§ 9844. Research, demonstrations, and evaluation

(a) In general

(1) Requirement; general purposes The Secretary shall carry out a continuing program of research, demonstration, and evaluation activities, in order to—

(A) foster continuous improvement in the quality of the Head Start programs under this subchapter and in their effectiveness in enabling participating children and their families to succeed in school and otherwise; and

(B) use the Head Start programs to develop, test, and disseminate new ideas based on existing scientifically valid research, for addressing the needs of low-income preschool children (including children with disabilities, homeless children, children who have been abused or neglected, and children in foster care) and their families and communities (including demonstrations of innovative non-center-based program models such as home-based and mobile programs), and otherwise to further the purposes of this subchapter.

(2) Plan

The Secretary shall develop, and periodically update, a plan governing the research, demonstration, and evaluation activities under this section.

(b) Conduct of research, demonstration, and evaluation activities The Secretary, in order to conduct research, demonstration, and evaluation activities under this section—

(1) may carry out such activities directly, or through grants to, or contracts or cooperative agreements with, public or private entities;

(2) shall, to the extent appropriate, undertake such activities in collaboration with other Federal agencies, and with non-Federal agencies, conducting similar activities;

(3) shall ensure that evaluation of activities in a specific program or project is conducted by persons not directly involved in the operation of such program or project;

(4) may require Head Start agencies to provide for independent evaluations;

(5) may approve, in appropriate cases, community-based cooperative research and evaluation efforts to enable Head Start programs to collaborate with qualified researchers not directly involved in program administration or operation; and

(6) may collaborate with organizations with expertise in inclusive educational strategies for preschoolers with disabilities.

(c) Consultation and collaboration In carrying out activities under this section, the Secretary shall—

(1) consult with—

(A) individuals from relevant academic disciplines;

(B) individuals who are involved in the operation of Head Start programs and individuals who are involved in the operation of other child and family service programs; and

(C) individuals from other Federal agencies, and individuals from organizations, involved with children and families, ensuring that the individuals described in this subparagraph reflect the multicultural nature of the children and families served by the Head Start programs and the multidisciplinary nature of the Head Start programs;

(2) whenever feasible and appropriate, obtain the views of persons participating in and served by programs and projects assisted under this subchapter with respect to activities under this section; and

(3) establish, to the extent appropriate, working relationships with the faculties of institutions of higher education, as defined in section 1001 of title 20, located in the area in which any evaluation under this section is being conducted, unless there is no such institution of higher education willing and able to participate in such evaluation.

(d) Specific objectives The research, demonstration, and evaluation activities under this subchapter shall include components designed to—

(1) permit ongoing assessment of the quality and effectiveness of the programs under this subchapter;

(2) establish evaluation methods that measure the effectiveness and impact of family literacy services program models, including models for the integration of family literacy services with Head Start services;

(3) contribute to developing knowledge concerning factors associated with the quality and effectiveness of Head Start programs and in identifying ways in which services provided under this subchapter may be improved;

(4) assist in developing knowledge concerning the factors that promote or inhibit healthy development and effective functioning of children and their families both during and following participation in a Head Start program;

(5)

(A) identify successful strategies that promote good oral health and provide effective linkages to quality dental services through pediatric dental referral networks, for infants and toddlers participating in Early Head Start programs and children participating in other Head Start programs; and

(B) identify successful strategies that promote good vision health through vision screenings for such infants, toddlers, and children, and referrals for appropriate followup care for those identified as having a vision problem;

(6) permit comparisons of children and families participating in Head Start programs with children and families receiving other child care, early childhood education and development or services unique trust responsibility to American Indians and Alaska Natives;

(ii) limitations faced by tribal communities in accessing non-Federal sources of funding to supplement Federal funding for early childhood programs; and

(iii) other factors that uniquely and adversely impact children in American Indian and Alaska Native communities such as highly elevated poverty, unemployment and violent crime rates, as well as depressed levels of educational achievement and limited access to non-Federal health, social and educational resources;

(2) in carrying out paragraph (1), consult with the Secretary of Education about the Department of Education’s systems for collecting and reporting data about, and maintaining records on, American Indian and Alaska Native students;

(3) not later than 9 months after the effective date of this subsection, publish in the Federal Register a notice of how the Secretary plans to carry out paragraph (1) and shall provide a period for public comment. To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall consider comments received before submitting a report to the Congress;

(4) not later than 1 year after the effective date of this subsection, submit a report to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, detailing how the Department of Health and Human Services plans to carry out paragraph (1);

(5) through regulation, ensure the confidentiality of any personally identifiable data, information, and records collected or maintained by the Secretary, by Head Start agencies that carry out Indian Head Start programs, and by State Directors of Head Start Collaboration, by the Indian Head Start Collaboration Project Director and by other appropriate entities pursuant to this subsection (such regulations shall provide the policies, protections, and rights equivalent to those provided a parent, student, or educational agency or institution under section 1232g of title 20); and

(6) ensure that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize the development of a nationwide database of personally identifiable information on individuals involved in studies or other collections of data under this subsection.

