THE HEAD START PATH
 

TO POSITIVE CHILD OUTCOMES
 

® 

The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework
 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

Head Start Bureau 

Updated Summer 2003 
Materials appearing in this brochure are in the public domain and may be 

reproduced or copied without permission from the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated. The recommended citation is— 

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 


Administration on Children, Youth and Families/Head Start Bureau. 


The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes. 

Washington, D.C. 

This document was prepared under Contract No. 233-02-0002 of the Head Start 

Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children 

and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, by the National Head 

Start Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 

1000, Arlington, VA 22209, 703-243-0495. 

Additional copies of this publication are available from—
 

Head Start Information and Publication Center
 

P.O. Box 26417, Alexandria, VA 22312
 

www.headstartinfo.org
 

Toll-free:1-866-763-6481
 

Fax: 703-683-5769
 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
 

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

Head Start Bureau 

Updated Summer 2003 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 

The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 1 

A Context for Head Start Child, Family, and Program 

Accomplishments and Outcomes 2
 

The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework 4
 

Information Memorandum ACYF-IM-HS-00-18 9
 

Information Memorandum ACYF-IM-HS-03-07 14
 

Summer 2003 i 
THE HEAD START PATH 

TO POSITIVE CHILD OUTCOMES 

Head Start Program Performance Standards provide a sound foundation for achieving 

positive child outcomes. Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that 

encompasses all aspects of a child’s development and learning. 

Upon entry to the program, each child receives required screenings to confirm that he or 

she is in good health and is developing well. This is the initial determination of a child’s 

overall health status, developmental strengths, needs, and areas of identified concern, 

such as a possible serious delay or disability that may lead to a referral. 

After screening, the requirements for child observation and ongoing assessment continue 

throughout the child’s enrollment in Head Start. Using appropriate observation and assessment procedures, staff and parents follow each child’s progress and experiences from his 

arrival in the program to the time he leaves. Through this process, they come to know 

each child’s strengths, interests, needs, and learning styles in order to individualize the curriculum, to build on each child’s prior knowledge and experiences, and to provide meaningful curriculum experiences that support learning and development. In these ways, staff, 

parents, and programs support each child in making progress toward stated goals. 

Head Start’s concern with the whole child includes social competence as part of school 

readiness. Head Start grantees and delegate agencies gather information to document 

their process for assuring positive child outcomes. This information addresses all aspects 

of development and learning, including physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and language, in order to provide an overall picture of the child from program entry to the culmination of the child’s Head Start experience. 

This information gathered from observations and ongoing assessment also helps grantees 

respond to the need to address child outcomes: How has each child benefited from time 

in Head Start? In addition, child outcome information for groups of children becomes 

part of the data considered by grantees and delegate agencies as they engage in selfassessment to determine how the program is doing in meeting its goals and objectives, 

and in implementing the Head Start Program Performance Standards and other regulations. The results of the self-assessment contribute to continuous program planning and 

program improvement. 

The Head Start National Reporting System (NRS) adds one more component to local 

child assessment and program self-assessment. Starting in Fall 2003, Head Start programs 

will implement a brief procedure at the beginning and end of the program year to assess 

all 4- and 5-year olds on a limited set of language, literacy, and numeracy outcomes that 

have been legislatively mandated. The NRS will provide comparable data about the 

progress that children are making in Head Start programs across the country. This information about groups of children, not individuals, will be reported back to programs to 

supplement their local assessments and used by the Federal and Regional Offices to guide 

training and technical assistance. 

Summer 2003 1 
A Context for Head Start Child, Family, and Program
 

HEAD START PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND OTHER REGULATIONS 

45 CFR Parts 1301, 1302, 1303, 1304 and Guidance, 1305, 1306, and 1308 and Guidance 

HEAD START PROGRAM 

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS 

“What are the minimum standards for 

the quality of Head Start services, 

staffing, and management systems?” 

•	 Head Start Program Performance 

Standards provide quality standards for 

all aspects of early childhood 

development and health services, family 

and community partnerships, and 

program design and management. 

•	 Qualified staff, in partnership with 

parents, select and adapt or develop a 

curriculum for each Head Start 

program. The curriculum is a written 

plan that addresses the goals for children 

and includes their experiences, 

appropriate materials, and the roles of 

staff and parents. Staff implement and 

individualize the curriculum to support 

each child’s learning and developmental 

progress. 

•	 Each program is required to implement 

a curriculum that promotes children’s 

cognitive development and language 

skills, social and emotional 

development, and physical development. 

•	 All programs must adhere to specific 

Program Performance Standards in the 

areas of groups size, adult:child ratios, 

and staff qualifications, including 

ensuring that each classroom has a 

teacher with a Child Development 

Associate (CDA) credential or its 

equivalent. The 1998 Head Start Act 

requires that by September 30, 2003, at 

least 50% of all Head Start teachers 

nationally in center-based programs 

have an associate, baccalaureate or 

advanced degree in early education or 

in a related field with preschool 

teaching experience. Classroom teachers 

who do not meet this requirement must 

have a CDA or an equivalent Stateissued certificate or be in the process of 

completing a CDA or degree within 180 

days of hire. 

•	 Families are to be involved through the 

family partnership agreement process in 

their children’s development and 

learning, in increasing their own literacy 

and child observation skills, and in the 

governance process of the Head Start 

program. 

SCREENING AND ONGOING 

CHILD ASSESSMENT 

“How do programs use information they 

gather on children?” 

• Upon entry to Head Start, each child 

receives required screenings to 

determine the child’s overall health 

status, developmental strengths, and 

needs. If a concern is identified, such as 

a possible serious delay or disability, a 

formal evaluation is conducted and a 

determination of eligibility for disability 

services is made. If the disability criteria 

are met, a plan for special education 

and/or related services is made. 

• Staff and parents gather ongoing 

information to document children’s 

progress toward positive child outcomes 

in language, literacy, mathematics, 

science, creative arts, social and 

emotional development, approaches to 

learning, and physical development, 

including the 13 mandated learning 

indicators (as described in the Child 

Outcomes Framework). Programs 

select, develop, or adapt an instrument 

or set of tools for ongoing assessment of 

children’s progress that aligns with their 

curriculum. 

• Child observation and ongoing 

assessment continue throughout the 

child’s enrollment in Head Start. Staff 

and parents follow each child’s 

progress, coming to know the child’s 

strengths, interests, needs, and learning 

styles in order to individualize the 

curriculum, to build on each child’s 

prior knowledge and experiences, and 

to provide meaningful curriculum 

experiences that support learning and 

development. In these ways, staff, 

parents, and programs support each 

child’s progress toward stated goals. 

