Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2014)

NCT03705377 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 40290A
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 5,193
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

For nearly two decades, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) has been an invaluable source of information on the Head Start program and the children and families it serves. FACES 2014-2018 is the next phase of this important endeavor. Mathematica Policy Research and its partners, Juárez and Associates, Educational Testing Service, and consultants Margaret Burchinal and Martha Zaslow, developed the instruments and data collection procedures to assess the school readiness skills of 2,400 children and survey their parents and Head Start teachers in fall 2014 and spring 2015 (Classroom + Child Outcomes Core) and conduct observations in 720 Head Start classrooms and survey Head Start staff in spring 2015 and spring 2017 (Classroom Core).

Conditions

Head Start Participation

Keywords

child care; child development; child health; child nutrition; child rearing; children; curriculum; early childhood education; families; Head Start; parenting skills; parents; school readiness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (16)

• English proficiency

  Children's English language proficiency was assessed during week-long site visits using Preschool Language Assessment Survey (preLAS 2000): Simon Says and Art Show. See Duncan and DeAvila for more information on the scores and technical properties. Duncan, S.E., and E. DeAvila. Preschool Language Assessment Survey 2000 Examiner's Manual: English Forms C and D. Monterey, CA: CTB/McGraw-Hill, 1998.

  1 year

• Language-English receptive vocabulary

  Indicators of language were assessed during week-long site visits using Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition (PPVT-4). See Dunn and Dunn 2006 for more information on the scores and technical properties. Dunn, L. M., \& Dunn, D. M. Peabody Picture and Vocabulary Test, Fourth Edition. Examiner's Manual and Norms Booklet. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service, 2006.

  1 year

• Language-Expressive vocabulary

  Indicators of language were assessed during week-long site visits using Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition (EOWPVT-4 or EOWPVT-4 Spanish-Bilingual Edition). See Martin and Brownell 2011 and Martin 2013 for more information on the scores and technical properties. EOWPVT-4: Martin, N., and R. Brownell. "Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test-4th Edition." Novato, CA: Academic Therapy Publications, 2011. EOWPVT-4:SBE: Martin, N. "Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test-4th Edition: Spanish-Bilingual Edition." Novato, CA: Academic Therapy Publications, 2013.

  1 year

• Language-Spanish receptive vocabulary

  Indicators of language were assessed during week-long site visits using Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test - Fourth Edition (Spanish-Bilingual Edition; ROWPVT-4 SBE). Please see Martin 2012 for more information on the scores and technical properties. ROWPVT-4:SBE: Martin, N. "Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition: Spanish-Bilingual Edition." Novato, CA: Academic Therapy Publications, 2012.

  1 year

• Literacy-Letter word knowledge/early writing

  Indicators of literacy were assessed during week-long site visits using Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement-Third Edition/Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz (Spelling, Letter-Word Identification). Please see Woodcock et al. 2001 and Woodcock et al. 2004 for more information on the scores and technical properties. English version: Woodcock, R. W., McGrew, K. S. \& Mather, N. (2001). Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing, 2001. Spanish version: Woodcock, Richard W., Ana F. Munoz-Sandoval, Kevin McGrew, Nancy Mather, and Fred Schrank. Bateria III Woodcock-Munoz. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing, 2004.

  1 year

• Literacy-Letter sounds knowledge

  Indicators of literacy were assessed during week-long site visits using ECLS-B Letter Sounds. Please see Snow et al. 2007 for more information on the scores and technical properties. Snow, K., L. Thalji, A. Derecho, S. Wheeless, J. Lennon, S. Kinsey, J. Rogers, M. Raspa, and J. Park. "Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), Preschool Year Data File User's Manual (2005-06)." NCES 2008-024. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 2007.

  1 year

• Mathematics

  Indicators of mathematics were assessed during week-long site visits using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) preschool mathematics assessment of children's understanding of relative size, ordinal numbers, and pattern matching; number recognition; and the children's ability to count, recognize shapes, add, and solve word problems. Please see Snow et al. 2007 for more information on the scores and technical properties. Snow, K., L. Thalji, A. Derecho, S. Wheeless, J. Lennon, S. Kinsey, J. Rogers, M. Raspa, and J. Park. "Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), Preschool Year Data File User's Manual (2005-06)." NCES 2008-024. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 2007.

  1 year

• Mathematics

  Indicators of mathematics were assessed during week-long site visits using the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement-Third Edition/Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz (Applied Problems Test). Please see Woodcock et al. 2001 and Woodcock et al. 2004 for more information on the scores and technical properties. English version: Woodcock, R. W., McGrew, K. S. \& Mather, N. (2001). Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing, 2001. Spanish version: Woodcock, Richard W., Ana F. Munoz-Sandoval, Kevin McGrew, Nancy Mather, and Fred Schrank. Bateria III Woodcock-Munoz. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing, 2004.)

  1 year

• Children's physical health

  Indicators of physical well-being were assessed by weighing (using kilograms) and measuring children's height (using centimeters), and using these measurements to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI)

  1 year

• General health status

  Indicators of physical well-being were assessed by parent report to a survey item on if child's health is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor

  1 year

• Executive function

  Indicators of executive function were assessed by a pencil-tapping task that requires the child do the opposite of what the assessor says (that is, tap one time when the assessor taps two times and tap two times when the assessor taps one time). Pencil Tapping provides an objective assessment of children's self-regulation, particularly inhibitory control and working memory. See Blair 2002 for example for more information on the task. Blair, C. "School Readiness: Integrating Cognition and Emotion in a Neurobiological Conceptualization of Children's Functioning at School Entry." American Psychologist, vol. 57, 2002, pp. 111-127.

