ACF OPRE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES)

OMB Approval Number: 0970-0151

F A C E S
THE HEAD START FAMILY AND CHILD EXPERIENCES SURVEY

CENTER DIRECTOR INTERVIEW	Fall, 1997

The purpose of FACES is to learn how the Head Start program helps families around the country get services for their children. I want to talk with you so we can understand how Head Start interacts with families from your point of view. I will ask questions about your background and how your center works with parents and children. Information from this study will be used to help Head Start improve its understanding of the families that are served by the program and to improve services provided to families.

I will ask you questions and write down your answers. You may stop me at any time, and you may go back to earlier questions to change your answers. No one else from the Head Start program will see or hear your answers. The things you tell me are very important, so please be as complete as possible. Our interview should take approximately an hour and a half. Do you have any questions?

Before we begin, let me read the following to you:

NOTICE: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB Control Number. The valid OMB Control Number for this information collection is 0970-0151 (expires 05/31/2000). The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 90 minutes per response, including time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection.

At the end of the interview, I will give you some addresses and phone numbers in case you would like more information. Do you have any question before we start?

(Interviewer note: For Lead Teachers, complete this interview plus selected sections of the Classroom Teacher interview.)

Date:	___/ ___/ ___ MM DD YY
Interviewer: _____________________________	Interviewer ID #: ___ ___ ___
Program Name: ___________________________	Program #: ___ ___
Center Name: ____________________________	Center #: ___
Interviewee Job Title: ___________________________	Interviewee ID #: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

I. EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
I'd like to start by asking you some questions about your professional background and your job with Head Start.

I.A.

HEAD START EMPLOYMENT

I.A.1.a.

How long have you been employed by this Head Start program?
(ROUND RESPONSE TO NEAREST # OF YEARS)

________
years

I.A.1.b.

In total, how many years have you worked with any Head Start Program?
(ROUND RESPONSE TO NEAREST # OF YEARS)

________
years

I.A.1.c.

Before you started working with Head Start, did you have any work or volunteer experience with early childhood education, health, or family support programs?

No	01
Yes	02

I.A.1.d.

How many years experience did you have with such programs before you joined Head Start? (ROUND RESPONSE TO NEAREST # OF YEARS)

________
years

I.A.2.a.	How many hours per week are you paid to work for Head Start?	________ hrs./wk.

I.A.2.b.	How many *hours per week* do you actually work for Head Start?	________ hrs./wk.

I.A.2.c.	How many months per year are you paid to work for Head Start? (INTERVIEWER: IF RESPONSE IS IN WEEKS OR DAYS PER YEAR, ENTER IN SPACE PROVIDED. WRITE NA IN OTHER SPACES.)	________ mos./yr. or ________ wks./yr. or ________ days./yr.

I.A.3.a.

What positions/job titles do you have with Head Start now, how long have you held each position, and how much time would you say each position takes each month?
(PROMPT: BEST ESTIMATE?)

RESPONSIBILITIES	# OF YEARS IN THIS POSITION	% OF WORK TIME PER MONTH
Head Start Center Director	________	________
__________________	________	________
__________________	________	________

I.A.3.b.

What other positions/job titles, if any, have you held over your entire experience with Head Start?

RESPONSIBILITIES/JOB TITLES_______________________________

________________________________________________

I.A.3.C.

In your current Head Start position(s), do any of the following make it harder for you to do your job well?
(READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE FOR EACH. USE STEM, AS NEEDED):

Do (Does) _________ make it harder for you?	NO	YES
Time constraints	01	02
An undefined role	01	02
Not a high enough salary for job demands	01	02
Lack of support staff	01	02
Not enough training for secondary responsibilities	01	02
Not enough support and communication from administration	01	02
Not enough funds for supplies and activities	01	02
Other (SPECIFY) __________________________________	01	02

I.A.4.

Do you receive the following benefits through Head Start?
(READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE FOR EACH ITEM.)

	NO	YES	DK
Paid vacation time	01	02	99
Paid sick leave	01	02	99
Paid maternity leave	01	02	99
Unpaid maternity leave	01	02	99
Paid family leave	01	02	99
Paid health insurance	01	02	99
Paid dental insurance	01	02	99
Tuition reimbursement	01	02	99
Retirement plan	01	02	99
Other (Specify) _______________	01	02	99

Response Card

I.A.5.

Now I d like to read you a list of reasons people continue in a job. How important is each of these to you in continuing to work for Head Start? (READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE FOR EACH. REPEAT STEM AS NEEDED:
How important is/are _________ to you in continuing to work for Head Start?)

	Not Important	Somewhat Important	Very Important	NA
Job security	01	02	03	98
The pleasure of working with young children	01	02	03	98
The professional respect of this job/career	01	02	03	98
Your salary	01	02	03	98
The benefits (e.g., health or life insurance)	01	02	03	98
The ability to have your own children at your workplace	01	02	03	98
Your work schedule (e.g., length of day, summers off)	01	02	03	98
The working conditions (e.g., clean, well-organized)	01	02	03	98
The opportunity to work with other adults (teachers, parents).	01	02	03	98
The opportunity to use your experience and/or education in child development	01	02	03	98
The significance or importance of working with children and families	01	02	03	98
[Removed]	01	02	03	98
The opportunity for professional advancement	01	02	03	98
Other (SPECIFY) _____________________	01	02	03	98

I.A.6.

How satisfied are you with your present position? Would you say you are: (READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE.)

Very satisfied	01
Satisfied	02
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	03
Dissatisfied	04
Very dissatisfied	05

I.A.7.

How satisfied are you with working in the field of early childhood education. Would you say you are: (READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE.)

