Differential effectiveness of Head Start in urban and rural communities

Dana Charles McCoy; Pamela A. Morris; Maia C. Connors; Celia J. Gomez; Hirokazu Yoshikawa

doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2015.12.007

Differential effectiveness of Head Start in urban and rural communities

Dana Charles McCoy^*, Pamela A. Morris, Maia C. Connors, Celia J. Gomez, Hirokazu Yoshikawa

^*Corresponding author for this work

IPR - Institute for Policy Research

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent research suggests that Head Start may be differentially effective in improving low-income children's early language and literacy skills based on a number of individual- and family-level characteristics. Using data from the Head Start Impact Study (n = 3503; 50% male, 63% treatment group), the present study extends this work to consider program impact variation based on centers' location in urban versus rural communities. Results indicate that Head Start is more effective in increasing children's receptive vocabulary (as measured by the PPVT) in urban areas and their oral comprehension (as measured by the Woodcock-Johnson Oral Comprehension task) in rural areas. Additional analyses suggest that related characteristics of the center - including concentration of dual language learners and provision of transportation services - may underlie these associations. Implications for research on program evaluation and policy are discussed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	29-42
Number of pages	14
Journal	Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology
Volume	43
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2015.12.007
State	Published - Mar 1 2016

Funding

The research reported here was funded under cooperative agreement #90YR0049/02 with the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education , through Grant R305B080019 to New York University as well as by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number F32HD078034 . The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of ACF, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, or the National Institutes of Health.

Keywords

Head Start
Impact variation
Language and literacy
Neighborhoods
Preschool
Urbanicity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Developmental and Educational Psychology

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10.1016/j.appdev.2015.12.007

Cite this

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title = "Differential effectiveness of Head Start in urban and rural communities",

abstract = "Recent research suggests that Head Start may be differentially effective in improving low-income children's early language and literacy skills based on a number of individual- and family-level characteristics. Using data from the Head Start Impact Study (n = 3503; 50% male, 63% treatment group), the present study extends this work to consider program impact variation based on centers' location in urban versus rural communities. Results indicate that Head Start is more effective in increasing children's receptive vocabulary (as measured by the PPVT) in urban areas and their oral comprehension (as measured by the Woodcock-Johnson Oral Comprehension task) in rural areas. Additional analyses suggest that related characteristics of the center - including concentration of dual language learners and provision of transportation services - may underlie these associations. Implications for research on program evaluation and policy are discussed.",

keywords = "Head Start, Impact variation, Language and literacy, Neighborhoods, Preschool, Urbanicity",

author = "McCoy, {Dana Charles} and Morris, {Pamela A.} and Connors, {Maia C.} and Gomez, {Celia J.} and Hirokazu Yoshikawa",

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T1 - Differential effectiveness of Head Start in urban and rural communities

AU - McCoy, Dana Charles

AU - Morris, