified researchers.
Highlights
- Data collection will take place from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020, and data analyses and reporting will begin in Summer 2020.
- Participants will be randomly selected and invited to be part of AI/AN FACES 2019. Participation is voluntary for both programs and individuals with programs, and protocols for tribal review will be followed in each community.
- The study will be carried out in ways sensitive to and respectful of the diverse nature of tribal cultures.
- Members of the AI/AN FACES 2019 Workgroup will provide input on the development of products from this study. Products will include a technical report with an extensive set of data tables and briefs.
Methods
For AI/AN FACES 2019, we will select a sample to represent all children enrolled in Region XI Head Start in Fall 2019. We will select a nationally representative sample of Region XI Head Start programs, with one to two centers per program and two to four classrooms per center. Within each classroom, we selected all children for the study. In total, we will randomly select 22 programs and expect to sample 37 centers within those programs, 80 classrooms within those centers and, across those classrooms, 800 children and parents would be randomly selected to participate.