I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4241
To amend the Head Start Act, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 16, 1998
Mr. RIGGS (for himself, Mr. GOODLING, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr.
GREENWOOD, Mr. GRAHAM, and Mr. SOUDER) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Work-
force
A BILL
To amend the Head Start Act, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Head Start Amend-
ments of 1998’’.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
Sec. 3. Statement of purpose.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
Sec. 5. Financial assistance for Head Start programs.
Sec. 6. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 7. Allotment of funds.
Sec. 8. Designation of Head Start agencies.
Sec. 9. Quality standards.
Sec. 10. Powers and functions of Head Start agencies.
Sec. 11. Head Start transition.
Sec. 12. Submission of plans to Governors.
Sec. 13. Administrative requirements and standards.
Sec. 14. Participation in Head Start programs.
Sec. 15. Early head start programs for families with infants and toddlers.
Sec. 16. Technical assistance and training.
Sec. 17. Family literacy services.
Sec. 18. Professional requirements.
Sec. 19. Research and evaluation.
Sec. 20. Repeal of consultation requirement.
Sec. 21. Conforming amendments.
Sec. 22. Repeal of Head Start Transition Project Act.
Sec. 23. Effective date; application of amendments.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
Section 636 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831)
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘SEC. 636. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
‘‘It is the purpose of this subchapter to promote
school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive de-
velopment of low-income children through the provision,
to low-income children and their families, of health, edu-
cational, nutritional, social, and other services that are de-
termined, based on family needs assessments, to be nec-
essary.’’.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
Section 637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832)
is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through
(14) as paragraphs (4) through (15), respectively;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘the Fed-
erated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the
Marshall Islands, Palau,’’;
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the follow-
ing:
‘‘(3) The term ‘child with a disability’ means—
‘‘(A) a child with a disability, as defined in
section 602(3) of the Individuals with Disabil-
ities Education Act; and
‘‘(B) an infant or toddler with a disability,
as defined in section 632(5) of such Act.’’;
(4) by striking paragraph (5) (as redesignated
in paragraph (1)) and inserting the following:
‘‘(5) The term ‘family literacy services’ means
services that—
‘‘(A) are provided to participants who re-
ceive the services on a voluntary basis;
‘‘(B) are of sufficient intensity, and of suf-
ficient duration, to make sustainable changes in
a family (such as eliminating or reducing de-
pendence on income-based public assistance);
and
‘‘(C) integrate each of—
‘‘(i) interactive literacy activities be-
tween parents and their children;
‘‘(ii) training for parents on being
partners with their children in learning;
‘‘(iii) parent literacy training, includ-
ing training that contributes to economic
self-sufficiency; and
‘‘(iv) appropriate instruction for chil-
dren of parents receiving the parent lit-
eracy training.’’;
(5) in paragraph (7) (as redesignated in para-
graph (1)), by adding at the end the following:
‘‘Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to re-
quire an agency to provide services to a child who
has not reached the age of compulsory school attend-
ance for more than the number of hours per day
permitted by State law for the provision of services
to such a child.’’; and
(6) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(16) The term ‘reliable and replicable’, used
with respect to research, means an objective, valid,
scientific study that—
‘‘(A) includes a rigorously defined sample
of subjects, that is sufficiently large and rep-
resentative to support the general conclusions of
the study;
‘‘(1) for each of the fiscal years 1999 through
2003, not more than $30,000,000 and not less than
the amount made available to carry out the Head
Start Transition Project Act (42 U.S.C. 9855–
9855g) for fiscal year 1998, to carry out activities
authorized under section 642A;
‘‘(2) not more than $5,000,000 for each of the
fiscal years 1999 through 2003 to carry out impact
studies under section 649(g);
‘‘(3) not more than $12,000,000 for fiscal year
1999, and such sums as may be necessary for each
of the fiscal years 2000 through 2003, to carry out
other research, demonstration, and evaluation activi-
ties, including longitudinal studies, under section
649; and
‘‘(4) not less than $5,000,000 for fiscal year
1999, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal
years 2000 through 2003, to carry out activities au-
thorized under section 648B.’’.
SEC. 7. ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS.
(a) ALLOTMENTS.—Section 640(a) of the Head Start
Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking
‘‘handicapped children’’ and inserting ‘‘children
with disabilities’’;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘the
Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of
the Marshall Islands, Palau,’’;
(C) in subparagraph (C), by striking
‘‘and’’ at the end;
(D) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘re-
lated to the development and implementation of
quality 
improvement 
plans 
under 
section
641A(d)(2).’’ and inserting ‘‘carried out under
paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of section 641A(d)
relating to correcting deficiencies and conduct-
ing proceedings to terminate the designation of
Head Start agencies; and’’;
(E) by inserting after subparagraph (D)
the following:
‘‘(E) payments for research and evaluation ac-
tivities under section 649.’’; and
(F) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘In
carrying out this subchapter, the Secretary
shall continue the administrative arrangement
responsible for meeting the needs of migrant
and Indian children and shall assure that ap-
propriate funding is provided to meet such
needs.’’;
(2) in paragraph (3)—
(A) in subparagraph (A)(i)(II) by inserting
‘‘subject to subsection (m),’’ after ‘‘(II)’’;
(B) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in clause (ii)—
(I) by striking ‘‘adequate quali-
fied staff’’ and inserting ‘‘adequate
numbers of qualified staff’’; and
(II) by inserting ‘‘and children
with disabilities’’ before ‘‘, when’’;
(ii) in clause (iv) by inserting ‘‘and to
encourage the staff to continually improve
their skills and expertise by informing staff
of the availability of State and Federal
loan forgiveness programs for professional
development’’ before the period at the end;
(iii) in clause (v) by inserting ‘‘and
collaboration efforts for such programs’’
before the period at the end; and
(iv) by amending clause (vi) to read
as follows:
‘‘(vi) Ensuring that such programs have ade-
quate numbers of qualified staff that can promote
language skills and literacy growth of children and
that provide children with a variety of skills that
have been identified, through research that is reli-
able and replicable, as predictive of later reading
achievement.’’; and
(C) in subparagraph (C)—
(i) in clause (i)(I)—
(I) by striking ‘‘of staff’’ and in-
serting ‘‘of classroom teachers and
other staff’’; and
(II) by striking ‘‘such staff’’ and
inserting ‘‘qualified staff, including re-
cruitment and retention pursuant to
achieving the requirements set forth
in section 648A(a)’’;
(ii) by redesignating subclause (II) as
subclause (III);
(iii) by inserting after subclause (I)
the following:
‘‘(II) Preferences in awarding salary increases,
in excess of cost of living allowances, shall be grant-