• Child outcome information from groups 

of children becomes part of the data 

considered by agencies as they engage in 

self-assessment to determine how the 

program is meeting its goals and 

objectives and how it is implementing 

the Program Performance Standards 

and other regulations. The results of the 

self-assessment contribute to continuous 

program planning and program 

improvement. 

LOCAL PROGRAM SELF-ASSESSMENT 

AND ONGOING MONITORING 

“How is the local program doing?” 

•	 Grantees establish procedures for the 

ongoing monitoring of their own 

operations, as well as those of their 

delegate agencies, to ensure effective 

implementation of all Federal 

regulations. 

•	 At least once a year, Early Head Start 

and Head Start agencies conduct a selfassessment to check how they are doing 

in meeting their goals and objectives 

and in implementing the Head Start 

Program Performance Standards and 

other regulations. 

•	 The process involves the policy group, 

governing body, parents, staff, and the 

community. 

•	 Grantees should ensure that their 

system for ongoing assessment of 

children includes collection of some 

data in each of the 8 Domains of 

children’s learning and development. In 

addition, because they are legislatively 

mandated, programs must gather and 

analyze data on certain specific Domain 

Elements or Indicators or progress in 

language, literacy, and numeracy skills. 

•	 Grantees must develop a system to 

analyze data on child outcomes that 

centers on patterns of progress for 

groups of children over time as they 

receive services through the program 

year. At a minimum, data analysis 

should compare progress beginning 

when children enter Head Start, at a 

mid-point in the program year, and 

when they complete the program year. 

•	 The results of the self-assessment 

process, including the analysis of child 

outcomes, influence the agency’s 

program planning and the continuous 

improvement process. 

2 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
 

Accomplishments and Outcomes
 

SYSTEMS AND OUTCOME MEASURES FOR HEAD START NATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY 

Head Start Act, ACYF-IM-HS-00-03, ACYF-IM-HS-00-18, ACYF-IM-HS-03-07, PRISM, FACES 

FEDERAL ON-SITE 

SYSTEMS MONITORING 

“How is our compliance with 

Head Start regulations and 

program implementation?” 

•	 After the first full year of operation, 

grantees are monitored at least once 

every three years. 

•	 A review of effective management 

systems supports the implementation of 

a comprehensive child development 

program leading to positive child 

outcomes. 

•	 A partnership between Federal and 

grantee staff monitors the progress of 

Early Head Start and Head Start 

grantees in implementing the Head 

Start Program Performance Standards 

and other Federal regulations. 

•	 Using the PRISM (Program Review 

Instrument for Systems Monitoring), a 

team of Federal staff and other experts 

conducts an on-site PRISM review of 

grantee management systems and 

program quality through a combination 

of focus groups and individual 

interviews; observations; discussions 

with parents, staff, and policy groups; 

and review of written program 

documents. Grantees must correct all 

identified areas of noncompliance. 

•	 Information from the PRISM, including 

compliance with the child outcomes 

requirements of the 1998 Head Start 

Act and ACYF-IM-HS-00-18, is to be 

used by grantees for continuous 

program improvement. 

NATIONAL REPORTING SYSTEM 

“How are 4- and 5-year-old Head Start 

children progressing on a common national 

assessment of key indicators of literacy, 

language, and numeracy learning?” 

• In April 2002, President Bush launched 

the Early Childhood Initiative—Good 

Start, Grow Smart—that included 

strengthening Head Start by developing 

a new accountability system to ensure 

that every Head Start program assesses 

child outcomes. This new 

accountability system is referred to as 

the National Reporting System (NRS). 

• Starting in Fall 2003, all 4- and 5-yearolds in Head Start, including children 

with disabilities and English Language 

Learners, will be assessed through the 

NRS. They will be assessed again in the 

spring before they go to kindergarten. 

• All Head Start programs will use a 

brief, common set of valid, reliable, 

age-appropriate assessment tools on 

specific language, literacy, and 

numeracy outcomes. The assessments 

will take approximately 15 minutes per 

child. They will be conducted in 

English or Spanish by trained program 

staff. 

• The NRS will provide comparable data 

about the progress that children are 

making in each Head Start program. 

NRS information will be reported back 

to programs to supplement the ongoing 

child assessment and continuous 

program self-assessment that each 

program undertakes. The Head Start 

Bureau and the Regional Offices will 

use the NRS information to guide 

training and technical assistance and to 

develop new ways of incorporating 

outcomes into future PRISM reviews. 

Data on individual children will not be 

reported by the NRS. 

RESEARCH 

“What are some key outcomes and 

indicators of national program quality, 

effectiveness, and outcomes?” 

• The Family and Child Experiences 

Survey (FACES) is a national, 

longitudinal study to examine the 

quality and outcomes of Head Start. In 

1997 and 2000, data were collected 

from a nationally representative 

sample of several thousand children in 

about 40 Head Start programs who 

were followed up in kindergarten. 

Teachers, staff, and parents were 

interviewed; observations of classroom 

quality were made. Results indicate 

that Head Start children’s social skills 

improve and that they make more 

progress than the typical child their 

age on vocabulary and early writing 

measures, but still fall short of national 

averages. Classroom quality is linked 

to child outcomes. A new national 

sample is being launched in Fall 2003. 

• The Head Start Impact Study is a 

Congressionally mandated longitudinal 

study of nearly 5,000 3- and 4-yearolds from a nationally representative 

sample of agencies. Children have been 

randomly assigned to Head Start or to 

a comparison group which does not 

receive Head Start services. Data 

collection includes direct child 

assessments through first grade, parent 

interviews, surveys with staff, 

observations of the quality of care 

settings, and teacher ratings. The study 

is designed to answer the mandated 

questions and benefit program quality. 

• The Quality Research Centers (QRC) 

Consortium I (1995-2000) created 

partnerships among ACYF, Head Start 

grantees, and the academic research 

community to enhance quality program 

practices and outcomes. In 2001, a 

second cohort of QRCs was funded for 

five years to improve child outcomes in 

literacy, social and emotional development, and other domains of school 

readiness, through enhancements to 

curriculum, teacher training, parent 

involvement, and assessment practices. 

Research teams implement and evaluate 

their projects with their Head Start 

partners, then replicate them. Measures 

from FACES are used across sites. 

Summer 2003 3 
THE HEAD START CHILD
 

OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK
 

Released in 2000, the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework is intended to guide Head 

Start programs in their curriculum planning and ongoing assessment of the progress and 

accomplishments of children. The Framework also is helpful to programs in their efforts to 

analyze and use data on child outcomes in program self-assessment and continuous 

improvement. The Framework is composed of 8 general Domains, 27 Domain Elements, 

and numerous examples of specific Indicators of children’s skills, abilities, knowledge, and 

behaviors. The Framework is based on the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the 

Head Start Program Performance Measures, provisions of the Head Start Act as amended 

in 1998, advice of the Head Start Bureau Technical Work Group on Child Outcomes, and a 

review of documents on assessment of young children and early childhood program 

accountability from a variety of state agencies and professional organizations. 

