[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 159 (Friday, August 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53591-53592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20786]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Title: Head Start Impact Study.
    OMB No.: New collection.
    Description: The Administration on Children, Youth and Families 
(ACYF), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the 
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is requesting comments 
on plans to conduct the Head Start Impact Study. This study is being 
conducted under contract with Westat, Inc. (with the Urban Institute, 
American Institutes for Research, and Decision Information Resources as 
their subcontractors) (282-00-0022) to collect information for 
determining, on a national basis, how Head Start affects the school 
readiness of children participating in the program, as compared to 
children not enrolled in Head Start, and to determine under which 
conditions Head Start works best and for which children. The Head Start 
Impact Study involves 10 waves of data collection.
    The first two waves occurred during the field test in fall 2001 and 
spring 2002. The field test involved approximately 500 first time 
enrolled three- and four-year-old preschool children across eight 
grantee/delegate agencies representing different community contexts. 
The children participating were randomly assigned to either a Head 
Start group (that receives Head Start program services) or a comparison 
group (that does not receive Head Start services but may enroll in 
other available services selected by their parents or be cared for at 
home). Waves three through 10 will involve data collection for the 
full-scale study. The Head Start Impact Study is a longitudinal study 
that will involve approximately 5,000-6,000 first time enrolled three- 
and four-year-old preschool children across an estimated 75 nationally 
representative grantee/delegate agencies (in communities where there 
are more eligible children and families than can be served by the 
program). Data collection for the full-scale study will begin in fall 
2002 and extend through spring 2006 with child assessments, conducted 
in the fall and spring of the Head Start years and in the spring of the 
kindergarten and first grade years, and parent interviews conducted in 
the fall and spring of each year. Interviews/surveys with program 
staff/care providers, and quality of care assessments will be conducted 
in the spring of each year. This schedule of data collection is 
necessitated by the mandate in Head Start's 1998 reauthorization (Coats 
Human Services Amendments of 1998, Pub. L. 05-285) that DHHS conduct 
research to determine, on a national level, the impact of Head Start on 
the children it serves.
    Respondents: Individuals or households, Head Start Agencies, school 
districts, and other child care providers.
    Annual Burden Estimates: Estimated Response Burden for Respondents 
to the Head Start Impact Study--fall 2002, spring 2003, fall 2003, 
spring 2004, fall 2004, spring 2005, fall 2005, and spring 2006.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per     hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 1 (fall 2002):
    Parent Interviews...........................           5,111               1          1.00             5,111
    Child Assessment............................           5,111               1          0.9166           4,685
    Teacher Ratings.............................             613               5          0.0833             255
    Center Directors/Principals.................             307               1          1.00               307
    Classroom Teachers..........................             613               1          0.50               307
Year 1 (spring 2003):
    Parent Interviews...........................           4,599               1          1.00             4,599
    Father Questionnaire........................           4,599               1          0.50             2,300
    Child Assessments...........................           4,599               1          0.9166           4,216
    Teacher Ratings.............................             966               5          0.0833             403
    Family Service Workers......................             368               1          0.50               184
    Education Coordinators......................             368               1          0.50               184
    Center Directors/Principals.................             368               1          1.00               368
    Classroom Teachers..........................             736               1          0.50               368
    Other Care Providers........................             230               1          0.50               115
Year 2 (fall 2003):
    Parent Interviews...........................           4,139               1          1.00             4,139
    Child Assessments...........................           2,287               1          0.9166           2,096
Year 2 (spring 2004):
    Parent Interviews...........................           3,910               1          1.00             3,910
    Child Assessments...........................           3,910               1          0.0833           3,584
    Teacher Ratings.............................             803               5          0.0833             335
    Family Service Workers......................             165               1          0.50                83
    Education Coordinators......................             165               1          0.50                83
    Center Directors/Principals.................             350               1          1.00               350
    Classroom Teachers..........................             700               1          0.50               350
    Other Care Providers........................             103               1          0.50                52
Year 3 (fall 2004): Parent Interviews...........           3,519               1          1.00             3,519

[[Page 53592]]

 
Year 3 (spring 2005):
    Parent Interviews...........................           3,519               1          1.00             3,519
    Child Assessments...........................           3,519               1          0.9166           3,226
    Teacher Ratings.............................             704               5          0.0833             293
    Principals..................................             352               1          1.00               352
    Classroom Teachers..........................             704               1          0.50               352
Year 4 (fall 2005): Parent Interviews                      1,667               1          1.00             1,667
Year 4 (spring 2006):
    Parent Interviews...........................           1,667               1          1.00             1,667
    Child Assessments...........................           1,667               1          0.9166           1,528
    Teacher Ratings.............................             333               5          0.0833             139
    Principals..................................             167               1          1.00               167
    Classroom Teachers..........................             333               1          0.50               167
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        Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:....  ..............  ..............  ..............         13,745
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: The 13,745 Total Annual Burden Hours is based on an average of 200203, 200304, 200405, and 200506
  estimated burden hours.

Additional Information

    Copies of the proposed collection may be obtained by writing to the 
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Administration, 
Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., 
Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer.

OMB Comment

    OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of 
information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document 
in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best assured of having 
its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication. 
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent directly to the following: Office of 
Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, 725 17th Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attn: Desk Officer for ACF.

    Dated: August 12, 2002.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-20786 Filed 8-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M