U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children & Families
Head Start's National Research Conference

Research on Young Children and Families
Launching the Next Decade for Policy and Practice
June 21–23, 2010 ● Washington Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, DC

IMPORTANT NOTE: Head Start's 10th National Research Conference was held June 21-23, 2010.
Thank you for your participation, we look forward to seeing you in 2012!


Conference Structure

Posters: Posters are single papers (with coauthors, where applicable) involving research or program evaluation on a specific topic. The poster format is especially conducive to interaction and discussion among conference participants. One 2-hour time slot during the first two days will be devoted to posters only, with no other concurrent sessions. Posters will be grouped by content area to foster networking among the presenters and audience. Authors involved in posters in multiple content areas must be prepared to present their work in multiple locations of the exhibit area.

Posters will be scheduled during one of 2 time slots of two hours each.

Symposia: A symposium consists of an organizer (who submits the application), a chairperson (who facilitates the symposia), two or three presenters and discussant(s). The organizer, discussant, or a presenter may also serve as chair of the session. The discussant offers integrative commentary. Symposia address major research questions of a theoretical, empirical, programmatic, and/or policy nature relevant to the conference. Discussants are asked to provide a critical analysis of the studies being presented. Symposia must involve presenters from two universities, institutions, or organizations who represent different perspectives or different aspects of an issue. Proposals that do not conform to this might not be sent for peer review.

The Program Committee and Adminstration for Children and Families are strongly committed to partnerships between university researchers and practitioners. Therefore, when submitting proposals that involve community partners, representatives from these partners are desirable as presenters or discussants. Symposium organizers must include diverse cultural perspectives, where applicable.

Symposia will be scheduled during one of six timeslots of 1 hour and 45 minutes each. Prospective presenters should prepare a session that employs a lively and varied format as well as audiovisuals and other materials to enhance learning.

Other formal events include plenary sessions, a student/mentor networking roundtable for student registrants and Program Committee-selected mentors in various fields, poster symposia, conversation hours, workshops, debates, and forums.

Informal events include Cooperating organizations' displays, and other special programming to foster dialogue and build partnerships.

Rules of Participation

  1. Persons whose presentations are accepted must participate at the time scheduled by the Program Committee. Any special scheduling requests must be made at the time of acceptance.

  2. Symposia presenters agree to submit electronic copies of their presentation materials to be included on the conference website.

  3. Symposia presenters will be supplied with one LCD projector/screen and laptop computer during their session. Poster presenters will be supplied with a poster board, table, chair, and sign indicating the poster number and title. All other audiovisual needs will be at the presenter's expense and must be indicated at the time of acceptance.

  4. Administration for Children and Families, ICF International, Columbia University, and the Society for Research in Child Development do not pay the expenses of presenters accepted from the call. All presenters accepted from the call who will be attending the conference (including chairpersons, discussants, and coauthors) are required to register. Symposium organizers and poster first authors accepted through the call are responsible for ensuring that all participants in their event are registered. There is no registration fee.

  5. Those accepted from the call are not precluded from publishing their material elsewhere.