• The Domains, Elements, and Indicators are presented as a framework of building 

blocks that are important for school success. The Framework is not an exhaustive list 

of everything a child should know or be able to do by the end of Head Start or entry 

into Kindergarten. The Framework is intended to guide assessment of three- to fiveyear-old children—not infants or toddlers enrolled in Early Head Start and not infants 

or toddlers in Migrant Head Start programs. 

• The Framework guides agencies in selecting, developing, or adapting an instrument or 

set of tools for ongoing assessment of children’s progress. It is inappropriate to use the 

Framework as a checklist for assessing children. It also is inappropriate to use items in 

the Framework in place of thoughtful curriculum planning and individualization. 

• Every Head Start program implements an appropriate child assessment system that aligns 

with their curriculum and gathers data on children’s progress in each of the 8 Domains of 

learning and development. At a minimum, because they are legislatively mandated, programs analyze data on 4 specific Domain Elements and 9 Indicators in various language, 

literacy, and numeracy skills, as indicated with a star ✫ in the chart. Local program child 

assessment occurs at least three times a year. The National Reporting System (NRS) child 

assessment includes measures of the mandated child outcomes. 

• Information on children’s progress on the Domains, Domain Elements, and Indicators 

is obtained from multiple sources, such as teacher and home visitor observations, analysis of samples of children’s work and performance, parent reports, or direct assessment 

of children. Head Start assessment practices should reflect the assumption that children 

demonstrate progress over time in development and learning on a developmental continuum, in forms such as increasing frequency of a behavior or ability, increasing 

breadth or depth of knowledge and understanding, or increasing proficiency or independence in exercising a skill or ability. 

The English version of the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework was translated into Spanish by the 

Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Quality Improvement Center. The Spanish version of the Head Start Child 

Outcomes Framework can be accessed at www.mhsqic.org/ spandocs/spandocs.htm. 

4 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
THE HEAD START CHILD OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK
 

DOMAIN DOMAIN 

ELEMENT INDICATORS 

LANGUAGE

DEVELOPMENT 

Listening 

& 

Understanding 

◆ Demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, 

stories, songs, and poems. 

◆ Shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple-step directions. 

✫ Understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. 

✫ For non-English-speaking children, progresses in listening to and 

understanding English. 

Speaking 

& 

Communicating 

✫ Develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; 

and for other varied purposes. 

◆ Progresses in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversation and 

discussions with peers and adults. 

✫ Uses an increasingly complex and varied spoken vocabulary. 

◆ Progresses in clarity of pronunciation and towards speaking in sentences of 

increasing length and grammatical complexity. 

✫ For non-English-speaking children, progresses in speaking English. 

LITERACY 

✫ Phonological 

Awareness 

◆ Shows increasing ability to discriminate and identify sounds in spoken language. 

◆ Shows growing awareness of beginning and ending sounds of words. 

◆ Progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, 

games, songs, stories, and poems. 

◆ Shows growing ability to hear and discriminate separate syllables in words. 

✫ Associates sounds with written words, such as awareness that different 

words begin with the same sound. 

✫ Book 

Knowledge 

& 

Appreciation 

◆ Shows growing interest and involvement in listening to and discussing a 

variety of fiction and non-fiction books and poetry. 

◆ Shows growing interest in reading-related activities, such as asking to have a 

favorite book read; choosing to look at books; drawing pictures based on 

stories; asking to take books home; going to the library; and engaging in 

pretend-reading with other children. 

◆ Demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books 

and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will 

happen next in a story. 

◆ Progresses in learning how to handle and care for books; knowing to view 

one page at a time in sequence from front to back; and understanding that a 

book has a title, author, and illustrator. 

✫ Print 

Awareness 

& 

Concepts 

◆ Shows increasing awareness of print in classroom, home, and community settings. 

◆ Develops growing understanding of the different functions of forms of print 

such as signs, letters, newspapers, lists, messages, and menus. 

◆ Demonstrates increasing awareness of concepts of print, such as that reading 

in English moves from top to bottom and from left to right, that speech can 

be written down, and that print conveys a message. 

◆ Shows progress in recognizing the association between spoken and written 

words by following print as it is read aloud. 

✫ Recognizes a word as a unit of print, or awareness that letters are grouped to form words, and that words are separated by spaces. 

✫ Indicates the 4 specific Domain Elements and 9 Indicators that are legislatively mandated. 

Summer 2003
 5 
DOMAIN DOMAIN 

ELEMENT INDICATORS 

LITERACY

(CONT.) 

Early 

Writing 

◆ Develops understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a 

variety of purposes. 

◆ Begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, 

and in play. 

◆ Experiments with a growing variety of writing tools and materials, such 

as pencils, crayons, and computers. 

◆ Progresses from using scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using 

letter-like symbols, to copying or writing familiar words such as their own name. 

Alphabet 

Knowledge 

◆ Shows progress in associating the names of letters with their shapes and sounds. 

◆ Increases in ability to notice the beginning letters in familiar words. 

✫ Identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name. 

✫ Knows that letters of the alphabet are a special category of visual graphics 

that can be individually named. 

MATHEMATICS 

✫ Number 

& 

Operations 

◆ Demonstrates increasing interest and awareness of numbers and counting as 

a means for solving problems and determining quantity. 

◆ Begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and written 

numerals in meaningful ways. 

◆ Develops increasing ability to count in sequence to 10 and beyond. 

◆ Begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and 

matching groups of objects. 

◆ Begins to use language to compare numbers of objects with terms such as 

more, less, greater than, fewer, equal to. 

◆ Develops increased abilities to combine, separate and name “how many” 

concrete objects. 

Geometry 

& 

Spatial Sense 

◆ Begins to recognize, describe, compare, and name common shapes, their 

parts and attributes. 

◆ Progresses in ability to put together and take apart shapes. 

◆ Begins to be able to determine whether or not two shapes are the same size 

and shape. 

◆ Shows growth in matching, sorting, putting in a series, and regrouping 

objects according to one or two attributes such as color, shape, or size. 

◆ Builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order, and positions of 

objects, and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, and behind. 

Patterns 

& 

Measurement 

◆ Enhances abilities to recognize, duplicate, and extend simple patterns using a 

variety of materials. 

