American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES)

states with region XI head start programs: Maine, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska
States with Region XI Head Start Programs

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES) provides descriptive, nationally representative information on the:

  • Characteristics, experiences, development, strengths and needs of Region XI Head Start children and families;
  • Cultural and linguistic experiences of Native children and families in Region XI Head Start; and
  • Characteristics of the Region XI Head Start programs and staff who serve them.

Region XI serves children and families in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes, including AIAN and non-AIAN children and families. Region XI programs incorporate their unique history, community traditions, and beliefs into their operations and integrate Native language and culture into the delivery of services to children and families.

To date, we have collected data during the 2015-2016 school year (AIAN FACES 2015) and the 2019-2020 school year (AIAN FACES 2019).

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS), and Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) planned these studies to be responsive to the needs of Region XI Head Start children, families, and programs. The studies are informed by principles of tribal participatory research. We collaborated with the AIAN FACES Workgroup on all aspects of the studies to ensure they address research priorities in Region XI programs and to make sure the research protocols align with the cultural and contextual values of AIAN communities. The AIAN FACES Workgroup consists of (PDF):

  • Region XI Head Start directors
  • Child development researchers with expertise in tribal communities
  • OHS and OPRE 

The design, engagement with programs, and dissemination efforts for AIAN FACES reflect advice from members of the AIAN FACES Workgroup. The members of the Workgroup are committed to addressing cultural issues in how the studies are carried out and how findings are shared with the Head Start community and broader field.

Procedures for tribal review and approval are followed in all communities that took part in AIAN FACES. Information about these studies has been shared broadly with tribal Head Start programs and tribal leaders via OHS tribal consultations, nationally-broadcast webinars (the links to these are available below under the ’Webinar’ tab), National Indian Head Start Directors Association annual conferences, the National Research Conference on Early Childhood, and the Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Council.

AIAN FACES 2015

The first AIAN FACES study was fielded in Fall of 2015 and Spring 2016. Data were collected from 21 Region XI Head Start programs, 36 centers, 73 classrooms, and 1,049 children and their parents.

An observational measure of culture and language in Native classrooms did not exist in 2015. To fill this gap, the study team collaborated with Workgroup members to develop an observational measure of Native culture and language in the classroom. The Native Culture & Language in the Classroom Observation (NCLCO) was designed to record the types of culturally significant materials that surround children in Region XI Head Start programs and classrooms and can capture information on the materials’ use in the classroom.

AIAN FACES 2019

AIAN FACES was fielded again in Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. For this data collection, the measures that were used to collect data for AIAN FACES 2015 were refined based on suggestions from the AIAN FACES Workgroup, analysis and review of the 2015 data collected, and ACF priorities.

Data were collected from 22 Region XI Head Start programs, 40 centers, 85 classrooms, and 720 parents and their children.  The Spring data was being collected when the COVID-19 pandemic started. The study team added items (PDF) for center and program directors to understand how programs were adjusting their services and communication with both families and staff to capture the response to COVID-19 and their plans to provide services during the summer.

AIAN FACES Data is Available to Qualified Individuals for Research

Data from AIAN FACES 2015 and AIAN FACES 2019 are archived at the Child and Family Data Archive for qualified researchers. To learn more about the data and how to access this restricted data set, please visit the Child and Family Data Archive Visit disclaimer page or email AIAN_OPRE_Data@acf.hhs.gov.

The AIAN FACES Data Committee will review all applications for the data. This committee includes tribal Head Start directors and researchers with experience doing research in tribal communities.

Cross-Cultural Understanding and Cultural Humility: Training for Early Childhood Researchers Working with American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

The Cross-Cultural Understanding and Cultural Humility training was designed to ensure that all AIAN FACES study staff were rigorously trained on how to work respectfully with Region XI Head Start programs and AIAN communities. The training is a result of years of close collaboration with the AIAN FACES Workgroup, as well as the lessons learned from the two studies.

