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This guidance is intended to clarify that the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) in 45 C.F.R. Part 1302 Subpart C--Education and Child Development Program Services are required for preschool programs supported with funds under Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA); and provide information to preschool providers on select required provisions of the HSPPS. ESEA section 1112(c)(7) requires that early education services provided prior to kindergarten entry and funded using Title I funds must comply with the Head Start educational standards. Thus, all standards in Part 1302 Subpart C of the HSPPS are required of schools or local educational agencies (LEAs) that use Title I funds for preschool. This document builds on previous guidance from "Serving Preschool Children Through Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended: Non Regulatory Guidance" and summarizes select provisions to assist Title I preschools in understanding the HSPPS at Part 1302 Subpart C. The first section covers providing education and child development preschool services under HSPPS--45 C.F.R. Part 1302 Subpart C and the second section covers serving specific student groups. The educational standards in full are provided in the Appendix for reference.

Head Start programs in many of the states with higher rates of children living in poverty have received less per-child funding allocations than programs in states with lower rates of children living in poverty for years. Further, the educators who teach these children are vastly underpaid, and their pay is also inequitable among states and regions. This study draws on current data to better identify inequities in Head Start and propose specific policy changes to address these inequities. Specifically, this study shows the need to update the current Head Start base funding formula and allocation method based on changes in the definition of poverty and the number and location of eligible children. The study also highlights the need for more equitable Head Start teacher salaries and program resources. Head Start has had a significant and measurable impact on children and families in its nearly 60 years of the program, and the authors of this report are dedicated to its value. The report intends to help strengthen the program and provide even more children and families with a true, more equitable Head Start.

This report explores the dramatic increase in Head Start teacher turnover during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) from 2010 to 2022, the study investigates trends in teacher turnover across all Head Start program types and examines the reasons behind teacher departures. The report finds that teacher turnover surged significantly in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, with the 2021-22 year experiencing a particularly sharp increase exceeding 28% of teachers. Turnover rates varied by program type, with Early Head Start programs exhibiting higher turnover than traditional Head Start programs, and American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) Early Head Start programs seeing the highest rate at 37.1%. The study reveals that compensation remains the most common reason cited for teachers' departures, both before and during the pandemic. However, COVID-19 related factors also emerged as prominent reasons for departure. This research underscores the urgent need to address the challenges of teacher turnover in the Head Start sector, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. The report advocates for policy initiatives aimed at improving teacher retention through enhanced compensation.

This brief spotlights state coordination for early childhood education of young children experiencing homelessness. The content includes information about the rights and services afforded by the McKinney-Vento and Head Start Acts, spotlights early childhood education for students experiencing homelessness in North Carolina and Nevada, and identifies opportunities for sustainable collaboration across programs.

High-quality, stable child care and early education (CCEE) can have lasting, positive impacts on children. However, the challenges of recruiting, strengthening, and retaining the CCEE workforce are well documented. CCEE educators typically have low levels of formal education and compensation; limited opportunities for education, training, and professional development; inconsistent working conditions; and high levels of stress and burnout. Additionally, the CCEE sector is well known for high turnover rates, which can strain remaining educators and decrease the quality of care they offer. Turnover can also lead to diminishing returns on an organization's professional development investments. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these issues. The Building and Sustaining the Child Care and Early Education Workforce (BASE) project conducted an environmental scan and a literature review to identify and document existing knowledge about the CCEE workforce and strategies to strengthen it. One of the main themes identified from this effort was a need for more and better data on the workforce dynamics of CCEE educators. In particular, data are needed on who enters, advances in, stays in, and exits different roles, settings, and types of CCEE care or leaves the field altogether--as well as when, how, and why they do. This information is important for understanding workforce dynamics and informing the development, evaluation, and improvement of strategies that effectively build and sustain a qualified and stable CCEE workforce. For this reason, the BASE project team conducted a data scan to summarize the landscape of existing data sources that may address these gaps and identify areas where future data collection may be most useful. This brief summarizes the findings from the data scan.