Very satisfied	01
Satisfied	02
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	03
Dissatisfied	04
Very dissatisfied	05

I.A.8.

How likely are you to continue working for Head Start through the next Head Start year (through 1998-99)? (CIRCLE ONE.)

Very likely	01
Somewhat likely	02
Somewhat unlikely	03
Very unlikely	04
Don't know/not sure	05

I.A.9.

Do you have any children living in your household who attend Head Start now?

No	01
Yes	02

I.A.10.

Did any children who lived in your household in the past attend Head Start?

No	01
Yes	02

I.B.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

I.B.1.

What is the last or highest grade of school you have completed? (DO NOT READ LIST. CIRCLE ONLY ONE RESPONSE.)

No formal schooling	01	Vocational, Trade, or Business School After High (School Graduation/GED)
Elementary School
Less than 6th grade	02	Less than one year	10
Grades 6 8	03	One to two years	11
High School		Two years or more	12
9th grade	04	College After High School Graduation/GED
10(th) grade	05	1 year	13
11(th) grade	06	2 years	14
12(th) grade	07	3 years	15
		4 years	16
Adult High School or GED classes	08	Graduate school years	17
[REMOVED]	09	Other (SPECIFY) ________________________	18

I.B.2.

I.B.3.

WHAT DIPLOMAS OR DEGREES DO YOU HAVE? (CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY.
PROBE FOR: HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, GED, AND CDA.)

IF d OR e (BACHELOR'S OR GRADUATE DEGREE), ASK:
IN WHAT FIELD(S) IS/ARE YOUR DEGREES?

a.	High school diploma	01
aa.	GED certificate	02
b.	Associate's degree	03
bb.	CDA (Child Development Associate)	04
c.	Nursing degree	05
d.	Bachelor's degree	06
e.	Graduate degree	07
f.	Other (SPECIFY) ______________________	08
g.	_____________________________________	09

_______/____________________
degree field

I.B.4.

Do you have any job-related licenses or certificates?

No	01
CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)	02
Social Work	03
Registered Nurse	04
Teaching Certificate or License (Other than CDA)	05
Other (SPECIFY)	06

I.B.5.

Are you currently working on a degree, certificate or license?

No	01
Yes	02

I.C.	IN-SERVICE TRAINING
	The next questions are about training that your Head Start program has provided or made available to you in the past year. If you have a record of your training activities, you might find it useful to refer to it. (SITE MANAGERS -- REQUEST RECORD OF TRAINING OFFERED FROM PROGRAM, IF AVAILABLE.)

Response Card Listing Topics

I.C.1.

How many hours of training, in total, do you estimate Head Start has provided to you in the past program year including this past summer?

________ total hours

I.C.2.

How many hours of training, in total, do you estimate Head Start has provided to you in the past program year including this past summer?

TOPIC	# HOURS RECEIVED	THREE TOPICS YOU WANT MORE TRAINING IN? (CIRCLE THREE RESPONSES ONLY.)
FOR EACH OF THESE TOPICS, ABOUT HOW MANY HOURS OF TRAINING HAS BEEN PROVIDED OR MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU BY HEAD START IN THE PAST PROGRAM YEAR INCLUDING THIS PAST SUMMER? (READ LIST AND RECORD NUMBER HOURS FOR EACH .)	I.C.2.	I.C.3.
Child development	_______	02
Educational programming	_______	02
Child assessment and evaluation	_______	02
Children's health issues (e.g., immunizations, childhood diseases)	_______	02
Family health issues (e.g., AIDS, asthma)	_______	02
Mental health issues	_______	02
Bilingual education	_______	02
Multicultural sensitivity	_______	02
Domestic violence/family violence	_______	02
Child abuse and neglect	_______	02
Substance abuse	_______	02
Family needs assessment and evaluation	_______	02
Providing services for children with special needs	_______	02
Providing case management services to families	_______	02
Working with other agencies to assist families	_______	02
Involving parents in program activities	_______	02
Behavior management	_______	02
Providing supervision to staff	_______	02
Administration and program management	_______	02
Head Start principles and practices	_______	02
CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)	_______	02
Other (LIST AND SPECIFY NUMBER OF TRAINING HOURS)
_______________________________________________	_______	02

Response Card Listing Topics

I.C.4.

This is a list of methods some Head Start programs use in providing in-service training to their staff. Please tell me which types of training you have received by or through your Head
Start. (READ LIST. CIRCLE NO [1] OR YES [2] OR DN [99] FOR EACH.)

	No	Yes	DK
Training sessions and workshops held within your Head Start agency	01	02	99
Training sessions and workshops held outside the agency	01	02	99
Courses and classes made available at community or four-year colleges	01	02	99
A resource library available at your agency for independent study (print, computers, multimedia)	01	02	99
Ongoing supervision and feedback by Head Start staff	01	02	99
Follow-up training to help put training ideas into practice	01	02	99
Other (SPECIFY)	01	02	99
__________________________________________________________________	01	02	99
__________________________________________________________________	01	02	99
__________________________________________________________________	01	02	99

I.C.5.a.	Which item from the above list is *most characteristic* of the training offered by or through your Head Start agency?	_______ (ENTER ONE LETTER ONLY.)
I.C.5.b.	Which item from the above list is *least characteristic* of the training offered by or through your Head Start agency?	_______ (ENTER ONE LETTER ONLY.)

I.C.6.

Overall, how helpful in doing your job is the training provided by or made available by Head Start? Would you say it is . . . .
(READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE.)

Not very helpful	01
Somewhat helpful	02
Very helpful	03

II.

PROGRAM OPERATIONS
I'd like to ask you about your center and staff.

Response Card

STAFFING STRUCTURE

II.A.1.

