I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2945

To condition the implementation of assessment procedures in connection with 

the Head Start National Reporting System on Child Outcomes, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2003

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island (for himself, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. 

POMEROY, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. HINCHEY, Mrs. JONES of 

Ohio, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mrs. 

DAVIS of California, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. LEE, Mr. 

TOWNS, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. MAJETTE, Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Ms. 

LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. STARK, 

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, and Mr. HOLT) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL

To condition the implementation of assessment procedures 

in connection with the Head Start National Reporting 

System on Child Outcomes, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Head Start Assess5 ment Act of 2003’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) When used appropriately, valid and reliable 

4 assessments can be of positive value for improving 

5 instruction and supporting development of young 

6 children. 

7 (2) According to the National Academy of 

8 Sciences report, Eager to Learn: Educating Our 

9 Preschoolers, assessment of children below school 

10 age is in ‘‘flux’’ and ‘‘all assessments, and particu11 larly assessments for accountability, must be used 

12 carefully and appropriately if they are to resolve, 

13 and not create, educational problems.’’

14 (3) The Eager to Learn report emphasized that 

15 the intended purpose and use of the data to be de16 rived from assessments should be considered in de17 termining which assessment instruments and proce18 dures are most appropriate. 

19 (4) The National Academy of Sciences reports 

20 that few early childhood educators and administra21 tors are well-trained in the selection and appropriate 

22 use of assessments for young children. 

23 (5) According to the National Academy of 

24 Sciences report, From Neurons to Neighborhoods, 

25 the emotional and social development of young chil-
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1 dren is as critical to school readiness as language 

2 and cognitive development. 

3 (6) The Head Start Act currently requires pro4 grams to assess children in Head Start a minimum 

5 of three times a year against certain performance 

6 standards, which include all domains of the develop7 ment and learning of children. 

8 (7) The proposed Head Start National Report9 ing System on Child Outcomes assessment is not re10 flective of the full range of skills and competencies 

11 that the National Academy of Sciences reports state 

12 children require to succeed, and it has not been 

13 thoroughly debated by those groups associated with 

14 Head Start, including early childhood development 

15 and assessment experts, early childhood educators 

16 and administrators, family members of children par17 ticipating in Head Start, or Congress. 

18 SEC. 3. DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF ASSESSMENT PRO19 CEDURES IN CONNECTION WITH THE HEAD 

20 START NATIONAL REPORTING SYSTEM ON 

21 CHILD OUTCOMES. 

22 (a) SATISFACTION OF CONDITIONS.—The Secretary 

23 of Health and Human Services shall not proceed with the 

24 full-scale implementation of the Head Start National Re25 porting System on Child Outcomes, as described in the 
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1 project proposal (68 Fed. Reg. 17815; relating to Imple2 mentation of the Head Start National Reporting System 

3 on Child Outcomes), until the Secretary certifies to Con4 gress that the following conditions have been satisfied: 

5 (1) OVERSIGHT HEARINGS.—Congressional 

6 oversight hearings have been concluded concerning 

7 the development and implementation of the Head 

8 Start National Reporting System on Child Out9 comes. 

10 (2) PUBLIC FORUMS.—The Secretary has con11 cluded, consistent with the requirements of sub12 section (b), public forums in different regions of the 

13 United States, and provided an opportunity for writ14 ten public comments, concerning early childhood as15 sessment proposals. 

16 (3) STUDY ON EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSESS17 MENTS.—The Secretary has submitted, consistent 

18 with subsection (c), to Congress a study of early 

19 childhood assessments focusing on improving ac20 countability, instruction, and the delivery of services. 

21 The Secretary shall request the National Academy of 

22 Sciences to prepare the study using a panel of na23 tionally recognized experts in early childhood assess24 ment, child development, and education. 
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1 (4) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Without reduc2 ing the number of students served by Head Start, 

3 sufficient funds are available to—

4 (A) develop and implement any new Head 

5 Start assessments; and 

6 (B) deliver necessary additional technical 

7 assistance and professional development re8 quired to successfully implement the new as9 sessments. 

10 (b) PUBLIC FORUM PARTICIPATION.—To satisfy the 

11 condition specified in subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall 

12 ensure that participation in the required forums in13 cludes—

14 (1) early childhood development and assessment 

15 experts; 

16 (2) early childhood educators and administra17 tors; and 

18 (3) family members of children participating in 

19 Head Start. 

20 (c) INFORMATION REQUIRED BY STUDY ON EARLY

21 CHILDHOOD ASSESSMENTS.—To satisfy the condition 

22 specified in subsection (a)(3), the Secretary shall ensure 

23 that the required study contains, at a minimum, specific 

24 information regarding the following: 
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1 (1) Which skills and competencies are predictive 

2 of school readiness and future academic success. 

3 (2) The development, selection, and use of in4 struments, determined to be reliable and validated 

5 for preschoolers, including preschoolers in the Head 

6 Start population, to assess the development in young 

7 children of—

8 (A) literacy, language, and mathematical 

9 skills; 

10 (B) emotional and social skills; and 

11 (C) health and physical well-being. 

12 (3) The development of appropriate benchmarks 

13 and the proper use of early childhood assessments to 

14 improve Head Start program effectiveness and in15 struction. 

16 (4) The resources required for successful imple17 mentation of additional assessments within Head 

18 Start and how such additional assessments might be 

19 coordinated with current processes. 

20 (5) Whether a new assessment would provide 

21 information to improve program accountability or in22 struction that is not already available from existing 

23 assessments and reporting procedures within Head 

24 Start. 
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1 (6) The professional development and personnel 

2 needs for successful implementation of early child3 hood assessments. 

4 (7) The practicality of employing sampling 

5 techniques as part of any early childhood assess6 ment. 

7 (8) The practicality of employing observational 

8 and work-sampling assessment techniques as part of 

9 an early childhood assessment. 

10 (9) Steps needed to ensure that assessments ac11 commodate the racial, cultural, and linguistic diver12 sity of young children, including young children with 

13 disabilities.

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