The training reflects an ongoing commitment to fostering culturally responsive and respectful research. Although AIAN FACES focuses on research with a specific population (Region XI Head Start programs and the children and families in their communities), this training material may be used as a resource for broader early childhood research efforts with AIAN programs and communities.

Perspectives of Workgroup Members Participation in AIAN FACES 2015

The workgroup created a first-person account of their perspectives and participation in the AIAN FACES 2015 effort. The article provides a close look at the path that led each group to the table, and the perspectives and resources each brought to bear on this seminal effort. This article was published in the American Journal of Community Psychology and can be accessed here .

AIAN FACES 2015 and AIAN FACES 2019 were conducted through a contract with Mathematica.

Point(s) of contact: Laura Hoard, Alysia Blandon, and Nina Philipsen

Information on the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) can be found here.

This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under the title Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2019) .

Information collections related to this project have been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under OMB #0970-0151. Related materials are available on at the FACES Information collection page on RegInfo.gov .

The most currently approved documents are accessible by clicking on the ICR Ref. No. with the most recent date. To access the information collections (e.g. interviews, surveys, protocols), click on View Information Collection (IC) List. Click on View Supporting Statement and Other Documents to access other supplementary documents.

Related Resources

A look at job satisfaction and turnover of teachers in Region XI Head Start programs

A look at cultural and language elders or specialists in Region XI Head Start programs

Learn about Native language use in Region XI Head Start classrooms.

Explore OPRE's Native Culture & Language in the Classroom Observation.

Explore this OPRE funded research brief that uses nationally representative data from the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES 2019) to describe families’ economic conditions and the forms of social and community support they have.

Explore OPRE's research brief on how Region XI Head Start children's centers responded early in the COVID-19 pandemic to support children and families.

The AIAN FACES 2021-22 data collection will examine child, family, and staff well-being in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022. Head Start program leaders, federal staff, and researchers recognize the need for information about how children, families, teachers, and programs are doing to inform and support children, families, and programs following the COVID-19 pandemic in Region XI.

Explore OPRE's new infographic on the new supports offered to Region XI Head Start staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Explore OPRE's infographic on barriers to communicating with Region XI Head Start children's families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Explore OPRE's infographic on Region XI Head Start's preparation for future emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American-Indian Alaska Native Head Start Family and Children Experiences Survey (AI/AN FACES 2015) was planned over two years, with advice from members of a work group comprised of Region XI Head Start Directors, ACF partners, University-based tribal early childhood researchers, and the study research organization. In the Fall of 2015 and Spring of 2016, data were collected from children, families, and Head Start Programs. Using data from AI/AN FACES 2015, this research brief...

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national descriptive study of children and families enrolled in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes. These programs incorporate communities’ unique histories, traditions, and beliefs into their operations. AI/AN FACES 2015 reflects advice from the AI/AN FACES Workgroup, comprising Region XI Head Start directors, researchers, and federal officials.

Research shows Native culture and language support children’s development in positive ways. In this brief, we examine the Native language and cultural experiences of American Indian and Alaska Native children in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes or tribal consortia (Region XI). The data presented in this report inform our understanding of the Native language and cultural experiences that AI/AN children in Region XI Head Start have at home and in their communities...

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national descriptive study of children and families enrolled in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes. Region XI Head Start provides grants to federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native tribes, tribal governments, or consortia...

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national descriptive study of children and families enrolled in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes. These programs are known as Region XI. Region XI programs incorporate their unique history, community traditions, and beliefs into their operations and integrate language and culture into the delivery of services to children and families...

Since 1997, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) has been a regular source of nationally representative data on Head Start programs, centers, classrooms, children, and families. Until the 2015—2016 program year, however, FACES had not been conducted in Region XI AI/AN Head Start programs. This was due in part to the time and resources required...

It is important for Head Start to have information about children’s and families’ strengths and needs over the course of the program year. We examine Region XI Head Start children’s growth in cognitive skills (in language, literacy, and mathematics), social-emotional skills, and executive function during the program year to learn about their progress toward being ready for school. We also consider children’s physical health at the end of the program year, as it can influence children’s readiness for school.

he American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national study of Region XI American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Head Start children...