ed to classroom teachers and staff who obtain addi-
tional training or education related to their respon-
sibilities as employees of a Head Start program.’’;
(iv) by amending clause (ii) to read as
follows:
‘‘(ii) Of the amount remaining after carry-
ing out clause (i), the highest priority shall be
placed on training classroom teachers and other
staff to meet the education performance stand-
ards 
described 
in 
section 
641A(a)(1)(B),
through activities—
‘‘(I) to promote children’s language
and literacy growth, through techniques
identified through reliable, replicable re-
search;
‘‘(II) to promote the acquisition of the
English language for non-English back-
ground children and families;
‘‘(III) to foster children’s school readi-
ness skills through activities described in
section 648A(a)(1); and
‘‘(IV) to provide training necessary to
improve the qualifications of the staff of
the Head Start agencies and to support
staff training, child counseling, and other
services necessary to address the problems
of children participating in Head Start
programs, including children from dysfunc-
tional families, children who experience
chronic violence in their communities, and
children who experience substance abuse in
their families.’’;
(vi) by striking clause (v); and
(vii) by redesignating clause (vi) as
clause (v);
(3) in paragraph (4)—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking
‘‘1981’’ and inserting ‘‘1998’’;
(B) by amending subparagraph (B) to read
as follows:
‘‘(B) any amount available after all allotments
are made under subparagraph (A) for such fiscal
year shall be distributed proportionately on the basis
of the number of children less than 5 years of age
who live with families whose income is below the
poverty line.’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘For fiscal year 1999, and for each 2-fiscal-year period
thereafter, the Secretary shall use the most recent data
available on the number of children under the age of 5,
from families below the poverty level that is consistent
with that published for counties, by the Department of
Commerce, unless the Secretary and the Secretary of
(II) by striking ‘‘and activities’’
and inserting ‘‘activities’’; and
(III) by striking the period and
inserting 
‘‘(including 
coordination
with those State officials who are re-
sponsible for administering part C
and section 619 of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (20
U.S.C. 1431–1445, 1419)), and serv-
ices for homeless children;’’; and
(iv) by adding at the end the follow-
ing:
‘‘(v) include representatives of the State Head
Start Association and local Head Start agencies in
unified planning regarding early care and education
services at both the State and local levels, including
collaborative efforts to plan for the provision of full-
working-day, full-calendar-year early care and edu-
cation services for children;
‘‘(vi) encourage local Head Start agencies to
appoint a State level representative to speak on be-
half of Head Start agencies within the State on col-
laborative efforts described in subparagraphs (B)
and (D), and in clause (v); and
‘‘(vii) encourage Head Start agencies to collabo-
rate with entities involved in State and local plan-
ning processes (including the State lead agency ad-
ministering the financial assistance received under
the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of
1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) and the entities pro-
viding resource and referral services in the State) in
order to better meet the needs of low-income chil-
dren and families.’’;
(C) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as
subparagraph (G); and
(D) by inserting after subparagraph (C)
the following:
‘‘(D)(i) A State that receives a grant under subpara-
graph (B) may develop and submit a statewide, regional,
or local unified plan for early childhood education and
child care, that includes Head Start services and is devel-
oped jointly with the State-level Head Start representative
pursuant to subparagraph (C)(vi).
‘‘(ii) A State that submits such plan may submit with
the plan a request approved by the chief executive officer
of the State and by such representative on behalf of 1
or more Head Start agencies in such State, for a waiver
of either or both of subsections (a)(1)(A) and (b) of sec-
tion 645, including related regulations, that are identified
in the plan as barriers that impede collaboration between
entities carrying out Head Start programs and entities
carrying out other early childhood education and child
care programs in the State, impede the delivery and limit
the quality of early childhood education and child care in
the State, limit the availability of full-working-day, full-
calendar-year services in communities in which a need for
such services has been demonstrated, or hinder facilitation
of collaborations with other agencies or entities to provide
such services. The request shall specify the specific pur-
poses for which the waiver is sought and indicate how the
waiver will accomplish such purposes, and shall include
provisions specifying the manner in which an independent
evaluation will be conducted of Head Start programs in
the State if the waiver is granted.
‘‘(iii) A waiver requested under clause (ii) may
be granted only to the extent necessary to permit
Head Start agencies participating in such plan—
‘‘(I) to enroll in Head Start programs oth-
erwise eligible children from families whose in-
come exceeds the poverty line but does not ex-
ceed 140 percent of the poverty line but, in the
case of any Head Start program, to enroll
under the authority of this clause not more
than 25 percent of the aggregate number of
children enrolled in such program; and
‘‘(II) to charge participation fees for such
children, consistent with the sliding fee schedule
established 
by 
the 
State 
under 
section
658E(c)(5) of the of the Child Care and Devel-
opment Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
9858c(c)(5)).
‘‘(E) Following the award of collaboration grants de-
scribed in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall provide,
from the reserved sums, supplemental funding for collabo-
ration grants to States that engage in other innovative col-
laborative initiatives, including plans for collaborative
training and professional development initiatives for child
care, early childhood education and Head Start service
managers, providers, and staff.
‘‘(F)(i) The Secretary shall—
‘‘(I) review on an ongoing basis evidence of bar-
riers to effective collaboration between Head Start
programs and other Federal child care and early
childhood education programs and resources; and
‘‘(II) develop initiatives, including providing ad-
ditional training and technical assistance and mak-
ing regulatory changes, in necessary cases, to elimi-
nate barriers to the collaboration.
‘‘(ii) In the case of a collaborative activity funded
under this subchapter and another provision of law provid-
ing for Federal child care or early childhood education,
the use of equipment and nonconsumable supplies pur-
chased with funds made available under this subchapter
or such provision shall not be restricted to children en-
rolled or otherwise participating in the program carried
out under that subchapter or provision, during a period
in which the activity is predominantly funded under this
subchapter or such provision.’’;
(5) by amending paragraph (6) to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(6)(A) From the amounts reserved and allotted pur-
suant to paragraphs (2) and (4), and except as provided
in subparagraphs (B) and (C)(i), the Secretary shall use
for grants for programs described in section 645A(a) a
portion of the combined total of such amount equal to—
‘‘(i) 7 percent for fiscal year 1999;
‘‘(ii) 7 percent for fiscal year 2000;
‘‘(iii) 7 percent for fiscal year 2001;
‘‘(iv) not more than 10 percent for fiscal year
2002;, and
‘‘(v) not more than 10 percent for fiscal year
2003;
of the amount appropriated pursuant to section
639(a) for the respective fiscal year.
