A Whole-Child Perspe

Head Start Refor

Findings on Children’s Cog

Socio-Emotional Developm

FACES 2000

Presented at the Biennial Meeting of 

for Research in Child Develop

April 24, 2003
Nicholas Zill, Gary Resnick, Alberto 

Kwang Kim, and Kevin O’Do

Westat 

Ruth Hubbell McKey and Shefali P

Xtria 

Robert W. O’Brien, Mary Ann 

and Michael Vaden-Kierna

The CDM Group 

Louisa B. Tarullo, 

Administration for Children and F

U.S. DHHS
Papers and Autho

•

Overview of Cognitive and Social-

Findings - Louisa Tarullo 

•

Relationship Between Curricula aProgram and Classroom Characte

Ruth Hubbell-McKey, Shefali Pai-Alberto Sorongon 

•

Understanding Quality in Head St

Classrooms: The Role of Teacher Program Factors - Gary Resnick aNicholas Zill 
• Relationship of Program and Clas

Characteristics to Children’s Cognand Social Development - Nichol

• Relationship of Family and Parent

Characteristics to Children’s CognSocial Development - Mary Ann DRobert O’Brien, and Michael Vade

• Predictive Validity of Cognitive an

Behavioral Measures in Head StaRelationships Within and Across Cand Social Developmental DomaiSorongon, Kwang Kim, and Kevin 
Head Start FACES S

•

Two cohorts, Fall 1997 (3200 in 4

and Fall 2000 (2800 in 43 program

•

Provides longitudinal findings on H

quality and outcomes 

•

Stratified national probability samp

Head Start programs, families and 

•

Direct assessments of children at 

end of Head Start and end of Kind

•

Direct observations of classroom q

•

Teacher and parent interviews 
Head Start Program Perfor

Measures Conceptual Fram
Cognitive Gains During the H

Year and Achievement in Kin

• 

Research Questions: 

– 

What knowledge and skills do c

have when they enter Head Sta

– 

Do children make significant ga

the Head Start year? During Kin

– 

How do these gains vary acros

and domains? 

– 

How do these gains compare a

cohorts? 
Most Children Entering Head 

Academic Skills Below Natio

Mean Standard Score (Norm = 100)

110.0 100.0 

90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 

Figure 1. Most children e

ntering Hea

d Start have a

c

a

demi

c s

kills below 

104.0 

102.8 

101.1 

85.3 

85.1 

92.4 

87.9 

67.0 

70.8 

82.9 

Vocabulary Early Writing Letter Identification Ea

Skill Area 

SOURCE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), fall 2000, children assessed in English in both fall and spring. 
Head Start Children Show Gains i

and Early Writing During Prog

Figure 2. Head Start stud

e

nts show gains in vocabulary and early writ

pro

gram year 

100.0 

95.0 

92.9 92.4 

Mean Standard Score90.0 89.1 

87.9 87.1 85.3 85.1 85.0 

80.0 75.0 70.0 

Vocabulary (PP

V

T-III) Early Writing (WJR Letter Identification (WJR Early Mat

Dictation) Letter-Word ID) Pr

Skill Area 

SOURCE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), fall 2000 and spring 2001, children assessed in English in both fall and spring. 
Head Start Children Show Com

Gains in Vocabulary in Both C

Mean Standard Score

100

908070605040302010

0

Figure 3. Vocabulary Standard Scores 

of C

hildren in Fall a

nd Sprin

g of 

He

F

A

C

ES 1997 versus FA

CES 

2000

87.7 89.1 

85.3 83.5 

4.2 

FA

CES 1997 FA

CES 2000

SOURCE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), Fall 1997-Spring 1998, Fall 2000-Spring 2001, children receiving English language assessments both times. 
Head Start Children Show Great

Mean Standard Score

100

80604020

0 

-20 

Letter Knowledge in 2000-

Figure 5. Letter Identification Stand

ard Scores of 

C

hildren in 

F

all and Spring 

Year: 

F

A

CES 1997 versu

s FA

CES 2000

91.2 90.0 92.4 92.9 

FACES 1997 -1.2 FACES 2000

SOURCE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), Fall 1997-Spring 1998, Fall 2000-Spring 2001,children receiving English language assessments both times.
FACES LWI Mean Scores and Number of Letter Equivalents

