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Report Says Head Start Children are Inadequately Prepared for School
GOPUSA ^ | June 10, 2003 | Jeremy Reynalds - Talon News

Posted on 06/10/2003 11:04:08 AM PDT by yoe

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) titled "Strengthening Head Start: What the Evidence Shows," Head Start children are not adequately prepared for school, and those who have been in the program still enter kindergarten lagging far behind the typical American child in skills needed for school readiness.

Admittedly, the gap between Head Start children and the general population of pre-school age children does narrow during the Head Start year on key components of school readiness. And in addition, Head Start children do benefit from increased social skills as well as the health and other benefits delivered through the program.

But according to the report, Head Start students still enter kindergarten with very low average abilities in areas known to predict future school success. The report deals with specific areas known to improve school readiness and says skills could be better taught, especially if already-existing resources were used more effectively.

"Head Start needs to do better in helping children be ready to succeed in school," HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said. "Merely narrowing the readiness gap by a few points is not a real head start. These children are still too far from equal opportunity. All of us in the Head Start community need to set our sights higher."

Thompson said President Bush's plans for strengthening Head Start would bring about improvements preparing Head Start children for school. The proposals would enable states to integrate Head Start programs into their preschool preparedness efforts in order to make better use of resources.

These changes would build on efforts already underway to increase educational levels of Head Start teachers and hold each individual Head Start program more accountable for results, with technical assistance provided to programs that need improvement.

The report concludes that the 38-year-old program "is not eliminating the gap in educational skills and knowledge needed for school." According to the report, "Head Start is not fully achieving its stated purpose of promoting school readiness ... Indeed, these low-income children continue to perform significantly below their more advantaged peers in reading and mathematics once they enter school."

The report cites recent findings for children who entered the program in the fall of 2000, comparing them with the average (or 50th percentile) preschool child.

In key areas that predict school success, the report says that in vocabulary, children overall entered Head Start with scores in the 16th percentile of all preschoolers of their age, and the score increased to the 23rd percentile when measured in the spring.

In letter recognition, children entered Head Start in the 31st percentile, and their scores remained unchanged or even declined slightly in relation to all preschool students after the year in the program.

In early writing, children entered Head Start in the 16th percentile and increased only to the 19th.

In early mathematics, children entered Head Start in the 21st percentile and increased only to the 23rd percentile, which is "not a substantial gain toward national averages," according to the report.

The report synthesizes relevant research and cites specific areas that have been identified by the U.S. Department of Education as key components of school preparedness (basic literacy skills, being read to at least three times a week, numbers and shapes recognition, productive approaches to learning including task persistence and ability to pay attention, and good health).

(Excerpt) Read more at gopusa.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: babysitting; daycare; earlychildhood; education; headstart; hhs; political
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The whole concept is still day-care, play-school not a place for young children to learn anything beyond getting along. Reading to a child "three times" a week is nice by hardly the leg up these children are looking for. Restructure the entire concept and put teachers, student teachers in charge – not so many unemployed mothers. And don’t anyone suggest more money – the program is heavily endowed now with federal funds. If those funds aren’t reaching the programs, then someone had better start investigating.
1 posted on 06/10/2003 11:04:08 AM PDT by yoe
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To: yoe
Change the name to simply, "Start".
2 posted on 06/10/2003 11:11:28 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Would you like to try our extra value meal?)
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To: yoe
The report concludes that the 38-year-old program "is not eliminating the gap in educational skills and knowledge needed for school."

It's taken 38 years to come to this conclusion? Duh!

3 posted on 06/10/2003 11:13:20 AM PDT by Diver Dave
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To: yoe
the more we rely upon government funded part time child rearing, the more our kids fail. The more money we give them, the more we wonder why.

actually, we do know the reason - these programs advocate parental abdication of parental roles to the government.
4 posted on 06/10/2003 11:14:18 AM PDT by camle (no fool like a damned fool)
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To: yoe
When I ask liberals to name an effective Federal program, Head Start is always the answer.
5 posted on 06/10/2003 11:14:25 AM PDT by Semper Paratus
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To: yoe
Head Start began with the usual good intentions. It rapidly dumbed down to a day care with lunch & snack program. At this level, it's a darn expensive way to get the kids out of mama's hair.

If Head Start is to continue to get our tax dollars, it should be made to have real value for the kids by setting some meaningful education standards.
6 posted on 06/10/2003 11:14:55 AM PDT by RicocheT
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To: yoe
As someone who taught Sunday School to pre-schoolers for a number of years, I can tell you that a pre-K's world revolves around mommy and daddy. If that's a secure issue, the kid can manage in class (although there is always a separation issue to some extent). Their learning is totally tied to their emotional self at that age. Their emotions are tied to their families. To some extent, a kid without a solid family foundation is like a flower without adequate sunshine. It just cannot grow as well. There is no substitute, at least not early. The compensation is far more achievable later. That's my personal observation.

On that note, I think our tax dollars would be better spent -- if we must get involved -- by paying a person to love the kid (hugs, conversation, etc..). Can you do that? Because that's what they need.

