Secondary Analyses of Head Start Data

Overview

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) is soliciting applications for Secondary Analyses of Head Start (HS) Data grant. Analyzing existing data sets may provide researchers an efficient and cost-effective method for answering critical research questions. This funding opportunity aims to support researchers conducting secondary analyses of data to address key questions of relevance to HS, Early Head Start (EHS), American Indian Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs. Findings are intended to inform policy, program administration, and future research. Researchers may conduct secondary analyses of survey, program evaluation, or administrative data. Data sets from primary research and evaluation may also be candidates for secondary analyses. A data set may be used by itself or linked with other data sets to best address the research questions proposed.

HS programs serve children (ages birth to 5) and pregnant women from low-income families and offer early learning; and nutritional, health, social, family well-being, and other services. HS programs are delivered through direct grants from the federal government to agencies in local communities throughout the nation that provide services in centers, schools, family child care homes, and through home visiting. HS programs are available at no cost to children from low-income families. Families and children experiencing homelessness, and children in the foster care system are also eligible. Additionally, services are available to children with disabilities and other special needs. 

This grant opportunity will provide funding to address key questions of relevance to HS programs, inclusive of HS, EHS, AI/AN HS, and MSHS programs. Findings are intended to inform policy, program administration, and future research. The following specific goals of the grants are to:

• Address topics of current relevance to the goals and outcomes of HS programs;
• Encourage active communication, networking, and collaboration among prominent HS researchers and policy makers; and
• Increase the capacity of HS researchers to analyze existing data sets and disseminate their findings to multiple audiences.

Priority Population 1: Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Communities, Tribal Communities,
and Other Historically Underserved or Marginalized Communities.
ACF is interested in secondary analyses that leverage an equity and strength-based lens to provide insights into how families from historically underserved or marginalized communities access and benefit from HS programs, systematic differences in staff and family experiences with HS programs, and factors associated with any differences. This includes, but is not limited to, analyses on the following topics:

• Identifying and supporting the diverse cultural or linguistic strengths of families and/or staff from historically underserved or marginalized populations;
• Engaging, supporting, and meeting the unique health, mental health, economic self-sufficiency, and other needs of families and/or staff from historically underserved or marginalized populations;
• Examining the psychometric performance of measures used to collect data from historically underserved or marginalized samples; 
• Promoting equity and improvements in approaches to reach, recruit, enroll, and sustain enrollment of families from historically underserved or marginalized populations;
• Identifying and addressing systematic inequities and disparities in compensation, opportunities, systems, policies, and supports for families and/or staff from historically underserved or marginalized populations; and
• Implementation and outcomes of culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate family engagement, professional development, program policies, and teaching and learning practices.

In particular, ACF is interested in secondary analyses of relevance to MSHS and AI/AN programs and the communities they serve that leverage the following data sources:

• Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study 2017 (MSHS Study 2017); and
• American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 and 2019 (AIAN FACES 2015 and 2019).

Priority Population 2: Infants, Toddlers, and Expectant Families
ACF is interested in secondary analyses that examine EHS programs and the comprehensive
child development and family support services they provide to infants, toddlers, and expectant
families. This includes, but is not limited to, analyses on the following topics:

• Building, recruiting, and retaining a qualified EHS workforce and strategies to stabilize the EHS workforce;
• Facilitators and barriers to the implementation of high-quality EHS programs that meet community needs, including for new EHS programs, EHS-Child Care partnership programs, EHS Expansion programs, as well as existing programs converting enrollment slots;
• Features of EHS-Child Care partnerships that support or impede sustainability; 
• Approaches to measure and improve classroom and home visit quality in EHS programs;
• Improving EHS staff competencies through professional development and supports for educational attainment;
• Identifying practices or experiences within EHS programs that drive child and family outcomes; and
• Approaches to engage, support, and meet the health, mental health, economic self-sufficiency, and other needs of EHS families.

In particular, ACF is interested in secondary analyses of relevance to EHS programs that

leverage the following data sources:

• Early Head Start Family and Child Experience Survey 2018 and 2022 (Baby FACES 2018 and 2022);
• National Descriptive Study of Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP); and
• The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Sustainability Study.

The data sources listed above, as well as other potentially relevant data sources, are or will soon
be available through the Child and Family Data Archive. Researchers may conduct secondary
analyses of survey, program evaluation, or administrative data. Primary research and evaluation
data sources may also be appropriate candidates for secondary analysis. Data sources may be
used by themselves or linked.

• Expected Number of Awards: 10
• Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2023
• Length of Project Periods: 18-month project period and budget period
• The Project Director or Principal Investigator must attend quarterly virtual calls with other grant recipients.
• The Project Director or Principal Investigator must attend and present a poster at ACF's National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC) 2024. NRCEC is typically held in June in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and lasts approximately 3 days. 
• The Project Director or Principal Investigator must also attend one meeting of all Secondary Analyses of HS Data grant recipients. This meeting will last approximately 1 day and be held in conjunction with NRCEC 2024.