HS2K_Supporting Statement A_20210812 (clean)_passback (10-22-21)_ACF Response 11-15-2021 (clean)

Alternative Supporting Statement for Information Collections Designed for

Research, Public Health Surveillance, and Program Evaluation Purposes

Understanding Children’s Transitions

from Head Start to Kindergarten

OMB Information Collection Request

New Collection

Supporting Statement

Part A

AUGUST 2021

Submitted By:

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

Administration for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

4^th Floor, Mary E. Switzer Building

330 C Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20201

Project Officer: Kathleen Dwyer, PhD

Part A

Executive Summary

• Type of Request: This Information Collection Request is for a new collection. We are requesting two years of approval.

• Description of Request:

The Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposes to conduct a comparative multi-case study to better understand how to improve children’s transitions from Head Start programs to elementary schools. Information collection would include: (1) semi-structured interviews with practitioners, (2) focus groups and a short background survey with primary caregivers of Head Start children, (3) follow-up semi-structured interviews with a selection of those primary caregivers when their children are in kindergarten, and (4) a staff collaboration survey of all practitioners within six cases (inclusive of both Head Start and K-12 sites) that display promising approaches to the transition from Head Start to kindergarten. The data collected will not be representative and will not be generalizable to the broader population. We do not intend for this information to be used as the principal basis for public policy decisions. Data collection will take place within a two year period.

• Time Sensitivity:

The request does have some time sensitivities, as focus groups and interviews with families must be scheduled to coincide with the transition from Head Start to kindergarten (i.e., focus groups must be in the spring of 2022 and interviews must be in the fall of 2022). Site recruitment needs to begin in the fall of 2021 to secure site participation in the winter/spring of 2022. We anticipate the recruitment process to require significant time and effort given how agencies and school districts have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., continued restrictions on in-person activities).

A1. Necessity for Collection

The purpose of the Understanding Children’s Transitions from Head Start to Kindergarten (HS2K) project is to better understand how to improve children’s transitions from Head Start programs to elementary schools. Building on a review of the literature, key informant interviews, and a newly developed theory of change, the project will explore gaps in the current knowledge base. We will conduct a comparative multi-case study that explores the multiple settings in which transitions take place and the multi-directional influences on children’s, families’, and teachers’ transition experiences and outcomes. The research team’s working hypothesis is that transition practices that are coordinated across the systems will lead to the most successful transitions for teachers, families, and children. The ultimate goal of this analysis will be to examine whether coordination between the systems leads to successful transitions for teachers, families, and children. Findings will fill a gap in the knowledge base, particularly as it relates to how systems-level policies, supports, and practices influence how Head Start and K-12 staff and community organizations support teachers, families, and children through the transition to kindergarten.

There are no legal or administrative requirements that necessitate this collection. ACF is undertaking the collection at the discretion of the agency.

A2. Purpose

Purpose and Use

The current information collection is intended for research purposes. The purpose of the study is to explore the factors that may support children, families, and teachers as children make the transition from Head Start programs to elementary schools. The primary goals of the comparative multi-case study are to understand (1) the multi-layered perspectives, policies, professional supports, and practices around kindergarten transitions within Head Start, within elementary schools, and across systems––including the organizational contexts that influence transitions; and (2) the direct experiences of families and their children. The case study design allows for the collection of holistic and rich descriptions of promising transition approaches and how those approaches may differ both by context and child and family characteristics.

The findings from this study are intended to inform changes to practices, professional supports, and policy in Head Start, other early care and education settings, and elementary schools. Findings will be shared through publicly disseminated reports, briefs, and presentations aimed at different target audiences—including policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and the general public. The resulting insights are also intended to inform ACF research by aiding the creation of future research questions and testable hypotheses related to improving the supports for and experiences of teachers, families, and children during the transition to kindergarten.

The information collected is meant to contribute to the body of knowledge on ACF programs. It is not intended to be used as the principal basis for a decision by a federal decision-maker and is not expected to meet the threshold of influential or highly influential scientific information.

Research Questions

The case study and the instruments included in this information collection request are designed to answer the following research questions:

1. What strategies and practices are Head Start programs implementing to support children as they transition from Head Start to kindergarten? What is the content, quality, and quantity of these strategies and practices? How are they experienced by children, families, teachers, and other direct service providers?