In 2021-2022, Head Start served nearly 790,000 young children, primarily from low-income families. However, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) estimates that far more children are eligible than can be served due to limited resources, heightening the importance of targeting services effectively. House Report 117-96 includes a provision for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the nationwide distribution of Head Start resources and what could help better align funding with need. This report examines the extent to which: (1) Head Start resources align geographically with child poverty; (2) statutory provisions support aligning resources with need; and (3) Office of Head Start (OHS), uses its grantmaking authority to align resources with need. GAO analyzed Head Start enrollment data from 2022 and Head Start funding and Census child poverty data from 2006 and 2021 (most recent available comparable data), interviewed OHS officials and stakeholder organizations, such as the National Head Start Association; and reviewed relevant federal laws and agency documents.

The Shaping Futures Together agenda highlights policies and investments that families and practitioners say will ensure all children thrive. This playbook provides recommended policy and research strategies that Start Early believes will help to realize those priorities. Each section includes legislative and administrative policy recommendations and research questions specific to each of the following priorities: (1) healthy births & thriving families; (2) positive early learning & development; (3) effective, valued & well-compensated workforce; and (4) strong, sustainable & equitable early childhood ecosystem.

Annually, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) prepares the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and Head Start Saturation Study to analyze access to Washington's ECEAP and Head Start programs serving 3- and 4-yearolds. This study estimates the number of eligible children living within each school district boundary and calculates the percentage currently served. It assigns points for each district based on numbers and percentages of unserved children and child maltreatment rates. These data are used to sort districts into groups by priority for ECEAP slot expansion. This Saturation Study is part of the information DCYF uses to determine appropriate locations for ECEAP slots. Current or potential ECEAP contractors may also use this study to inform decisions to apply for ECEAP slots or move existing ECEAP slots to communities with high needs

Head Start uses a whole-family approach to support the well-being of children and families with low incomes. As a two-generation model, Head Start provides comprehensive services for families and children from birth through age 5, and family support services for parents. Intentional alignment and coordination across these services is expected to lead to positive outcomes for families and their children. This brief introduces a theory of change focused on one distinct and understudied aspect of the coordinated services provided by Head Start's model: family support services. Through family support services, Head Start programs aim to help families identify and reach "their goals and dreams" by directly providing them with or referring them to services that support those goals and build on individual strengths. These support services address needs regarding education and employment, financial capability, housing and food assistance, emergency and crisis intervention, substance use treatment, physical health, and mental health, among others. Determining families' strengths and needs, identifying relevant support services, communicating with service providers, and helping families access services--that is, the "coordination of family support services"--in combination with the child-focused services, is expected to promote families' safety, health, and economic security.

"Pre-K Mathematics" is a supplemental mathematics program focusing on a range of mathematical concepts to help develop children's informal mathematical knowledge. The "Pre-K Mathematics" program includes teacher-led, small-group mathematics activities that are engaging and hands-on, as well as caregiver-child activities that are linked to the classroom activities to support children's math learning at home. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews existing research on educational interventions to identify evidence-based programs and practices. This WWC intervention report summarizes the available evidence on the effects of "Pre-K Mathematics" on student outcomes.

The Understanding Children's Transitions from Head Start to Kindergarten (HS2K) Project was a multi-year project funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation. The purpose of this project was to better understand how to improve children's transitions from Head Start programs to elementary schools. The transition to kindergarten occurs within and between two distinct systems (early care and education [ECE] and K-12 education) that each work under their own governance structures, philosophies, and accountability metrics. Specifically, this project aimed to explore the definition of "successful transitions" from a multi-level and systemic perspective. Within the context of this project, the focus is on one type of ECE program--Head Start. Head Start is embedded within a broader "ECE system" that includes many other types of programs, including state-funded pre-k, child care, home-based care, friend and family care, and privately-funded centers. This report details findings from one component of the HS2K Project -- a comparative multi-case study of five Head Start and Local Education Agency (LEA) partnerships, including their families, Head Start teachers and leaders, kindergarten teachers, elementary school leaders, LEA leaders, and community partners. The case-specific descriptions should be read as in-depth illustrations of the inner workings of kindergarten transition processes as they existed and were implemented in context at the time of data collection.

