Parent engagement has been a cornerstone of Head Start since its inception in 1965. Prior studies have found evidence for small to moderate impacts of Head Start on parenting behaviors but have not considered the possibility that individual Head Start programs might vary meaningfully in their effectiveness at improving parenting outcomes. The…

Background: Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more apt to experience lower availability of nutritious foods, lack opportunities to exercise, and lack access to recreational facilities, and thus, are more likely to be obese and at greater risk for developing chronic diseases. We review school health education programs' impact on physical…

Head Start was designed as a holistic intervention to improve economically disadvantaged, preschool-aged children's cognitive and social development by providing a comprehensive set of educational, health, nutritional, and social services, as well as opportunities for parent involvement (Zigler & Valentine, 1979). Given the current interest in ECE…

This paper presents an overview of the Early Head Start program. The objective of the Early Head Start program is to enhance the cognitive, social and emotional development of low-income children, including children on federally-recognized reservations and children of migratory farm workers, through the provision of comprehensive health,…

Many intervention programs use home visiting to target enhanced parent-child interactions; however, few studies have examined specific intervention strategies, limiting the potential utility of evaluation results to guide practice, research, or policy effectively. In this paper, we recommend that researchers and program evaluators open the "black…

This secondary analysis of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, a randomized study of program participation of children and families in Early Head Start (that is, enrolled in programming prior to children's first birthdays) investigated sociodemographic (race and ethnicity, income level, and maternal education level) and program…

Since 1999, the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) has provided funding to provincial school authorities for projects designed to improve student learning and performance. Conducted in three-year cycles, this unique approach has successfully helped to initiate approximately 1,600 grassroots projects led by school districts, teachers,…

The four Follow Through projects in Illinois are described and evaluated. These projects involve approximately 1,450 children in K-3 in Mounds, East Saint Louis, Waukegan, and Chicago. The Chicago project is subdivided into three individual projects and is trying three experimental programs. Emphasis is given to the nature of the environmental…

A Parent Assistance Plan (PAP) was designed to teach parents to work on their children's language at home. Of four matched groups of nursery children, one received PAP, one PAP plus Distar language at school, one Distar only, and one no treatment. PAP groups showed significantly greater language development. (Author/SJL)

This report evaluates a demonstration project attempted for the first time in New York City schools in 1969 which was designed to remediate absenteeism in the high schools. The project was to provide individualized attention and concentrated services for 16-year-old and older chronic absentees and their parents. Other objectives included the…

The rationale of some current intervention projects that are designed to supply some environmental nurture (affective and cognitive) is discussed. Some major approaches used in these projects and problems related to early intervention are examined. Head Start and Montessori programs are omitted. Strategies utilized in the programs discussed…

Father involvement enhances children's well-being. A growing body of research supports this conclusion, showing that children with involved fathers exhibit greater school readiness, increased cognitive development, higher levels of empathy, and other positive characteristics (Administration for Children and Families 2004a). Research also indicates…

More than 10 million children from birth through age six in the US live in low-income families. Although large investments in early childhood intervention programs are evident, is the field fully exploiting its potential to address the diverse needs of children and families? One means of addressing this question is to focus on the efficacy of…

Evaluation of a Title I Prekindergarten Program serving thirteen elementary schools is presented. Through a screening test, children most needing prekindergarten experience were chosen for participation. The program followed the Piagetian theory of child development concentrating on the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains. Both process…

Title I may have fallen short of its lofty goals, but it is an effective basic skills program for underachieving students. Its successes depend on requirements that the program supplement the regular learning program, evaluate pupil progress, be coordinated with other school activities, and involve parents. (Author/JM)