2. What strategies and practices are elementary schools implementing to support children as they transition from Head Start to kindergarten? What is the content, quality, and quantity of these strategies and practices? How are they experienced by children, families, teachers, and other direct service providers?

3. What characterizes relationships among Head Start programs, elementary schools, and other community partners that support children’s successful transitions from Head Start to kindergarten? What are the specific facilitators of, and barriers to, successful transitions?  

4. What are the key short- and long-term outcomes of transition strategies and practices for children, families, Head Start teachers, and kindergarten teachers? What are the key contextual factors and mechanisms that result in these key outcomes?

Study Design

OPRE aims to answer the research questions through a case study of six purposively selected cases. OPRE and its research contractors (henceforth referred to as “the research team”) will collect primarily qualitative data from two sites (i.e., a Head Start program and a Local Education Agency) within each of the six cases (i.e., inter-organizational systems that arise within Head Start-LEA partnerships). See Supporting Statement B, part 2 for more information on case and site selection. Respondents will include LEA administrators, Head Start administrators, community service provider administrators, Head Start center directors, elementary principals, Head Start teachers, kindergarten teachers, elementary staff, and primary caregivers of Head Start children (both before and after entry into kindergarten). Data collection will take place over approximately three months in the winter/spring of 2022, as well as with families in the fall of 2022 after children have entered kindergarten.

We will include any limitations in all publications resulting from the information collection. This includes the fact that these results are not intended to be representative of or generalizable to any given subpopulation, but rather to provide descriptive information about what approaches are being implemented in various locales and what their key challenges are. See Supporting Statement B, part 1 for more detail on the study design, its appropriateness for the intended use, and its limitations.

Exhibit A2.1: Data Collection Activities

Data Collection Activity	Respondents	Purpose of Collection	Mode and Duration
Site recruitment conversations with administrators	Head Start grantee and Local Education Agency administrators	Recruitment scripts are designed to collect and confirm a variety of selection criteria within 12 potential cases, as well as gauge capacity for study participation.	Mode: Virtual, structured, interview. Duration: 45-60 minutes, depending on respondent. See A12 below.
Recruitment conversations with Head Start families	Families/primary caregivers of Head Start children	The recruitment script is designed to collect family demographic and background information, as well as gauge capacity for focus group participation.	Mode: Virtual, structured, interview. Duration: 10-15 minutes, depending on respondent. See A12 below.
Semi-structured interviews with practitioners	Head Start grantee and Local Education Agency administrators, Head Start program and elementary school leaders, Head Start and kindergarten teachers and staff, Head Start managers/coordinators, community partners	The interview protocols are designed to obtain multiple perspectives on transition-related policies and practices and to examine relationships that foster coordination across systems. We will ask about respondent background (including role and responsibilities), transition perspectives and supports, family engagement in transition processes, transition policies, and partnerships with Head Start programs and district/elementary schools. Some topics are covered in greater depth, depending on the role and responsibilities of the respondent (e.g., transition policies from the perspective of administrators, family engagement in the transitions process from the perspective of teachers).	Mode: Onsite, semi-structured, interview. If restricted due to COVID or other reasons identified by programs or schools, virtually via videoconference. Duration: 45-75 minutes, depending on respondent. See A12 below.
Family background questionnaire	Families/primary caregivers of Head Start children	This questionnaire will gather information related to primary caregiver background and demographics, special family circumstances that may require additional supports, exposure to transition supports and activities, and willingness to participate in a follow-up interview in the fall of 2022.	Mode: Qualtrics survey administered onsite via tablet prior to focus group. If restricted due to COVID or other reasons identified by programs or schools, virtually via Qualtrics. Duration: 15 minutes
Family focus group	Families/primary caregivers of Head Start children	The focus group is meant to gain a deeper understanding of how families from a variety of backgrounds experience the kindergarten transition. Guiding questions will probe families’ definitions of a “successful” kindergarten transition, concerns and feelings about the transition, and exposure to transition supports and activities.	Mode: Onsite, semi-structured focus group. If restricted due to COVID or other reasons identified by programs or schools, virtually via videoconference. Duration: 75 minutes
Follow-up semi-structured family interviews	Families/primary caregivers of former Head Start children	By talking with selected parents/primary caregivers at two points in time, we seek better understanding of the successes, changes, and challenges with the transition process. These interviews will probe families’ experiences entering kindergarten, their exposure to transition activities and supports, and their relationships with school staff.	Mode: Virtual, semi-structured, interview. Duration: 45 minutes
Staff Collaboration Survey data collection	Head Start grantee and Local Education Agency administrators, Head Start program and elementary school leaders, Head Start and kindergarten teachers and staff, Head Start managers/coordinators, community partners	This survey is meant to provide a better understanding of the types of staff who collaborate with each other to support the transition process. We will ask for the roles of people or organizations (name identification) who support the transition and the frequency of contact with these individuals.	Mode: Virtually via Qualtrics, either onsite (on a tablet) or remote. Duration: 15 minutes