‘‘(B) If the Secretary does not submit to—
‘‘(i) the Committee on Education and the
Workforce and the Committee on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives; and
‘‘(ii) to the Committee on Labor and Human
Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of
the Senate.
by January 1, 2001, a report on the results of the Early
Head Start impact study currently being conducted by the
Secretary, then the amount required to be used in accord-
ance with subparagraph (A) for fiscal years 2002 and
2003 shall be 7 percent of the amount appropriated pursu-
ant to section 639(a) for the respective fiscal year.
‘‘(C)(i) For any fiscal year for which the Secretary
determines that the amount appropriated under section
639(a) is not sufficient to permit the Secretary to use the
portion described in subparagraph (A) without reducing
the number of children served by Head Start programs
or negatively impacting the quality of Head Start services,
relative to the number of children served and the quality
of the services during the preceding fiscal year, the Sec-
retary may reduce the percentage of funds required to be
used as the portion described in subparagraph (A) for the
fiscal year for which the determination is made, but not
below the percentage required to be so used for the preced-
ing fiscal year.
‘‘(ii) For any fiscal year for which the amount appro-
priated under section 639(a) requires a reduction in the
amount made available under this subchapter to Head
Start agencies and entities described in section 645A, rel-
ative to the amount made available to the agencies and
entities for the preceding fiscal year, adjusted as described
in paragraph (3)(A)(ii), the Secretary shall proportion-
ately reduce—
‘‘(I) the amounts made available to the entities
for programs carried out under section 645A; and
‘‘(II) the amounts made available to Head Start
agencies for Head Start programs.’’; and
(6) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Fed-
erated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the
Marshall Islands, and Palau.’’ and inserting ‘‘and
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands.’’.
(b) CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.—Section 640(d)
of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(d)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘1982’’ and inserting ‘‘1999’’;
and
(2) by striking ‘‘(as defined in section 602(a) of
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)’’.
(c) INCREASED APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 640(g) of
the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(g)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking the period and
inserting ‘‘, and after maintaining such level provide
additional support for full-working-day, full-cal-
endar-year Head Start services through collabora-
tions with entities carrying out programs that are in
existence on the date of the allocation and with
other private, nonprofit agencies. Any such addi-
tional funds remaining may be used to serve an in-
creased number of children or make nonstructural
and minor structural changes, and to acquire and
install equipment, for the purpose of improving fa-
cilities necessary to expand the availability and ac-
cessibility of Head Start programs.’’;
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking the
semicolon and inserting ‘‘, and the performance
history of the applicant in providing services
under other Federal programs (other than the
program carried out under this subchapter);’’;
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the
semicolon and inserting ‘‘, and organizations
serving children with disabilities;’’;
(C) in subparagraph (D), by striking the
semicolon and inserting ‘‘and the extent to
which, and manner in which, the applicant dem-
onstrates the ability to collaborate and partici-
pate with other local community providers of
child care or preschool services to provide full-
working-day full-calendar-year services;’’;
(D) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘pro-
gram; and’’ and inserting ‘‘or any other early
childhood program;’’;
(E) in subparagraph (F), by striking the
period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(F) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(G) the extent to which the applicant proposes
to foster partnerships with other service providers in
a manner that will enhance the resource capacity of
the applicant; and
‘‘(H) the extent to which the applicant, in pro-
viding services, will plan to coordinate with the local
educational agency serving the community involved
and with schools in which children participating in
a Head Start program operated by such agency will
enroll following such program, regarding the edu-
cation services provided by such local educational
agency.’’; and
(3) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘In’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Subject to subsection (m), in’’.
(d) RELATIVE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR QUAL-
ITY AND FOR EXPANSION.—Section 640 of the Head Start
Act (42 U.S.C. 9835) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
‘‘(m)(1)The amount (if any) by which the funds ap-
propriated under section 639(a) for a fiscal year exceed
the adjusted prior year appropriation (as defined in sub-
section (a)(3)(ii)), shall be available as follows:
For Fiscal Year:
Percent of Amount
Exceeding Ad-
justed Prior Year
Appropriation To
Be Available for
Activities Under
Subsection
(a)(3)(C):
Percent of
Amount Exceed-
ing Adjusted
Prior Year Appro-
priation To Be
Available for Ac-
tivities Under
Subsection (g)(1):
Percent of
Amount Exceed-
ing Adjusted Prior
Year Appropria-
tion To Be Avail-
able to Qualifying
Head Start Pro-
grams for Activi-
ties Under Sub-
sections (a)(3)(C)
and (g)(1)
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
10.
‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term ‘quali-
fying Head Start program’ means a Head Start agency
or Head Start program that is—
‘‘(A) in compliance with the quality standards
and result-based performance measures applicable
under subsections (a) and (b) of section 641A;
‘‘(B) not required under subsection (d) of such
section to take a corrective action; and
‘‘(C) making progress toward complying with
requirements applicable under section 648A(a)(2).
‘‘(3) Funds required to be made available under this
subsection to qualifying Head Start programs shall be
made available on the same basis as allotments are deter-
mined under subsection (a)(4).’’.
(f) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 644(f)(2)
of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9839(f)(2)) is amended
by striking ‘‘640(a)(3)(C)(v)’’ and inserting ‘‘640(g)’’.
SEC. 8. DESIGNATION OF HEAD START AGENCIES.
