RESEARCH AND EVALUATION.

SEC. 116. RESEARCH AND EVALUATION. Section 649 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9844) is amended— (1) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (6), by striking “and” at the end; (B) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; (C) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (7) as paragraphs (3) through (8), respectively; (D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following: “(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;”; and (E) by adding at the end the following:112 STAT. 2724 “(9) 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 “(10) provide for— “(A) using the Survey of Income and Program Participation to conduct an analysis of the different income levels of Head Start participants compared to comparable persons who did not attend Head Start programs; “(B) using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which began gathering data in 1988 on children who attended Head Start programs, to examine the wide range of outcomes measured within the Survey, including out comes related to cognitive, socio-emotional, behavioral, and academic development; “(C) using the Survey of Program Dynamics, the new longitudinal survey required by section 414 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 614), to begin annual reporting, through the duration of the Survey, on Head Start program attendees’ academic readiness performance and improvements; “(D) ensuring that the Survey of Program Dynamics is linked with the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth at least once by the use of a common performance test, to be determined by the expert panel, for the greater national usefulness of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth database; and “(E) disseminating the results of the analysis, examination, reporting, and linkage described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) to persons conducting other studies under this subchapter. 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.”; and (2) by adding at the end the following: “(g) National Head Start Impact Research.— “(1) Expert panel.— “(A) In general.—The Secretary shall appoint an independent panel consisting of experts in program evaluation and research, education, and early childhood programs— “(i) to review, and make recommendations on, the design and plan for the research (whether conducted as a single assessment or as a series of assessments) described in paragraph (2), within 1 year after the date of enactment of the Coats Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1998; “(ii) to maintain and advise the Secretary regarding the progress of the research; and 112 STAT. 2725 “(iii) to comment, if the panel so desires, on the interim and final research reports submitted under paragraph (7). “(B) Travel expenses.—The members of the panel shall not receive compensation for the performance of services for the panel, but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the panel. Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may accept the voluntary and uncompensated services of members of the panel. “(2) General authority.—After reviewing the recommendations of the expert panel, the Secretary shall make a grant to, or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement with, an organization to conduct independent research that provides a national analysis of the impact of Head Start programs. The Secretary shall ensure that the organization shall have expertise in program evaluation, and research, education, and early childhood programs. “(3) Designs and techniques.—The Secretary shall ensure that the research uses rigorous methodological designs and techniques (based on the recommendations of the expert panel), including longitudinal designs, control groups, nationally recognized standardized measures, and random selection and assignment, as appropriate. The Secretary may provide that the research shall be conducted as a single comprehensive assessment or as a group of coordinated assessments designed to provide, when taken together, a national analysis of the impact of Head Start programs. “(4) Programs.—The Secretary shall ensure that the research focuses primarily on Head Start programs that operate in the 50 States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia and that do not specifically target special populations. “(5) Analysis.—The Secretary shall ensure that the organization conducting the research— “(A)(i) determines if, overall, the Head Start programs have impacts consistent with their primary goal of increasing the social competence of children, by increasing the everyday effectiveness of the children in dealing with their present environments and future responsibilities, and increasing their school readiness; “(ii) considers whether the Head Start programs— “(I) enhance the growth and development of children in cognitive, emotional, and physical health areas; “(II) strengthen families as the primary nurturers of their children; and “(III) ensure that children attain school readiness; and “(iii) examines— “(I) the impact of the Head Start programs on increasing access of children to such services as educational, health, and nutritional services, and linking 112 STAT. 2726children and families to needed community services; and “(II) how receipt of services described in subclause (I) enriches the lives of children and families participating in Head Start programs; “(B) examines the impact of Head Start programs on participants on the date the participants leave Head Start programs, at the end of kindergarten and at the end of first grade (whether in public or private school), by examining a variety of factors, including educational achievement, referrals for special education or remedial course work, and absenteeism; “(C) makes use of random selection from the population of all Head Start programs described in paragraph (4) in selecting programs for inclusion in the research; and “(D) includes comparisons of individuals who participate in Head Start programs with control groups (including comparison groups) composed of— “(i) individuals who participate in other early childhood programs (such as public or private preschool programs and day care); and “(ii) individuals who do not participate in any other early childhood program. “(6) Consideration of sources of variation.—In designing the research, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, consider addressing possible sources of variation in impact of Head Start programs, including variations in impact related to such factors as— “(A) Head Start program operations; “(B) Head Start program quality; “(C) the length of time a child attends a Head Start program; “(D) the age of the child on entering the Head Start program; “(E) the type of organization (such as a local educational agency or a community action agency) providing services for the Head Start program; “(F) the number of hours and days of program operation of the Head Start program (such as whether the program is a full–working–day, full calendar year program, a part–day program, or a part–year program); and “(G) other characteristics and features of the Head Start program (such as geographic location, location in an urban or a rural service area, or participant characteristics), as appropriate. “(7) Reports.— “(A) Submission of interim reports.—The organization shall prepare and submit to the Secretary two interim reports on the research. The first interim report shall describe the design of the research, and the rationale for the design, including a description of how potential sources of variation in impact of Head Start programs have been considered in designing the research. The second interim report shall describe the status of the research and preliminary findings of the research, as appropriate. 112 STAT. 2727 “(B) Submission of final report.—The organization shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a final report containing the findings of the research. “(C) Transmital of reports to congress.— “(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. “(8) Definition.—In this subsection, the term ‘impact’, used with respect to a Head Start program, means a difference in an outcome for a participant in the program that would not have occurred without the participation in the program. “(h) Quality Improvement Study.— “(1) Study.—The Secretary shall conduct a study regarding the use and effects of use of the quality improvement funds made available under section 640(a)(3) since fiscal year 1991. “(2) Report.—The Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress not later than September 2000 a report containing the results of the study, including information on— “(A) the types of activities funded with the quality improvement funds; “(B) the extent to which the use of the quality improvement funds has accomplished the goals of section 640(a)(3)(B); “(C) the effect of use of the quality improvement funds on teacher training, salaries, benefits, recruitment, and retention; and “(D) the effect of use of the quality improvement funds on the development of children receiving services under this subchapter.” ,