Other Data Sources and Uses of Information

Recruitment activities will be used in concert with data available through the Office of Head Start’s Program Information Report (PIR) and the US Department of Education’s Common Core of Data (CCD), to the extent that they help us understand the sites we are learning more about (see more in Section A4). Both data sources are publicly available.

A3. Use of Information Technology to Reduce Burden

The research team will employ information technology as appropriate to reduce the burden of respondents who agree to participate. If site visits are not deemed safe given the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic––or are not preferred by agencies, programs, and schools––we will conduct data collection efforts via a video or conference call. This will allow respondents to participate from a convenient and safe location. The Family Background Questionnaire and Staff Collaboration Survey (attached as Instruments 1 and 2) will be administered online via Qualtrics Survey Software. For the Staff Collaboration Survey in particular, this not only reduces burden on respondents, but also improves data quality, given the complex nature of skip patterns and fill-ins. If the practitioner interviews and/or family focus groups occur in person, interviewers will provide respondents with tablets to minimize collection time. If the practitioner interviews and focus groups occur virtually, interviewers will forward Qualtrics links before the scheduled start times.

All interviews and focus groups will be recorded and transcribed, reducing burden by not needing to confirm responses post-data collection (which would require additional respondent time) and by not needing to take notes, which also minimizes the time needed during the interviews/focus groups.

A4. Use of Existing Data: Efforts to reduce duplication, minimize burden, and increase utility and government efficiency

The case study proposed does not duplicate any other work being done by ACF and does not duplicate any other data sources. However, the research team will utilize pre-existing datasets––the PIR (OMB #0970-0427) and the CCD (OMB #1850-0067)––to provide some of the contextual information sought for potential cases and sites. This information will be tabulated alongside novel data collection. See “Appendix A—HS2K Characteristics of Potential Sites for the Comparative Multi-Case Study” for a sample template. This matrix will identify the Head Start grantee and LEAs, and include the name of the potential sites within the case study, the inter-organizational configuration and agency type (from PIR), number of centers (from their website), staffing (from PIR), enrollment size (from PIR), organizational structure (e.g., centralized staffing within a center vs. dispersed staffing across centers; from website), the geographic location of the case, case urbanicity, demographic characteristics of the children and families served (from PIR and CCD), the number of schools serving kindergarten students (from CCD), the size of the Head Start and elementary centers/schools, and the rationale for why this site would make an interesting case study.

The purpose of this research project is to better inform the quality of future ACF research, evaluation, and program support regarding kindergarten transitions. Whereas other government surveys have asked questions about the kindergarten transition (e.g., Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey [OMB # 0970-0151], Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten [OMB # 1850-0750]), they have not focused specifically on this topic. As such, they do not allow us to understand the full experiences of staff and families during the transition from Head Start to kindergarten, nor the program- and system-level policies and practices that may facilitate transitions. For the broader project, the research team is utilizing those other data sources to provide contextual information around what is collected and learned from this comparative multi-site case study, including secondary analyses of ECLS-K data.

A5. Impact on Small Businesses

No small businesses will be involved with this information collection. However, the Head Start programs and community service providers who choose to participate in this research may be small, not-for-profit entities. The research team will reduce burden to the furthest extent possible for these entities by scheduling data collection at convenient times and adhering to the burden estimates provided.

A6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection

This is a one-time data collection.