Number

How Many Letters Do They 

FACES LWI Mean Scores and Number of Letter Eq

FACES 1997 FACES 2000 Congress

WJ R Fall WJR Spring Letters Fall Letter s Spring 

5.0 

5.3 

6.6 

7.3 

7.8 

3.2 

3.9 

7.2 

8.9 

0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 

10.0 12.0 
Children Who Enter with Low

Difference in Mean Standard Scores from fall to spring of Head

Start year

Show Greater Gain

Figure 7. C

hildren who enter Hea

d Start wit

h lower skills sho

w larg

er gain

s 

national norms

10.0 

8.4 

8.0 

7.0 

6.0 

3.8 

4.0 

2.0 

2.0 

1.3 1.2 

0.5 

0.0 

Vocabulary Early Writing Letter Identification Ea

-0.5 -0.6 

-2.0 

-2.7 

-4.0 

Skill Area 

SOURCE: Head Start Family and Child Experinces Survey (FACES), fall 2000 and spring 2001, children receiving assessments in English both times. 
Vocabulary in English Vocabulary in Spanish Letter I.D. in English Letter I.D. in Spa

Spanish Speaking Children Pr

English Vocabulary, Maintain 

Vocabulary

Figure 10. Vocabulary and Letter Identification Skills in English and in Spanis

Children From Spanish-Speaking Language Minority Families

100.0 

89.5 89.

87.5 

84.9 84.4 

80.0 

66.7 

59.7 

60.0 40.0 20.0 

-0.6 -2.0 

7.0 

Mean Standard Score

-20.0 

0.0 
Head Start Graduates Progre

National Norms in Kinder

Fig

ure 11. Head Start gradu

ates show f

urt

h

er progress t

oward natio

nal norm

100.0 

96.2 

Mean Standard Score

95.0 

92.7 92

90.0 

88.0 

85.0 80.0 75.0 70.0 

87.9 

86.5 

Vocabulary (PPVT-III) Early Writing (WJR Dictation) Early Math (WJR Applie

Skill Area 

SOURCE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), Spring 1998 and 1999 (combined) and Spring 1999 and 20
Head Start Children’s Soc

and Problem Behavi

• 

Research Questions: 

– 

Do children show gains in socia

reductions in problem behaviorHead Start? 

– 

Do children who enter with morbehaviors show greater improv
Children Show Gains in Coo

Behavior during Head Sta

Figure 1. Head Start stud

e

nts show gains in cooperative classroom beh

a

vior 

year 

24.0 20.0 

16.6 16.1 

16.0 

14.6 

13.3 

12.0 

8.0 4.0 0.0 

14.7 

8.6 

All Children All Children Botto

m Quartile 

2000-01 1997-98 2000-01 

Group Rated and Program Year 

Mean Cooperative Behavior Scale Score -- Teacher Ratings SOURCE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), 2000-01 (n = 2,191), 1997-98 (n = 1,982). 
Children Show Reductions in H

Mean Behavior Scale Score -- Teacher Ratings

Behavior during Head Sta

Figure 2. Head Start stud

e

nts show significa

nt reduction

s in h

yperactive b

program year 

16.0 14.0 12.0 10.0 

8.0 

5.6 

6.0 5.2 4.0 

1.8 1.7 2.0 

0.0 

1.4 1.2 

Total Proble

m

Aggressive Hyperactive 

Behavior Behavior Behavior 

Type of Problem Behavior 

SOURCE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), 2000-2001, (n = 2,073-2,130). 
Children with High Levels of Prob

Show Improvement during He

Fig

ure 4. H

e

a

d Start st

u

dent

s who ent

er with high levels of problem beh

a

v

impro

v

e

ment during pro

gram year 

Highest Quartile in Fall Same Children in Spring 

Mean Problem Behavior Scale Score -- Teacher Ratings 

16.0 14.0 

11.9 

12.0 10.0 

8.7 

8.0 6.0 

4.4 

4.0 3.4 3.0 

2.1 

2.0 0.0 

Total Proble

m

Aggressive Hyperactive 

Behavior Behavior Behavior 

Type of Problem Behavior 

SOURCE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), 2000-2001, (n = 2,073-2,130).