Change processes in a Head Start early childhood/public school transition demonstration project

This study was designed to augment our understanding of school change in one school system in a midwestern community by examining the perceptions of all of the key stakeholders (teachers, administrators, and auxiliary staff members) on four dimensions that include: (a) the organizational structure of the program, (b) participant perceptions of the program\u27s philosophy, (c) institutionalization of practices, and (d) the constraints that impede successful implementation. Assessment of this early educational intervention\u27s context highlighted the dynamic nature and complexity of the Head Start Transition educational intervention. Consistent with many of the previous studies on school reform, this effort at educational reform failed because its approach: (a) was ultimately presented as piecemeal and incremental, (b) failed to integrate solution ideas into a complex interactive whole or system, and (c) remained within the boundaries of the current educational system. The administrative support, staff development, and effective use of the intervention that needed to be developed to protect and stabilize the program as a structure within the school system were never fully realized. This study highlighted the need to engage in studies that examine the culture of the implementing system in early intervention efforts. This study illustrated that the school system was the critical link in the program\u27s implementation and that this contextual knowledge should be accounted for when examining the overall efficacy of the intervention

Asthma and Academic Achievement: How Are Head Start Children Affected?

Head Start children with asthma represent a unique student population with unique needs. This study examined the ways in which a diagnosis of asthma can affect the later academic achievement of these students in a sample of 788 children identified as having asthma. Results indicated statistically significant group differences in standardized reading and mathematics scores, with students with asthma performing worse than students without this diagnosis in both academic areas. In reference to reading abilities among students with asthma, indicators of socioeconomic status, gender, and level of school absences were found to be predictive of reading scores. Regarding mathematics abilities, results indicated the significant contribution of both socioeconomic status and level of school absences in predicting the math scores of students with asthma.  Variables regarding the family environment (access to resources and family routines also contributed to explaining the asthma-academic achievement relationship in a full model including all these variables. Recommendations for Head Start practitioners for adequately serving the needs of students with asthma are also discussed