Section 641 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘or for-profit’’ after ‘‘non-
profit’’; and
(B) by inserting ‘‘(in consultation with the
chief executive officer of the State in which the
community is located)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary’’
the last place it appears;
(2) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking ‘‘shall give priority’’
and inserting ‘‘may, in consultation with
the chief executive officer of the State, give
priority’’;
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or for-profit’’ after
‘‘nonprofit’’; and
(iii) by striking ‘‘makes a finding’’
and all that follows through the period at
the end, and inserting the following:
‘‘determines that the agency involved fails to meet pro-
gram and financial management requirements, perform-
ance standards described in section 641A(a)(1), and other
requirements established by the Secretary.’’;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘shall
give priority’’ and inserting ‘‘may, in consulta-
tion with the chief executive officer of the State,
give priority’’; and
(C) by aligning the left margin of para-
graphs (2) and (3) with the left margin of para-
graph (1); and
(3) in subsection (d)—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1),
by striking ‘‘If no entity in a community is enti-
tled to the priority specified in subsection (c),
then the Secretary may’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing:
‘‘If the Secretary elects not to give priority designation
to any agency under subsection (c), the Secretary shall’’;
(B) in paragraph (4)—
(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting
‘‘(at home and in the center involved where
practicable)’’ after ‘‘activities’’;
(ii) in subparagraph (D)—
(I) in clause (iii) by adding ‘‘or’’
at the end;
(II) by striking clause (iv); and
(III) by redesignating clause (v)
as clause (iv);
(iii) in subparagraph (E) by striking
‘‘and (D)’’ and inserting ‘‘and (E)’’;
(iv) by redesignating subparagraphs
(D) and (E) and subparagraphs (E) and
(F), respectively; and
(v) by inserting after subparagraph
(C) the following:
‘‘(D) to offer to parents of participating
children substance abuse counseling (either di-
rectly or through referral to local entities), in-
cluding information on fetal alcohol syndrome
and crack-baby syndrome;’’;
(C) by amending paragraph (7) to read as
follows:
‘‘(7) the plan of such applicant to meet the
needs of non-English background children and their
families, including needs related to the acquisition of
the English language;’’;
(D) in paragraph (8)—
(i) by striking the period at the end
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(ii) by redesignating such paragraph
as paragraph (9);
(E) by inserting after paragraph (7) the
following:
‘‘(8) the plan of such applicant to meet the
needs of children with disabilities;’’; and
(F) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(10) the plan of such applicant to collaborate
with other entities carrying out early childhood edu-
cation and child care programs in the community.’’;
and
(4) by amending subsection (e) to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(e) If no agency in the community receives priority
designation and if there is no qualified applicant in the
community, then the Secretary shall designate an agency
to carry out the Head Start program in the community
on an interim basis until a qualified applicant from the
community is so designated.’’.
SEC. 9. QUALITY STANDARDS.
(a) QUALITY STANDARDS.—Section 641A(a) of the
Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836a(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by inserting ‘‘, including minimum levels of
overall 
accomplishment,’’ 
after 
‘‘regulation
standards’’;
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘edu-
cation,’’;
(C) by redesignating subparagraphs (B)
through (D) as subparagraphs (C) through (E),
respectively; and
(D) by inserting after subparagraph (A)
the following:
‘‘(B)(i) education performance standards
to ensure the school readiness of children par-
ticipating in a Head Start program, on comple-
tion of the Head Start program and prior to
entering school; and
‘‘(ii) additional education performance
standards to ensure that the children partici-
pating in the program, at a minimum—
‘‘(I) develop phonemic, print, and
numeracy awareness;
‘‘(II) understand and use oral lan-
guage to communicate for different pur-
poses;
‘‘(III) understand and use increas-
ingly complex and varied vocabulary;
‘‘(IV) develop and demonstrate an ap-
preciation of books; and
‘‘(V) in the case of non-English back-
ground children, progress toward acquisi-
tion of the English language.’’;
(2) by striking paragraph (2);
(3) in paragraph (3)—
(A) in subparagraph (A) by striking ‘‘lin-
guistically and culturally appropriate’’;
(B) in subparagraph (B)(iii) by striking
‘‘child’’ and inserting ‘‘early childhood edu-
cation and’’; and
(C) in subparagraph (C)—
(i) in clause (i)—
(I) by striking ‘‘not later than 1
year after the date of enactment of
this section,’’; and
(II) by striking ‘‘section 651(b)’’
and all that follows through ‘‘section’’
and inserting ‘‘this subsection’’; and
(ii) in subclause (ii), by striking ‘‘No-
vember 2, 1978’’ and inserting ‘‘the date
of enactment of the Human Services Reau-
thorization Act of 1998’’; and
(4) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as
paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively.
(b) PERFORMANCE MEASURES.—Section 641A(b) of
the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836a(b)) is amended—
(1) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘RESULTS-
BASED’’ before ‘‘PERFORMANCE’’;
(2) in paragraph (1)—
(A) by striking ‘‘Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this section, the’’
and inserting ‘‘The’’;
(B) by striking ‘‘child’’ and inserting
‘‘early childhood education and’’; and
(C) by striking the period at the end and
inserting ‘‘, and the impact of the services pro-
vided through the programs to children and
their families.’’;
(3) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘DESIGN’’
and inserting ‘‘CHARACTERISTICS’’;
(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking ‘‘be designed’’ and inserting
‘‘include the education performance standards
described in subsection (a)(1)(B) and shall’’;
(C) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘to
assess’’ and insert ‘‘assess the impact of’’;
(D) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) by striking ‘‘to’’;
(ii) by striking ‘‘and peer review’’ and
inserting ‘‘, peer review, and program eval-
uation’’; and
(iii) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting
the following:
‘‘not later than January 1, 1999, and, with re-
spect to such education performance standards,
assess whether children participating in Head
Start programs—
‘‘(I) know that letters of the alphabet
are a special category of visual graphics
that can be individually named;
‘‘(II) recognize a word as a unit of
print;
‘‘(III) identify at least 10 letters of
the alphabet; and
‘‘(IV) associate sounds with written
words;’’;
(E) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘be
developed’’ before ‘‘for other’’;
(4) in paragraph (3)(A) by striking ‘‘and by re-
gion’’ and inserting ‘‘, regionally, and locally’’; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(4) OTHER
PERFORMANCE
MEASURES.—In
addition to other applicable results-based perform-
ance measures, Head Start agencies may establish
their own performance measures.’’.