Children who know fewer words in preschool typically continue to have lower levels of vocabulary knowledge in higher grades than their peers who know more words. In fact, this difference continues to be pronounced and even widens as these children reach higher grade levels. Interventions that support vocabulary development and reading comprehension in early childhood have the potential to improve student language development, narrowing this gap. "World of Words" is a supplementary curriculum used to help young children in prekindergarten develop vocabulary knowledge, concept knowledge, and content knowledge in science. The curriculum includes intentional conversations and shared book readings of texts focused on science topics. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews existing research on educational interventions to identify evidence-based programs and practices. This WWC intervention report summarizes the available evidence on the effects of "World of Words" on student outcomes. [For the Intervention Report, see ED630040.]

Children who know fewer words in preschool typically continue to have lower levels of vocabulary knowledge in higher grades than their peers who know more words. In fact, this difference continues to be pronounced and even widens as these children reach higher grade levels. Interventions that support vocabulary development and reading comprehension in early childhood have the potential to improve student language development, narrowing this gap. "World of Words" is a supplementary curriculum used to help young children in prekindergarten develop vocabulary knowledge, concept knowledge, and content knowledge in science. The curriculum includes intentional conversations and shared book readings of texts focused on science topics. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews existing research on educational interventions to identify evidence-based programs and practices. This WWC intervention report summarizes the available evidence on the effects of "World of Words" on student outcomes. [For the Intervention Brief, see ED630041.]

This study evaluated the implementation and effectiveness of My Math Academy and My Reading Academy, two digital learning programs, in supporting early math and literacy skill development during the 2021-2022 school year in Tyler Independent School District, Texas. In a district where 85% of students were eligible for free and reduced-price meals, the study followed 414 students using My Math Academy across 33 classrooms and 342 students using My Reading Academy across 29 classrooms in Head Start and pre-K programs. Data collection included program usage metrics, state-administered CIRCLE Progress Monitoring System assessments, teacher surveys, and end-of-study interviews. Students used My Math Academy for an average of 18.54 minutes per active week over 13.09 weeks, and My Reading Academy for 25.51 minutes per active week over 15.95 weeks. Multiple regression analyses controlled for student characteristics, including pretest scores, pre-K type, gender, age, race/ethnicity, free/reduced lunch status, English language learner status, disability status, and teacher effects. Results demonstrated significant positive outcomes. Among students using My Math Academy for at least 30 minutes weekly, 96.1% ended the year "On Track" in overall math skills. For My Reading Academy users with similar usage, 86% achieved "On Track" status in phonological awareness, a critical foundational reading skill. Statistical analyses revealed significant positive correlations between program usage and improvement across multiple math and reading sub-skills, with stronger effects associated with increased usage. These findings suggest that implementing personalized, game-based digital learning programs can effectively support early math and literacy development in high-need educational settings. Teacher feedback indicated that both programs increased student engagement and confidence while providing valuable resources for differentiated instruction. The research includes detailed statistical analyses, student performance data across multiple skill domains, and comprehensive qualitative findings from teacher surveys and interviews. This study represents the first examination of simultaneous implementation of both programs, corroborating and extending findings from previous research on their individual effectiveness.