We would like to obtain a list of all of the staff positions in your center along with the number of staff in each position who are:

full-time (F),

part-time (P),

a paid consultant or intern (PC),

an unpaid intern or volunteer, not including parent volunteers (V),

or someone paid by another agency (POA).

(USE BACK OF PAGE IF NECESSARY. INDICATE NUMBER OF EACH.)

(PROMPT: HOW MANY OF THE _______ AT YOUR CENTER ARE FULLTIME, PART TIME, ETC.?)

LET US START WITH YOU.	ENTER NUMBER OF STAFF
TITLE/POSITION	F	P	PC	V	POA
Center Director
Teacher(s)
Assistant teacher(s)
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________

Response Card Listing Responsibilities

II.A.2.

From this list, please indicate up to three major job responsibilities of each major staff category within your Center. Please do not include cooks, janitors, etc. whose titles are selfexplanatory. (Write additional positions from question II.A.1 in other columns. IN EACH COLUMN. USE 1, 2, AND 3 TO INDICATE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE; WITH 1 AS THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY. THERE SHOULD BE ONLY THREE RESPONSES IN EACH COLUMN! IF FEWER THAN THREE, NOTE THAT IN COLUMN.)

RESPONSIBILITIES	STAFF CATEGORY
RESPONSIBILITIES	A. CENTER DIRECTOR	B. TEACHER(S)	C. ASSISTANT TEACHER(S)	D. _____	E. _____	F. _____
Education of children
Case management services to families
Arrange for services for special needs children
Outreach, recruitment and enrollment services
Parent education
Staff training/education
Parent involvement
Administration/management of a program component
Other (SPECIFY) ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

II.A.3.

Do you have staff members at your center, who:

		No	Yes	Not Needed	DK
a.	Speak the home/native language of non-English speaking or limited English-speaking families at the centers?	01	02	03	99
b, c.	[REMOVED]	01	02	03	99
d.	Provide guidance on ethnic customs, traditions and values	01	02	03	99

II.A.4.

In a crisis, which Head Start staff member at your center are families most likely to go to? (FORCE CHOICE OF ONLY ONE).

____________

II.B.

PROGRAM OPERATIONS
I'd like to ask you about your center and staff.

II.B.1.

Do you have any current or former Head Start parents employed in your center?

No	01
Yes	02
DON'T KNOW	99

II.B.2.

How many current or former Head Start parents are employed at your center as a/an:
(READ LIST AND INSERT NUMBER IN NUMBER EMPLOYED ; IF NONE, ENTER 0. CIRCLE 99 FOR DON T KNOW.)

	Number Employed	DK
Lead teacher	_______	99
Teacher	_______	99
Teacher s aide	_______	99
Cook	_______	99
Assistant in meal preparations	_______	99
Driver of a Head start bus	_______	99
Maintenance person	_______	99
Administrator (e.g., Center Director, Component Coordinator)	_______	99
Other (SPECIFY) _______________________________	_______	99

III.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

III.A.

CENTER GOALS AND PHILOSOPHY
Now I'd like to talk with you about your work with the Head Start families in your center and the ways in which parents are involved.

Response Card

III.A.1.

III.A.2.

FROM THIS LIST, TELL ME YOUR THREE MOST IMPORTANT GOALS IN WORKING WITH PARENTS AT YOUR CENTER, IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, WITH 1 BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT. (MARK ONLY THREE!)

HOW SUCCESSFUL DO YOU THINK YOU VE BEEN IN ACHIEVING EACH OF THESE THREE GOALS IN YOUR WORK WITH PARENTS? TELL ME IF YOU THINK YOU VE BEEN NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL, SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL, OR VERY SUCCESSFUL IN : (READ EACH OF THREE SELECTED AND CODE BELOW.)

	Indicate 1, 2 and 3	Not Very Successful	Somewhat Successful	Very Successful

To teach parents about child development and parenting	_______	01	02	03
To inform parents about their own child's development	_______	01	02	03
To teach parents about health and nutrition	_______	01	02	03
To inform parents about the support services in their community and help them to use them	_______	01	02	03
To help parents develop a social support network of other parents and families in the program and community	_______	01	02	03
To have parents plan and organize events and activities	_______	01	02	03
To have parents participate in policy and program decisions	_______	01	02	03
To help parents become economically selfsufficient (i.e., get further education and employment)	_______	01	02	03
To help parents improve their literacy skills	_______	01	02	03
To help parents identify their personal goals and ways in which to achieve them	_______	01	02	03
To explain Head Start principles and practices to parents	_______	01	02	03
Other (SPECIFY) ___________________	_______	01	02	03

III.B.

PARENT ORIENTATION
I'd like to ask you about parent orientation offered by your center.

III.B.1.

Does your center conduct orientation activities for parents of children entering your program?

No	01
Yes	02

III.B.2.

About what percentage of the parents generally attend?
(IF NEEDED, PROMPT BY READING LIST. CIRCLE ONE.)

Almost all	01
Three-quarters	02
One-half	03
One-quarter	04
Very few	05
None	06
DON'T KNOW	99

III.B.3.

Which of the following topics are addressed?
(READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE FOR EACH.)

	NO	YES	DK
Enrollment eligibility guidelines	01	02	99
Opportunities for parental involvement at the center	01	02	99
What parents and children can expect from the center	01	02	99
What the center expects of parents	01	02	99
Introduction of center staff and their functions	01	02	99
Services available in the community	01	02	99
Transportation	01	02	99
Confidentiality	01	02	99
The schedule of the center	01	02	99
Other (SPECIFY) __________________________________	01	02	99

Response Card

III.B.4.

Looking at this card, tell me the three primary concerns that parents in your center voice in these initial meetings.(CIRCLE ONLY UP TO THREE ITEMS.)