(c) MONITORING.—Section 641A(c) of the Head
Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836a(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1) by inserting ‘‘and results-
based performance measures’’ after ‘‘standards’’;
and
(2) in paragraph (2)
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking
‘‘and’’ at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (C)—
(i) by striking ‘‘(including linguistic
and cultural)’’;
(ii) by inserting ‘‘(including children
with disabilities)’’ after ‘‘eligible children’’;
and
(iii) by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(D) include as part of the reviews of the
programs, a review and assessment of program
effectiveness, as measured in accordance with
the results-based performance measures devel-
oped pursuant to subsection (b) and with the
performance standards established pursuant to
subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection
(a)(1); and
‘‘(E) seek information from the community
and the State about the performance of the pro-
gram and its efforts to collaborate with other
entities carrying out early childhood education
and child care programs in the community.’’.
(d) TERMINATION.—Section 641A(d)(1) of the Head
Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836a(d)(1)) is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘or results-based performance
measures described in subsection (b)’’ after ‘‘sub-
section (a)’’;
(2) by amending subparagraph (B)(ii) to read
as follows:
‘‘(ii) if the Secretary finds that the defi-
ciency threatens the health or safety of staff or
program participants or poses a threat to the
integrity of Federal funds—
‘‘(I) to correct the deficiency not later
than 90 days after the identification of the
deficiency if the Secretary finds, in the dis-
cretion of the Secretary, that such a 90-
day period is reasonable, in light of the na-
ture and magnitude of the deficiency; or
‘‘(II) in the discretion of the Secretary
(taking into consideration the seriousness
of the deficiency and the time reasonably
required to correct the deficiency) to com-
ply with the requirements of paragraph (2)
concerning a quality improvement plan;’’;
(3) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘unless
the agency corrects the deficiency.’’ and inserting
the following:
‘‘unless the agency—
‘‘(i) corrects the deficiency within 90
days after the Secretary informs the agen-
cy of the deficiency; or
‘‘(ii) develops and obtains approval for
a quality improvement plan in accordance
with paragraph (2) in a case in which the
Secretary, at the discretion of the Sec-
retary, requires such a plan; and.’’; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(D) If the Secretary terminates the des-
ignation of a Head Start agency pursuant to
this subsection, the Secretary shall, after con-
sultation with families that will be eligible to re-
ceive services in the community, either—
‘‘(i) issue a certificate to eligible par-
ents for parents to use at the provider of
their choice, provided that the provider can
provide health, educational, nutritional,
and social services to eligible children and
their families either through direct services
or through referral to local entities; or
‘‘(ii) use procedures outlined in sec-
tion 641 to designate a new Head Start
agency.’’.
SEC. 10. POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF HEAD START AGEN-
CIES.
Section 642 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or for-prof-
it’’ after ‘‘nonprofit’’;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (6)—
(i) by striking subparagraph (D); and
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs
(E) and (F) and subparagraphs (D) and
(E), respectively;
(B) in paragraph (8) by striking ‘‘and’’ at
the end;
(C) in paragraph (9) by striking the period
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’;
(D) by redesignating paragraphs (6)
through (9) as paragraphs (7) through (10), re-
spectively;
(E) by inserting after paragraph (5) the
following:
‘‘(6) offer to parents of participating children
substance abuse counseling (either directly or
through referral to local entities), including informa-
tion on fetal alcohol syndrome and crack-baby syn-
drome;’’; and
(F) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(11)(A) inform custodial parents in single-par-
ent families that participate in programs, activities,
or services carried out under this subtitle about the
availability of child support services;
‘‘(B) refer eligible parents to the child support
offices of State and local governments;
‘‘(C) establish referral arrangements with such
offices; and
‘‘(D) verify that such custodial parents who re-
ceive benefits under title IV of the Social Security
Act comply with the provisions of part D of title IV
of such Act relating to the establishment of pater-
nity;’’;
(3) in subsection (c)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘and collaborate’’ after
‘‘coordinate’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘section 402(g) of the So-
cial Security Act, and other’’ and inserting ‘‘the
State program carried out under the Child Care
and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), and other early childhood
education and development’’; and
(4) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking ‘‘carry out’’ and all
that follows through ‘‘maintain’’ and in-
serting ‘‘take steps to ensure, to the maxi-
mum extent possible, that children main-
tain’’;
(ii) by inserting ‘‘and educational’’
after ‘‘developmental’’; and
(iii) by striking ‘‘to build’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘build’’;
(B) by striking paragraph (2); and
(C) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(3)
through (5) as paragraphs (2) through (4), re-
spectively.
SEC. 11. HEAD START TRANSITION.
The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) is
amended by inserting after section 642 the following:
‘‘SEC. 642A. HEAD START TRANSITION.
‘‘Each Head Start agency shall take steps to coordi-
nate with the local educational agency serving the commu-
nity involved and with schools in which children participat-
ing in a Head Start program operated by such agency will
enroll following such program, including—
‘‘(1) developing and implementing a systematic
procedure for transferring, with parental consent,
Head Start program records for each participating
child to the school in which such child will enroll;
‘‘(2) establishing channels of communication be-
tween Head Start staff and their counterparts in the
schools (including teachers, social workers, and
health staff) to facilitate coordination of programs;
‘‘(3) conducting meetings involving parents,
kindergarten or elementary school teachers, and
Head Start program teachers to discuss the edu-
cational, developmental, and other needs of individ-
ual children;
‘‘(4) organizing and participating in joint tran-
sition-related training of school staff and Head Start
staff;
‘‘(5) developing and implementing a family out-
reach and support program in cooperation with enti-
ties carrying out parental involvement efforts under
title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.);
‘‘(6) assisting families, administrators, and
teachers in enhancing educational and developmental
continuity between Head Start services and elemen-
tary school classes;
‘‘(7) linking the services provided in such pro-
gram with the education services provided by such
local education agency.’’.
SEC. 12. SUBMISSION OF PLANS TO GOVERNORS.
The first sentence of section 643 of the Head Start
Act (42 U.S.C. 9838) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘30 days’’ and inserting ‘‘60
days’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘so disapproved’’ and inserting
‘‘disapproved (for reasons other than failure to meet
State health, safety, and child care standards, if
any)’’; and
(3) by inserting before the period ‘‘, as evi-
denced by a written statement of the Secretary’s
findings transmitted to such officer’’.
SEC. 13. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS AND STAND-
ARDS.
Section 644(g) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C.
9839(g)) is amended by striking paragraph (3).
SEC. 14. PARTICIPATION IN HEAD START PROGRAMS.
