‘‘(ix) the unique challenges faced by 
individual programs, including those that 
are seasonal or short term, and those that 
serve rural populations; and 
‘‘(C)(i) review and revise as necessary the 
performance standards in effect under this sub-
section; and 
‘‘(ii) ensure that any such revisions in the 
performance standards will not result in the 
elimination of or any reduction in quality, scope 
or types of health, education, parental involve-
ment, nutritional, social, or other services re-
quired to be provided under such standards as 
in effect on October 27, 1998. 
‘‘(3) STANDARDS
RELATING
TO
OBLIGATIONS 
TO DELEGATE AGENCIES.—In developing standards 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall describe 
the obligations of a Head Start agency to a delegate 
agency to which the Head Start agency has dele-
gated responsibility for providing services under this 
subchapter and determine whether the Head Start 
agency complies with the standards. The Secretary 
shall consider such compliance during the review de-
scribed in subsection (c)(1)(A) and in determining
whether to renew financial assistance to the Head 
Start agency under this subchapter. 
‘‘(b) MEASURES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with representatives of Head Start agencies and 
with experts in the fields of early childhood edu-
cation and development, shall use the study on De-
velopmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young 
Children by the National Academy of Sciences to 
provide guidance to Head Start agencies for utilizing 
scientifically-based measures that support, as appro-
priate—
‘‘(A) classroom instructional practices; 
‘‘(B) identification of special needs; and 
‘‘(C) program evaluation. 
‘‘(2) CHARACTERISTICS
OF
MEASURES.—The 
measures under this subsection shall 
‘‘(A) be developmentally, linguistically, and 
culturally appropriate for the population served; 
‘‘(B) be reviewed not less than every 4 
years, based on advances in the science of early 
childhood development; 
‘‘(C) be consistent with relevant, nationally 
recognized professional and technical standards 
related to the assessment of young children;
‘‘(D) be valid and reliable (in English, 
Spanish, and any other language, as appro-
priate); 
‘‘(E) be administered by staff with appro-
priate training for such administration; 
‘‘(F) provide appropriate accommodations 
for children with disabilities and children who 
are limited English proficient; and 
‘‘(G) be high-quality research-based meas-
ures that have been demonstrated to assist with 
the purposes for which they were devised. 
‘‘(3) USE
OF
MEASURES; LIMITATIONS
ON 
USE.—
‘‘(A) Measures shall be designed for the 
purpose of—
‘‘(i) promoting the skills, knowledge, 
and competencies of children participating 
in Head Start programs specified in sub-
section (a)(1)(B)(ii), with an emphasis on 
measuring skills that scientifically-based 
research has demonstrated are related to 
children’s school readiness and later suc-
cess in school;
‘‘(ii) improving classroom practices, 
including reviewing children’s strengths 
and weaknesses; 
‘‘(iii) identifying special needs; and 
‘‘(iv) improving overall program per-
formance in order to help programs iden-
tify problem areas that may require addi-
tional training and technical assistance re-
sources. 
‘‘(B) Such measures shall not be used to 
exclude children from Head Start programs. 
‘‘(4) SUSPENDED
IMPLEMENTATION
OF
NA-
TIONAL REPORTING SYSTEM.—The Secretary shall—
‘‘(A) suspend implementation and termi-
nate further development and use of the Na-
tional Reporting System; and 
‘‘(B) incorporate, as appropriate, rec-
ommendations from the study on Develop-
mental Outcomes and Assessments for Young 
Children by the National Academy of Sciences 
into any assessment used in the Head Start 
programs, in accordance with paragraphs (2) 
and (3). 
‘‘(5) SPECIAL RULE.—The use of assessment 
items and data on any assessment authorized under
this subchapter by an agent or agents of the Federal 
Government to provide rewards or sanctions for indi-
vidual children or teachers is prohibited. The Sec-
retary shall not use the results of a single assess-
ment as the sole or primary method for assessing 
program effectiveness or making grantee funding de-
terminations at the national, regional, or local level. 
‘‘(6) CONFIDENTIALITY.—
‘‘(A) The Secretary, through regulation, 
shall ensure the confidentiality of any person-
ally identifiable data, information and records 
collected or maintained by the Secretary and 
any Head Start agency. Such regulations shall 
provide the policies, protections, and rights 
equivalent to those provided a parent, student, 
or educational agency or institution under sec-
tion 444 of the General Education Provisions 
Act. 
‘‘(B) Nothing in this subsection shall be 
construed to authorize the development of a na-
tionwide database of personally identifiable in-
formation on children participating in measures 
under this subsection. 
‘‘(c) MONITORING OF LOCAL AGENCIES AND PRO-
GRAMS.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—To determine whether 
Head Start agencies meet standards established 
under this subchapter with respect to program, ad-
ministrative, financial management, and other re-
quirements and in order to help programs identify 
areas for improvement and areas of strengths as 
part of an on-going self-assessment process, the Sec-
retary shall develop and use a risk-based assessment 
system to conduct the following reviews of Head 
Start agencies, and of the Head Start programs op-
erated by such agencies: 
‘‘(A) A full review of each such agency at 
least once during each 3-year period. 
‘‘(B) A review of each newly designated 
Head Start agency immediately after the com-
pletion of the first year such agency carries out 
a Head Start program. 
‘‘(C) Followup reviews, including unan-
nounced reviews as appropriate, of programs 
with 1 or more findings of deficiencies not later 
than 12 months after the date of such finding. 
‘‘(D) other reviews, including unannounced 
site inspections of Head Start centers, as ap-
propriate.