Classroom curriculum content and methods	01
School readiness and academic skills	02
Child care issues or availability	03
Staff availability to parents	04
Disciplinary methods of teachers	05
Safety of facilities	06
Hours of center operations	07
Opportunities for parent involvement	08
Supervision of children (ratio of children to staff)	09
Cultural sensitivity/awareness of staff/teachers	10
Transportation for children to and from center	11
Transportation for parents to and from center	12
Confidentiality regarding family/child matters	13
Other (SPECIFY) __________________________________________________	14
Other (SPECIFY)__________________________________________________	15
Other (SPECIFY)__________________________________________________	16

III.C.

INVOLVING PARENTS IN PROGRAM DECISION MAKING

III.C.1.

To involve parents in policy and center decisions, does your center have:
(CIRCLE NO, YES, OR DK FOR EACH.)

		NO	YES	DK

a./b.	Center or classroom committees?	01	02	99
c.	Special committees to plan parent or family events or activities?	01	02	99
d.	Advisory boards?	01	02	99
e.	Other (SPECIFY)	01	02	99

III.C.2.

Do you have an opportunity to encourage parents to participate in these committees or boards?

No	01
Yes	02

III.C.3.

How do you do this? (RECORD RESPONSE.)

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

III.C.4.

How productive are parent committee or board meetings at your center? Would you say they are very productive, somewhat productive, or not very productive ?

Very productive	01
Somewhat productive	02
Not very productive	03
DON'T KNOW/NOT APPLICABLE	99

Response Card

III.C.5.

These are some common problems that arise in meetings where staff and parents make collective decisions about center policies and operations. Please tell me if these problems never or rarely occur, occur sometimes, or occur very often at meetings.
(READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE FOR EACH.)

	NEVER/RARELY OCCUR	SOMETIMES OCCUR	VERY OFTEN OCCUR	DK
Parents have different priorities than staff	01	02	03	99
[REMOVED]	01	02	03	99
The format of meetings is either too formal or too informal	01	02	03	99
Parents do not understand budget constraints	01	02	03	99
Parents feel uncomfortable advocating for themselves or their children	01	02	03	99
Parents are reluctant to support concerns or issues that do not affect their family	01	02	03	99
[REMOVED]	01	02	03	99
Some staff dominate the meetings	01	02	03	99
Some parents dominate the meetings	01	02	03	99
Not enough parents actively participate in center committees or meetings	01	02	03	99
Other (SPECIFY)	01	02	03	99

III.D.

PARENT ACTIVITIES/WORKSHOPS

Response Card

	FREQUENCY OF ACTIVITIES
III. D.1. THIS IS A LIST OF ACTIVITIES THAT SOME PROGRAMS HAVE FOR PARENTS. FOR EACH ACTIVITY, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TELL ME HOW OFTEN THE ACTIVITY IS PROVIDED TO THE PARENTS OF CHILDREN WHO ATTEND YOUR CENTER BY YOUR HEAD START CENTER OR PROGRAM, EITHER ON-SITE OR NEARBY.(CIRCLE ONE OPTION FOR EACH ACTIVITY.)						III.D.2. WHICH THREE ACTIVITIES GET THE MOST PARENT PARTICIPANTS? (INDICATE TOP THREE ONLY* WITH X* .)
	Never	Once a year	A few (2-5) times a year	About Monthly or More Often	DK/NA	Top Three Activities (x)
Orientation to Head Start principle sand practices	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Adult literacy/ESL/GED classes	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Employment assistance and skills workshops	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Basic finance and budgeting skills workshops	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Parenting education workshops	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Health/fitness/nutrition workshops	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Child growth, behavior, and development workshops	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Social activities for adults only	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Support or self-help groups	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Family violence education or workshops	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Leadership or advocacy training	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Family events	01	02	03	04	99	_______
Other (SPECIFY ) _____________ _____________________________	01	02	03	04	99	_______

III.D.3.

Do you have attendance or sign-in sheets at parent workshops or activities?

No	01
Yes	02

III.E.

PARENT PARTICIPATION

Response Card

III.E.1.

Some things keep parents from participating in Head Start activities. How often are these things problems for the parents in your center: never or rarely, sometimes, or often ?

(PROMPT: HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK __________ KEEPS PARENTS FROM PARTICIPATING IN HEAD START ACTIVITIES?)		NEVER OR RARELY	SOMETIMES	OFTEN	DK
a.	Lack of child care	01	02	03	99
b./c.	Parents' work or school/training schedule	01	0 2	03	99
d.	Lack of transportation	01	02	03	99
e.	[REMOVED]
f.	Health problems	01	02	03	99
g.	Parents don't seem to feel welcome or comfortable	01	02	03	99
h,i.	[REMOVED]
j.	Language or cultural barriers	01	02	03	99
k.	Safety concerns about getting there or the Head Start neighborhood	01	02	03	99
l.	Lack of interest	01	02	03	99
m.	Family issues (e.g., husband objects)	01	02	03	99
n.	Lack of information and notice about activities	01	02	03	99
o.	Other (SPECIFY)	01	02	03	99

III.E.2.

Which of the following are problems in planning or having parent activities for your parents?
(READ EACH ITEM AND CIRCLE YES OR NO.)

(Prompt: Is __________ a problem in planning or having parent activities?)
		NO	YES	DK
a.	Not enough money for parent activities	01	02	99
b.	Finding an alternate site when the center is not available or appropriate	01	02	99
c.	Lack of cooperation or support of staff	01	02	99
d.	Difficulty getting outside resources (e.g., guest speakers)	01	02	99
e.	Lack of agreement among staff on parents' needs and interests	01	02	99
f./g.	Not enough of the right staff or staff time to plan or conduct the activity	01	02	99
h.	Not having interpreters available	01	02	99
i.	Difficulty notifying parents of upcoming activities	01	02	99
j.	Little ability to offer activities at times convenient for parents	01	02	99
k.	Difficulty getting parents to participate	01	02	99
l.	Other (SPECIFY)	01	02	99

III.E.3.

