American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES 2019) (AIAN FACES)

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES) 2019 builds on AIAN FACES 2015 (NCT03842111), which was the first national study children and families participating in Region XI Head Start. In consultation with the AIAN FACES Workgroup, Mathematica developed instruments and data collection procedures to assess the school readiness skills of 720 children and survey their parents and Region XI Head Start teachers in fall 2019 and spring 2020; conduct observations in those children's Region XI Head Start classrooms; and survey Region XI Head Start staff in spring 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, spring 2020 child assessments and classroom observations were canceled after two weeks, while surveys of parents and staff continued.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Head Start Participation

Detailed Description

The design and execution of AIAN FACES has been informed by close collaboration with members of the AIAN FACES Workgroup which includes Region XI Head Start program directors, researchers with experience working with AIAN communities, Mathematica study staff, and federal officials from the Office of Head Start and the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.

Building on AIAN FACES 2015 as the foundation, members of the AIAN FACES Workgroup have shared insights and information on the kinds of information needed about children and families served by Region XI AIAN Head Start programs. Members also provided input on recruitment practices and study methods that are responsive to the unique cultural and self-governing contexts of tribal Head Start programs. They also consulted on priorities for dissemination and drafts of dissemination products.

AIAN FACES 2019 provides the mechanism for collecting data on a nationally representative probability sample in Region XI to provide valid and reliable information to federal, local, and tribal community stakeholders. AIAN FACES 2019 focuses on children and families to describe the school readiness skills, family characteristics, and Head Start experiences of these children, with a focus on Native culture and language. The investigators collected information on programs and classrooms to provide context for children's experiences. Data collection with Region XI children, families, classrooms, and programs took place in the Fall of 2019 and the Spring of 2020. Originally, AIAN FACES 2019 also sought to describe classroom quality for children in Region XI, but was unable to do so, with classroom observations cancelled after two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 1587

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • District of Columbia
    • Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20002
      • Mathematica Policy Research

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 3 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Region XI Head Start children (and their families), Region XI Head Start programs, Region XI Head Start centers, Region XI Head Start classrooms/teachers

Description

Inclusion Criteria: the Region XI Head Start programs participating in AIAN FACES 2019 were a probability sample selected from among 146 study-eligible programs on the 2017-2018 Head Start Program Information Report (PIR). To be eligible for the study, a program had to be:

• Providing services directly to children ages 3 to 5
• The Head Start Program Performance Standards require that children turn 3 by date used to determine eligibility for public school in the community in which the Head Start program is located. Therefore, some study children were 2 years old at the time of sampling if sampling occurred before the date used for public school eligibility.
• Not be in imminent danger of losing its grantee status. Probability samples of centers were selected within each program, classrooms within each center (within those classrooms, eligible classrooms needed to have at least one Head Start child enrolled) and children within each classroom. Teachers associated with selected classrooms were included in the study with certainty, as were parents associated with selected children.