(l) Migrant and seasonal Head Start program study

(1) Data In order to increase access to Head Start services for children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, the Secretary shall work in collaboration with providers of migrant and seasonal Head Start programs, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Labor, the Bureau of Migrant Health, and the Secretary of Education to—

(A) collect, report, and share data, within a coordinated system, on children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families, including health records and educational documents of such children, in order to adequately account for the number of children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers who are eligible for Head Start services and determine how many of such children receive the services; and

(B) identify barriers that prevent children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers who are eligible for Head Start services from accessing Head Start services, and develop a plan for eliminating such barriers, including certain requirements relating to tracking, health records, and educational documents, and increasing enrollment.

(2) Publication of plan

Not later than 1 year after December 12, 2007, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a notice about how the Secretary plans to implement the activities identified in paragraph (1) and shall provide a period for public comment. To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall consider comments received before implementing any of the activities identified in paragraph (1).

(3) Report

Not later than 18 months after December 12, 2007, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate detailing how the Secretary plans to implement the activities identified in paragraph (1), including the progress made in reaching out to and serving eligible children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and information on States where such children are still underserved.

(4) Protection of confidentiality

The Secretary shall, through regulation, ensure the protection of the confidentiality of any personally identifiable data, information, and records collected or maintained by the Secretary, by Head Start agencies that carry out migrant or seasonal Head Start programs, by the State director of Head Start Collaboration, and by the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Collaboration project Director (such regulations shall provide the policies, protections, and rights equivalent to those provided a parent, student, or educational agency or institution under section 1232g of title 20).

(5) Rule of construction

Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize the development of a nationwide database of personally identifiable data, information, or records on individuals involved in studies or other collections of data under this subsection.

(m) Program emergency preparedness

(1) Purpose

The purpose of this subsection is to evaluate the emergency preparedness of the Head Start programs, including Early Head Start programs, and make recommendations for how Head Start shall enhance its readiness to respond to an emergency.

(2) Study

The Secretary shall evaluate the Federal, State, and local preparedness of Head Start programs, including Early Head Start programs, to respond appropriately in the event of a large-scale emergency, such as the hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, or other incidents where assistance may be warranted under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).

(3) Report to Congress Not later than 18 months after December 12, 2007, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report containing the results of the evaluation required under paragraph (2), including—

(A) recommendations for improvements to Federal, State, and local preparedness and response capabilities to large-scale emergencies, including those that were developed in response to hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, as they relate to Head Start programs, including Early Head Start programs, and the Secretary’s plan to implement such recommendations;

(B) an evaluation of the procedures for informing families of children in Head Start programs about the program protocols for response to a large-scale emergency, including procedures for communicating with such families in the event of a large-scale emergency;

(C) an evaluation of such procedures for staff training on State and local evacuation and emergency protocols; and

(D) an evaluation of procedures for Head Start agencies and the Secretary to coordinate with appropriate Federal, State, and local emergency management agencies in the event of a large scale emergency and recommendations to improve such procedures.

(Pub. L. 97–35, title VI, § 649, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 505; Pub. L. 98–558, title I, § 107, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2880; Pub. L. 101–501, title I, § 117(a), Nov. 3, 1990, 104 Stat. 1233; Pub. L. 103–252, title I, § 116, May 18, 1994, 108 Stat. 646; Pub. L. 105–244, title I, § 102(a)(13)(G), Oct. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1621; Pub. L. 105–285, title I, § 116, Oct. 27, 1998, 112 Stat. 2723; Pub. L. 110–134, § 20, Dec. 12, 2007, 121 Stat. 1435.)

References In Text

References in Text

The effective date of this subsection, referred to in subsec. (k)(3), (4), probably means the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–134, which enacted subsec. (k) of this section and was approved Dec. 12, 2007.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (m)(2), is Pub. L. 93–288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143, which is classified principally to chapter 68 (§ 5121 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5121 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

Amendments

2007—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(1), amended subpar. (B) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (B) read as follows: “use the Head Start programs to develop, test, and disseminate new ideas and approaches for addressing the needs of low-income preschool children (including children with disabilities) and their families and communities (including demonstrations of innovative noncenter-based program models such as home-based and mobile programs), and otherwise to further the purposes of this subchapter.”