Center-based early care and education (ECE) is important for promoting positive early development and supporting families by providing child care so parents can work. However, the center-based supply varies substantially in terms of funding sources, indicators of quality, and services offered; and many families experience a lack of equitable access to providers that meet their needs. Using a nationally representative sample of the center-based supply from the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education, this study examined patterns in the services center-based providers offer that may facilitate or pose barriers to families' access from a multidimensional lens. Two research questions were investigated using latent class analysis: First, are there patterns of provider accessibility within the center-based supply, and second, are there covariates (i.e., funding, community poverty/ urban density, geographic region) that explain patterns of ECE access? Center-based features selected as indicators were informed by a definition of access comprised of multiple dimensions: availability, affordability, supports children's development, and meets parent's needs. Class enumeration suggested that a three-class model provided the best fit, indicating three patterns of program accessibility: providers that were: "flexible at cost" (25.9%), "free but inflexible" (29.2%), and "somewhat accessible" (44.9%). Additional covariate analyses revealed providers were significantly more or less likely to be classified into the latent classes of access according to community and funding characteristics. Notably, programs receiving Head Start and public preschool funding and those in communities with high poverty and urban density were more likely to be assigned to the "free but inflexible" class. A key component driving ECE utilization is the accessibility of providers, and these findings inform recommendations for future research and policy to better serve the needs of families with young children. [This paper will be published in "Children and Youth Services Review."]

To provide a landscape of mathematics activities children experience in U.S. preschool and kindergarten classrooms, we observed time children spent in mathematics activities (and -- as a contrast -- literacy) in 101 geographically diverse early childhood classrooms in seven U.S. states. We also observed what mathematics content, grouping strategies, and management formats teachers engaged during classroom mathematics activities. Each observation lasted approximately 2 hours; collectively these observations focused on 930 children observed one to three times during the 2018/2019 or 2019/2020 school year. Averaging across individuals' data within classrooms, we found that mathematics and literacy activities comprised 5% and 45% of time observed in preschool classrooms, respectively; and 26% and 42% of time observed in kindergarten classrooms, respectively. At both grades, when mathematics activities occurred, they were proportionally more often teacher-led rather than child-led. These findings raise concerns about the paucity of mathematics and over-reliance on developmentally inappropriate teacher-managed mathematics instruction in early childhood classrooms, especially preschools. Amount of time in math did not vary by preschool auspice, but time in literacy and the proportion of math time devoted to specific math content did: In Head Start classrooms we observed lowest percentage of time in literacy (and the highest percentage of time in non-instruction) compared to all other auspices. Across auspices, numeracy was the predominant math content area overall, but especially in Head Start classrooms. Thus, some aspects of early mathematics may differ with program auspice, suggesting that recommendations to increase and improve early mathematics activities may need to consider auspice characteristics. [This paper was published in "Early Childhood Research Quarterly" v69 p25-37 2024.]

There is clear evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had significant negative effects on the learning and development of school-age children in the United States, with disproportionate impacts on children from racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically marginalized groups. There is less consistent evidence on the extent to which the pandemic affected younger, preschool-age children. Acelero Learning wanted a better understanding of whether children in their programs were exhibiting "resilience" during the pandemic recovery. That is, were their scores on assessments across a variety of domains similar to or perhaps better than those of similar populations of children attending Head Start and Acelero Learning programs in the years before the crisis? This report summarizes the initial results from a study led by MDRC that is examining post-pandemic language, literacy, math, and executive functioning skills for children enrolled in Acelero Learning programs. The study aims to answer two questions: (1) To what extent did 3- and 4-year-old children enrolled in Acelero Learning programs exhibit resilience two years after the start of the pandemic?; and (2) Did children's growth in academic and cognitive skills during this time vary by demographic group, including race and ethnicity, age, gender, and language background? [Funding for this report was provided by Acelero Learning.]