◆ Shows increasing abilities to match, sort, put in a series, and regroup objects 

according to one or two attributes such as shape or size. 

◆ Begins to make comparisons between several objects based on a single attribute. 

◆ Shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures for length and 

area of objects. 

SCIENCE 

Scientific 

Skills 

& 

Methods

◆ Begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships. 

◆ Develops increased ability to observe and discuss common properties, differences and comparisons among objects and materials. 

◆ Begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and 

draw conclusions, and form generalizations. 

◆ Develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information 

through a variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps, and charts. 

◆ Begins to describe and discuss predictions, explanations, and generalizations 

based on past experiences. 

✫ Indicates the 4 specific Domain Elements and 9 Indicators that are legislatively mandated. 

6 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
DOMAIN DOMAIN 

ELEMENT INDICATORS 

SCIENCE

(CONT.) 

Scientific 

Knowledge 

◆ Expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the 

natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes. 

◆ Expands knowledge of and respect for their bodies and the environment. 

◆ Develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to attributes of 

time and temperature. 

◆ Shows increased awareness and beginning understanding of changes in 

materials and cause-effect relationships. 

CREATIVE ARTS 

Music 

◆ Participates with increasing interest and enjoyment in a variety of music 

activities, including listening, singing, finger plays, games, and performances. 

◆ Experiments with a variety of musical instruments. 

Art 

◆ Gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for 

creative expression and representation. 

◆ Progresses in abilities to create drawings, paintings, models, and other art creations that are more detailed, creative, or realistic. 

◆ Develops growing abilities to plan, work independently, and demonstrate care 

and persistence in a variety of art projects. 

◆ Begins to understand and share opinions about artistic products and experiences. 

Movement

◆ Expresses through movement and dancing what is felt and heard in various 

musical tempos and styles. 

◆ Shows growth in moving in time to different patterns of beat and rhythm 

in music. 

Dramatic 

Play 

◆ Participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more 

extended and complex. 

◆ Shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming 

different roles in dramatic play situations. 

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL

DEVELOPMENT 

SelfConcept 

◆ Begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, 

characteristics, and preferences. 

◆ Develops growing capacity for independence in a range of activities, routines, 

and tasks. 

◆ Demonstrates growing confidence in a range of abilities and expresses pride in 

accomplishments. 

SelfControl 

◆ Shows progress in expressing feelings, needs, and opinions in difficult 

situations and conflicts without harming themselves, others, or property. 

◆ Develops growing understanding of how their actions affect others and begins 

to accept the consequences of their actions. 

◆ Demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use 

materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully. 

Cooperation 

◆ Increases abilities to sustain interactions with peers by helping, sharing, and discussion. 

◆ Shows increasing abilities to use compromise and discussion in working, 

playing, and resolving conflicts with peers. 

◆ Develops increasing abilities to give and take in interactions; to take turns 

in games or using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive 

or directive. 

✫ Indicates the 4 specific Domain Elements and 9 Indicators that are legislatively mandated. 

Summer 2003
 7 
DOMAIN DOMAIN 

ELEMENT INDICATORS 

SOCIAL &

EMOTIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

(CONT.) 

Social 

Relationships

◆ Demonstrates increasing comfort in talking with and accepting guidance 

and directions from a range of familiar adults. 

◆ Shows progress in developing friendships with peers. 

◆ Progresses in responding sympathetically to peers who are in need, upset, 

hurt, or angry; and in expressing empathy or caring for others. 

Knowledge of 

Families & 

Communities 

◆ Develops ability to identify personal characteristics including gender and 

family composition. 

◆ Progresses in understanding similarities and respecting differences among people, 

such as genders, race, special needs, culture, language, and family structures. 

◆ Develops growing awareness of jobs and what is required to perform them. 

◆ Begins to express and understand concepts and language of geography in 

the contexts of their classroom, home, and community. 

APPROACHES TO

LEARNING

Initiative 

& 

Curiosity 

◆ Chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities. 

◆ Develops increased ability to make independent choices. 

◆ Approaches tasks and activities with increased flexibility, imagination, 

and inventiveness. 

◆ Grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, 

ideas, and tasks. 

Engagement 

& 

Persistence 

◆ Grows in abilities to persist in and complete a variety of tasks, activities, 

projects, and experiences. 

◆ Demonstrates increasing ability to set goals and develop and follow 

through on plans. 

◆ Shows growing capacity to maintain concentration over time on a task, question, set of directions or interactions, despite distractions and interruptions. 

Reasoning 

& 

Problem Solving 

◆ Develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, 

task, or problem. 

◆ Grows in recognizing and solving problems through active exploration, including trial and error, and interactions and discussions with peers and adults. 

◆ Develops increasing abilities to classify, compare and contrast objects, 

events, and experiences. 

PHYSICAL HEALTH &

DEVELOPMENT 

Gross Motor 

Skills 

◆ Shows increasing levels of proficiency, control, and balance in walking, 

climbing, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching, and galloping. 

◆ Demonstrates increasing abilities to coordinate movements in throwing,
 

catching, kicking, bouncing balls, and using the slide and swing.
 

Fine Motor Skills

◆ Develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such 

as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer. 

◆ Grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together 

puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads, and using scissors. 

◆ Progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing, and art tools including 


pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and various types of technology.
 

Health Status 

& 

Practices 

◆ Progresses in physical growth, strength, stamina, and flexibility. 

◆ Participates actively in games, outdoor play, and other forms of exercise
 

that enhance physical fitness.
 

◆ Shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care
 

when eating, dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth, and toileting.
 

◆ Builds awareness and ability to follow basic health and safety rules such 

as fire safety, traffic and pedestrian safety, and responding appropriately 

to potentially harmful objects, substances, and activities. 

✫ Indicates the 4 specific Domain Elements and 9 Indicators that are legislatively mandated. 

8 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
 

ACF 

Administration For 

Children 

And Families 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

1. Log No. ACYF-IMHS-00-18 

2. Issuance Date: 

8/10/2000 

3. Originating Office: HEAD START BUREAU 

4. Key Word: Child Outcomes, Performance 

Measures, Program Self-Assessment 

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
 

TO:	 Head Start Grantees and Delegate Agencies 

SUBJECT:	 Using Child Outcomes in Program Self-Assessment 

INFORMATION:	 The purpose of this Memorandum is to inform Head 

Start grantees and delegate agencies about: 

• Steps for incorporating data on child outcomes in their program’s self-assessment. 

• Recommendations for local grantee planning to implement these steps. 

• Forthcoming resources on outcomes-based program self-assessment. 