A7. Now subsumed under 2(b) above and 10 (below)

A8. Consultation

Federal Register Notice and Comments

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), ACF published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s intention to request an OMB review of this information collection activity. This notice was published on 09/03/2020, Vol. 85, No. 172, 55013-55014, and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. During the notice and comment period, no comments were received.

Consultation with Experts Outside of the Study

The research team convened a technical expert panel meeting in March of 2020. Panel members and their affiliations are listed in Exhibit A8.1. The experts provided foundational guidance that informed the research design and planning for case studies. Their guidance included:

• Constructs and mechanisms represented in the research team’s theory of change.

• Gaps in the kindergarten transitions literature.

• Potential criteria for selecting case study sites.

• Nominations for case study sites.

Exhibit A8.1: Head Start to Kindergarten Transitions Project Technical Expert Panel

Name	Affiliation
Jennifer LoCasale-Crouch, PhD	University of Virginia
Mariela Páez, Phd	Boston College
Beth Rous, EdD	University of Kentucky
Deborah Stipek, PhD	Stanford University

Beyond the technical expert panel meeting, outside experts provided advice on various aspects of the review of the knowledge base, a scan of existing measures and data sources, the design of data collection instruments, and the construction of data collection protocols. Outside experts, their affiliations, and their role in developing research materials are listed in Exhibit A8.2.

Exhibit A8.2: Head Start to Kindergarten Transitions Project Outside Experts

Name	Affiliation	Feedback Provided
Angeline Spain, PhD	University of Chicago	Case study data collection and analysis plan
Beth Rous, EdD	University of Kentucky	Case study data collection and analysis plan
Kelly Purtell, PhD	Ohio State University	Scan of existing data sources and measures
Jennifer LoCasale-Crouch, PhD	University of Virginia	Review of the knowledge base and theory of change
Deborah Stipek, PhD	Stanford University	Review of the knowledge base and theory of change

In addition, the research team is engaging stakeholders to identify Head Start-LEA partnerships that exhibit promising approaches to supporting the transition to kindergarten.

A9. Tokens of Appreciation

The research team will provide $50 to parents or other family members who participate in the Head Start family focus group (1 hour, 15 minutes) and $25 to those who participate in the follow-up interview (45 minutes) once their child has transitioned to kindergarten. These tokens of appreciation are intended to offset incidental costs of participation in the study––such as transportation to an on-site interview and/or childcare for both on-site and virtual interviews––that may otherwise be a barrier to participation. The focus group and follow-up interviews with families are intended to collect information about participants’ experiences of transitioning from Head Start to kindergarten. While interview data will not support generalization to experiences in the full population of Head Start families, it is important that we secure participation from families facing a range of personal circumstances, including those with the most barriers to participation in the study. Securing participation from a range of respondents will best serve the study’s purpose of informing ACF and the field regarding the policies and practices that best support families as they make the transition from Head Start to kindergarten.

A10. Privacy: Procedures to protect privacy of information, while maximizing data sharing

Personally Identifiable Information

The research team will collect the names and contact information (phone numbers and/or email addresses) for primary caregivers of Head Start children solely for the purposes of outreach and scheduling. We will receive this information from Head Start Center Directors with primary caregiver permission.

The research team will also collect the names and contact information (phone numbers and/or email addresses) for all Head Start, LEA, and community service provider staff. We will receive this information from Head Start, LEA, and community service provider administrators once Head Start grantees and LEAs are recruited and have signed an MOU to participate in this study.

Information will not be maintained in a paper or electronic system from which data are actually or directly retrieved by an individuals’ personal identifier.

Assurances of Privacy

All respondents will be informed of all planned uses of data, that their participation is voluntary, and that their information will be kept private to the extent permitted by law and in accordance with current federal information security standards and other applicable regulations. As specified in the contract, the Contractor will comply with all Federal and Departmental regulations for private information.

Informed consent will be obtained from participants to ensure that they understand the nature of the research being conducted, that their participation is voluntary, and their rights as participants (see “Appendix B—Consent Language for Data Collection”). The consent script will appear as an introductory screen on all virtual data collections and will be read aloud during interviews and focus groups. Head Start, LEA, and community provider staff will provide verbal informed consent. If focus groups are conducted in person, primary caregivers of Head Start children will be asked for written informed consent. If they are conducted virtually, consent will be obtained verbally. The research team will obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for this recruitment, consent form, data collection, and analysis processes included in this study. Participants who have questions about the consent statement or other aspects of the study will be instructed to call the NORC at the University of Chicago’s (NORC) principal investigators or the administrator of NORC’s IRB. The research team will also obtain any necessary approvals from individual Head Start programs and/or LEAs who have independent research review boards.

