Children Of Poor Families Research Articles

A Reanalysis of the Effect of Head Start on Cognitive Development: Methodology and Empirical Findings

The effect of the Head Start program on cognitive achievement is examined with two objectives in mind. First, we clarify the use of statistical models to evaluate programs that deal with nonrandom assignments to treatment and control groups, and we show the conditions for unbiased estimation of program effects. Second, we present a refined set of empirical estimates of Head Start effects, using multiple regression techniques. The data used are from the Westinghouse Learning Corporation study, and our results generally support their pessimistic findings, although some qualifications are in order. Head Start, a federally funded educational program, is designed to improve the cognitive and affective skills of preschool children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It began in 1965 under the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) and was based on three assumptions: that education is required to enable poor children to escape poverty in their adult years, that development during the preschool years is critical for educational success, and that children in poor families are deprived of the intellectual and cultural stimulation necessary for adequate preschool development. The program has been popular, despite the lack of clear evidence of success in achieving its goals. It survived the demise of OEO and is now administered by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1976, 379,000 children were enrolled in the program [3].

Fostering Learning Potential in Preschoolers

A family agency uses professional staff, volunteers, and clients to enhance the development of cognition of children in poor families

Race and Status in School Spending: Chicago, 1961-1966

Previous studies have established that the race and social status of a school's student body is reflected in the levels of spending for public education. The interaction of these two factors is examined in a large metropolitan area, showing that at the beginning of the 1960s there were higher expenditures per pupil for the more privileged racial and status groups both in the central city and the suburban ring. The pressures of the civil rights movement and the new federal funds for children of poor families (1964 Education Act) each had the effect of partially equalizing expenditures. By 1966 only the schools in high status white suburbs maintained the same degree of advantage over other groups in the spending for their pupils.

Children in poor families: Myths and realities.

Book reviewed in this article: Some popular fallacies about children and families can obstruct effective services and interventions. Several examples suggest that one safeguard against mistaking fallacy for fact is skepticism about the single-barreled explanation or cure for serious problems. Another is refusal to classify a child as beyond help because of a single unfortunate characteristic or circumstance.