This Memorandum builds on the initial guidance we provided earlier this year (ACYF-IM-00-03, 

January 31, 2000) on legislative changes concerning program outcomes. These changes include the 

establishment of additional results-based education performance standards and performance measures and the requirements that the standards and measures be adaptable for use by programs in their 

self-assessments and reviewed when programs are monitored. 

In our earlier guidance, we explained that the requirements for incorporating data on child outcomes 

in program self-assessment apply to Head Start services to three- to five-year-old children and not to 

children birth to three served in Early Head Start or Migrant Head Start programs. Of course, Early 

Head Start and Migrant Head Start programs are responsible for implementing Program Performance 

Standards, including initial screening and ongoing assessment of all children as well as annual program self-assessment. 

Summer 2003 9 
MEMORANDUM 

Steps for Incorporating Child Outcome Data in 


Program Self-Assessment
 

Goals and Objectives 

1.	 Grantees should focus on the goal of enhancing program self-assessment and continuous program 

improvement by incorporating data on child outcomes. Programs should center planning on 

improving and connecting current systems, tools, and procedures for (a) ongoing assessment of 

children and (b) annual program self-assessment. 

2.	 The objectives of this initiative are to: 

•	 Improve the content, quality, consistency and credibility of ongoing assessment of children. 

•	 Design an approach to analyze data on children’s progress and accomplishments. 

•	 Incorporate child outcome data into program self-assessment and continuous program 

improvement. 

Improve the Content, Quality, Consistency and Credibility of Ongoing 

Assessment of Children 

3.	 Attached, as Attachment A, is The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework. Grantees should 

ensure that their system for ongoing assessment of children includes collection of some data in 

each of the eight Domains of children’s learning and development. The Domain areas, based on 

the Head Start Program Performance Standards, are: 

•	 Language Development 

•	 Literacy 

•	 Mathematics 

•	 Science 

•	 Creative Arts 

•	 Social & Emotional Development 

•	 Approaches Toward Learning 

•	 Physical Health and Development 

In addition, because they are legislatively mandated, programs must gather and analyze data on certain specific Domain Elements or Indicators of progress in language, literacy and numeracy skills. 

These required elements are shown in bold print in the Domain Elements or Indicator columns. 

Grantees may also choose to track progress in additional areas of child, family and 

program outcomes, as defined in the Head Start Program Performance Standards or based on local 

program goals and priorities. They may also review other state or community 

initiatives on early childhood program outcomes, so that planning addresses the 

implications of these efforts for partnerships with other funding sources and agencies. 

10 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
MEMORANDUM 

4. Grantees should review their system for ongoing child assessment and consider improvements to 

ensure that it provides objective, accurate, consistent and credible information on children’s 

progress over the course of their participation in Head Start, including: 

•	 Ensuring that assessment tools are appropriate for Head Start children in terms of age-appropriateness, language and culture. 

•	 Providing adequate oversight and supervision to ensure the quality, accuracy, consistency and 

credibility of child outcome data. 

•	 Improving initial and ongoing training for personnel who administer assessments, record and 

analyze data on children’s performance and progress. 

5.	 Grantees should fully include children with identified disabilities in the child outcome assessment 

system, with appropriate accommodation of the assessment tool and process to their special needs. 

Programs may elect to incorporate in their child outcomes system additional information on the 

progress of children with disabilities, based on goals and measures of progress in children’s 

Individual Education Plans (IEP). 

Design an Approach to Analyze Data on Children’s Progress 

and Accomplishments 

6.	 Grantees must develop a system to analyze data on child outcomes that centers on patterns of 

progress for groups of children over time as they receive services through the program year. At a 

minimum, data analysis should compare progress beginning when children enter Head Start, at a 

mid-point in the program year, and when they complete the program year. Data analysis could also 

be designed to answer questions such as the following: 

•	 What are the patterns of progress and accomplishments for groups of children in 


different Domains and indicators of learning and development? 


•	 What are the patterns of outcomes for children in different program options, 


forms of service, and service areas? 


•	 What are the patterns of outcome data for different groups of children, such as 

(a) those that begin Head Start at different levels of functioning and (b) children 

that receive one or two years of Head Start services? 

•	 What are the trends in outcome data from year to year, in terms of stability and 


change in patterns of progress and levels of accomplishment?
 

In most programs, analysis of child outcomes should be based on data from all children enrolled. 

Grantees that serve very large numbers of children may consider, with the assistance of appropriate 

research or evaluation experts, approaches to analyzing outcome data from a sample of children 

selected to be representative of the full population of children served. 

Incorporate Child Outcome Data in Program Self-Assessment and 

Continuous Program Improvement 

7.	 Data analysis on patterns of child outcomes should be incorporated into the overall program selfassessment system and in reporting to agency management teams, Policy Committees and Policy 

Councils and governing bodies. Data on outcomes should be considered in conjunction with overall program self-assessment findings in planning for program improvements, such as enhanced staff 

Summer 2003 11 
MEMORANDUM 

training, mentoring and supervision; improvements in curriculum; reallocation of program 

resources; involvement of volunteers and community partners; or new efforts to support families in 

enhancing children’s learning and development. Agencies may also consider other opportunities to 

use data on child outcomes in working with community partners, such as planning for transitions 

of children from Head Start into elementary schools. 

Recommendations for Program Planning 

Our planned timelines for programs to include child outcome data in their self-assessments and for 

monitoring these activities are explained in Attachment B. In developing plans, grantees are encouraged to consider the following recommendations: 

•	 Assess implications of this new effort for management and staff responsibilities, workload 

and capabilities. 

•	 Develop and implement plans to enhance the skills and knowledge of staff members and 

managers through Head Start Training & Technical Assistance providers, consultants, higher 

education institutions or research organizations. 

•	 In conjunction with reviewing the content areas of ongoing child assessment, carry out a 

similar review of program curriculum, materials, and learning environments to ensure that 

they provide suitably, well-balanced and engaging opportunities to foster children’s learning 

and development in each of the Domain areas of the Outcomes Framework. 

•	 Develop appropriate amendments to existing written plans for implementing services in 

Early Childhood Development and Health Services, Family and Community Partnerships, 

and Program Design and Management to reflect this initiative and its connections with existing program systems. 

We look forward to working with you in this important effort to improve services 

for Head Start children. 

Helen H. Taylor 

Associate Commissioner 

Head Start Bureau 

12 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
MEMORANDUM 

TIMELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION 

AND PROGRAM MONITORING 

September 2000– 

August 2001 

Grantees begin planning, capacity-building, and implementing the 

inclusion of child outcome data in program self-assessment. At a mini 

mum, each grantee should carry out a pilot effort to analyze data on 

patterns of progress for a group of children, and consider child out 

come data in program self-assessment and continuous program 

improvement. In addition, agencies should review and implement 

improvements in their ongoing child assessment system in the areas of 

content, quality, consistency, and credibility. 