Data Security and Monitoring

ID numbers will be assigned to each case study site and respondent. Names or other identifiers are not attached to the interview data. Contact information and interview data will not be combined into one dataset.

As specified in the contract, the Contractor shall protect respondent privacy to the extent permitted by law and will comply with all Federal and Departmental regulations for private information. The Contractor has developed a Data Security and Monitoring Plan that assesses all protections of respondents’ PII. The Contractor shall ensure that all of its employees, subcontractors (at all tiers), and employees of each subcontractor, who perform work under this contract/subcontract, are trained on data privacy issues and comply with the above requirements. 

As specified in the contract, the Contractor shall use Federal Information Processing Standard compliant encryption (Security Requirements for Cryptographic Module, as amended) to protect all instances of sensitive information during storage and transmission. The Contractor shall securely generate and manage encryption keys to prevent unauthorized decryption of information, in accordance with the Federal Processing Standard. The Contractor shall: ensure that this standard is incorporated into the Contractor’s property management/control system; establish a procedure to account for all laptop computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive information. Any data stored electronically will be secured in accordance with the most current National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requirements and other applicable Federal and Departmental regulations. In addition, the Contractor must submit a plan for minimizing to the extent possible the inclusion of sensitive information on paper records and for the protection of any paper records, field notes, or other documents that contain sensitive or PII that ensures secure storage and limits on access.

A11. Sensitive Information ¹

This data collection may obtain sensitive information. Given that Head Start serves a vulnerable population, and given the aims of the proposed case study, critical appraisals of close relationships and dimensions of vulnerability (e.g., exposure to trauma, special education needs, culture and linguistic variations, exposure to child welfare systems, and housing instability and homelessness) may arise as topics during interviews and focus groups. Indeed, the Head Start Family Background questionnaire (attached as Instrument 1) asks families if they have special needs due to a variety of experiences that can be considered sensitive. In order to best understand how to improve transition supports, the proposed focus groups and interviews should represent the widest possible variation of backgrounds and experiences within the Head Start service population. In addition, data collection protocols ask about Head Start and LEA staff, community provider, and parent practices and relationships to support transitions to kindergarten. As such, sensitive information may emerge during these conversations. All of this information will be protected as described in the Contractor’s Data Security and Monitoring Plan.

The IRB approval process through OPRE contractor NORC at the University of Chicago is currently underway. Other contractors will enter into an IRB Authorization Agreement (IAA) / Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to delegate oversight to NORC’s IRB.

A12. Burden

Explanation of Burden Estimates

To estimate the burden for each proposed instrument, the project team piloted each instrument internally and considered the number and type of questions for each respondent along with the amount of time allotted for each interview or focus group per site visit. The goal of each instrument and the data collection effort overall was to maximize the efficiency of data collection activities and minimize burden on participants.

Estimated Annualized Cost to Respondents

The estimated annual cost for respondents is shown in Exhibit A.12.1. The source for the mean hourly wage information for each respondent type is Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020.

• For Head Start grantee and delegate agency administrators, the mean hourly wage of $26.41 was used, based on the wage for education administrators in preschool and childcare centers and programs (11-9031 Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare Center/Program) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119031.htm.

• For LEA administrators, the mean annual salary of $103,010 was used, resulting in an approximate mean hourly wage of $49.52 (divided by 52 weeks/40 hours) based on the wage for administrators that plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of public or private elementary or secondary level schools (11-9032 Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119032.htm

• For the Head Start Center Director, the mean hourly wage of $25.96 was used, based on the wage for preschool and childcare center directors (11-9031 Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare Center/Program) https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/may/oes119031.htm

• For the Elementary Principal, the mean annual salary of $103,010 was used, resulting in an approximate mean hourly wage of $49.52 (divided by 52 weeks/40 hours) based on the wage for administrators that plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of public or private elementary or secondary level schools (11-9032 Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119032.htm

• For Head Start Teachers, the mean hourly wage of $17.57 was used, based on the wage for pre-school teachers (25-2011 Preschool Teachers, except Special Education) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252011.htm

• For Kindergarten Teachers and Elementary Staff, the mean annual salary of $65,420 was used, resulting in an approximate mean hourly wage $31.45 (divided by 52 weeks/40 hours) (25-2021 Elementary School Teachers, except Special Education) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252021.htm.

