[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33715-33716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14153]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Proposed Projects:
    Title: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) and 
Quality Research Centers.
    OMB No.: Revision of a currently approved collection (OMB No. 0970-
0151).
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of 
the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is requesting 
comments on plans to collect data on a new cohort for the Head Start 
Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES). This study is being 
conducted under contract with Westat, Inc. (with Xtria, LCC and the CDM 
Group as their subcontractors) (contract GS23F8144H; order 
03Y00318101D) to collect information on Head Start performance 
measures.
    FACES will involve four waves of data collection. The first wave 
will occur in Fall 2003. Data will be collected on a sample of 
approximately 2,600 children and families from about 260 classrooms 
across 70 programs. Data collection will include assessments of Head 
Start children, interviews with their parents, and ratings by their 
Head Start teachers. Further, site visitors will interview Head Start 
teachers and make observations of the types and quality of classroom 
activities.
    The second wave, which will be a repeat of the Fall 2003 data 
collection, will occur in Spring 2004 when the sample children are at 
the end of their first year of Head Start.
    The third wave will occur in Spring 2005, and will involve follow-
up with children who at this time are either comleting a second year in 
Head Start, or completing kindergarten. For those children who are 
still attending Head Start, data collection will follow the same 
procedures as in Spring 2004. For those children attending 
kindergarten, data collection will include assessments of Head Start 
children, an ``update'' survey of the information collected from the 
parent interview, and ratings of the children's academic progress and 
school adjustment by kindergarten teachers.
    The fourth wave of data collection will occur in Spring 2006. 
Children who attended kindergarten the previous year will not be 
included in this wave. The procedures for this effort will be the same 
as for kindergartners in Spring 2005.
    For the Head Start Quality Research Centers, 100 children in eight 
sites will be followed during each of two program years, 2003-2004 and 
2004-2005. FACES procedures will be carried out, including child 
assessments, parent and teacher interviews, and observations of types 
and quality of classroom activities.
    This schedule of data collection is necessitated by the mandates of 
the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 (Pub. L. 103-
62), which requires that the Head Start Bureau move expeditiously 
toward development and testing of Head Start Performance Measures, and 
by the 1994 reauthorization of Head Start (Head Start Act, as amended, 
May 18, 1994, Section 649 (d)), which requires periodic assessments of 
Head Start's quality and effectiveness.
    Respondents: Federal Government, Individuals or Households, and 
Not-for-profit institutions.

Annual Burden Estimates

    Estimated Response Burden for Respondents to the Head Start Family 
and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2003)--Fall 2003, Spring 2004, 
Spring 2005, Spring 2006.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per     hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Year 1 (2003)
 
Head Start Parent Interview.....................           2,600               1            1.00           2,600
Head Start Child Assessment.....................           2,600               1            0.66           1,716
Teacher Child Rating............................             260              10            0.25             650
Program Director Interview......................              70               1            1.00              70
Center Director Interview.......................             130               1            1.00             130
Education Coordinator Interview.................             130               1            0.75              98
Teacher Interview...............................             260               1            1.00             260
 
                  Year 2 (2004)
 
Head Start Parent Interview.....................           2,210               1            0.75           1,658
Head Start Child Assessment.....................           2,210               1            0.66           1,459
Teacher Child Rating............................             260               8            0.25             520
Family Service Coordinator Interview............             130               1            0.75             173
 
                  Year 3 (2005)
 
Head Start Parent Interview.....................             730               1            0.75             548
Head Start Child Assessment.....................             730               1            0.66             482
Teacher Child Rating............................              85               6            0.25             128
Kindergarten Parent Interview...................           1,480               1            0.75           1,110
Kindergarten Child Assessment...................           1,480               1            0.75           1,110
Kindergarten Teacher Questionnaire..............           1,480               1            0.50             740
 
                  Year 4 (2006)
 
Kindergarten Parent Interview...................             740               1            0.75             555
Kindergarten Child Assessment...................             740               1            0.75             555
Kindergarten Teacher Questionnaire..............             740               1            0.50             370
                                                 -----------------
      Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.......  ..............  ..............  ..............          14,932
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[[Page 33716]]

    Estimated Response Burden for Respondents to the Head Start Quality 
Research Centers (FACES QRC 2003)--Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per     hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Year 1 (2003)
 
Head Start Parent Interview.....................             800               1            1.00             800
Head Start Child Assessment.....................             800               1            0.66             528
Teacher Child Rating............................              80              10            0.25              20
Teacher Interview...............................              80               1            1.00              80
 
                  Year 2 (2004)
 
Head Start Parent Interview.....................           1,480               1            1.00           1,480
Head Start Child Assessment.....................           1,480               1            0.66             977
Teacher Child Rating............................             160               8            0.25             320
 
                  Year 3 (2005)
 
Head Start Parent Interview.....................             680               1            1.00             680
Head Start Child Assessment.....................             680               1            0.66             449
Teacher Child Rating............................             180               6            0.25             270
                                                 -----------------
      Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.......  ..............  ..............  ..............           5,604
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and 
Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the 
information collection described above. Copies of the proposed 
collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded 
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. E-mail 
address: [email protected]. All requests should be identified by the 
title of the information collection.
    The Department specifically requests comments on: (a) Whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection 
of information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology. 
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted 
within 60 days of this publication.

    Dated: June 2, 2003.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-14153 Filed 6-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M