Head Start Impact Study: Final Report examined the effects of offering Head Start to 3- and 4-year-olds

• Head Start Impact Study: Final Report examined the effects of offering Head Start to 3- and 4-year-olds. Head Start is a federal program aimed at boosting the school readiness of low-income children by providing preschool education and health and nutrition services. The study analyzed data on about 4,700 preschool-aged children who applied for enrollment for the 2002–03 program year, at one of about 380 Head Start centers randomly selected for the study, and followed the students through first grade.

The study found that children offered the chance to enroll in Head Start as 3-year-olds had higher scores on four of eight measures of language and literacy, the single measure of pre-writing, and one of two measures of math skills, than children not offered enrollment as 3-year-olds. In contrast, children offered the chance to enroll in Head Start as 4-year-olds had higher scores on six of eight measures of language and literacy at the first follow-up than children not offered enrollment as 4-year-olds. WWC rated the first follow-up analysis as meets WWC evidence standards with reservations.

A later follow-up, the study found no significant differences between the children offered and not offered the chance to enroll in Head Start as 3-year-olds on language and literacy, pre-writing, and math skills measured at the second, third, and fourth follow-ups. In addition, there were no significant differences between the children offered and not offered the chance to enroll in Head Start as 4-year-olds on language and literacy and math skills measured at the second and third follow-ups which corresponded to the ends of kindergarten and first grade, respectively. WWC’s rating of the second, third and fourth follow-up analysis is meets WWC Evidence Standards.