ACF develops and field tests procedures for monitoring outcomesbased program self-assessment in a limited set of programs. 

Program Year 

2001–2002 

Grantees fully implement child outcomes-based program self-assessment 

system and create baseline information on patterns of children’s progress 

and accomplishments during the program year. 

ACF carries out first full cycle of program monitoring on grantee systems 

and implementation efforts. Monitoring teams will review outcome 

data to establish a baseline of expectations on patterns and forms of 

evidence of children’s progress and accomplishments. 

Program Year 

2002–2003 

Grantees continue and improve implementation efforts, including 

comparison of patterns of data on children’s progress and accomplishments from program years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003. 

ACF conducts second full cycle of program monitoring to examine 

grantee implementation efforts and review of evidence of program 

effectiveness via data on patterns of children’s progress and 

accomplishments. 

Summer 2003 13 
INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
 

ACF 

Administration For 

Children 

And Families 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

1. Log No. ACYF-IMHS-03-07 

2. Issuance Date: 

06/26/03 

3. Originating Office: Head Start Bureau 

4. Key Word: Head Start National Reporting System 

on Child Outcomes 

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
 

TO:	 Head Start and Early Head Grantees and Delegate Agencies 

SUBJECT:	 Implementation of the Head Start National Reporting System on Child 

Outcomes 

INFORMATION: 

This Information Memorandum (IM) provides information and directions to Head Start agencies 

preparing for the national reporting system for all 4- and 5-year-old children in 2003-4. The IM 

includes the following sections: 

• Overview of the National Reporting System (NRS) 

• Selecting Participants for NRS Training-of-Trainers 

• Selecting Staff Members to Implement the NRS 

• Training Staff at the Program Level 

• Implementing NRS Child Assessment 

• Financial Support for NRS Activities 

This IM is being sent now to give programs information needed to plan and prepare for important 

implementation steps within the context of local timelines, budgets, staff assignments and management systems. 

We are currently completing the final steps in developing the National Reporting System. With the 

assistance of the NRS Technical Work Group we are reviewing data from the NRS field test in 36 

local Head Start programs. On April 11, 2003, we published an announcement in the Federal 

Register to request public comments on the proposed NRS information collection plan. The public 

comment period closed on June 10, 2003. We are currently considering the comments and making 

appropriate changes before seeking final approval from the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) to proceed with the NRS. 

14 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
It is important to note that, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction of 1995 (Public Law 

104-13), our agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information until we obtain OMB 

approval. Therefore, you may not begin to assess children until you receive assessment instruments 

from us with a currently valid OMB control number. After obtaining OMB approval, we will send 

you an official notification of the specific expectations and requirements for the first year of this 

important work. 

Overview of the National Reporting System (NRS) 

The National Reporting System is designed on the basis of President Bush’s Good Start, Grow 

Smart, Early Childhood Initiative and provisions of the Head Start Act (Sections 641A.(a)(1)(B), 

641A.(b)(4), 641A.(c)(2)(D), 648.(c)(1)(B), 649.(b)(4)) to create a new national data base on the 

progress and accomplishments of 4- and 5-year-old Head Start children on specific child outcomes. Programs will administer a common NRS assessment to all 4- and 5-year-old children at 

the beginning and end of the program year in order to determine some of the skills with which 

they enter Head Start, their levels of achievement when they leave Head Start and the progress 

they make during the Head Start year. 

The assessment information collected through the NRS will be used to strengthen Head Start program effectiveness in these ways: 

•	 Each local Head Start program will receive information from the NRS to supplement and 

enhance their local aggregation of child outcome data and local program self-assessment 

efforts and results. 

•	 The Head Start Bureau and ACF Regional Offices will incorporate NRS information to plan 

future training and technical assistance efforts. 

•	 Future Head Start program monitoring reviews will incorporate consideration of child outcomes information from the NRS. 

It is equally important to stress that the NRS assessment and reporting system is not intended to 

be used to assess the school readiness of individual children, nor to replace locally-designed ongoing child assessment efforts, carried out for the purposes of curriculum planning, individualization 

and communication with parents. 

As outlined in Attachment A, the NRS child assessment items are from currently available instruments designed and validated for use with preschool aged children and presently in use in a variety 

of large-scale studies of Head Start children. Based on the field test of the NRS this spring in 36 

diverse Head Start programs with more than 1400 children, we estimate the one-on-one assessment will take approximately 15 minutes per child. Children who demonstrate language proficiency in both English and Spanish will be assessed in both languages, which will take approximately 

30 minutes per child, in two separate sessions. 

Summer 2003 15 
MEMORANDUM 

The NRS child assessment will provide information on the following five learning indicators as 

mandated by Congress in the Head Start Act in 1998: 

•	 Understanding and using language to communicate for various purposes. 

•	 Using increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. 

•	 In the case of children whose native language is other than English, progressing toward 

acquisition of the English language. 

•	 Identifying at least 10 letters of the alphabet. 

•	 Numeracy awareness. 

The NRS child assessment instruments, training, and materials will be available in both English 

and Spanish language versions this year. 

Programs are expected to include all 4- and 5-year old children who will be entering kindergarten 

following their 2003-4 Head Start year. This will include 4- and 5-year-old children with identified 

disabilities, 4- and 5-year olds served through all of the various Head Start program design 

options, and all 4- and 5-year-old children who speak either English or Spanish, or both. Children 

who speak other languages will only participate in two initial sections of the assessment designed 

to document their progress in acquiring English. 

Programs will also be responsible for entering background information on children, teachers, classrooms, centers and programs in the NRS web-based computer information system, as described in 

Attachment B. The computer system will generate an individualized computer-scalable assessment 

form for each child which staff members will use to record children’s responses. These forms will be 

mailed for scanning into the NRS database and to generate reports. The background information 

will also be used to analyze the NRS reports in order to understand different forms of Head Start 

services in promoting the progress of groups of children with a variety of characteristics. Security 

features will protect the confidentiality of children and all data. Programs with limited computer 

capability or no Internet access will be able to enter background descriptors on paper forms. 

Selecting Participants for NRS Training-of-Trainers 

As described in Attachment C, each Head Start program is requested to designate one or more 

representatives (based upon the number of 4- and 5-five-year-olds enrolled) to participate in the 

NRS Training-of-Trainers this summer. American Indian and Alaska Native program representatives will attend the Training-of-Trainers session in the ACF region in which their program is geographically located. (Programs funded by the Migrant and Seasonal Programs Branch will participate in the Training-of-Trainers in early spring, 2004.) During this training participants will learn 

and be certified to train and certify local staff for implementing the NRS. A team that includes 

Head Start Bureau, ACF regional office, and contractual specialists will conduct each two and one 

half-day Training-of-Trainers session. 

