| Perhaps the most well-known early childhood education program is Head Start, a large-scale and publicly funded project serving 3- and 4-year-old children from families below the poverty line. The idea behind its creation in 1965 was to narrow the gap between children who are economically disadvantaged and those who are not in terms of school readiness and long-term academic achievement. Head Start includes many services such as early childhood education and nutrition, and medical, dental and mental health (Lee, Brooks-Gunn, & Schnur, 1988). Collaboration with other service providers and community programs is sought. Another important component to Head Start is parent involvement. Teachers make home visits, and parents are encouraged to volunteer in classrooms, attend parent education classes and enroll in adult education (Mallory & Goldsmith, 1991). There is flexibility in the way that Head Start is implemented—providers can vary services as long as they meet minimum requirements. For example, they can choose their own curriculum and decide to how best meet the specific needs of particular communities (Advisory Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation, 1999).
Many varied studies have been conducted on Head Start programs around the country. Early gains on cognitive test scores among those who attend Head Start compared to those who do not attend preschool or other programs have been found (Lee, Brooks-Gunn, & Schnur, 1988). However, several studies suggest that such short-term gains fade with time, but that long-term gains such as higher rates of high school graduation, fewer grade repetitions and lower rates of special education placements accrue to Head Start attendees. Thus, advantages persist in ways that are measured differently than simple cognitive gains, and perhaps initial boosts in test scores set children on a trajectory for better school achievement (Lee, Brooks-Gunn, Schnur, & Liaw, 1990). Currently, proposals are being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for an experimental impact study of Head Start. As a result of this study, in years to come, more definitive evidence of the influence of Head Start on school readiness will be available.
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