The birth of Head Start: preschool education policies in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations

Abstract

One of the most popular and enduring legacies of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs, Project Head continues to support young children of low-income families - close to one million annually - by providing a range of developmental and educational services. Policy makers proposing to reform and update Head often invoke its origins to justify their position, but until now no comprehensive political history of the program has existed.Maris A. Vinovskis here provides in The Birth of Head Start an in-depth look at the nation's largest and best-known - yet politically challenged - early education program. He sets the record straight on the program's intended aims, documenting key decisions made during its formative years. While previous accounts of Head have neglected the contributions of important participants such as federal education officials and members of Congress, Vinovskis' history is the first to consider the relationship between politics and policy making and how this interaction has shaped the program. This thorough and incisive book will be essential for policy makers and legislators interested in prekindergarten education and will inform future discussions on early intervention services for disadvantaged children.