  1 year

• Social-emotional development

  Indicators of social-emotional development were assessed using teacher report of several items on children's positive and problem behaviors. Please see the FACES 2014 User's Manual (Kopack Klein et al. 2017) for more information on the scores and technical information. Kopack Klein, A., B. Lepidus Carlson, N. Aikens, A. Bloomenthal, J. West, L. Malone, E. Moiduddin, M. Dang, M. Hepburn, S. Skidmore, S. Bernstein, A. Kelly, F. Hurwitz, A. Edwards, H. Zhou, and G. Lim. "Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (2014) User's Manual." Report submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research, 2017.

  1 year

• Social-emotional development-cognitive/social behaviors

  Indicators of social-emotional development were assessed using assessor report children's cognitive/social behaviors during the assessment time, using the Leiter-R Examiner Ratings. The Leiter-R comprises eight subscales that examine children's approach to the assessments, their engagement with the materials, and their ability to attend to and regulate their physical and emotional responses during the assessment tasks. Please see Roid and Miller 1997 for more information on the scores and technical properties. Roid, G.H., and L.J. Miller. Leiter International Performance Scale Revised, Examiner Rating Scale (Leiter-R). Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc., 1997.

  1 year

• Social-emotional development - Approaches to learning

  Indicators of social-emotional development were assessed using teacher report of approaches to learning using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Class of 1998 (ECLS-K). The items assess a child's motivation, attention, organization, persistence, and independence in learning. Please see U.S. Department of Education 2002 for more information on the scores and technical properties. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. "Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K), Psychometric Report for Kindergarten through First Grade." NCES 2002-05. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 2002.

  1 year

• Classroom quality-teacher child interactions

  Indicators of classroom quality were assessed using the the PreK Classroom Assessment Scoring System. The Pre-K CLASS assesses the qualities of interactions between teachers and students in classrooms and measures aspects of interactions related to children's early academic achievement and social competencies. Please see Pianta et al. 2008 for more information on the scores and technical properties. Pianta, Robert, K. LaParo, and B. Hamre. The Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K Manual. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 2008.

  One-day observation in March-May 2015, March-May 2017

• Classroom quality-global classroom environment

  Indicators of classroom quality were assessed using a shortened form of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R), a global rating of classroom quality based on structural features of the classroom (Harms et al. 2005). The items in the short form represent the strongest 21 items identified by researchers in a large-scale study (Clifford et al. 2005). Please see Harms et al. 2005 and Clifford et al. 2005 for more information on the scores and measure technical properties. Harms, T., R.M. Clifford, and D. Cryer. Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale: Revised Edition. New York: Teachers College Press, 2005. Clifford, Richard, Oscar Barbarin, Florence Chang, Diane M. Early, Donna Bryant, Carollee Howes, Margaret Burchinal, and Robert Pianta. "What Is Pre-Kindergarten? Characteristics of Public Pre-Kindergarten Programs." Applied Developmental Science, vol. 9, no. 3, 2005, pp. 126-143.

  One-day observation in March-May 2015, March-May 2017

Study Arms (1)

Head Start children and families

children (2,400), parents (2,400), classrooms/teachers (720), program directors (180), center directors (360), family service staff (168)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 3 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Head Start children (and their families), Head Start programs, Head Start centers, Head Start classrooms/teachers, Head Start family service staff

You may qualify if:

• The Head Start programs participating in FACES 2014 were a probability sample selected from among 2,900 study-eligible programs on the 2012-2013 Head Start Program Information Report (PIR). To be eligible for the study, a program had to be
• In one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia
• Providing services directly to children ages 3 to 5
• Not be in imminent danger of losing its grantee status.
• Within those classrooms, eligible classrooms needed to
• have at least one Head Start child enrolled

You may not qualify if:

• American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start programs (Region XI) or Migrant and Seasonal Worker Head Start programs (Region XII) were not eligible. Other ACF studies (AI/AN FACES-NCT03842111 and MSHS-NCT03116243) focus on those programs.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.: lead
• Department of Health and Human Services: collaborator
• Children's Bureau - Administration for Children and Families: collaborator
• Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Mathematica Policy Research

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20002, United States

Location

Related Links

• To learn more about FACES and access reports/products, please visit the FACES ACF website.

Study Officials

• Lizabeth Malone, Ph.D.

  Mathematica Policy Research

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Nikki Aikens, Ph.D.

  Mathematica Policy Research

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Louisa Tarullo, Ed.D.

  Mathematica Policy Research

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Senior Survey Researcher

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 3, 2018
• First Posted: October 15, 2018
• Study Start: May 1, 2014
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2017
• Study Completion: June 30, 2017
• Last Updated: February 26, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL
• Time Frame: Data are currently available for fall 2014-spring 2015. Data for spring 2017 will become available within 2 years of the end of the study and will remain on ResearchConnections.org.
• Access Criteria: Applications for access to restricted-use data file include completing and adhering to a User Agreement.

Locations

US (1)