ERIC Number: ED591023
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 50
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Report to Congress on Head Start Monitoring, Fiscal Year 2014
Office of Head Start, US Department of Health and Human Services
This report presents a summary of the findings of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 monitoring reviews, fulfilling the reporting requirement, Section 641A(f), of the Head Start Act. It highlights the enhancements made to the FY 2014 monitoring review system, summarizes grantee review outcomes, and describes the types of findings most commonly identified in FY 2014. Head Start monitoring assesses grantee compliance with requirements governing Head Start programs, including those specified in the Head Start Act (original authorizing legislation in 1965 and its subsequent amendments, most recently in 2007), Head Start Program Performance Standards, and other applicable federal, state, and local regulations. The Head Start Program Performance Standards include provisions surrounding education, health, mental health, disabilities, nutrition, family and community partnerships, management, governance, facilities, enrollment, recruitment and selection, and program design. In FY 2014, the Office of Head Start (OHS) implemented enhancements to reflect changes in policy and procedure, ensure compliance with the Head Start Act (as amended in December 2007), and improve the overall monitoring process. Changes crossed all protocol areas and were focused on emphasizing consistency and accountability among review teams. Examples of these changes include: (1) refining established Standardized Methodology to ensure consistency, objectivity, and accuracy within the review process and to provide a set of high standards to which the reviewers are held accountable; (2) enhancing the Management Systems analysis process to support review team discussions around system-wide trends and inconsistencies, while summarizing management systems in each content area; and (3) streamlining interview guides to ensure efficient and effective evidence collection for all content areas. FY 2014 reviews are conducted by teams of reviewers knowledgeable about Head Start, and each team is led by a Review Team Leader (RTL). Each review is guided by the standardized methodology and the Monitoring Protocol, which guide reviewers' on-site activities in assessing program performance and compliance. [For the 2013 report, see ED591022.]
Descriptors: Program Evaluation, Federal Programs, Disadvantaged Youth, Early Childhood Education, Compliance (Legal), Grants, Evaluation Methods, Classroom Environment
Office of Head Start, US Department of Health and Human Services. Tel: 866-763-6481; e-mail: headstart@eclkc.info; Web site: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs
Publication Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (DHHS), Office of Head Start
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A