article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Head Start Assessment Act of 2003''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) When used appropriately, valid and reliable assessments can be of positive value for improving instruction and supporting development of young children. (2) According to the National Academy of Sciences report, Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers, assessment of children below school age is in ``flux'' and ``all assessments, and particularly assessments for accountability, must be used carefully and appropriately if they are to resolve, and not create, educational problems.'' (3) The Eager to Learn report emphasized that the intended purpose and use of the data to be derived from assessments should be considered in determining which assessment instruments and procedures are most appropriate. (4) The National Academy of Sciences reports that few early childhood educators and administrators are well-trained in the selection and appropriate use of assessments for young children. (5) According to the National Academy of Sciences report, From Neurons to Neighborhoods, the emotional and social development of young children is as critical to school readiness as language and cognitive development. (6) The Head Start Act currently requires programs to assess children in Head Start a minimum of three times a year against certain performance standards, which include all domains of the development and learning of children. (7) The proposed Head Start National Reporting System on Child Outcomes assessment is not reflective of the full range of skills and competencies that the National Academy of Sciences reports state children require to succeed, and it has not been thoroughly debated by those groups associated with Head Start, including early childhood development and assessment experts, early childhood educators and administrators, family members of children participating in Head Start, or Congress. SEC. 3. DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES IN CONNECTION WITH THE HEAD START NATIONAL REPORTING SYSTEM ON CHILD OUTCOMES. (a) Satisfaction of Conditions.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall not proceed with the full-scale implementation of the Head Start National Reporting System on Child Outcomes, as described in the project proposal (68 Fed. Reg. 17815; relating to Implementation of the Head Start National Reporting System on Child Outcomes), until the Secretary certifies to Congress that the following conditions have been satisfied: (1) Oversight hearings.--Congressional oversight hearings have been concluded concerning the development and implementation of the Head Start National Reporting System on Child Outcomes. (2) Public forums.--The Secretary has concluded, consistent with the requirements of subsection (b), public forums in different regions of the United States, and provided an opportunity for written public comments, concerning early childhood assessment proposals. (3) Study on early childhood assessments.--The Secretary has submitted, consistent with subsection (c), to Congress a study of early childhood assessments focusing on improving accountability, instruction, and the delivery of services. The Secretary shall request the National Academy of Sciences to prepare the study using a panel of nationally recognized experts in early childhood assessment, child development, and education. (4) Availability of funds.--Without reducing the number of students served by Head Start, sufficient funds are available to-- (A) develop and implement any new Head Start assessments; and (B) deliver necessary additional technical assistance and professional development required to successfully implement the new assessments. (b) Public Forum Participation.--To satisfy the condition specified in subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall ensure that participation in the required forums includes-- (1) early childhood development and assessment experts; (2) early childhood educators and administrators; and (3) family members of children participating in Head Start. (c) Information Required by Study on Early Childhood Assessments.-- To satisfy the condition specified in subsection (a)(3), the Secretary shall ensure that the required study contains, at a minimum, specific information regarding the following: (1) Which skills and competencies are predictive of school readiness and future academic success. (2) The development, selection, and use of instruments, determined to be reliable and validated for preschoolers, including preschoolers in the Head Start population, to assess the development in young children of-- (A) literacy, language, and mathematical skills; (B) emotional and social skills; and (C) health and physical well-being. (3) The development of appropriate benchmarks and the proper use of early childhood assessments to improve Head Start program effectiveness and instruction. (4) The resources required for successful implementation of additional assessments within Head Start and how such additional assessments might be coordinated with current processes. (5) Whether a new assessment would provide information to improve program accountability or instruction that is not already available from existing assessments and reporting procedures within Head Start. (6) The professional development and personnel needs for successful implementation of early childhood assessments. (7) The practicality of employing sampling techniques as part of any early childhood assessment. (8) The practicality of employing observational and work- sampling assessment techniques as part of an early childhood assessment. (9) Steps needed to ensure that assessments accommodate the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of young children, including young children with disabilities.
summary: Head Start Assessment Act of 2003 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from proceeding with the full-scale implementation of the Head Start National Reporting System on Child Outcomes, as described in a specified project proposal, until the Secretary certifies to Congress that: (1) congressional oversight hearings have been concluded concerning the development and implementation of the System; (2) the Secretary has concluded public forums in different regions of the United States, and provided an opportunity for written public comments, concerning early childhood assessment proposals; (3) the Secretary has reported to Congress a study by the National Academy of Sciences of early childhood assessments focusing on improving accountability, instruction, and the delivery of services; and (4) sufficient funds are available to develop and implement any new Head Start assessments, and deliver necessary additional technical assistance and professional development required to successfully implement these assessments. Prescribes requirements for participants in such public forums.