FACES Findings: New Research on Head Start Program Quality and Outcomes

The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), launched in Spring 1997, is an integral part of Head Start’s system of Program Performance Measures, an outcome-oriented accountability system. FACES collects data annually on a nationally representative sample of Head Start programs, classrooms, teachers, parents, and children examining the quality and effects of Head Start. The Spring 1997 field test collected data on 2,400 children and their families; the sample in later data collections was increased to 3,200 children and families in 40 programs.