Exclusion Criteria: Head Start programs in Regions I through X and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (Region XII) were not eligible for AIAN FACES. Other ACF studies (FACES-NCT03971435 and MSHS-NCT03116243) focus on those programs.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Region XI Head Start children and families - Fall 2019 to Spring 2020; children (720) parents (720) classrooms/teachers (85) program directors (22) center directors (40)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
English proficiency	Children's English language proficiency were assessed during week-long site visits using Preschool Language Assessment Survey (preLAS 2000): Simon Says and Art Show. See Duncan and DeAvila for more information on the scores and technical properties.	October to December 2019, March 2020
Language-English receptive vocabulary	Indicators of language were assessed during week-long site visits using Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fifth Edition (PPVT-5). See Dunn 2019 for more information on the scores and technical properties. Dunn, D. M. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fifth Edition. Examiner's Manual and Norms Booklet. Bloomington, MN: NCS Pearson, Inc., 2019.	October to December 2019, March 2020
Language-Expressive vocabulary	Indicators of language were assessed during week-long site visits using Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition (EOWPVT-4 or EOWPVT-4 Spanish-Bilingual Edition). See Martin and Brownell 2010 and Martin 2012 for more information on the scores and technical properties.	October to December 2019, March 2020
Literacy-Letter word knowledge	Indicators of literacy were assessed during week-long site visits using Letter-Word Identification Test from Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement-Fourth Edition. Please see Schrank et al. 2014 and Woodcock et al. 2004 for more information on the scores and technical properties.	October to December 2019, March 2020
Literacy-early writing	Indicators of literacy were assessed during week-long site visits using Spelling Test from Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement-Fourth Edition. Please see Schrank et al. 2014 and Woodcock et al. 2004 for more information on the scores and technical properties.	October to December 2019, March 2020
Literacy-Letter sounds knowledge	Indicators of literacy were assessed during week-long site visits using ECLS-B Letter Sounds. Please see Snow et al. 2007 for more information on the scores and technical properties Snow, K., L. Thalji, A. Derecho, S. Wheeless, J. Lennon, S. Kinsey, J. Rogers, M. Raspa, and J. Park. "Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), Preschool Year Data File User's Manual (2005-06)." NCES 2008-024. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 2007.	October to December 2019, March 2020
Mathematics	Indicators of mathematics were assessed during week-long site visits using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) preschool mathematics assessment of children's understanding of relative size, ordinal numbers, and pattern matching; number recognition; and the children's ability to count, recognize shapes, add, and solve word problems. Please see Snow et al. 2007 for more information on the scores and technical properties.	October to December 2019, March 2020
Mathematics	Indicators of mathematics were assessed during week-long site visits using the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement-Fourth Edition (Applied Problems Test). Please see Schrank et al. 2014 for more information on the scores and technical properties.	October to December 2019, March 2020
Children's physical health	Indicators of physical well-being were assessed by weighing (using kilograms) and measuring children's height (using centimeters), and combining these measurements to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) in in kg/m^2.	October to December 2019, March 2020
General health status	Indicators of physical well-being were assessed by parent report to a survey item on if child's health is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor	October to December 2019, March 2020
Executive function	Indicators of executive function were assessed by the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS). The MEFS is a standardized and adaptive assessment administered on a touch-screen tablet with child-friendly graphics, avatars, and child-directed instructions. The MEFS provides an objective assessment of children's self-regulation, particularly cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control. See Carlson and Zelazo for more information.	October to December 2019, March 2020
Social-emotional development	Indicators of social-emotional development were assessed using teacher report of several items on children's positive and problem behaviors. Please see the AIAN FACES 2019 User's Manual (Bernstein et al. 2021a) for more information on the scores and technical information.	October-December 2019, March-July 2020
Social-emotional development-cognitive/social behaviors	Indicators of social-emotional development were assessed using assessor report children's cognitive/social behaviors during the assessment time, using the Leiter International Performance Scale-Third Edition Examiner Rating Scale. The Leiter comprises eight subscales that examine children's approach to the assessments, their engagement with the materials, and their ability to attend to and regulate their physical and emotional responses during the assessment tasks. Please see Roid et al. 2013 for more information on the scores and technical properties.	October-December 2019, March-July 2020
Social-emotional development - Approaches to learning	Indicators of social-emotional development were assessed using teacher report of approaches to learning using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Class of 1998 (ECLS-K). The items assess a child's motivation, attention, organization, persistence, and independence in learning. Please see U.S. Department of Education 2002 for more information on the scores and technical properties.	October-December 2019, March-July 2020
Classroom quality-teacher child interactions	Indicators of classroom quality were assessed using the the PreK Classroom Assessment Scoring System. The Pre-K CLASS assesses the qualities of interactions between teachers and students in classrooms and measures aspects of interactions related to children's early academic achievement and social competencies. Please see Pianta et al. 2008 for more information on the scores and technical properties.	One-day observation in March 2020
Classroom quality-global classroom environment	Indicators of classroom quality were assessed using a shortened form of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R), a global rating of classroom quality based on structural features of the classroom (Harms et al. 2005). The items in the short form represent the strongest 21 items identified by researchers in a large-scale study (Clifford et al. 2005). Please see Harms et al. 2005 and Clifford et al. 2005 for more information on the scores and measure technical properties.	One-day observation in March 2020
Classroom quality-Native cultural and language classroom observation	In AIAN FACES 2019, children's exposure to Native cultural and language experiences during the classroom observation were documented using the Native Culture & Language in the Classroom Observation (NCLCO). The NCLCO was developed for AIAN FACES 2015 and adapted for 2019, both with the guidance of the study Workgroup. Please see AIAN FACES 2019 Workgroup 2021 for more information.	One-day observation in March 2020
Parents' depressive symptoms	Parents' levels of depressive symptoms were measured using the short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Please see Radloff 1977 for more information.	October-December 2019, March-July 2020
Teachers' depressive symptoms	Teachers' levels of depressive symptoms were measured using the short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Please see Radloff 1977 for more information.	October-December 2019, March-July 2020