Which of the following methods does your center or program use to inform your parents of activities? (READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE RESPONSE FOR EACH.)

	NEVER	SOMETIMES	OFTEN	DK
(PROMPT: DO YOU _______ TO INFORM PARENTS OF ACTIVITIES? NEVER? SOMETIMES? OFTEN?)
Send home notices of parent activities as they come up	01	02	03	99
Send home monthly activity calendars	01	02	03	99
Have staff/teachers call parents on the phone	01	02	03	99
Use a parent telephone chain or committee to remind parents	01	02	03	99
Have home-visitors, teachers and other staff remind parents and/or sign them up	01	02	03	99
Rely on word of mouth	01	02	03	99
Other (SPECIFY)	01	02	03	99

III.E.4.

Does your center or program do any of the following to encourage parents to participate in Head Start activities and classes? (MARK NO , YES, OR DK FOR EACH.)

(PROMPT : DOES YOUR CENTER OR PROGRAM __________ TO PARENTS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PARTICIPATE?)
		NO	YES	DK
a./e.	Offer incentives such as door prizes or samples of products	01	02	99
b.	Provide transportation	01	02	99
c.	Provide child care	01	02	99
d.	Provide interpreters	01	02	99
f.	Serve food such as snacks or supper	01	02	99
g.	Other (SPECIFY) ____________________________________	01	02	99

III.E.5.

Do the parents in your center raise money to support parent activities?

No	01
Yes	02
DON'T KNOW	99

III.E.6.

Parents in Head Start programs do several types of activities to raise money for their centers or programs. At your center in the past Head Start year did parents participate in _________to raise money for Head Start activities?
(READ EACH ITEM AND RECORD RESPONSE FOR EACH. REPEAT STEM AS NEEDED.)

	NO	YES	DK
Raffles	01	02	99
Craft sales	01	02	99
Garage sales/flea markets/clothing drives	01	02	99
Candy sales	01	02	99
Bake sales	01	02	99
Street fairs	01	02	99
Developing proposals for outside funding	01	02	99
Soliciting funds or in-kind contributions from local businesses	01	02	99
Other (SPECIFY) ________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________	01	02	99

III.F.

MALE INVOLVEMENT
Now, I'd like to ask you a few questions about how your center works to involve men in Head Start activities. This might include fathers or father figures of Head Start children, as well as other men in the community.

III.F.1.

Does your center have a staff person or volunteer designated specifically to encourage male involvement in your center?

No	01
Yes	02
DON'T KNOW	99

III.F.2.

Does this staff person or volunteer offer the following services to men in your community?

	NO	YES	DK
Mentoring opportunities	01	02	99
Counseling on personal issues (e.g., family violence, drugs)	01	02	99
Crisis intervention	01	02	99
Job referrals	01	02	99
Information on opportunities for involvement in the Head Start program	01	02	99

III.F.3.

Does your center offer any services targeted to:
(CIRCLE ONE FOR EACH.)

	NO	YES	DK
Non-custodial fathers	01	02	99
Incarcerated men	01	02	99
Men on parole	01	02	99
Teenage fathers	01	02	99

III.F.4.

Does your center offer workshops, meetings, or activities specifically targeted toward men?

No	01
Yes	02
DON'T KNOW	99

III.F.5.

Does your center offer any of the following targeted specifically toward men?
(READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE FOR EACH.)

		NO	YES	DK
a.	[REMOVED]
b.	Employment assistance and skills workshops	01	02	99
c.	Basic finance and budgeting skills workshops	01	02	99
d.	Social activities	01	02	99
e.	Partner or family relationship workshops	01	02	99
f.	Parenting education workshops	01	02	99
g,h.	[REMOVED]
i.	Adult-child outings	01	02	99
j.	Support groups for men	01	02	99
k.	[REMOVED]
l.	Sport activities (e.g., basketball night)	01	02	99
m.	Other (SPECIFY) __________________	01	02	99

III.F.6.

Do men regularly help in any of the following ways in your center?
(CIRCLE ONE FOR EACH.)

	NO	YES	DK
				III.F.7. IF YES, ASK:"HOW MANY MEN IN THE PAST HEAD START YEAR?"
As classroom volunteers	01	02	99	_______
As chaperones for field trips	01	02	99	_______
As members of the Parent Council or other governing bodies	01	02	99	_______
Doing maintenance or chores	01	02	99	_______
Helping at special events or activities	01	02	99	_______
(SPECIFY) _________________________	01	02	99	_______

III.F.8.

How successful has your center been in involving men in Head Start? Would you say it has been:

Very successful	01
Somewhat successful	02
Not very successful	99

(ASK ONLY III.F.9 OR III.F.10, DEPENDING ON ANSWER IN III.F.8.)

III.F.9.

What things have made your male involvement program successful?
(RECORD RESPONSE)

_____________________________________

________________________________________________

III.F.10.

In your opinion, why hasn't your male involvement program been more successful?
(RECORD RESPONSE)

_____________________________________

________________________________________________

III.G.

PARENT OBSERVERS IN THE CLASS
Now, I'd like to ask you about parents in the classroom.

III.G.1.

Does your center follow a prescribed policy on parent observers in the classroom?

No	01
Yes	02

III.G.2.

If yes, please describe:

_____________________________________

________________________________________________

III.H.

PARENT VOLUNTEER
I'd like to ask you a few questions about parent volunteer activities in your center.

