EDUCATION 108 - EB/MU - 2.23.18 - CHAPTER 6 - Head Start and Early Head Start: Empowering Change from Within

Challenges of Head Start programs

- remote rural locations & limited transportation

Poverty

is periodically assessed and annually defined by the U.S. Census Bureau & the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

SES

lower socioeconomic status

Low income

refers to families whose income is at or less than twice the federal poverty lvel

Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, and Maria Montessori

researchers who made major contributions to our understanding of the periods & stages through which children develop

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act

- 1975 - this was called Education of Handicapped Children Act - teachers & parents to jointly crate individualized plans for children - children to be educated in the least restrictive environments - high expectations for all children - school-wide support & aid to ensure maximum success for children with disabilities - fair educational decisions for all children - accountability of professionals to children & families - high-quality preservice education designed to prepare teachers to meet students' unique & diverse needs with research-based teaching approaches

Early Head Start

- 1994 new initiative developed to serve pregnant women & infants - even prenatal development was important to ensure later positive outcomes - provides family education & prenatal health services

High/Scope Perry Preschool Project

- also created in 1960's - educational research foundation & model preschool program signed to address unique needs of children living in families who have economic stress

Early intervention programs which are most successful

- are comprehensive (education & health components) - balance teacher - and child-initiated learning - are based on developmental theories - seek to support families & involve them meaningfully in children's school life - are implemented by trained and educated staff

Young mothers

- are less likely to get prenatal medical care - are less likely to maintain healthful habits during pregnancy

Many immigrant families

- do not have strong English-speaking skills - this can limit their employment options & access to social services

Primary concern of Head Start & Early Head Start

- fading of positive effects over time - reports of improvements in children's development have faded by 2 years after leaving the Head Start program and/or entering public schools

War on Poverty (Pres. Lyndon Johnson)

- first Head Start pilot program appeared in 1965 - goal was to alleviate risks to children & families living in poverty

Project Head Start

- has become the country's largest provider of education & medical services to disadvantaged children & families with limited incomes

Four Pillars of Head Start and Early Head Start

- health & wellness - learning experiences - family involvement - community partnership

Key goals of Head Start Program

- increase kids developmental outcomes - social & academic achievement - integrate families into early education programs - strengthen families status within the community

Children-at-risk

- kids experiencing risk factors (potential for negative developmental outcomes when kids live within certain contexts

Risk Factors that could affect developmental outcomes **Potential effects on children living within these conditions can be lifelong and severe.

- living at or below federal poverty level or at low-income threshold (200% of federal poverty level - living in single-parent household - being born to a teenage mother - low education level of parents - non-employed parents - low birth weight - living with a disability - living in a family with four or more children - family having changed residences one or more times in past 12 months

Children living in poverty or low-income families

- more frequently suffer from inadequate nutrition - are more likely to be exposed to environmental toxins such as lead - may suffer abuse or neglect - are the least likely to be placed in quality child care settings

Goals of Head Start

- physical health and wellness - nutrition - mental health - medical & dental care - social, emotional, & cognitive stimulation in infant, toddler & preschool education programs - parent support, including education & networking -community-based service provisions

Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) framework

- teachers to base their teaching on solid knowledge of child development - know at what to expect (language, etc.) at different ages & milestones - so teachers can plan stimulating activities, experiences , etc.

Children who attended Head Start for 1 or 2 years (compared to those who did not attend Head Start) were

-had much stronger language arts skills - strong emergent literacy skills - closer and more positive relationships with parents - improved behaviors, social skills, positive approaches to learning - positive effect on child health insurance coverage and health status

2013 National Poverty Guidelines

1 person $11,490 income or below 2 persons $15,510 income or below 3 persons $19,530 income or below 4 persons $23,550 income or below 5 persons $27,570 income or below

Child Development & Early Learning Framework - 11 broad overarching areas of focus for children's learning

1. Physical Development & health 2. Social & Emotional Development 3. Approaches to Learning 4. Language Development 5. Literacy Knowledge & Skills 6. Math Knowledge & Skills 7. Science Knowledge & Skills 8. Creative Arts Expression 9. Social Studies Knowledge & Skills 10. Logic & Reasoning 11. English Language Development (specifically focused for dual-language learners)

T or F. By law, at least 10% of enrollment must be children with disabilities.

