Head Start Participants Research Articles

Effects of Individualized Education Programs on Cognitive Outcomes for Children with Disabilities in Head Start Programs

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the impact of Head Start, disability status, and receipt of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) on early language, literacy, and mathematics skills for low-income children with language, cognitive, emotional/behavioral, sensory, and physical disabilities. Secondary analysis of data was performed on a sample of children with disabilities (N = 570) drawn from the Head Start Impact Study, a nationally representative study of approximately 5,000 children randomly assigned to Head Start or non–Head Start programs. Results of ordinary least squares regression analyses indicated that Head Start participation enhanced outcomes for children with multiple disabilities; language, literacy, and mathematics skills at age 5–6 years were higher for these children compared to non–Head Start attendees. Head Start children with disabilities were more likely to have an IEP, though IEP receipt was associated with lower language, literacy, and mathematics scores among all children. There is a need to ensure that Head Start, and programs similar to Head Start, are more widely available to provide comprehensive, quality early childhood programming to children with cumulative risk factors (low income, multiple disabilities). Future research should clarify why IEP receipt was associated with poorer cognitive outcomes.

Head Start and the Distribution of Long Term Education and Labor Market Outcomes

In this paper we investigate the effect of Head Start on long term education and labor market outcomes using data from the NLSY79. The contributions to the existing literature on the effectiveness of Head Start are threefold: (1) we are the first to examine distributional effects of Head Start on long term outcomes (2) we do not rely on quasi-experimental variation in Head Start participation but instead perform a nonparametric bounds analysis that relies on weak stochastic dominance assumptions and (3) we consider education and labor market outcomes observed for individuals in their early 30s. The results show that Head Start has a statistically significant positive effect on years of education, in particular for women, blacks and Hispanics. For wage income we also find evidence that Head Start has beneficial impacts, with effects located at the lower end of the distribution.

Head Start and the Distribution of Long Term Education and Labor Market Outcomes

In this paper we investigate the effect of Head Start on long term education and labor market outcomes using data from the NLSY79. The contributions to the existing literature on the effectiveness of Head Start are threefold: (1) we are the first to examine distributional effects of Head Start on long term outcomes (2) we do not rely on quasi-experimental variation in Head Start participation but instead perform a nonparametric bounds analysis that relies on weak stochastic dominance assumptions and (3) we consider education and labor market outcomes observed for individuals in their early 30s. The results show that Head Start has a statistically significant positive effect on years of education, in particular for women, blacks and Hispanics. For wage income we also find evidence that Head Start has beneficial impacts, with effects located at the lower end of the distribution.

Social and emotional learning services and child outcomes in third grade: Evidence from a cohort of Head Start participants

A variety of universal school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs have been designed in the past decades to help children improve social–emotional and academic skills. Evidence on the effectiveness of SEL programs has been mixed in the literature. Using data from a longitudinal follow-up study of children (n=414) originally enrolled in a clustered randomized controlled trial (RCT) when they were in Head Start, we examined whether universal SEL services in third grade were associated with the development of children from disadvantaged families. We took advantage of pairwise matching in the RCT design to compare children who had similar family background and preschool experiences but received different doses of SEL services in third grade. The results showed that the frequent (i.e., weekly to daily) exposure to SEL opportunities was associated with favorable social–emotional and academic development in third grade, including increased social skills, student–teacher relationship, and academic skills, as well as reduced impulsiveness.

Long-Term Effects of the Head Start Participation on Adulthood Outcomes: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Long-Term Effects of the Head Start Participation on Adulthood Outcomes: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Dimensions of Parenting Associated with Child Prekindergarten Emotion Regulation and Attention Control in Low-income Families.

Delays in emotion regulation and attention control are common among children growing up in poverty, and they contribute to significant socio-economic gaps in school readiness and later school attainment. In this study, the emotion regulation and attention control skills of 210 prekindergarten Head Start participants were assessed (M age = 4.80 years old). Home interviews and videotaped parent-child interactions were used to evaluate three aspects of parenting (e.g., warm-sensitive, directive-critical, and parenting stress). Structural equation models documented significant, unique associations linking directive-critical parenting and parenting stress with poor child emotion regulation skills. Directive-critical parenting was also uniquely associated with low levels of child attention control. Warm-sensitive parenting was not uniquely related to either emotion regulation or attention control at this age. The findings suggest that, by prekindergarten, parent stress management and reduced directiveness emerge as the primary correlates of child emotion regulation and attention control, whereas warm-sensitive parenting plays a diminished role.