7 posted on 06/10/2003 11:15:26 AM PDT by RAT Patrol (Congress can give one American a dollar only by first taking it away from another American. -W.W.)
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To: yoe
...the 38-year-old program...

Great Scott, the first kids in this program are in their forties, and they're just now figuring out the program is inadequate?!

8 posted on 06/10/2003 11:15:54 AM PDT by T Minus Four
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To: yoe
Trouble in the State Nursery?
9 posted on 06/10/2003 11:16:30 AM PDT by RightWhale (gazing at shadows)
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To: yoe
Get the GOVERNMENT OUT of Head Start.....get the Churches in it....then see what happens.
10 posted on 06/10/2003 11:26:49 AM PDT by goodnesswins (FR - the truth, and nothing but the truth.........getting to the bottom of journalistic bias.)
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To: camle

"the more we rely upon government funded part time child rearing, the more our kids fail."

I'm not convinced.

I was brought up in "rural" England, where I was exposed to a fine "government" funded education.

In fact, I doubt I could have gone to school otherwise.

I will defer that my "education" was family orientated.

However, I had teachers, of which who kicked arse.

Yes, there was little "diversity". But still, they kicked arse.

In conclusion............?

11 posted on 06/10/2003 11:28:44 AM PDT by Jakarta ex-pat
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To: T Minus Four
LOL. They could now be teaching in a head start class room.
12 posted on 06/10/2003 11:28:55 AM PDT by fml
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To: Jakarta ex-pat
Do you think that applies to 3 year olds though?
13 posted on 06/10/2003 11:32:15 AM PDT by RAT Patrol (Congress can give one American a dollar only by first taking it away from another American. -W.W.)
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To: RAT Patrol
Head start children have only one way.

Through their parents.

Apologies if this doesn't answer your question.

14 posted on 06/10/2003 11:38:08 AM PDT by Jakarta ex-pat
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To: yoe
They seem to be dithering all around the point that the problem with these children is their parents. Too many of these kids come from "single parent" families - ones where some idiot has gotten pregnant from an irresponsible sperm donor. These "single parents" can't even properly take care of themselves, let alone a child. The poor bastard loses out every time.

The others not from "single parent families" come from those where the parents are too ignorant and poor to provide a decent environment, and too perverse to consider that bringing a child into such an environment is child abuse, pure and simple.

If these kids were to be given a real "head start", they'd be adopted out to real families and the "mother" and "father" somehow cajoled into not producing any kids that can't be cared for.

Head Start doesn't have ANY effect after these kids have been in school for a while. Because they're still living in a toilet.

15 posted on 06/10/2003 11:40:10 AM PDT by jimt
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To: yoe
Seems pretty obvious to me ... bring decent paying (manufacturing) jobs back to the U.S. so that that the average American father can once again bring home a family-supportive paycheck on Friday night and keep Americas families together. Then and only then will American Moms be able to choose to stay at home and do the job that Moms do best ... love and nurture a healthy family.

But Nooooooooo, the Globaloney-ists have put together a real 'Free Trade MONEY-PUMP' and they could care less about the obvious economic decline of our nation, and it's devastating effect upon the very foundation of American Society, the Family. All because they're just too busy raking in the big $$$, and they're too myopic to see how this could EVER negatively effect them or theirs.

They are part of the ' THE I'VE GOT MINE CLUB' (so screw the rest of those little people') .... sooo selfish and greedy, sooo arrogant, and they will eventually find out, sooo wrong.

16 posted on 06/10/2003 11:42:10 AM PDT by CIBvet (It's about preserving OUR Borders, OUR Language and OUR American Culture)
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To: Jakarta ex-pat
I agree. I also agree that public education has the potential of being highly effective, as does nearly every educational alternative. I don't think it matters how you learn. The problem in the U.S. is that public education has become an arm of the democratic party. They are more intested in pushing liberal ideology and funneling tax dollars to their friends than they are in educating kids. That's how it looks to me anyway.

I do not pretend to be anyone's educational success story. Nor do I claim to have all the answers. But I have lived long enough to observe a few truths about how kids learn.

17 posted on 06/10/2003 12:00:18 PM PDT by RAT Patrol (Congress can give one American a dollar only by first taking it away from another American. -W.W.)
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To: RAT Patrol
and those who have been in the program still enter kindergarten lagging far behind the typical American child in skills needed for school readiness.

So where were these "typical American children" that were NOT in Head Start? Is there a group out there that is NOT in Head Start, but is STILL ahead of the Head Start group?

Who are they?

18 posted on 06/10/2003 12:03:37 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: yoe
This is not news to the Silk Purse Guild.
19 posted on 06/10/2003 12:06:43 PM PDT by Old Professer
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To: Howlin
Good question. I think they mean everyone else. That's the way I took it. In a battle of readiness, Head Start participants lose to non-participants. That's pretty damning, imo.
20 posted on 06/10/2003 12:08:02 PM PDT by RAT Patrol (Congress can give one American a dollar only by first taking it away from another American. -W.W.)
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