True

T or F. Children of immigrant parents are also more likely to be living in low-income households.

True

T or F. Government intervention addressed gaps in socioeconomic status as well as children's achievement became part of the national agenda in 1960's.

True

T or F. Head Start always had a commitment to innovation & responsiveness to changing trends in the field

True

T or F. Head Start eligibility for program is most closely related to family income.

True

T or F. Head Start's history, programs, have been tailored to diverse communities, including American Indian (AI) tribes, migrant families, & Alaska Native (AN) communities.

True

T or F. In 1960's more women worked outside home and there was a need for early childhood programs to meet needs of a changing society. Half-day nursery schools catering to wealthy families were not appealing to working moms who needed all-day care for their children

True

T or F. Increases in teacher qualifications, changes to the curriculum guidelines, & funding procedures, & a commitment to accountability for program quality all seek to initiate positive changes in program implementation.

True

T or F. Many day care programs in 1960's lacked rich language environments, materials to manipulate, indoor & outdoor play spaces & appropriate curricula taught by trained teachers.

True

T or F. More than half of the children in families getting public assistance (welfare) have mothers who began childbearing when they were teenagers.

True

T or F. Simply living with one or more risk factors (ex. poverty, single-parent home, born to teenage mother, etc.) does not necessarily determine a child's school or life outcomes nor are all children experiencing one or multiple risk factors destined for negative outcomes.

True

T or F. Some researchers point to cultural biases but it is generally believed that children from homes experiencing economic stress or limited resources lag behind their peers developmentally.

True

T or F. The effects of healthy social-emotional development in infants and toddlers is even more significant than in preschoolers.

True

T or F. The numbers of children living in families with income at or below the low-income threshold continues to increase steadily and is connected to race/ethnicity.

True

T or F. There is evidence that being raised in a low-income household increases the likelihood that children will exhibit behavior disorders.

True

T or f. Recent evaluation of Head Start & Early Head Start programs effects on children's developmental outcomes were marginally positive reviews, with concerns about fade-out by 3rd grade.

True

USDHHS

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

School readiness hinges on

children's social competence and ability to regulate their emotions and impulses

Head Start initiatives expanded in 1972 to include:

comprehensive educational & welfare services for children with disabilities

Early Intervention

comprehensive programs for young children who are living in conditions that include one or more risk factors for possible future school or life problems goal - to provide developmentally appropriate, stimulating, individual learning experiences & health services for poor families & children & w/disabilities

In the 1960's

current early intervention preschool programs were formalized in the U.S. - new research by U.S. policy makers, civil rights activist, psychologists, & sociologists that a strong start early in life could have lasting effects on all children, esp. kids in low-income backgrounds

Persistent Racism

disparities (differences) in family income level with respect to family race/ethnicity reveal a very troubling, persistent difference in the experience of families in the U.S.

Head Start

federal grant funded early education & comprehensive care programs for kids of families living in poverty, including education, health & wellness & nutrition services for 3-5 year olds

Increasing children's social competence & ability to regulate emotions & impulses

has been identified as an essential area of development for children's school success

Being a child of a teenage mother

is a risk factor for later school problems, health problems, & behavior problems

More children living in rural areas

live in low-income households than those in urban areas

Young children living with a parent who works full-time year round

make up 45% of the low-income population

School readiness

mission to help children be ready to learn in school

Head Start programs are serving only half of all eligible children because

of limits in funding

Head Start Programs

place a strong emphasis on social competence

Researchers in 1950s began to investigate the idea of critical periods, also called

sensitivity or key periods in human development - nature (biological influences) - nurture (environmental influences, including relationships

It is important to validate the child's home culture, parent involvement, & unique background in an effort to

support success for the whole family

Research from 1950's onward

supported belief that appropriate stimulation in the early years was critical to positive developmental outcomes & later school success

One of biggest challenges by Head Start & early intervention programs is

the reality that kids eligible for Head Start & Early Head Start services are often lagging behind their peers in many areas of development

Head Start initiative created in

- 1960's

Handicapped Children's Early Education & Assistance Act

- 1968 - provided adequate educational experiences for young children with disabilities