• For Head Start Managers/Coordinators, the mean hourly wage of $26.41 was used, based on the wage for education administrators in preschool and childcare centers and programs (11-9031 Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare Center/Program) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119031.htm

• For Community Providers, the mean hourly wage of $26.41 was used, based on the wage for social workers and other community and social service specialists (21-0000 Community and Social Service Occupations) https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes210000.htm

• The federal minimum wage, $7.25, was used to calculate the hourly wage for parents/primary caregivers.

The total estimated annual cost amount is $3,221.48.

Exhibit A12.1: Burden and Cost to Respondents

Instrument	Respondent	No. of Respondents (total over request period)	No. Of Responses per Respondent (total over request period)	Avg. Burden per Response (in hours)	Total Burden (in hours)	Annual Burden (in hours)	Average Hourly Wage Rate	Annual Respondent Cost
Initial Outreach and Recruitment Scripts for Programs and Schools	Head Start Grantee and Delegate Agency Administrator	12	1.5	1	18	9	$26.41	$237.69
	Local Education Agency Administrator	12	1.5	1	18	9	$49.52	$445.68
	Head Start Center Director	6	1	1	6	3	$26.96	$80.88
	Elementary Principal	6	1	1	6	3	$49.52	$148.56
Administrator Interview Protocol + Staff Collaboration Survey	Head Start Grantee and Delegate Agency Administrator	12	1	1.25	15	8	$26.41	$211.28
	Local Education Agency Administrator	18	1	1.25	23	12	$49.52	$594.24
Site Leadership Interview Protocol + Staff Collaboration Survey	Head Start Center Director	6	1	1.5	9	5	$25.96	$129.80
	Elementary Principal	6	1	1.5	9	5	$49.52	$247.60
Teacher & Staff Interview Protocol + Staff Collaboration Survey	Head Start Teacher	12	1	1	12	6	$17.57	$105.42
	Kindergarten Teacher	12	1	1	12	6	$31.45	$188.70
	Elementary Staff	6	1	1.25	8	4	$31.45	$125.80
Head Start Manager /Coordinator Interview Protocol + Staff Collaboration Survey	Head Start Managers/ Coordinators	12	1	1.5	18	9	$26.41	$237.69
Initial Outreach and Recruitment Scripts for Head Start Families	Head Start Primary Caregivers	72	1	.25	18	9	$7.25	$65.25
Head Start Family Background Questionnaire		48	1	.25	12	6	$7.25	$43.50
Head Start Family Focus Group Protocol		48	1	1.25	60	30	$7.25	$217.50
Kindergarten Family Interview Protocol		12	1	.75	9	5	$7.25	$36.25
Community Partner Interview Protocol + Staff Collaboration Survey	Community Partner Administrator	6	1	1.25	8	4	$26.41	$105.64
Totals:						133		$3,221.48

A13. Costs

Honoraria in the amount of $35-50/hour will be provided directly to participating administrators and staff as compensation for their expertise and time participating in the proposed interviews, as shown in Exhibit A.13.1 below. The honoraria will be provided in the form of a gift card. Honoraria will be available for Head Start grantee and delegate agency administrators, Local Education Agency administrators, Community Provider Partner staff, Head Start Managers/Coordinators, Head Start Center Directors, elementary school principals, Head Start and kindergarten teachers, and other elementary staff after their completion of the Staff Collaboration Survey and participation in the proposed semi-structured interview. These honoraria are appropriate for these professionals as they have the specialized knowledge and perspectives sought and are being requested to respond to the information collection in addition to their regular duties as administrators, directors, managers/coordinators, and teachers. Given the level of demand already on their time the proposed honoraria are important to ensure the respondents are compensated for the additional time to participate in the study.

