Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), Family Engagement Plus Study, United States, 2014-2015

The 2014 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey, or FACES 2014,
is the sixth in a series of national studies of Head Start, with earlier
studies conducted in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009. FACES 2014 used a new
study design that differs from earlier rounds of FACES in several important
ways: (1) it included larger program and classroom samples, (2) all data were
collected in a single program year, (3) the baseline sample of children included
both children enrolled in their first and second year of Head Start, and (4) several special studies were
conducted along with the main (Classroom + Child Outcomes Core and Classroom
Core) study to collect more detailed information about a given topic, to study
new populations of Head Start programs and participants, and to evaluate
measures for possible use in future rounds of FACES. For example, the Family
Engagement Plus study collected information from parents and staff (teachers
and family services staff) on family engagement efforts and service provision
in Head Start programs.
The FACES 2014 Family Engagement Plus study took
place in spring 2015 within the 60 programs that participated in the
child-level data collection in the Classroom + Child Outcomes Core study. This
Plus study describes family engagement practices in Head Start from the
perspectives of parents and Head Start staff. It examines how practices align
with the Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework
and targeted family outcomes. It also explores how programs engage with
community partners to provide comprehensive services to families and how
parents and staff characterize their relationships with one another. It
includes semi-structured interviews with parents and family services staff
(FSS) as well as supplemental content added to the Core parent and teacher
surveys. This release includes open-ended qualitative data from the
semi-structured interviews included in the Family Engagement Plus study.
The primary research questions for the Family Engagement Plus study are as follows:

What do family engagement efforts look like in Head Start?
How are families engaged in Head Start and in their children's learning and development at home and in the community?
What staff are involved in family engagement efforts, and in what ways are they involved in those efforts?
How are comprehensive family services provided in Head Start?
How do parents and staff characterize their relationships and interactions with one another?
How do family engagement efforts and service provisions align with the Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework?
The User's Manual provides detailed
information about the Family Engagement Plus study design, execution, and data
to inform and assist researchers who may be interested in using the data for
future analyses or pairing the Family Engagement qualitative data collection
sources with other FACES 2014 sources.