Head Start Impact Study (HSIS)

In the 1998 reauthorization of Head Start, Congress mandated that the DHHS determine, on a national level, the impact of Head Start on the children it serves. This legislative mandate required that the impact study address two main research questions: (1) What difference does Head Start make to key outcomes of development and learning (and, in particular, the multiple domains of school readiness) for low-income children? What difference does Head Start make to parental practices that contribute to children’s school readiness? and (2) under what circumstances does Head Start achieve the greatest impact? What works for which children? What Head Start services are most related to impact? The HSIS addresses these questions by reporting on the impacts of Head Start on children and families during the children’s preschool, kindergarten, and first grade years. It was conducted with a nationally representative sample of nearly 5,000 three- and four-year old preschool children across 84 nationally representative grantee/delegate agencies in communities where there are more eligible children and families than can be served by the program. The children participating were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (which had access to Head Start services) or a comparison group (which did not have access to Head Start services, but could receive other community resources.

Data and Resources

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Field Value
Source https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/resource/head-start-impact-study-final-report-executive-summary
Maintainer U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)/Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
Last Updated January 9, 2024, 23:24 (UTC)
Created November 26, 2019, 01:21 (UTC)