Exhibit A13.1: Burden to Respondents and Proposed Honoraria

Respondent	Data Collection Instrument	Estimated time to complete	Proposed Honorarium
Head Start Grantee and Delegate Agency Administrator	Initial Outreach and Recruitment Scripts for Programs and Schools1	2 hours	—
	Administrator Interview Protocol	1.25 hour	$45.00
Local Education Agency Administrator	Initial Outreach and Recruitment Scripts for Programs and Schools1	2 hours	—
	Administrator Interview Protocol	1.25 hour	$45.00
Community Partner Administrator	Community Partner Interview Protocol	1.25 hour	$45.00
Head Start Center Director	Initial Outreach and Recruitment Scripts for Programs and Schools1	1 hour	—
	Site Leadership Protocol	1.5 hours	$50.00
Elementary School Principal	Initial Outreach and Recruitment Scripts for Programs and Schools1	1 hour	—
	Site Leadership Protocol	1.5 hours	$50.00
Head Start Manager/Coordinator	Head Start Manager/Coordinator Interview Protocol	1.5 hours	$50.00
Head Start Teacher	Teacher & Staff Interview Protocol	1 hour	$35.00
Kindergarten Teacher	Teacher & Staff Interview Protocol	1 hour	$35.00
Elementary Staff	Teacher & Staff Interview Protocol	1.25 hour	$45.00

¹ Respondents will only receive honoraria if they participate in the study.

A14. Estimated Annualized Costs to the Federal Government

The total cost for the data collection activities under this current request will be $654,688. Costs include personnel labor hours and other direct costs such as data collector travel, tokens of appreciation and honoraria for respondents, and interview/focus group transcription. The costs include field work, analysis, and the costs of publication and dissemination. As noted in section A2, the goal is for the findings to be distributed through various written products – particularly through brief reports that are designed to speak to various audiences (such as Head Start directors, teachers, families, community organizations). We also plan to share findings to research audiences and key stakeholder groups through conferences and meetings. Estimated annualized costs to the federal government over the requested two-year approval period are as follows:

Cost Category	Estimated Costs
Field Work	$172,982
Analysis	$153,642
Publications/Dissemination	$192,264
Total costs over the request period:	$518,888
Annual costs:	$259,444

A15. Reasons for changes in burden

This is a new information collection request.

A16. Timeline

Exhibit A16.1: Project Timeline

	2021				2022												2023
Milestone	9	10	11	12	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	1-6	7	8
Outreach & Recruitment	OMB Approval	Recruitment
Data Collection						Site Visits (6)								Parent Follow-Up Interviews
OMB
Analysis										Coding	Analysis Site Visits					Analysis Parent Interviews
Reports																Reports
Dissemination																		Dissemination

A17. Exceptions

No exceptions are necessary for this information collection.

Attachments

Appendix A—HS2K Characteristics of Potential Sites for the Comparative Multi-Case Study

Appendix B—Consent Language for Data Collection

Appendix C—Case Study Site Examples by Organizational Structure and Configuration

Appendix D—Urbanicity Categories

Appendix E—Recruitment Materials

Appendix F—Type of Respondents, by Organization, and Data Collection Protocol

Appendix G—Document Review Abstraction Template

Appendix H—Constructs and Analytic Questions

Instrument 1—Head Start Family Background Questionnaire 

Instrument 2—Staff Collaboration Survey 

Instrument 3—Topic Guide for Semi-structured Interviews and Focus Groups 

Instrument 3a—Administrator Interview Protocol

Instrument 3b—Site Leadership Interview Protocol

Instrument 3c—Teacher & Staff Interview Protocol

Instrument 3d—Head Start Manager Interview Protocol

Instrument 3e—Community Partner Interview Protocol

Instrument 3f—Kindergarten Family Interview Protocol

Instrument 3g—Head Start Family Focus Group Protocol

Instrument 4—Initial Outreach and Recruitment Scripts for Programs and Schools

Instrument 5—Initial Outreach and Recruitment Scripts for Head Start Families

1 Examples of sensitive topics include (but not limited to): social security number; sex behavior and attitudes; illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior; critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close relationships, e.g., family, pupil-teacher, employee-supervisor; mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to respondents; religion and indicators of religion; community activities which indicate political affiliation and attitudes; legally recognized privileged and analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians and ministers; records describing how an individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment; receipt of economic assistance from the government (e.g., unemployment or WIC or SNAP); immigration/citizenship status.

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