New research finds that increased spending on public education improves student achievement, thereby debunking the notion that "money doesn't matter" and making the case for greater investment in preschool-12 public education. How money is spent matters, but funding must also be adequate, equitable, and stable from year to year so that districts can be strategic in their spending and not have to cut one school resource to target funding towards another. This was the focus of discussion during a November 30 webinar co-sponsored by Education Law Center, ETS, and the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), featuring leading school finance experts Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (LPI), Dr. Rucker Johnson (University of California, Berkeley) and Dr. Jesse Rothstein (University of California, Berkeley), with a welcome address by ETS President and CEO Amit Sevak and moderated by ELC's Executive Director David Sciarra. The research distilled within this report was discussed during the webinar and provides policymakers, stakeholders, and advocates with clear and tangible evidence to argue for greater investments in the public schools in their states.

Differences in children's mathematics knowledge are evident at kindergarten entry, favoring children who have greater access to economic resources. Fostering preschoolers' mathematics learning at home and in classroom settings, through games and other developmentally appropriate activities, is of great interest to educators, early childhood leaders, and policymakers. This cluster randomized trial examined the effects of a naturalistic, game-based mathematics intervention implemented in Head Start classrooms and examined whether including a family math component added value. A total of 573 children (64% Hispanic; 60% multilingual) were included from 66 classrooms which were randomly assigned to Classroom Math (CM), Classroom Math + Family Math (CM+FM), or business-as-usual (BAU). Results indicated that the family math component did add value to the classroom-based intervention as CM+FM resulted in a significant positive impact on children's mathematics knowledge relative to BAU, but CM did not. For preschoolers age 50+ months, both interventions had significant effects on children's mathematics knowledge relative to BAU, but CM+FM had a stronger effect (d = 0.36). The number of math games played was significantly associated with higher mathematics scores and the number of family math mini-books returned had a significant impact on children's spring scores, over and above the number of games played. The CM+FM intervention also had a significant effect on teachers' instructional practice (d = 0.79). Adding a family math component to a game-based classroom intervention resulted in positive impacts for preschoolers and seems to be an effective, ecologically valid intervention that fosters early mathematical competencies. [This paper was published in "Early Childhood Research Quarterly" v63 p43-58 2023.]

Developing self-regulation at an early age is important for children's success in school and in life. Self-regulation involves the ability to remember instructions, shift attention from one thing to another, and reduce the intensity and frequency of impulsive emotions and behaviors. "Red Light, Purple Light" is a preschool program that includes music and movement games aimed at fostering self-regulation skills in young children. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews existing research on educational interventions to identify evidence-based programs and practices. This WWC intervention report summarizes the available evidence on the effects of "Red Light, Purple Light" on student outcomes. [For the Intervention Report, see ED624625.]

Developing self-regulation at an early age is important for children's success in school and in life. Self-regulation involves the ability to remember instructions, shift attention from one thing to another, and reduce the intensity and frequency of impulsive emotions and behaviors. "Red Light, Purple Light" is a preschool program that includes music and movement games aimed at fostering self-regulation skills in young children. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews existing research on educational interventions to identify evidence-based programs and practices. This WWC intervention report summarizes the available evidence on the effects of "Red Light, Purple Light" on student outcomes. [For the Intervention Brief, see ED624626.]

Annually, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) prepares the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and Head Start Saturation Study to analyze access to Washington's ECEAP and Head Start programs serving 3- and 4-year-olds. This study estimates the number of eligible children living within each school district boundary and calculates the percentage currently served. It assigns points for each district based on numbers and percentages of unserved children and child maltreatment rates. These data are used to sort districts into groups by priority for ECEAP slot expansion. This Saturation Study is part of the information DCYF uses to determine appropriate locations for ECEAP slots. [For the 2020-21 report, see ED629221.]

