[Federal Register: December 27, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 247)] [Notices] [Page 72353-72354] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr27de99-79] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request Title: Head Start Family and Child Experience Survey (FACES). OMB No.: 0970-0151. 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance for interview instruments to be used in the Head Start Family and Child Experience Survey (FACES). This study is being conducted under contract with Westat, Inc., with Ellsworth Associates as their subcontractor to collect information on Head Start performance measures. This revision is intended as follow-on to the current design in order to follow the [[Page 72354]] sample through the end of their first grade year of school. FACES currently involves five phases of data collection. The first phase was a Spring, 1997 field test in which approximately 2400 parents and children were studied in a nationally stratified random sample of 40 Head Start programs. The second and third phases occurred in Fall, 1997 (Wave 1) and Spring, 1998 (Wave 2) when data were collected on a sample of 3200 children and families in the same 40 programs. The Spring, 1998 data collection included assessments of both Head Start children completing the program and former Head Start children completing kindergarten (kindergarten field test), as well as interviews with their parents and ratings by their kindergarten teachers. In the fourth and fifth phases, follow-up continued for a second program year, plus a kindergarten follow-up. The current plan is to extend data collection in Spring of the first-grade year for both cohorts of children, those completing kindergarten in Spring, 1999, and those completing kindergarten in Spring, 2000. This schedule of data collection is necessitated by the mandates of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 (Pub. L. 103- 62), which requires that the Head Start Bureau move expeditiously toward development and testing of Head Start Performance Measures, and by the 1994 reauthorization of Head Start (Head Start Act, as amended, May 18, 1994, Section 649(d)), which requires assessment of Head Start's quality and effectiveness. These mandates were reinforced by the Head Start Act Reauthorization of October, 1998, which called for planning for a study of Head Start children to continue follow-up through first grade. Respondents: Individuals or Households. Annual Burden Estimates ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Average burden Instrument Number of responses per hours per Total burden respondents respondent response hours ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Year 2000--First grade parents.................. 1987 1 .5 994 Year 2000--First grade children................. 1987 1 .67 1331 Year 2000--First grade teachers................. 1987 1 .33 656 Year 2001--First grade parents.................. 1168 1 .5 584 Year 2001--First grade children................. 1168 1 .67 783 Year 2001--First grade teachers................. 1168 1 .33 385 --------------- Estimated Average Annual Burden Hours....... .............. .............. .............. 2,367 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20447, Attn: ACF 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: December 17, 1999. Bob Driscoll, Acting Reports Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 99-33291 Filed 12-23-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4184-01-M