Section 645(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act (42
U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)(B)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘that programs’’ and inserting
‘‘that (i) programs’’; and
(2) by striking the period and inserting the fol-
lowing:
‘‘, and (ii) a child who has been determined to meet the
low-income criteria and who is participating in a Head
Start program in a program year shall be considered to
continue to meet the low-income criteria through the end
of the succeeding program year. In determining, for pur-
poses of this paragraph, whether a child who has applied
for enrollment in a Head Start program meets the low-
income criteria, an entity may consider evidence of family
income during the 12 months preceding the month in
which the application is submitted, or during the calendar
year preceding the calendar year in which the application
is submitted, whichever more accurately reflects the needs
of the family at the time of application.’’.
SEC. 15. EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES
WITH INFANTS AND TODDLERS.
(a) PROGRAM.—Section 645A of the Head Start Act
(42 U.S.C. 9840a) is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘EARLY
HEAD START’’ before ‘‘PROGRAMS FOR’’;
(2) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘; and’’
and inserting a period;
(B) by striking paragraph (2); and
(C) by striking ‘‘for—’’ and all that follows
through ‘‘(1)’’, and inserting ‘‘for’’;
(3) in subsection (b)(5), by inserting ‘‘(includ-
ing programs for infants and toddlers with disabil-
ities)’’ after ‘‘community’’;
(4) in subsection (c)—
(A) by striking ‘‘(a)(1)’’ and inserting
‘‘(a)’’; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘(or
under’’ and all that follows through ‘‘(e)(3))’’;
(5) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and’’
at the end;
(B) by striking paragraph (2); and
(C) in paragraph (3)—
(i) by inserting ‘‘or for-profit’’ after
‘‘nonprofit’’; and
(ii) by redesignating such paragraph
as paragraph (2);
(6) by striking subsection (e);
(7) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as
subsections (e) and (f), respectively;
(8) in subsection (e) (as redesignated in para-
graph (7))—
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking
‘‘OTHER’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘From the balance remain-
ing of the portion specified in section 640(a)(6),
after making grants to the eligible entities spec-
ified in subsection (e),’’ and inserting ‘‘From
the portion specified in section 640(a)(6),’’;
(9) by striking subsection (h); and
(10) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(g) MONITORING, TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSIST-
ANCE, AND EVALUATION.—
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—In order to ensure the
successful operation of programs assisted under this
section, the Secretary shall use funds from the por-
tion specified in section 640(a)(6) to monitor the op-
eration of such programs, evaluate their effective-
ness, and provide training and technical assistance
tailored to the particular needs of such programs.
‘‘(2) TRAINING
AND
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
ACCOUNT.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Of the amount made
available to carry out this section for any fiscal
year, not less than 5 percent and not more than
10 percent shall be reserved to fund a training
and technical assistance account.
‘‘(B) ACTIVITIES.—Funds in the account
may be used for purposes including—
‘‘(i) making grants to, and entering
into contracts with, organizations with spe-
cialized expertise relating to infants, tod-
dlers, and families and the capacity needed
to provide direction and support to a na-
tional training and technical assistance
system, in order to provide such direction
and support;
‘‘(ii) providing ongoing training and
technical assistance for regional and pro-
gram staff charged with monitoring and
overseeing the administration of the pro-
gram carried out under this section;
‘‘(iii) providing ongoing training and
technical assistance for existing recipients
of grants under subsection (a) and support
and program planning and implementation
assistance for new recipients of such
grants; and
‘‘(iv) providing professional develop-
ment and personnel enhancement activi-
ties, including the provision of funds to re-
cipients of grants under subsection (a) for
the recruitment and retention of qualified
staff with an appropriate level of education
and experience.’’.
(b) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
640(a)(5)(D) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C.
9835(a)(5)(D)) 
is 
amended 
by 
striking 
‘‘section
645(a)(1)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 645(a)’’.
SEC. 16. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.
Section 648 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9843)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at
the end;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(3) ensure the provision of technical assistance
to assist Head Start agencies, entities carrying out
other child care and early childhood programs, com-
munities, and States in collaborative efforts to pro-
vide quality full-working-day, full-calendar-year serv-
ices, including technical assistance related to identi-
fying and assisting in resolving barriers to collabora-
tion.’’; and
(2) in subsection (c)—
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as
follows:
‘‘(1) give priority consideration to—
‘‘(A) activities to correct program and
management deficiencies identified through re-
views pursuant to section 641A(c) (including
the provision of assistance to local programs in
the development of quality improvement plans
under section 641A(d)(2)); and
‘‘(B) assisting Head Start agencies in—
‘‘(i) ensuring the school readiness of
children; and
‘‘(ii) meeting the education perform-
ance standards described in this sub-
chapter;’’;
(B) in paragraph (2) by inserting ‘‘supple-
ment 
amounts 
provided 
under 
section
640(a)(3)(C)(ii),’’ after ‘‘(2)’’;
(C) in paragraph (4)—
(i) by inserting ‘‘and implementing’’
after ‘‘developing’’; and
(ii) by striking ‘‘a longer day’’ and in-
serting the following: ‘‘the day, and assist
the agencies and programs in expediting
the sharing of information about innovative
models for providing full-working-day, full-
calendar-year services for children’’;
(D) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at
the end;
(E) in paragraph (8), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’;
(F) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(3)
through (8) as paragraphs (5) through (10), re-
spectively; and
(G) by inserting after paragraph (2) the
following:
‘‘(3) assist Head Start agencies in the de-
velopment of collaborative initiatives with
States and other entities within the States, to
foster effective early childhood professional de-
velopment systems;
‘‘(4) assist classroom and non-classroom
staff, including individuals in management and
leadership capacities, to understand the compo-
nents of effective family literacy services, gain
knowledge about proper implementation of such
services within a Head Start program, and re-
ceive assistance to achieve successful collabora-
tion agreements with other service providers
that allow the effective integration of family lit-
eracy services with the Head Start program;’’.
SEC. 17. FAMILY LITERACY SERVICES.
The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) is
amended by inserting after section 648A the following:
‘‘SEC. 648B. FAMILY LITERACY SERVICES.