III.H.1.

Did parents serve as volunteers in your center during the past Head Start year?

No	01
Yes	02

III.H.2

DURING THE PAST HEAD START YEAR , DID PARENT VOLUNTEERS IN YOUR CENTER SERVE AS: (READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE RESPONSE FOR EACH.)
		NO	YES	DK
a.	Classroom aides?	01	02	99
b.	Consultants or workshop leaders?	01	02	99
c.	Providers of guidance on ethnic customs, traditions and values?	01	02	99
d.	Home visitors?	01	02	99
e.	Interpreters for non-English speaking or limited English-speaking families?	01	02	99
ee.	Bus monitors or drivers?	01	02	99
DID PARENT VOLUNTEERS HELP WITH:
f.	Height and weight measurements?	01	02	99
g.	Vision screenings?	01	02	99
h.	Checking immunization records?	01	02	99
i.	Entering data on health records?	01	02	99
j.	Classroom cleanup?	01	02	99
k.	The oral hygiene program?	01	02	99
DID PARENT VOLUNTEERS IN YOUR CENTER:
l./m.	Take or accompany parents or children to health-related appointments or mental health services?	01	02	99
n.	Assist the nutritionist?	01	02	99
o.	Assist other families with food shopping or home management activities?	01	02	99
p.	Assist classroom staff during meal times (e.g., serving, eating with children)	01	02	99
q.	Assist in recruiting families?	01	02	99
r.	Update or compile a community agencies' resource list?	01	02	99
s.	Prepare a newsletter for parents?	01	02	99
t.	Contact parents to notify them of meetings and other Head Start activities?.	01	02	99
DID PARENT VOLUNTEERS IN YOUR CENTER HELP WITH:
u.	Chores and maintenance?	01	02	99
v.	Special events?	01	02	99
w.	Curriculum planning?	01	02	99

III.I.

EVALUATIONS OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT

III.I.1.

During the past Head Start year, how often did you meet with the Parent Involvement Coordinator (PIC) to discuss parent involvement at your center, in addition to regular staff or coordinators meetings? (DO NOT READ LIST. CIRCLE ONLY ONE.)

Never	01
More than once a month	02
Monthly	03
Two to six times	04
Once	05
DON'T KNOW	99
NOT APPLICABLE (IF NO PIC)	90

III.I.2.

During the past Head Start year, did your center use any of the following to determine the success of the parent involvement program at your center?
(READ LIST AND CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY.)

	NO	YES	DK
Discussions with parents?	01	02	99
Questionnaires to parents?	01	02	99
Discussions with staff?	01	02	99
Attendance tallies?	01	02	99
Other (SPECIFY) ______________________________________	01	02	99
None of above	01	02	99

III.I.3.

During the past Head Start year, how often did you assess the success of the parent involvement program at your center? (DO NOT READ LIST. CIRCLE ONE.)

Once	01
Twice	02
Quarterly	03
Monthly	04
After individual activities were held	05
On an irregular schedule	06
Never	07
Other (SPECIFY) ____________________________________________	08

IV.

CURRICULUM AND CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Now I'd like to ask a few questions about the curriculum used in your center.

IV.A.1.

Is a specific curriculum or combination of curricula used in your program?

No	01
Yes	02
DON'T KNOW	99

IV.A.2.

If your principal curriculum has a name, what is it?
(MARK YES OR NO FOR EACH.)

	NO	YES
High Scope	01	02
A Head Start State Curriculum (such as MAP)	01	02
The Creative Curriculum	01	02
Other (SPECIFY)	01	02

IV.A.3.

If your additional curricula have names, what are they?
(RECORD NAMES BELOW OR NOTE BELOW IF NONE OR DON'T KNOW .)

________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
	DON'T KNOW	99
	NOT APPLICABLE, NO ADDITIONAL CURRICULA	90

IV.A.4.

To what extent are teachers responsible for developing their own curriculum?
(READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE.)

Very much	01
Somewhat	02
Very little	03
Not at all	04

IV.A.5.

Does the curriculum used by your program specify the following?
(READ LIST. MARK NO , YES OR DK FOR EACH.)

	NO	YES	DK
Goals for children's learning and development	01	02	99
Specific activities for children	01	02	99
Suggested teaching strategies	01	02	99
Suggested teaching materials	01	02	99
Ways to involve parents in their child's learning activities	01	02	99

IV.A.6.

Is the curriculum a formal, written plan (like a manual or syllabus)?

No	01
Yes	02

IV.A.7.

Who developed the curricula used by your program?
(DO NOT READ LIST. CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY.)

Local program or center Head Start staff	01
Regional Head Start training centers	02
National Head Start program office	03
College/university	04
School system	05
Commercial publisher	06
Curriculum training organization	07
Other (SPECIFY) _______________________________________________	08
DON'T KNOW	99

IV.A.7.

Are most of the teaching materials created by local Head Start staff or by someone else? Are they created by .... ? (READ LIST AND CIRCLE ONE.)

Local Head Start program or center staff or teachers?	01
State, Regional or National Head Start	02
Someone else (e.g., commercial publisher)	03

IV.B.1.

Who makes most of the decisions about the day-to-day instructional plans for children, such as the calendar or sequence of activities? (CIRCLE ONE).

Head Start program administrators	01
Individual center directors and staff	02
Individual teachers	03
Other (SPECIFY) _______________________________	04

Response Card

IV.B.2.