The training design includes: 

•	 Presentations on the NRS system and materials. 

•	 Preparation on the English and Spanish language versions of the NRS materials, and roleplaying and practice with preschool children. 

16 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
MEMORANDUM 

•	 Preparation and practice in observing and providing feedback to others learning about 

the NRS. 

•	 Training and practice on data entry and operations of the computer-based information system. 

•	 Sessions on training and certifying local staff. 

The Training of Trainers design culminates in a certification process based on observational ratings by expert trainers of the performance of participants in administering the child assessment. 

Additional learning, practice and coaching is planned each evening to support all participants successfully completing certification for the NRS. Participants will also receive training materials to 

support local staff. 

Based on the training design and capacity of the Training of Trainers training teams, each grantee 

and delegate agency with up to 400 children age 4 or 5 is requested to send one participant to the 

Training of Trainers. Programs with more than 400 children age 4 or 5 are requested to send an 

additional participant for each group of up to 400 children age 4 or 5. 

Programs should identify their training representative(s) to participate in Training-of-Trainers 

based on their capacity to successfully train local staff and, in conjunction with the support of the 

local management team, to monitor and support high quality implementation of the NRS. 

Programs may consider individuals such as Education or Disabilities Coordinators, Early Literacy 

Mentor Coaches, Center Directors, or Managers with lead responsibilities in the areas of assessing 

and analyzing information on child outcomes or programs may utilize a consultant for this assignment. Prior experience, training, and demonstrated effectiveness in the areas of early childhood 

assessment and staff development are important criteria in selecting participants. 

Programs serving children whose primary language is Spanish should strongly consider sending a 

trainer who is fully bilingual, so that they can become well prepared to train local staff members 

on both the English and Spanish language versions of the NRS child assessment. A limited number 

of additional Training of Trainers slots will be available for programs that serve 400 or fewer 4­

and 5-year-old children and that need to send two training participants in order to assure local 

training in both the English and Spanish language versions. 

Selecting Staff to Implement the NRS 

Programs need to carefully determine the most appropriate staff and, when necessary, consultant 

team to implement the NRS. Key criteria in this decision should be the skills and experience of the 

individuals in assessing young children and accurately documenting children’s responses to questions and tasks. 

Programs serving children whose primary language is Spanish and/or children who speak both 

Spanish and English will need to identify and train people who can effectively administer both the 

English and Spanish language versions of the NRS. 

Several approaches to staffing for the NRS field-testing were used by local programs. Programs 

may consider possible implications of staffing based on some of the options: 

• Classroom teachers have well-established relationships with children which will support 

children’s cooperation and motivation during the assessment. Having teachers do the 

Summer 2003 17 
MEMORANDUM 

assessments can give them additional information that will help them better understand children’s characteristics, strengths and needs. Teachers also have the benefit of prior training 

and experience in a variety of early childhood assessments. 

•	 Other staff, managers, specialists, or consultants may also conduct the NRS assessment. In 

this approach, teachers do not have to leave their classrooms and be replaced by substitutes. 

One version of this approach involves training a limited number of individuals who can 

arrange their schedules to assess children in a number of different classrooms. These individuals would gain the benefit of more practice and experience with the NRS items, perhaps 

leading to more consistent documentation. 

Training Staff at the Program Level 

Training-of-Trainers participants will return to their programs to train and certify local staff to 

deliver the child assessment items in a consistent, accurate and objective manner and to enter 

information into the computer-based information system. Training-of-Trainers participants are 

encouraged to prepare and certify one or more local co-trainers to assist in implementing local 

staff training and certification. Local training on the NRS is estimated to require from 6-8 hours 

for presentations, demonstration, role-playing and dialogue to clarify and explain. In addition, 

time should be provided for staff to conduct practice sessions with children and for the trainers to 

observe and certify the staff. Planning for local training would also include recruitment of children 

to participate in sessions for the purposes of staff practice and certification. These should not be 

children who will be participating in the local NRS assessment and reporting effort in 2003-2004. 

Training for staff assigned to enter data in the computer-based information system is estimated at 

1-2 hours per person. 

To maintain a high level of consistency in implementation in NRS data quality, a follow-up, 

refresher training will be held in the spring of 2004, prior to data collection. 

Implementing NRS Child Assessment 

Each program will need to identify space to conduct the assessments; replacements and possible 

substitutes for staff while they are conducting assessments; and schedule a time for the assessments. Assessments should be done in a space that is comfortable for the assessor and the child 

and that minimizes distractions. Children will be assessed one at a time. All NRS activities should 

be scheduled to minimize disruption of other program activities. 

Because the purpose of the National Reporting System is to document the progress of children as 

they receive Head Start services, the first assessments should be scheduled soon after children 

begin program services, so that changes in children’s performance documented from fall to spring 

reflect the benefits of as much program service as possible. 

The local NRS team is encouraged to create an ongoing monitoring effort to track the progress of 

NRS implementation and to identify and respond to any problems concerning consistency and 

quality control in the administration of all local NRS activities. 

18 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
MEMORANDUM 

Financial Support for NRS Activities 

As noted in the April 18, 2003 FY 2003 Funding Guidance (Program Instruction ACYF-PI-03-01), 

we are awarding $16 million in quality improvement funds to support the costs of preparation 

and implementation of the National Reporting System. Each Head Start and Early Head Start 

grantee may apply for a one quarter of one percent increase (.0025) in its base funding for this 

purpose. We understand that your ACF Regional Office has informed you of the exact dollar 

amount for which you may apply. 

These funds should be sufficient to cover the costs of implementing the reporting system, including 

the following: 

•	 Travel expenses for one or more staff to attend Training-of-Trainers sessions. 

•	 Staff salaries and expenses related to local staff training on the NRS assessment and computer-based management system, if the training is not within work hours that are already 

budgeted. 

•	 Costs to support the fall and spring implementation, such as hiring of substitute teachers, 

when necessary. 

•	 Costs related to the timely entry of information into the NRS data management computer system. 

We look forward to working with you in this significant effort which will help us ensure that 

Head Start is successful in preparing children for school. 