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(2)(F), struck out concluding provisions which read as follows: “The Secretary shall ensure that an appropriate entity carries out a study described in paragraph (9), and prepares and submits to the appropriate committees of Congress a report containing the results of the study, not later than September 30, 2002.”

Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(2)(E), added par. (5). Former par. (5) redesignated (6).

Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(2)(C), substituted “early childhood education and development or services programs” for “early childhood education, or child development services”.

Subsec. (d)(6), (7). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(2)(D), redesignated pars. (5) and (6) as (6) and (7), respectively. Former par. (7) redesignated (8).

Subsec. (d)(8). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(2)(D), redesignated par. (7) as (8). Former par. (8) redesignated (9).

Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(2)(A), inserted “and” at end.

Subsec. (d)(9). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(2)(B), (D), redesignated par. (8) as (9) and struck out former par. (9) which read as follows: “study the experiences of small, medium, and large States with Head Start programs in order to permit comparisons of children participating in the programs with eligible children who did not participate in the programs, which study—

“(A) may include the use of a data set that existed prior to the initiation of the study; and

“(B) shall compare the educational achievement, social adaptation, and health status of the participating children and the eligible nonparticipating children; and”

Subsec. (d)(10). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(2)(B), added par. (10) and struck out former par. (10) which provided for using the Survey of Income and Program Participation to conduct certain analyses, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine certain outcomes, and the Survey of Program Dynamics to begin certain annual reporting.

Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(3), substituted “early childhood education and development services or programs” for “child care, early childhood education, or child development services”.

Subsec. (g)(7)(C). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(4), amended subpar. (C) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

“(i) In general.—The Secretary shall transmit, to the committees described in clause (ii), the first interim report by September 30, 1999, the second interim report by September 30, 2001, and the final report by September 30, 2003.

“(ii) Committees.—The committees referred to in clause (i) are the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate.”

Subsecs. (h) to (m). Pub. L. 110–134, § 20(5), added subsecs. (h) to (m) and struck out former subsec. (h) which related to quality improvement study.

1998—Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 105–244 substituted “section 1001” for “section 1141(a)”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–285, § 116(1)(E), inserted concluding provisions.

Subsec. (d)(2) to (8). Pub. L. 105–285, § 116(1)(C), (D), added par. (2) and redesignated former pars. (2) to (7) as (3) to (8), respectively.

Subsec. (d)(9), (10). Pub. L. 105–285, § 116(1)(A), (B), (E), added pars. (9) and (10).

Subsecs. (g), (h). Pub. L. 105–285, § 116(2), added subsecs. (g) and (h).

1994—Pub. L. 103–252 substituted “Research, demonstrations, and evaluation” for “Research, demonstration, pilot projects, studies, and reports” in section catchline and amended text generally, substituting provisions requiring Secretary to conduct a research, demonstration, and evaluation program to continually improve Head Start programs and develop innovative ways to further purposes of this subchapter, consult with others on the program, consider longitudinal studies in developing priorities for program, and ensure all products of program become United States property and defining objectives of program, for provisions authorizing the Secretary to provide financial assistance through contracts and grants for research, demonstration or pilot projects to develop new approaches to further purposes of this subchapter, directing Secretary to establish plan for approval of such projects, restricting combination of funds appropriated under this subchapter with other appropriations to make a single grant, requiring Secretary to conduct study of approaches to provide early, continuous, and comprehensive intervention to low-income or at-risk children and study of family day care in compliance with performance standards and to report results of studies to Congress.

1990—Pub. L. 101–501, § 117(a)(1), substituted “Research, demonstration, pilot projects, studies, and reports” for “Research, demonstration, and pilot projects” in section catchline.

Subsecs. (d) to (f). Pub. L. 101–501, § 117(a)(2), added subsecs. (d) to (f).

1984—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98–558 added subsec. (c).

Change Of Name

Change of Name

Committee on Education and Labor of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Education and the Workforce of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Jan. 5, 2011.

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 105–244 effective Oct. 1, 1998, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 105–244, see section 3 of Pub. L. 105–244, set out as a note under section 1001 of Title 20, Education.

Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–252 effective May 18, 1994, but not applicable to Head Start agencies and other recipients of financial assistance under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) until Oct. 1, 1994, see section 127 of Pub. L. 103–252, set out as a note under section 9832 of this title.

Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 101–501 effective Oct. 1, 1990, see section 1001(a) of Pub. L. 101–501, set out as a note under section 8621 of this title.

Miscellaneous

Study of Full-Day and Full-Year Head Start Programs

Pub. L. 103–252, title I, § 126, May 18, 1994, 108 Stat. 650, directed Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study of extent to which Head Start programs address the need for Head Start services during a full working day or full calendar year among eligible low-income families with preschool children and to submit a report to Congress not later than Jan. 31, 1997.