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
• Collaborators: Department of Health and Human Services; Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Nikki Aikens, Ph.D., Mathematica Policy Research; Principal Investigator: Louisa Tarullo, Ed.D., Mathematica Policy Research; Study Director: Sara Bernstein, Ph.D., Mathematica Policy Research

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Duncan, S.E., and E. DeAvila. Preschool Language Assessment Survey 2000 Examiner's Manual: English Forms C and D. Monterey, CA: CTB/McGraw-Hill, 1998.
• Dunn, D. M. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fifth Edition. Manual. Bloomington, MN: NCS Pearson, Inc., 2019.
• Snow, K., L. Thalji, A. Derecho, S. Wheeless, J. Lennon, S. Kinsey, J. Rogers, M. Raspa, and J. Park. Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), Preschool Year Data File User's Manual (2005-06). NCES 2008-024. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 2007.
• Carlson, S. M., & Zelazo, P. D. (2014). Minnesota Executive Function Scale: Test Manual. Reflection Sciences, Inc. St. Paul, MN.
• Roid, G.H., L.J. Miller, M. Pomplu, and C. Koch. Leiter International Performance Scale-3rd Edition. Wood Dale, IL: Stoelting, 2013.
• U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K), Psychometric Report for Kindergarten through First Grade. NCES 2002-05. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 2002.
• Pianta, Robert, K. LaParo, and B. Hamre. The Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K Manual. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 2008.
• Clifford, Richard, Oscar Barbarin, Florence Chang, Diane M. Early, Donna Bryant, Carollee Howes, Margaret Burchinal, and Robert Pianta. What Is Pre-Kindergarten? Characteristics of Public Pre-Kindergarten Programs. Applied Developmental Science, vol. 9, no. 3, 2005, pp. 126-143.
• Bernstein, S., A. Kopack Klein, B. Lepidus Carlson, A. Li., N. Aikens, M. Dang, M. Scott, S. Skidmore, M. Cavanaugh, J. Cannon, and contributing authors. "American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019: User's Manual." Report submitted to the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC: Mathematica, 2021.
• Harms, T., R.M. Clifford, and D. Cryer. Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale: Revised Edition. New York. Teachers College Press, 2005.
• EOWPVT-4: Martin, N., and R. Brownell. "Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test-4th Edition." Novato, CA: Academic Therapy Publications, 2010.
• Radloff, L. "The CES-D Scale: A Self-Report Depression Scale for Research in the General Population." Applied Psychological Measurement, vol. 1, no. 3, 1977, pp. 385-401.
• Schrank, F., K. McGrew, and N. Mather. Woodcock-Johnson IV. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside, 2014.

Helpful Links

• To learn more about AIAN FACES and access reports/publications, please visit the AIAN FACES ACF website.
• To learn more about AIAN FACES and access reports/products, individuals may also visit the Mathematica study website.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 31, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): July 31, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 28, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 2, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): August 6, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 2, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 31, 2024
• Last Verified: July 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: children; parents; Head Start; child health; Native Americans; child development; child care; school readiness; families; teachers; parenting skills; programs; early childhood education; curriculum; Alaska natives; child rearing
• Other Study ID Numbers: 50515B

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: In the future, AIAN FACES 2019 archived data will be available for access.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data from 2019 and 2020 are currently available.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Access to AIAN FACES 2019 data is limited to individuals working in institutions of higher education or research organizations. In addition to completing the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) standard application, researchers must complete additional requirements in order to obtain access to the AIAN FACES 2019 data.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No