‘‘From funds reserved under section 639(b)(4), the
Secretary—
‘‘(1) shall provide grants through a competitive
process, based upon the quality of the family literacy
service proposal and taking into consideration geo-
graphic and urban/rural representation, for not more
than 100 Head Start agencies to initiate provision
of family literacy services through collaborative part-
nerships with entities that provide adult education
services, entities carrying out Even Start programs
under part B of chapter 1 of title 1 of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 274 et seq.), or entities that provide other
services deemed necessary for the provision of family
literacy services; and
‘‘(2) may—
‘‘(A) provide training and technical assist-
ance to Head Start agencies that already pro-
vide family literacy services;
‘‘(B) designate as mentor programs, and
provide financial assistance to, Head Start
agencies that demonstrate effective implementa-
tion of family literacy services, based on im-
proved outcomes of children and their parents,
to enable such agencies to provide training and
technical assistance to other agencies that seek
to implement, or improve implementation of,
family literacy services; and
‘‘(C) award grants or make other assist-
ance available to facilitate training and tech-
nical assistance to programs for development of
collaboration agreements with other service pro-
viders.
In awarding such grants or assistance, the Secretary shall
give special consideration to an organization that has ex-
perience in the development and operation of successful
family literacy services.’’.
SEC. 18. PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
Section 648A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C.
9843a) is amended—
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(a) CLASSROOM TEACHERS.—
‘‘(1) 
PROFESSIONAL
REQUIREMENTS.—The
Secretary shall ensure that each Head Start class-
room in a center-based program is assigned 1 teach-
er who has demonstrated competency to perform
functions that include—
‘‘(A) planning and implementing learning
experiences that advance the intellectual and
physical development of children, including im-
proving readiness of children for school by de-
veloping their literacy and phonemic, print, and
numeracy awareness, their understanding and
use of oral language, their understanding and
use of increasingly complex and varied vocabu-
lary, their appreciation of books and their prob-
lem solving abilities;
‘‘(B) establishing and maintaining a safe,
healthy learning environment;
‘‘(C) supporting the social and emotional
development of children; and
‘‘(D) encouraging the involvement of the
families of the children in a Head Start pro-
gram and supporting the development of rela-
tionships between children and their families.
‘‘(2) DEGREE REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary
shall ensure that not later than September 30, 2003,
the majority of all Head Start classrooms in a cen-
ter-based program are assigned 1 teacher who has
an associate, baccalaureate, or an advanced degree
in early childhood education or development and
shall require Head Start agencies to demonstrate
continuing progress each year to reach that result.
In the remaining balance of such classrooms, there
shall be assigned one teacher who has—
‘‘(A) a child development associate (CDA)
credential that is appropriate to the age of the
children being served in center-based programs;
‘‘(B) a State-awarded certificate for pre-
school teachers that meets or exceeds the re-
quirements for a child development associate
credential; or
‘‘(C) a degree in a field related to early
childhood education with experience in teaching
preschool children and a State-awarded certifi-
cate to teach in a preschool program.’’; and
(2) in subsection (b)(2)(B)—
(A) by striking ‘‘staff,’’ and inserting
‘‘staff or’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘, or that’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘families’’.
SEC. 19. RESEARCH AND EVALUATION.
Section 649 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9844)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (c)(1)(C) by striking ‘‘the
multicultural’’ and all that follows through ‘‘pro-
grams and’’;
(2) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘and’’ at
the end;
(B) in paragraph (7) by striking the period
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’;
(C) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(2)
through (7) as paragraphs (3) through (8), re-
spectively;
(D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the
following:
‘‘(2) over a 5-year period, lead to the develop-
ment and rigorous evaluation of models for the inte-
gration of family literacy services with Head Start
programs, that demonstrate the ability to make posi-
tive gains for children participating in Head Start
programs and their parents, and dissemination of in-
formation about such models;’’; and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(9) study the experiences of small, medium,
and large States with Head Start programs in order
to permit comparisons of children participating in
the programs with eligible children who did not par-
ticipate in the programs, which study—
‘‘(A) may include the use of a data set
that existed prior to the initiation of the study;
and
‘‘(B) 
shall 
compare 
the 
educational
achievement, social adaptation, and health sta-
tus of the participating children and the eligible
nonparticipating children.
The Secretary shall ensure that an appropriate entity car-
ries out a study described in paragraph (9), and prepares
and submits to the appropriate committees of the Con-
gress a report containing the results of the study, not later
than September 30, 2002.’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(g) NATIONAL HEAD START IMPACT RESEARCH.—
‘‘(1) ANALYSES
OF
DATA
BASES.—The Sec-
retary shall obtain analyses of the following existing
databases to guide the evaluation recommendations
of the expert panel appointed under paragraph (2)
and to provide Congress with initial reports of po-
tential Head Start outcomes—
‘‘(A) by use of The Survey of Income and
Program Participation (SIPP) conduct an anal-
ysis of the different income levels of Head Start
participants compared to comparable persons
who did not attend Head Start;
‘‘(B) by use of The National Longitudinal
Survey of Youth (NLSY) which began gather-
ing data on children who attended Head Start
from 1988 on, examine the wide range of out-
comes measured within the Survey, including
cognitive, socio-emotional, behavioral, and aca-
demic development;
‘‘(C) by use of The Survey of Program Dy-
namics, the new longitudinal survey required by
the Personal Responsibility and Work Oppor-
tunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, to begin an-
nual reporting, through the duration of the
Survey, on Head Start attendees’ academic
readiness performance and improvements; and
‘‘(D) to ensure that The Survey of Pro-
gram Dynamics be linked with the NLSY at
least once by the use of a common performance
test, to be determined by the expert panel, for
the greater national usefulness of the NLSY
database.
‘‘(2) EXPERT PANEL.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall
appoint an independent panel consisting of ex-
perts in program evaluation and research, edu-
cation, and early childhood programs—
‘‘(i) to review, and make recommenda-
tions on, the design and plan for the re-
search (whether conducted as a single as-
sessment or as a series of assessments),
described in paragraph (3), within 1 year
after the date of enactment of the Human
Services Reauthorization Act of 1998;
‘‘(ii) to maintain and advise the Sec-
retary regarding the progress of the re-
search; and
‘‘(iii) to comment, if the panel so de-
sires, on the interim and final research re-
ports submitted under paragraph (8).
‘‘(B) TRAVEL
EXPENSES.—The members
of the panel shall not receive compensation for
the performance of services for the panel, but
shall be allowed travel expenses, including per
diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized
for employees of agencies under subchapter I of
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while
away from their homes or regular places of
business in the performance of services for the
panel. Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31,
United States Code, the Secretary may accept
the voluntary and uncompensated services of
members of the panel.