How often are the following concepts or activities offered to the children in your center? Can you tell me if they are not offered, are offered less or more than once a month, once a week, or almost daily or daily? (READ EACH ITEM AND RECORD RESPONSE)

	Not Offered/ Not done	Less Than Once A Month	Once A Month Or More	Once A Week	Daily Or Almost Daily	DK
Letters of the alphabet or words	01	02	03	04	05	99
Reading stories	01	02	03	04	05	99
Naming colors	01	02	03	04	05	99
Number concepts or counting	01	02	03	04	05	99
Solving puzzles, playing with geometric forms	01	02	03	04	05	99
Cooking	01	02	03	04	05	99
Free play including dressing up or making believe, etc	01	02	03	04	05	99
Block building or other construction work	01	02	03	04	05	99
Indoor physical activities such as tumbling or dancing	01	02	03	04	05	99
Outdoor physical activities	01	02	03	04	05	99
Trips to the local library	01	02	03	04	05	99
Other field trips	01	02	03	04	05	99
Computer time	01	02	03	04	05	99
Visual arts such as drawing, painting, modeling, play dough, sandplay	01	02	03	04	05	99
Performing arts such as music, movement, dance, etc.	01	02	03	04	05	99
Health or hygiene or nutrition	01	02	03	04	05	99
Science or nature	01	02	03	04	05	99
Other (SPECIFY) _____________________ ____________________________________	01	02	03	04	05	99

HOME VISITS
I'd like to ask about visits made to the homes of center-based Head Start childrren by center staff.

V.A.1.

Are home visits to families of center-based children required of your center staff?

No	01
Yes	02

V.A.2.

Do center staff make regular home visits to families of center-based children even though they are not required?

No	01
Yes	02

V.A.3.

What are the minimum number of home visits to the family of each center-based child during the Head Start year by:

	NONE	ONE PER YEAR	TWO PER YEAR	3-6 PER YEAR	> 6 PER YEAR	DK
	A.	B.	C.	D.	E.	F.
Teachers or assistant teachers?	01	02	03	04	05	99
FSAs or FSWs (Family Service Assistants or Workers) or FAs (Family Advocates)?	01	02	03	04	05	99
Other (SPECIFY) ________________	01	02	03	04	05	99
Other (SPECIFY) ________________	01	02	03	04	05	99

V.B.1.

Does your center include a home-based option?

No	01
Yes	02

V.B.2.

What are the minimum number of home visits during the Head Start year to the family of each child in your home-based program by staff other than teachers or assistant teachers?

	NONE	ONE PER YEAR	TWO PER YEAR	3-6 PER YEAR	> 6 PER YEAR	DK
	A.	B.	C.	D.	E.	F.
FSAs or FSWs or FAs (Family Service Assistants or Workers or Advocates)?	01	02	03	04	05	99
Other (SPECIFY) ________________	01	02	03	04	05	99
Other (SPECIFY) ________________	01	02	03	04	05	99

Response Card Listing Staff Activities

V.C.

What are the minimum number of home visits during the Head Start year to the family of each child in your home-based program by staff other than teachers or assistant teachers?

	V.C.1 TEACHERS/ ASSISTANT TEACHERS	V.C.2 FSWs FSAs or FAs	V.C.3 OTHER (SPECIFY) _______	V.C.4 OTHER (SPECIFY) _______
DURING YOUR CENTER STAFF’S HOME VISITS, WHICH THREE ACTIVITIES ARE OF HIGHEST PRIORITY FOR :	CIRCLE THREE FOR EACH:
Providing educational experiences to the Head Start child	01	01	01	01
Providing educational experiences/assistance to other children in the household	02	02	02	02
Providing instructions to the caregiver on parenting/education/child development issues	03	03	03	03
Addressing issues of family health and nutrition	04	04	04	04
Providing informal counseling or addressing personal issues (e.g., marital stress/family relations)	05	05	05	05
Providing education information/referral to caregivers	06	06	06	06
Providing assistance with basic needs (e.g., food/housing/clothing/medical care)	07	07	07	07
Informing parents about Head Start and the services it offers	08	08	08	08
Informing parents about the progress of their child	09	09	09	09
Other (SPECIFY) ______________________	10	10	10	10
(IF NO HOME VISITS BY THOSE STAFF MEMBERS)	NA	NA	NA	NA

VI.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND POPULATION NEEDS
I'd like to know about services in your community available to families at your Head Start center and their use by families.

Response Card

VI.A.1.

(1) (READ EACH ITEM IN COLUMN 1 AND READ QUESTIONS 3 AND 4 FOR EACH ITEM. SECTION 4 CAN HAVE 02 AND 03 FOR A RESPONSE.)	(2) [REMOVED]		(3) DO MANY OF YOUR HEAD START FAMILIES EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF THIS SERVICE? 01 = NO 02 = YES 99 = DON’T KNOW		(4) DOES HEAD START HELP FAMILIES OBTAIN THIS SERVICE? 01 = NO, DOES NOT 02 = YES, REFERS OR HELPS OBTAIN SERVICE (INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION) 03 = YES, PROVIDES SERVICE DIRECTLY 99 = DON’T KNOW
SERVICE: ______________________________
Income assistance, like Welfare, SSI, unemployment insurance	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Food and nutrition assistance, like Food Stamps or WIC	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Help with housing	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Help with utilities (running water, heat, telephone service)	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Job training and employment services	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Literacy programs, e.g., GED, college, learning to read, English as a Second Language	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Transportation to work or job training	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Child care for preschool children before or after the Head Start day	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Child care for other children in the household (e.g., infants, school-age)	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
HEALTH CARE SUCH AS:
Medical or dental care for children	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Medical or dental care for adults in household	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Health insurance, e.g., MEDICAID/LOCAL NAME FOR MEDICAID	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Alcohol or drug abuse treatment or counseling services	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Mental health services	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
HOW ABOUT SERVICES SUCH AS:
Legal aid	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Help dealing with family violence	01	02	99	01	02	03	99
Help in solving other family problems	01	02	99	01	02	03	99

Response Card

VI.A.2.

