Head Start Program

Head Start was / is a program of Compensatory Education in the United States. It should primarily improve the educational opportunities for children from low-income families and increase their resilience. Head Start was started in 1965 welfare reform by President Lyndon B. Johnson and with the help of Daniel Patrick Moynihan as part of the Great Society.

The program

Head Start is one of the oldest programs of compensatory education worldwide; it is also one of the largest and most expensive programs of this kind

Goal of Head Start is to underprivileged children and children from underprivileged and disadvantaged areas to promote layers to reduce educational disadvantage and create more equal opportunities. In addition often should social problems such as crime, drug use, alcoholism, welfare dependency, etc. fought, partly involving the parents. Special programs contact disadvantaged groups, such as in children with a history of migration.

So far in the United States have a total of about 24 million preschoolers participated in it (as of April 2007). In 2006, over 909,000 children and families mitbetreute participated in Head Start; a budget of more than 6.7 billion U.S. dollars. There are more than 200,000 paid Head Start caregivers, and more than 130,000 volunteer caregivers. At present, a total of approximately 1,600 Head Start projects take place in the U.S..

Various Head Start programs

There are three different head startup programs, which are aligned in different problems. They differ as follows:

• Early Head Start: Supports expectant mothers from the lower class already during pregnancy. There are parenting classes for mothers and counseling courses for parents with drug or alcohol problems. Parents should be strengthened in their parenting skills and learn more about the needs of their child. Head Start staff also advise on problems in the partnership, financial and health problems
• Head Start: Provides support for children from underprivileged families. These include help with homework, visits to museums and cultural events, reading afternoons, afternoons cooking and much more
• Migrant and Seasonal Head Start: Provides Head Start programs for children of migrant and seasonal workers.

Transfer efforts in Germany

In the 1970s, the Berlin school psychologist shaker - Janikulla struggled with his preschool portfolios similar to problem children, not only in Kreuzberg. The first German television brought the program with the mouse in the same intention.

Successes and criticism

The successes of Head Start are not without controversy. For example, it was emphasized a long-term effect of promoting the children through the Head Start program only arises at the same time improving the family situation and the relations with the neighborhood. Several studies and created independently studies in the U.S. have led to different assessments:

• Studies that view Head Start as unsuccessful: The economist Steven Levitt and journalist Stephen J. Dubner see Head Start in their book Freakonomics: A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything (2005 ) to be unsuccessful. It could no long-term success is demonstrated by Head Start.
• Studies with mixed results: Magnuson, fame and Waldfogel (2004) come to the conclusion that increases Head Start mathematical skills and reading skills, but also leads to behavioral problems. They also note that the mathematical skills and reading skills of Head Start children align themselves towards the end of the first class where the children who did not attend Head Start; but behavioral problems remain. It could be proved that the biggest successes by Head Start in the children can be achieved, which get the least help at home. Currie and Thomas (1995 ) were among white children stronger and longer -lasting effects determine than black and Hispanic children.
• Studies that view Head Start as a success: Datta ( Datta, 1976;. , And Lee et al, 1990) summarized 31 studies on Head Start together. This came to the conclusion that the IQ of the Head Start children was significantly higher than the IQ comparable children who did not attend Head Start. After the children came to school, the difference was smaller, however, remained. The American government was referring to in their evaluation of Head Start, among others in this study. Werner ( 1997) evaluated Head Start a success. It reduces learning problems among younger children as well as drug addiction and criminal history among young people.
• Congressional Impact Study: This study was carried out on behalf of the U.S. Congress ( currently 2005). It was found that Head Start children were small to medium advantages over children who attended another preschool program. The earlier a child participated, the more benefit it pulled out of the program.