Changes in Body Mass Index Associated With Head Start Participation

Changes in Body Mass Index Associated With Head Start Participation

Neighborhood economic disadvantage and children's cognitive and social-emotional development: Exploring Head Start classroom quality as a mediating mechanism

Past research has shown robust relationships between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and children's school achievement and social-emotional outcomes, yet the mechanisms for explaining these relationships are poorly understood. The present study uses data from 1904 Head Start participants enrolled in the Head Start Impact Study to examine the role that classroom structural and relational quality play in explaining the association between neighborhood poverty and children's developmental gains over the preschool year. Results suggest that neighborhood poverty is directly related to lower levels of classroom quality, and lower gains in early literacy and math scores. Indirect relationships were also found between neighborhood poverty and children's social-emotional outcomes (i.e., approaches to learning and behavior problems) via differences in the physical resources and negative student–teacher relationships within classrooms. These findings highlight the need for policy initiatives to consider community characteristics as potential predictors of disparities in classroom quality and children's cognitive and social-emotional development in Head Start.

The Influence of Low-Income Children's Participation in Head Start on Their Parents’ Education and Employment

Head Start is the oldest and largest federally funded preschool program in the United States. From its inception in 1965, Head Start not only provided early childhood education, care, and services for children, but also sought to promote parents’ success. However, almost all evaluation studies of Head Start have focused solely on children's cognitive and social outcomes rather than on parents’ outcomes. The present study examines whether children's participation in Head Start promotes parents’ educational advancement and employment. We use data from the Head Start Impact Study (HSIS), a randomized trial of over 4,000 newly entering three- and four-year-old children. We find that parents of children in the three-year-old cohort (but not the four-year-old cohort), who were randomly assigned to and participated in Head Start, had steeper increases in their own educational attainment by child age six years compared to parents of children in the control group. This pattern is especially strong for parents who had at least some college experience at baseline, as well as for African-American parents. We do not find evidence that Head Start helped parents enter or return to the workforce over time. Results are discussed in the context of using high-quality early childhood education as a platform for improving both child and parent outcomes.

Is participation in Head Start associated with less maternal spanking for boys and girls?

Head Start includes family-oriented services to enhance parent–child relationships, but little is known about the effect of Head Start on parenting practices. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort (n≈7000), we examined whether participation in Head Start was associated with maternal spanking, with particular attention to whether the association differed by child gender. We found that Head Start participation was associated with lower likelihood that mothers spanked their child in the past week at both preschool and kindergarten entry as well as lower likelihood that mothers would use spanking in a hypothetical situation, among boys but not girls. These beneficial effects of Head Start participation on mothers' use of spanking among boys were not reduced by additionally including maternal depression and child behavior problems.

A Head Start Farm to Family Pilot Program Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Families

Fresh Produce, Fresh Start was a pilot farm to family study which tested the effectiveness of a local produce delivery program on dietary intake of Head Start participants. Utilizing a pre-test/post-test design, measures collected from Head Start parents included 24-hour recall of dietary intake, height and weight, and a food security questionnaire. Intent-to-treat analysis was conducted using paired t-tests. Significant increases were found in intake of vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, vegetable, and fruit and vegetable servings combined (p < .05) for participants (N=51). In particular, fruit and vegetable intake increased by 1.4 servings per day. Food security status and weight status did not significantly change. Results indicate that a produce delivery program has potential to improve dietary intake of Head Start families and, possibly, other populations, impacting lifelong consumption habits

Head start participation and school readiness: Evidence from the early childhood longitudinal study–birth cohort.

Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (n ≈ 6,950), a nationally representative sample of children born in 2001, we examined school readiness (academic skills and socioemotional well-being) at kindergarten entry for children who attended Head Start compared with those who experienced other types of child care (prekindergarten, other center-based care, other nonparental care, or parental care). Using propensity score matching methods and ordinary least squares regressions with rich controls, we found that Head Start participants had higher early reading and math scores than children in other nonparental care or parental care but also higher levels of conduct problems than those in parental care. Head Start participants had lower early reading scores compared with children in prekindergarten and had no differences in any outcomes compared with children in other center-based care. Head Start benefits were more pronounced for children who had low initial cognitive ability or parents with low levels of education or who attended Head Start for more than 20 hr per week.

Head Start and children's nutrition, weight, and health care receipt

Using a sample of low-income children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (N≈4350) and propensity-score weighted regressions, we analyzed children's nutrition, weight, and health care receipt at kindergarten entry, comparing (1) Head Start participants and all non-participants, and (2) Head Start participants and children in prekindergarten, other center-based care, other non-parental care, or only parental care. Overall, we found that compared to all non-participants, Head Start participants were more likely to receive dental checkups but showed no differences in getting medical checkups; they were also more likely to have healthy eating patterns but showed no differences in Body Mass Index (BMI), overweight, or obesity. However, these results varied depending on the comparison group—Head Start participants showed lower BMI scores and lower probability of overweight compared to those in other non-parental care, and the effects on healthy eating and dental checkups differed by comparison group.