‘‘(3) GENERAL
AUTHORITY.—After reviewing
the recommendations of the expert panel the Sec-
retary shall enter into a grant, contract, or coopera-
tive agreement with an organization to conduct inde-
pendent research that provides a national analysis of
the impact of Head Start programs. The Secretary
shall ensure that the organization shall have exper-
tise in program evaluation, and research, education,
and early childhood programs.
‘‘(4) DESIGNS
AND
TECHNIQUES.—The Sec-
retary shall ensure that the research uses rigorous
methodological designs and techniques (based on the
recommendations of the expert panel), including lon-
gitudinal designs, control groups, nationally recog-
nized standardized measures, and random selection
and assignment, as appropriate. The Secretary may
provide that the research shall be conducted as a
single comprehensive assessment or as a group of co-
ordinated assessments designed to provide, when
taken together, a national analysis of the impact of
Head Start programs.
‘‘(5) PROGRAMS.—The Secretary shall ensure
that the research focuses primarily on Head Start
programs that operate in the several States, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of
Columbia and that do not specifically target special
populations.
‘‘(6) ANALYSIS.—The Secretary shall ensure
that the organization conducting the research—
‘‘(A)(i) determines if, overall, the Head
Start programs have impacts consistent with
their primary goal of increasing the social com-
petence of children, by increasing the everyday
effectiveness of the children in dealing with
their present environments and future respon-
sibilities, and increasing their school readiness;
‘‘(ii) considers whether the Head Start
programs—
‘‘(I) enhance the growth and develop-
ment of children in cognitive, emotional,
and physical health areas;
‘‘(II) strengthen families as the pri-
mary nurturers of their children; and
‘‘(III) ensure that children attain
school readiness; and
‘‘(iii) examines—
‘‘(I) the impact of the Head Start
programs on increasing access of children
to such services as educational, health, and
nutritional services, and linking children
and families to needed community services;
and
‘‘(II) how receipt of services described
in subclause (I) enriches the lives of chil-
dren and families participating in Head
Start programs;
‘‘(B) examines the impact of Head Start
programs on participants on the date the par-
ticipants leave Head Start programs, at the end
of kindergarten, and at the end of first grade,
by examining a variety of factors, including
educational achievement, referrals for special
education or remedial course work, and absen-
teeism;
‘‘(C) makes use of random selection from
the population of all Head Start programs de-
scribed in paragraph (5) in selecting programs
for inclusion in the research; and
‘‘(D) includes comparisons of individuals
who participate in Head Start programs with
control groups (including comparison groups)
composed of—
‘‘(i) individuals who participate in
other early childhood programs (such as
preschool programs and day care); and
‘‘(ii) individuals who do not partici-
pate in any other early childhood program.
‘‘(7) CONSIDERATION
OF
SOURCES
OF
VARI-
ATION.—In designing the research, the Secretary
shall, to the extent practicable, consider addressing
possible sources of variation in impact of Head Start
programs, including variations in impact related to
such factors as—
‘‘(A) Head Start program operations;
‘‘(B) Head Start program quality;
‘‘(C) the length of time a child attends a
Head Start program;
‘‘(D) the age of the child on entering the
Head Start program;
‘‘(E) the type of organization (such as a
local educational agency or a community action
agency) providing services for the Head Start
program;
‘‘(F) the number of hours and days of pro-
gram operation of the Head Start program
(such as whether the program is a full-working-
day full-calendar-year program, a part-day pro-
gram or a part-year program); and
‘‘(G) other characteristics and features of
the Head Start program (such as geographic lo-
cation, location in an urban or a rural service
area, or participant characteristics), as appro-
priate.
‘‘(8) REPORTS.—
‘‘(A) SUBMISSION OF INTERIM REPORTS.—
The organization shall prepare and submit to
the Secretary 2 interim reports on the research.
The first interim report shall describe the de-
sign of the research, and the rationale for the
design, including a description of how potential
sources of variation in impact of Head Start
programs have been considered in designing the
research. The second interim report shall de-
scribe the status of the research and prelimi-
nary findings of the research, as appropriate.
‘‘(B) SUBMISSION
OF
FINAL
REPORT.—
The organization shall prepare and submit to
the Secretary a final report containing the find-
ings of the research.
‘‘(C) TRANSMITTAL OF REPORTS TO CON-
GRESS.—
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary
shall transmit, to the committees described
in clause (ii), the first interim report by
September 30, 1999, the second interim
report by September 30, 2001, and the
final report by September 30, 2003.
‘‘(ii) COMMITTEES.—The committees
referred to in clause (i) are the Committee
on Education and the Workforce of the
House of Representatives and the Commit-
tee on Labor and Human Resources of the
Senate.
‘‘(9) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term
‘impact’, used with respect to a Head Start pro-
gram, means a difference in an outcome for a partic-
ipant in the program that would not have occurred
without the participation in the program.
‘‘(h) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STUDY.—
‘‘(1) STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct a
study regarding the use and effects of use of the
quality improvement funds made available under sec-
tion 640(a)(3) since fiscal year 1991.
‘‘(2) REPORT.—The Secretary shall prepare
and submit to Congress not later than September
2000 a report containing the results of the study, in-
cluding—
‘‘(A) the types of activities funded with the
quality improvement funds;
‘‘(B) the extent to which the use of the
quality improvement funds has accomplished
the goals of section 640(a)(3)(B);
‘‘(C) the effect of use of the quality im-
provement funds on teacher training, salaries,
benefits, recruitment, and retention; and
‘‘(D) the effect of use of the quality im-
provement funds on the cognitive and social de-
velopment of children receiving services under
this subchapter.’’.
SEC. 20. REPEAL OF CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.
Section 657A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C.
9852a) is repealed.
SEC. 21. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
After consultation with the appropriate committees of
Congress and the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget, the Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall prepare recommended legislation containing tech-
nical and conforming amendments to reflect the changes
made by this Act.
SEC. 22. REPEAL OF HEAD START TRANSITION PROJECT
ACT.
The Head Start Transition Project Act (42 U.S.C.
9855–9855g) is repealed.
SEC. 23. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.
(a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sub-
section (b), this Act and the amendments made by this
Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(b) APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.—The amend-
ments made by this Act shall not apply with respect to
any fiscal year ending before October 1, 1998.
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