This report includes information on the design and methodology of the 2021-2022 Study of Family and Staff Well-Being in Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey Programs (the 2021-2022 Study) and presents key findings from the study's spring 2022 data collection with Head Start program directors, center directors, and teachers. The 2021-2022…

Using data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2009 Cohort, this study investigated the school readiness trajectories of 2,908 Head Start children from Head Start to kindergarten. Multilevel growth curve models examined differences by immigrant-origin status and the moderating role of enriching experiences. Research Findings:…

This report includes information on the 2021-2022 Study of Family and Staff Experiences in American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey Programs (the 2021-2022 Study). The 2021-2022 Study collected data from children's parents, teachers, center directors, and program directors in Region XI Head Start programs in…

Teachers in early childhood education (ECE) settings are central to providing children with high-quality experiences that promote both early development and long-term well-being; unfortunately, rates of teacher turnover are high in ECE settings. There are strong theoretical reasons to assume turnover is negatively linked with children's academic…

The 2021-2022 Study builds on the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES). This report includes information on the 2021-2022 Study design and presents key findings from the study's spring 2022 data collection on Head Start children and families. The tables in this report describe children and families in spring 2022 as COVID-19…

This study explored the experiences of Head Start parents who were becoming involved in their pre-school-age children's Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Seven participants from the rural Midwest engaged in focus group (n = 2) or interview (n = 1) format discussions regarding barriers to involvement in the IEP process and…

In spring 2020, in response to the COVID-19 (for coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, many early care and education centers, including Head Start centers, closed their physical buildings and changed their operations to virtual. Because of health and safety restrictions, OPRE was unable to directly assess children's skills in spring 2020 for the…

Background: Gaps between dual language learners (DLLs) and monolingual English-speaking children have been reported at kindergarten entry, and many DLL children are classified as long-term English learners, having less access to the general curriculum in the upper grades (NASEM, 2017). The supposed underperformance of DLLs might be due to the…

The 2021-2022 Study of Family and Staff Well-Being in Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) Programs (2021-2022 Study) arose out of a need to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the lives of Head Start families and staff. The goal was to provide data on the characteristics and needs of families and staff after nearly two…

The 2007 Head Start Reauthorization Act mandated that all Head Start teachers have at least an associate degree and 50% of teachers within each Head Start program should have a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education. The problem addressed in this study was that Head Start teachers from a Midwestern region encountered barriers as they…

Head Start is a national program that helps young children from families with low incomes prepare to succeed in school. It does this by working to promote their early learning and health and their families' well-being. Head Start connects families with medical, dental, and mental health services to be sure that children are receiving the services…

Head Start is a national program that helps young children from families with low income get ready to succeed in school. It does this by working to promote their early learning and health and their families' well-being. The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) provides national information about Head Start programs and…

Using the nationally representative Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2014 (FACES 2014), this study examined the associations of Head Start children's behavioral challenges with teachers' well-being (i.e., depressive symptoms, job commitment) and intent to leave, controlling for teacher characteristics. We sought to explore the direct…

The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) and the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES) are separate studies done successively over time. One goal for these studies is to provide a national picture of children's readiness for school. In this research brief, the authors use…

Using a nationally representative sample of 3- and 4-year-old Spanish-speaking dual language learners (DLLs) attending Head Start (N = 654), this study examined whether mean levels of and variability in peers' English receptive vocabulary skills were associated with DLLs' English and Spanish receptive vocabulary skills in the spring. In addition,…