Windy M. Hill 

Associate Commissioner 

Head Start Bureau 

ATTACHMENT A - Description of the NRS Child Assessment 

ATTACHMENT B - Description of the NRS Computer-Based Reporting System 

(ATTACHMENT C - Schedule and Registration Information for NRS Training-of-Trainers is not 

included in The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes) 

Summer 2003 19 
MEMORANDUM 

ATTACHMENT A
 

Description of the NRS Child Assessment Items
 

In the design of the NRS field test, the Head Start Bureau convened a Technical Work Group of 

experts to review the selection of tasks to be included in the child assessment and available early 

childhood assessment instruments and findings, including tools utilized in Family and Child 

Experiences Survey (FACES) 2000 and National Head Start Impact Study (NHSIS). 

The selection of tasks to be included in the individual child assessment was guided by the following criteria. Tasks in the assessment are intended to appraise skills that: 

•	 Congress and the President expect children to learn in Head Start, as indicated by their 

being among the mandated achievement goals contained in legislation that reauthorizes the 

Head Start program in 1998; 

•	 Are critical stepping-stones on the path to achievement in elementary school, especially in 

the areas of reading and mathematics; 

•	 Can be readily enhanced by activities in Head Start; 

•	 Head Start parents want their children to learn; 

•	 A majority of U.S. children from non-low-income families have mastered by the time they 

begin kindergarten; and 

•	 Can be reliably measured in a relatively brief child assessment that is conducted by a Head 

Start teacher or other local staff member. 

Based on the Technical Work Group’s review, the Head Start Bureau approved a field test version 

of five components. Most of the child-items in the NRS have been used extensively in FACES, the 

National Head Start Impact Study, or the Head Start Quality Research Center studies, involving 

more than 7000 Head Start children, as well as in other major studies of low-income preschoolers. 

The results of these assessments in FACES research over the past seven years have proven to be 

highly stable from cohort to cohort, not only in terms of the levels of progress with which children 

enter or leave the Head Start program, but also in terms of their growth over time. Findings from 

these studies also demonstrate that the assessment works well with children from diverse backgrounds. The items utilized in the NRS field test includes the following components: 

•	 Comprehension of Spoken English to address the Head Start goal areas of “Develops ability 

to understand and use language,” “Uses increasingly complex and varied vocabulary,” and 

“Progresses in understanding and speaking English (for non-English speakers).” This task is 

composed of the Oral Language Development Scale (OLDS) of the PreLAS 2000, asking the 

child to follow simple one-step commands in spoken English, as in the game "Simon Says." 

The second part asks the child to name or explain the function of objects in a series of ten 

pictures. 

For children who are English-language learners, these tasks assess the child’s ability to follow 

simple spoken instructions and give the English names of familiar objects. This serves as a 

screener for identifying children who should be assessed in Spanish rather than in English. 

For other children, this serves as a “warm-up” establishing rapport with the child and helping children feel comfortable with the one-on-one situation. The estimated time for this task 

is 3 minutes. 

20 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 
MEMORANDUM 

•	 Vocabulary addresses the Head Start goal area of “understands increasingly complex and 

varied vocabulary.” The vocabulary task has been adapted from the Third Edition of the 

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-III), which has been used successfully in two cohorts 

of FACES and which has shown that children in Head Start make meaningful gains toward 

national norms over the course of the program year and during kindergarten. For the sake 

of simplicity of administration, each child receives 24 items representing an appropriate 

range of items for the Head Start child. This task assesses understanding of words representing parts of the human body or their functions, activities of daily living, emotions and feelings, work/career-related activities, and plants, animals and their habitats. The estimated 

time for this is 5 minutes. 

•	 Letter Naming addresses the Head Start goal area of “Identifies at least 10 letters of the 

alphabet, especially those in own name.” The Letter Naming task is a test developed for use 

in the Head Start Quality Research Centers (QRC) curricular intervention studies. Children 

are shown all 26 letters of the alphabet, divided into three groups of 8, 9, and 9 letters, and 

arranged in approximate order of item difficulty. They are asked to identify the letters they 

know by name. The QRC data show that this task has excellent validity and reliability. The 

estimated time for this task is 3 minutes. 

•	 Early Math addresses the Head Start goal area of “Numbers and operations.” The Early 

Math skills task is a new task adapted from the Math assessment used in the Early 

Childhood Longitudinal Study of a kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K). It is composed of items 

similar to but not identical with items that proved to be in the easier difficulty range in the 

ECLS-K data, ones that most children in that study had mastered by the beginning of 

kindergarten. 

Items address a range of relevant mathematical skills including number recognition of onedigit numerals, basic geometric shapes, matching number names with objects, counting, simple addition and subtraction, making judgements about the relative size of objects, and interpreting simple measurements and graphic representations. The estimated time for this is 3 

minutes. 

(A fifth component related to the goal of improving phonological awareness was included in the 

NRS field test. However, based on the results of the field test and the recommendation of the NRS 

Technical Work Group, we have decided not to include it in the NRS this year.) 

Children whose home language is Spanish and who are English-language learners will be given a 

Spanish version of the NRS items. The Spanish version will include Tio Simon and La Casita from 

the PreLAS, the Spanish version of the vocabulary task, which has been adapted from the Test de 

Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody, and a Spanish translation of the Early Math tasks. The assessment will also include a Spanish version of the Letter Naming Task, containing the complete 

Spanish language alphabet. Spoken English will be assessed with the Pre-LAS “Simon Says” and 

“Art Show” tasks. 

Summer 2003 21 
MEMORANDUM 

ATTACHMENT B
 

Description of the NRS Computer-Based Information System
 

The NRS will collect program-, center-, classroom-, teacher-, and child-level descriptive data 

through a computer-based reporting system. The descriptive information will facilitate tracking of 

assessment completion by program, a variety of analyses of the child assessment data and a variety 

of reports on the progress of groups of children. 

Program Information - Information captured at the program-level includes program name, director name and email, agency description, number of delegates, number of centers, and contact 

information for the NRS lead contact person. Much of this data will be automatically transferred 

from the Program Information Report (PIR) database to reduce burden of data entry on Head 

Start staff. 

Center Information - Center-level data include similar fields, such as center name and address, 

phone and fax numbers, email address, enrollment start and end date, and the child outcomes 

contact person at the center. This information is needed for data tracking, analysis and to target 

training and technical assistance to specific programs. 

Classroom Information - Data to be collected include description of class (e.g., morning, afternoon, full day); teacher stability/turnover during the year; total enrollment; and number of additional staff. 

Teacher Information - Background information on Head Start teachers, such as educational attainment and years of teaching experience, will be collected, to allow analyses of relationships 

between teacher characteristics and child outcomes. 

Child Information - Child-level data include age, child entry date into the classroom, number of 

years in Head Start, disability, other languages spoken at home, rating of English proficiency, child 

ethnicity, and child race. These data will be used in analysis and as a context for interpreting the 

NRS child assessment information. 

22 Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes 

Updated Summer 2003 The Head Start Path to Positive Child Outcomes