Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019 (FACES 2019)

Résumé 0

The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) has been a source of information on the Head Start program and the children and families it serves. The 2019 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey, or FACES 2019, is the seventh in a series of national studies of Head Start, with earlier studies conducted in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2014. It includes nationally representative samples of Head Start programs and centers, classrooms, and children and their families during the 2019-2020 program year. Data from surveys of Head Start program and center directors and classroom teachers provide descriptive information about program policies and practices, classroom activities, and the background of Head Start staff. These data compromise the Classroom Study. A sample of these programs also provides data from parent surveys, teacher child reports, and direct child assessments as part of the Classroom + Child Outcomes Study. FACES 2019 is designed to help policymakers address current policy questions and to support programs and practitioners working with Head Start families. According to the study design, FACES would have assessed children's readiness for school, surveyed parents, and asked teachers to provide information on children in both fall 2019 and spring 2020. In response to the COVID-19 (for coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, however, FACES 2019 cancelled the first piece--the in-person data collection of child assessments in spring 2020. In-person classroom observations as part of the Classroom Study were also cancelled in spring 2020. FACES is designed so that researchers can answer a wide range of research questions that are crucial for aiding program directors and policymakers. FACES 2019 data may be used to describe (1) the quality and characteristics of Head Start programs, teachers, and classrooms; (2) the changes or trends in the quality and characteristics of the classrooms, programs, and staff over time; (3) the school readiness skills and family characteristics of the children who participate in Head Start; (4) the factors or characteristics that predict differences in classroom quality; (5) the changes or trends in the children's outcomes and family characteristics over time; and (6) the factors or characteristics at multiple levels that predict differences in the children's outcomes. The study also supports research questions related to subgroups of interest, such as children with identified disabilities and children who are dual-language learners (DLLs), as well as policy issues that emerge during the study. The study addresses changes in children's outcomes and experiences as well as changes in the characteristics of Head Start classrooms over time and across the rounds of FACES. Some of the questions that are central to FACES include: What are the characteristics of Head Start programs, including structural characteristics and program policies and practices? What are the characteristics and observed quality of Head Start classrooms? What are the characteristics and qualifications of Head Start teachers and management staff? Are the characteristics of programs, classrooms, and staff changing over time? What are the demographic characteristics and home environments of children and families who participate in Head Start? Are family demographic characteristics and aspects of home environments changing over time? How do families make early care and education decisions? What are the experiences of families and children in Head Start? What are the average school readiness skills and developmental outcomes of the population of Head Start children in fall and spring of the Head Start year? What gains do children make during a year of Head Start? Are children's school readiness skills (average skills or average gains in skills) improving over time? Does classroom quality vary by characteristics of classrooms, teachers, or programs? What characteristics of programs, teachers, or classrooms are associated with aspects of classroom quality? Do the school readiness skills of children in fall and spring and their gains in skills vary by child, family, program, and classroom characteristics? What is the association between observed classroom quality and children's school readiness skills? Between child and family characteristics and children's school readiness skills? The User Guide provides detailed information about the FACES 2019 study design, execution, and data to inform and assist researchers who may be interested in using the data for future analyses. The following items are provided in the User Guide as appendices. Appendix A. Elements of the FACES Design and Key Instruments Used (and Child Outcomes Captured): FACES 1997-FACES 2019 Appendix B. Copyright Permissions Appendix C. Instrument Content Matrices Appendix D. Instruments Appendix E. Spring 2020 Center/Program Codebook Appendix F. Spring 2020 Classroom/Teacher Codebook Appendix G. Fall 2019-Spring 2020 Child Codebook Appendix H. Descriptions of Composite Variables