Nationally, about 35,575 American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and their families are served by Head Start, with just over half served by 150 tribally run Head Start programs in Region XI. While we have a wealth of information about Head Start children and families in general, through data collected for the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), Region XI programs have never been included in this study. The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AI/AN FACES) is designed to collect information from a representative sample of children, families and programs in Region XI, with tribal voices at the forefront...

Explore OPRE’s web page with resources to facilitate the “Cross-Cultural Understanding and Cultural Humility” training for early childhood researchers working with American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Explore key findings from OPRE's American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AIAN FACES 2015) for information about Region XI Head Start children, families, classrooms, and programs in Fall 2015 and Spring 2016.

 

Explore findings from the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019 (AIAN FACES Fall 2019) describing children enrolled in Region XI Head Start programs in fall 2019, their family backgrounds and home environments.

Using nationally representative data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2019) and the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES 2019), this research brief evaluates the performance of direct cognitive assessments of Head Start children, including the validity of the Minnesota Executive Function Scale App (MEFS AppTM) for Head Start children and whether there was any systematic item bias in the latest editions of cognitive assessments between AIAN children (in AIAN FACES) compared with White, non-Hispanic children (in FACES).

Explore OPRE's Descriptive Data on Region XI Head Start Children and Families: AIAN FACES Spring 2020 Data Tables and Study Design to learn more about the background, design, methodology, analytic methods, and descriptive statistics.

Explore OPRE's Descriptive Data on Region XI Head Start Children and Families: AIAN FACES Fall 2019 Data Tables and Study Design for information on the AIAN FACES 2019 study methodology, sample, and analytic methods.

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national descriptive study of children and families enrolled in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes. These programs are known as Region XI. Region XI programs incorporate their unique history, community traditions, and beliefs into their operations and integrate language and culture into the delivery of services to children and families.

In 1997, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) was launched to provide descriptive, nationally representative information on the characteristics, experiences, and development of Head Start children and families, and the characteristics of the Head Start programs and staff who serve them. Until 2015, FACES only included children, families, and programs in Head Start Regions I-X...

AI/AN FACES 2015 is the first national study of Region XI AI/AN Head Start children and their families, classrooms, and programs. To date, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) has been a major source of descriptive information on Head Start and preschool children ages 3 to 5 years old who attend the program. FACES gathers data from Regions I-X...

AI/AN FACES 2015 is the first national study of Region XI AI/AN Head Start children and their families, classrooms, and programs. This set of tables presents data on the demographic backgrounds and developmental outcomes of children enrolled in Region XI AI/AN Head Start programs during the 2015—16 Head Start year. The tables also detail aspects of their home environment and family life. Data on children’s classrooms, teachers, centers, and programs...

Learn about the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family Child and Experiences survey (AIAN FACES) through a series of videos featuring members of the AIAN FACES Workgroup.

Discover a webinar that presents the initial findings from the first nationally representative study of Region XI Head Start programs run by tribal communities.

Since 1997, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) has been a regular source of nationally representative data on Head Start programs, centers, classrooms, children, and families. Until the 2015—2016 program year, however, FACES had not been conducted in Region XI AI/AN Head Start programs. This was due in part to the time and resources required to engage in the intensive community-based planning and implementation process needed to successfully carry out the study...

This webinar presents findings on children’s cultural and language experiences in Head Start classrooms, at home, and in the community from the American Indian and Alaska Native Family and Child Experiences Survey of 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015). AIAN FACES 2015 is a rich source of information about Region XI Head Start children and families, including...

This webinar provides a selection of findings from questions to children’s program and center directors on how they were providing services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 and the perspectives of the Office of Head Start Region XI Regional Program Manager and a Region XI Head Start program director at the onset of the pandemic.

This webinar is the first of a series on findings from the second round of AIAN FACES (first done in 2015). The webinar provides a preview of first findings from fall 2019, information on how programs can use data from the study, and the perspectives of the Office of Head Start Region XI Regional Program Manager and a Region XI Head Start program director on the data.