Head Start Executive Summary

The research finds that participants with the lowest initial skills are the most beneficial from public Head Start programs. But this study also states that Head Start program has lots of limitation. At the beginning of this research paper, the author introduces the history and definition of Head Start program and its main purpose. He states, “The federal Head Start program is the largest early childhood education initiative in the United States, giving matching grants to preschool centers that provide parent training, early education, and health services to poor children and their families” (Healy, 2015, para. 1). As the author emphasis, the Head Start program is not suitable for all children but only offers to children from the low-income families. There are still many families left who need the public

According to the Administration for Children and Families (2010), “Head Start is a national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families” (para. 3). Based on this mission subject, it is possible to subject Head Start to a program evaluation based on the following questions: (a) Is Head Start provisioning educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families? (b) Is the provisioning of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services leading to an enhancement of the social and cognitive development of children? (c) Is the social and cognitive development of children a social good for which taxpayers should pay $7 billion a year? These questions will be addressed, both directly and indirectly, later in this overview.

meeting educational, health, social service, and parental needs. “Head Start also wants to help bring about a greater degree of social competence in these children (Mallory and Goldsmith,

Early Head Start is a federally funded grant program. Women can apply when they are pregnant and the school is for ages six weeks up to three years old. It helps out the families who are lower income to get their children the education that they need for the early years of their lives. In Early Head Start there are 48 children that are enrolled in school.

As history has witnessed, “President Lyndon B. Johnson declared The War on Poverty in his State of Union speech” (“Head Start”). The Office of Economic Opportunity brought to the fore-front “Project Head Start”, which had the life-span of eight weeks. The Head Start Project was recognized as a vital defender against the vicious cycle of poverty; which is why in 1965 Lyndon B. Johnson signed the “Head Start Program” into full effect. The Head Start Act has improved the quality of life for children and parents alike. Low-income families are given a helping hand through the Head Start program.

Due to Head Start success it became a half-day, 9-month program. The federal Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) was responsible for the program. In 1967, Head Start services became so popular that they expanded and offered the service to families with children from birth to three, under The Parent and Child Centers project. In 1969, during President Nixon’s presidency, Head Start moved from OEO to the Office of Child Development, under the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1972, Head Start was further expanded and was authorized to service children with disabilities. 10% of its national enrollment was designated for disabled children. As you can imagine the budget of Head Start was becoming extremely high, as a result in the

The Head Start Program was developed through President Lyndon Johnson’s administration. The program is an equality program which assures students who lives in poverty have a right to educational opportunities. The purpose of the program was to combat the War on Poverty by giving children who live in poor neighborhoods an opportunity to receive an early education to prepare them for elementary and secondary education (“An Office”, 2015).

In 1974, Congress enacts the Community Services Act of 1974 which formally recognizes Head Start’s transfer to Health and Human Services, it extended the program for 5 years and created a mandatory formula for the allocated amount given to the State. In 1982, Congress authorizes a $125 million increase in funding. Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1986 allows for children to receive Head Start services for multiple years and it reauthorizes Head Start until fiscal Year 1990. In 1990 Congress passes Head Start Expansion and Quality Improvement Act which allows Head Start to set-aside funding for training. In 1992, Congress passes the Head Start Improvement Act allowing head start to purchase building and give resources to younger sibling and parents. In 1998, The reauthorization revises the purpose of Head Start from the development of social competence to the promotion of school readiness. This reauthorization required at least one teacher in each classroom to have an associate degree. In 2003 Head Start implements Head Start National Reporting System in order to monitor all 4 and 5 years old skills in the program. In 2007, Congress passes The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act. This Act terminated the National Reporting system, increases teachers qualifications and made overall improvements to the programs

Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs which serve children from birth to age five, pregnant woman and their extended families. They are child-focused programs that have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families. . These programs try to prepare young children intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically for their future educational and social endeavors. ( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002).. The programs prepare the parent(s) to be supportive in the endeavor. Head Start has the philosophy that parents are a child's first and most influential teacher. The Head Start program is beneficial to early learning.

The lack of attention given to an individual child’s needs can be observed in the structuring of the classroom at Head Start. The program places

As I finish up my last two hours at the Early Childhood Center that resides on the university’s campus, it has been an adventure for me. I have acquired many new skills for the classroom, Shadowing for Ms. Bailey class, room 307 was not an easy process but I got through it. Head Start is located on Winston Salem’s University’s campus in its own secluded area, where students who attend Winston Salem won’t bother. Essentially outside of the university the Early Childhood center is placed in a rough part of town. Around you can find low income based housing, run down gas stations and ABC stores around. That doesn’t stop Head Start from producing the best students they can, their mission statement is to “help low-income families in our community put their children on a path to success in school…and throughout their lives”.

They must stay up to date on the latest education policies and techniques. Since it's beginning, Head Start programs have grown and services have expanded significantly in response to dramatic changes in families and their communities. Local Head Start programs are at the head of these new developments and must constantly re-evaluate themselves to adapt to changes in needs and resources. This attention to program performance and continuous quality improvement is critical. Program evaluation and continuous quality improvement ensures that Head Start programs develop as learning communities.

Head start was and still is a preschool program designed by President Lyndon B. Johnson with the goal of eliminating poverty. His idea was to improve childhood developed by providing a positive environment for pre-kindergarten children. (Zigler and Muenchow,1992) President Johnson was the first president to pioneer this type of program. The target group affected by this program was poverty strict families that had no positive psychological influence. His belief was that by improving the physical and psychological development, it would result in a change in the child’s genetic traits for the advancement of the students. By stimulating the educational success of children, this would transition into better adult earnings and eventually put an

Head Start is a federally funded, education development program that was created in 1965. The program provides education and services for eligible children from low-income families. Head Start 's philosophy focuses on the development of social-emotional, physical and mental health, nutrition, and working with families and the community and stated “low-income people should help plan and run their own programs” (p. 41-42). Head Start has truly expanded their resources over the years by providing a full school year for ages 3-6 years old and offering services such as health screenings, referrals, and social services (p. 42). Most importantly, each and every Head Start program must follow the federal Head Start Program Performace Standards that address all areas of development (p. 42). The program is truly committed to support low-income families and creating an education system that supports all aspects of the child.

Based on this policy analysis, the recommended alternative is for the federal government to educate states on recognizing the importance of and participating in the quality early education programs. Some states have already started making progress in modeling and developing early learning systems for children zero to age five. According to the Whitehouse (2011), “The President’s 2012 budget calls upon Congress to establish a new, competitive Early Learning Challenge Fund, administered by the Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS), for states that are ready to take dramatic steps to improve the quality of their early childhood programs. The Early Learning Challenge Fund will be complemented by investments in Head Start