Homelessness is a traumatic experience with long-term consequences, particularly for infants and toddlers in their most critical stages of development. Yet homelessness among young children is hidden. Lack of shelter, fear of having children removed from parental custody, and restrictive eligibility criteria for housing programs mean that most young children experiencing homelessness stay in places that are not easily identified. To date, the only data on the number of young children experiencing homelessness is from the U.S. Department of Education, which estimates that approximately 1.3 million children under the age of six experienced homelessness in 2018-2019. However, these data are not disaggregated by age, and, therefore, the prevalence of homelessness amongst the very youngest -- infants and toddlers -- has thus far been unknown. In order to prevent longer term impacts, awareness and action must be increased to support expecting parents, as well as infants and toddlers experiencing homelessness. A first step in doing so is understanding the prevalence of homelessness in this age range, and the gaps in their access to high-quality early learning programs. This report describes the prevalence of homelessness among infants and toddlers in twenty states that have formed broad-based coalitions to move prenatal-to-3 priorities forward; gaps in access to early learning programs; and recommendations for increasing enrollment and support.

Existing research suggests that some transition activities (e.g., visits to kindergarten classrooms, home visits by teachers, sharing information with families) initiated by early care and education (ECE) settings, kindergarten teachers and elementary schools, and/or families can have small, positive associations with children's outcomes in kindergarten. This study examined combinations of kindergarten transition activities reported by both kindergarten teachers and parents to gain a comprehensive picture of supports that families experience. The authors identified: (1) Four common combinations of transition activities provided to and experienced by families, called Transition Activity Groups; (2) Whether these distinct combinations of transition activities differed for children who previously attended Head Start compared to other children; and (3) If those combinations of transition activities were associated with child and family outcomes and engagement in kindergarten. [This report was produced as part of the Head Start to Kindergarten (HS2K) Transitions Project. It was produced with the National P-3 Center.]

The analyses presented here are part of a larger project, "Understanding Children's Transitions from Head Start to Kindergarten" (HS2K), a joint research venture between NORC at the University of Chicago, Child Trends, and the National P-3 Center at University of Colorado Denver, with funding from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families' Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. This secondary data analysis supports other project activities, including a review of the knowledge base, case studies, instrument development, and other secondary data analyses. The HS2K research team analyzed 23 MOUs from 10 Head Start programs that participated in the Office of Head Start & Public Schools Collaboration Demonstration Project (CDP). This 2020 initiative brought together many early childhood partners and staff across Head Start and public-school systems to improve collaboration and coordination on kindergarten transitions. These MOUs, a federal legislative requirement for both Head Start and Title I funded public-school systems, are written expressions of these partnerships that can shed light on the perspectives, policies, professional supports, and practices that influence kindergarten transition experiences. (1) Although kindergarten transitions were not the explicit primary focus of the MOUs, these documents often included detailed descriptions of partnerships across two systems that attempted to align expectations, resource allocations, and key activities; (2) When MOUs explicitly mentioned kindergarten transitions, there were three federal policy requirements often noted: (1) creating cross-system communication channels; (2) developing family collaboration and involvement practices; and (3) transferring, sharing, and obtaining student records and data; (3) Findings suggest that relatively few MOUs currently contain explicit references to kindergarten transition perspectives, policies, professional supports, or practices. Yet, MOUs remain an important potential vehicle by which to align transition-related activities with key legislation, statutes, and requirements, and create collaboration and communication structures. This brief provides examples of MOU language that may support aligned transition activities; and (4) There is an opportunity for HS programs and LEA administrators to think more collectively about and articulate joint policies, perspectives, practices and professional supports that support the kindergarten transition. However, there is also an opportunity for more specific federal and state guidance to programs and schools on what should be included in MOUs. [This report was prepared with the National P-3 Center.]

Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs uniquely support the frequent transitions, including the transition to kindergarten, that children in migrant and seasonal families may experience. Lessons learned from how MSHS programs support transitions may have implications for MSHS and other federally funded early care and education (ECE) programs. This brief discusses children and families served by MSHS, details on MSHS centers, and transition practices offered in MSHS centers. Data for this brief come from the 2017 Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study dataset. [This report was produced as part of the Head Start to Kindergarten (HS2K) Transitions Project and was produced with the National P-3 Center.]