Relationship of Body Mass Index to Screen Time in Head Start Participants in Central Arkansas

Childhood obesity leads to numerous health problems making it a national health crisis. Prevalence rates have tripled since the 1980's, and without identifying the causes the problem will continue to intensify. It is crucial to detect obesity risk factors early in life so that strategies can be formulated to reverse this trend. This study's objective was to determine if a relationship exists between BMI category and screen time in preschool children enrolled in Head Start in Central Arkansas. A retrospective cross‐sectional study was conducted using de‐identified data. Study participants included children ages 3–5 years (n=360) enrolled in Head Start. The main outcomes measures were BMI category and screen time. Almost half (44%) of the children viewed more than 2 hours of screen time per day despite the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics to limit screen time in children to ≤2 hours per day. Additionally, 24% of the children did not participate in any physical activity in the past week. Pearson's Chi Square showed no significant association (p=0.057) between BMI category and hours of screen time. A significant negative association was determined between screen time and participation in physical activity (p=0.024). Interventions that stress TV reduction and increased physical activity are crucial for obesity prevention and treatment in this population.

Supplemental Material for Head Start Participation and School Readiness: Evidence From the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort

Supplemental Material for Head Start Participation and School Readiness: Evidence From the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort

Head Start Impact on Children’s Obesity

Objectives: The purpose of the current study is to examine whether the duration of Head Start participation is associated with a child’s weight and height. Method: The study employs a secondary analysis of 2,690 Head Start participants, 891 who entered at age 3 and enrolled for 1 year, 1,125 who entered at age 4 and stayed for 1 year, and 674 who entered at age 3 and stayed for 2 years. A logistic regression correctly classified the obesity probability (82.8%). Results: Early entry age and a longer duration in Head Start is associated with a lower obesity rate. Conclusion: Head Start should accept younger children and have them stay for a longer duration, particularly for children in high risk families.

Early education and health outcomes of a 2001 U.S. Birth Cohort

This paper looks at health outcomes, health behaviors, and health screening with respect to participation in Early Childhood Care and Education. With information on health status at multiple periods in time, we are able to look at whether healthier children select into early childhood education (as measured by center-based preschool care and Head Start), as well as whether early childhood education has immediate and near-term effects on a range of health status measures. There is some evidence that child obesity is ameliorated by participation in center-based preschool or Head Start and this finding is supported by clear evidence of improved nutrition and increased levels of health screening. Effects on other health outcomes such as asthma, ear infections, and respiratory problems may be partially masked by unobserved heterogeneity.

Does the Quality of Stimulation and Support in the Home Environment Moderate the Effect of Early Education Programs?

The current study was designed to investigate how the quality of stimulation and support available to children in the home interacts with participation in Early Head Start to determine children's development. Data were obtained as part of the national evaluation of Early Head Start (EHSRE), a randomized trial involving 3,001 children and families from 17 program sites. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to examine the interaction of EHS with (a) early maternal emotional warmth and (b) provision of a stimulating home environment on children's development at ages 3 and 5. Findings showed EHS sometimes differentially benefited children who came from households where the levels of warmth and stimulation were lowest. However, there was evidence of other forms of moderation as well.

Dietary Intake in Head Start vs Non–Head Start Preschool-Aged Children: Results from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objective To determine whether dietary intakes of children enrolled in Head Start programs differ from those of children not attending preschool or children in non–Head Start programs. Design Using data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, low-income, 3- to 5-year-old children were categorized into one of four preschool groups: Head Start (n=184), non–Head Start (n=189), past preschool (n=193), and no preschool (n=384). Total nutrient intakes were calculated using 24-hour parental recalls. Statistical analyses performed Mean macronutrient and micronutrient intakes were compared across groups and the percentage of children not meeting Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between preschool group and likelihood of not meeting dietary guidelines. Results Many children did not meet the RDA for folate (20.5%), vitamin A (39.7%), vitamin E (79.7%), calcium (40.2%), iron (28.8%), and potassium (90.8%). Compared with the other preschool groups, Head Start children had lower mean protein, saturated fat, riboflavin, calcium, and phosphorous intakes. The greatest differences in intake were observed between Head Start participants and no-preschool children. Multivariate analyses demonstrated an association between Head Start and inadequate intake of protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, and selenium. Conclusions Compared with other low-income children, those in Head Start programs appear to be at greater risk for not meeting the RDA for several key vitamins and minerals. These differences in diet quality may present an opportunity for Head Start programs to enhance nutrition in this student population.

Estimating the effects of Head Start on parenting and child maltreatment

We examine the effects of Head Start participation on parenting and child maltreatment in a large and diverse sample of low-income families in large U.S. cities (N = 2,807), using rich data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). To address the issue of selection bias, we employ several analytic approaches, including logistic regressions with a rich set of pretreatment controls as well as propensity score matching models, comparing the effects of Head Start to any other arrangements as well as specific types of other arrangements. We find that compared to children who did not attend Head Start, children who did attend Head Start are less likely to have low access to learning materials and less likely to experience spanking by their parents at age five. Moreover, we find that the effects of Head Start vary depending on the specific type of other child care arrangements to which they are compared, with the most consistently beneficial protective effects seen when Head Start is compared to being home in exclusively parental care.