[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21758-21760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10793]


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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 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 ten waves of data collection. 
The first two waves will occur during the field test in fall 2001 and 
spring 2002. The field test will involve approximately 600 first time 
enrolled three- and four-year old preschool children across eight 
grantee/delegate agencies representing different community contexts. 
The children participating will be 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 ten 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 (Coates Human Services Amendments of 
1998, PL 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 2001, spring 2002, 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 2001):
    Parent Interviews...........................             600               1            1.00             600
    Child Assessments...........................             600               1            0.66             400
Year 1 (spring 2002):
    Parent Interviews...........................             540               1            1.00             540
    Child Assessments...........................             540               1            0.66             360

[[Page 21759]]

 
    Teacher Ratings.............................             108               5            0.25              27
    Family Services Coordinators................              50               1            0.75              38
    Education Coordinators......................              50               1            0.75              38
    Center Directors/Principals.................              50               1            1.00              50
    Classroom Teachers/Care Providers...........             108               1            0.50              54
                                                                                                 ---------------
      Total--year 1.............................                                                           2,107
                                                                                                 ===============
Year 2 (fall 2002):
    Parent Interviews...........................           5,111               1            1.00           5,111
    Child Assessments...........................           5,111               1            0.66           3,407
Year 2 (spring 2003):
    Parent Interviews...........................           4,599               1            1.00           4,599
    Child Assessments...........................           4,599               1            0.66           3,066
    Teacher Ratings.............................             920               5            0.25             230
    Family Services Coordinators................             500               1            0.75             375
    Education Coordinators......................             500               1            0.75             375
    Center Directors/Principals.................             500               1            1.00             500
    Classroom Teachers/Care Providers...........             920               1            0.50             460
                                                                                                 ---------------
      Total--year 2.............................                                                          18,123
                                                                                                 ===============
Year 3 (fall 2003):
    Parent Interviews...........................           4,139               1            1.00           4,139
    Child Assessments...........................           2,287               1            0.66           1,525
Year 3 (spring 2004):
    Parent Interviews...........................           3,910               1            1.00           3,910
    Child Assessments...........................           3,910               1            0.66           2,607
    Teacher Ratings.............................             782               5            0.25             196
    Family Services Coordinators................             450               1            0.75             338
    Education Coordinators......................             450               1            0.75             338
    Center Directors/Principals.................             450               1            1.00             450
    Classroom Teachers/Care Providers...........             782               1            0.50             391
                                                                                                 ---------------
      Total--year 3.............................                                                          13,894
                                                                                                 ===============
Year 4 (fall 2004):
    Parent Interviews...........................           3,519               1            1.00           3,519
Year 4 (spring 2005):
    Parent Interviews...........................           3,519               1            1.00           3,519
    Child Assessments...........................           3,519               1            0.66           2,346
    Teacher Ratings.............................             704               5            0.25             176
    Family Services Coordinators................             405               1            0.75             304
    Education Coordinators......................             405               1            0.75             304
    Center Directors/Principals.................             405               1            1.00             405
    Classroom Teachers/Care Providers...........             704               1            0.50             352
                                                                                                 ---------------
      Total--year 4.............................                                                          10,925
                                                                                                 ===============
Year 5 (fall 2005):
    Parent Interviews...........................           1,667               1            1.00           1,667
Year 5 (spring 2006):
    Parent Interviews...........................           1,667               1            1.00           1,667
    Child Assessments...........................           1,667               1            0.66           1,111
    Teacher Ratings.............................             333               5            0.25              83
    Family Services Coordinators................             300               1            0.75             225
    Education Coordinators......................             300               1            0.75             225
    Center Directors/Principals.................             300               1            1.00             300
    Classroom Teachers/Care Providers...........             333               1            0.50             167
                                                                                                 ---------------
      Total--year 5.............................                                                           5,445
                                                                                                 ===============
      Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.......                                                          10,098
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Note: The 10,098 Total Annual Burden Hours is based on an 
average of 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, and 2005-06 estimated 
burden hours.


    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 
Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 
20447, Attn: ACF

[[Page 21760]]

Reports Clearance Officer. 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: April 26, 2001.
Bob Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-10793 Filed 4-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M