Dive Brief:
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A comprehensive report by the National Institute for Early Education Research has found widespread differences in Head Start programs across states in terms of funding, classroom hours, teacher qualifications and compensation, observed quality, and enrollment.
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In a news release about the report, "The State(s) of Head Start," NIEER said many of these differences can be attributed, in part, to limited funding, estimating it would take $14 billion more in federal funding to serve all eligible three- and four-year-olds in the regular Head Start program — and even more to fully fund Early Head Start to reach its entire eligible population.
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Other key findings highlighted in the report relate to services — only 40% of children in Head Start receive the full, recommended 1,020 hours of services per year — and teacher pay, with Head Start teachers with bachelor’s degrees earning almost $24,000 less, on average, than public school teachers with the same education level and Early Head Start teachers earning an average of $27,000 less.
Dive Insight:
"The State(s) of Head Start" report includes profiles for every state, six U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, along with profiles of the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs. While NIEER found consistently high indications that Head Starts nationwide provide emotionally supportive environments and have good overall classroom organization, only Vermont and Kentucky scored above a research-based threshold for effective instructional support and 18 states scored well below that threshold.
Many Head Start programs coordinate with the local school districts in which their students end up enrolling. While K-12 districts are not directly responsible for students before they enroll, these types of partnerships can ensure students are being adequately prepared for kindergarten. The investment at the district level can pay off in a lower cost for support services in elementary school.