Which one of these statements best describes most parents new to your center?
(READ THE STEM AND THE THREE STATEMENTS AND CIRCLE ONLY ONE.)

	CIRCLE ONE
MOST PARENTS NEW TO OUR CENTER:	CIRCLE ONE

Don t know what services are available in the community	01
Pretty much know what s available in the community but don t use the resources	02
Are aware of the services that are available in the community and use them pretty well	03
DON'T KNOW	04

VI.B.

Now, I would like to ask you some questions about families in your center. Some of them may seem sensitive, and you may refuse to answer if you wish:

VI.B.1.	First, please tell me *how many children attend* your center. (If a Director of multiple centers, give # for each additional center below).		_______ #
	__ __ __ __ # # # #	DON'T KNOW	99

VI.B.2.	How many children in your center *have special needs* for which they receive services or have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) (e.g., language and speech, emotional, hearing, learning, or physical)? (If a Director of multiple centers, give # for each additional center below).		_______ #
	__ __ __ __ # # # #	DON'T KNOW	99

VI.B.3.

Among children in your center(s) with a current IEP, which are the two most commonly identified problems? (DO NOT READ LIST.)

	(Circle Only Two.)
Health impairment	01
Emotional or behavioral disorder including ADD or ADHD	02
Speech or language impairments	03
Mental retardation	04
Hearing impairment including deafness	05
Orthopedic impairment	06
Visual impairment including blindness	07
Learning disabilities	08
Autism	09
Traumatic brain injury	10
Non-categorical developmental delay	11
Multiple disabilities including deaf-blind	12
Other (SPECIFY)	13
DON'T KNOW	14

VI.B.4.

Now counting only families for whom you have a very good sense that this problem/situation exists, please tell me how many children are living in a foster home?

REFUSE TO ANSWER	98
DON'T KNOW	99

VI.B.5.

To your knowledge, how many families in your center have been reported to an agency for:

	NUMBER	DK/ REF
Child abuse	_____	999
Child neglect	_____	999
Other family violence	_____	999

VI.B.6.

To your knowledge, how many families in your center have household members:

	NUMBER	DK/ REF
With Aids	_____	999
With a substance abuse problem	_____	999
Who are currently in prison	_____	999
Who have a physical or mental disability	_____	999
Who are the victims of family violence	_____	999

VII.

KINDERGARTEN TRANSITION
Lastly, I'd like to talk with you about kindergarten transition.

VII.A.1.

Parents often have concerns and needs regarding their child s transition to kindergarten. What are the three concerns or needs most often expressed by the Head Start parents in your center about their child's transition to kindergarten?

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
No concerns expressed	09
DON'T KNOW	99

VII.A.2.

Does your Head Start center do any of the following regarding transition to kindergarten?
(READ LIST AND CIRCLE RESPONSE.) (Prompt: Do you...?)

		NO	YES	DK
a./b.	Send letters home with children or mail letters to parents providing information on transition	01	02	99
* c./e.	Invite parents to attend informational meetings or discussions with Head Start or school staff about kindergarten transition	01	02	99
d.	Provide parents with information on the school their child will attend	01	02	99
f.	Schedule parent and/or child visit(s) to the school the child will attend	01	02	99
g.	Accompany parents and/or children to visit the school	01	02	99
h.	Teach parents skills to effectively advocate for their school-age children	01	02	99
i.	Other (SPECIFY)	01	02	99

VII.B.1.

Does your Head Start center work in any of the following ways with the schools your students will attend? (Prompt: Does your center...?)

	NO	YES	DK
DOES YOUR CENTER
Conduct joint training of Head Start and school staffs	01	02	99
Share curriculum information	01	02	99
Share information about rules and program policies	01	02	99
Share information on expectations of students and families	01	02	99
Provide children's Head Start records to the school	01	02	99
Meet with kindergarten teachers at the schools Head Start children will attend	01	02	99
Other (SPECIFY) _______________________________________ ______________________________________________________	01	02	99

VII.B.2.	(IF “YES”* TO ANY OF VII.A.2 OR VII.B.1, ASK:) During which months* of the year does your center conduct kindergarten transition activities? (Enter name of Month(s) of transition activities)	___________

VIII.

OVERVIEW OF CENTER
Now I would like you to think about your Head Start center overall, and all of the experiences and services the center is providing to children and their families.

VIII.A.

If you could change one thing that you think would significantly improve the services your center is providing, what would it be? (FORCE RESPONDENT TO CHOSE ONLY ONE).

_____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

VIII.B.

Finally, what two things do you think your center does really well for children and their
families? (FORCE RESPONDENT TO CHOSE ONLY TWO).

	_________________________________________________________________
	_________________________________________________________________
	_________________________________________________________________
	_________________________________________________________________

Thank you very much for your cooperation. You’ve been very helpful!

If you have any questions about the study or the interview, you can call or write to any of these people.
(TEAR OFF BACK SHEET OF INTERVIEW PACKET AND HAND IT TO THE RESPONDENT.)

THE HEAD START FAMILY AND CHILD EXPERIENCES SURVEY

If you have any questions or concerns about the study or the interview, you can call or write to:

Louisa Tarullo, Ed.D.
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
(202) 205-9632

David Connell, Ph.D.
Abt Associates Inc.
(617) 349-2804

Nicholas Zill, Ph.D.
Westat, Inc.
(301) 294-4448

You may send your comments regarding the interview burden or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:

Reports Clearance Officer
Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, DC 20447

Office of Management and Budget
Paperwork Reduction Project
OMB Control No. (new request)
Washington, DC 20503

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THE HEAD START FAMILY AND CHILD EXPERIENCES SURVEY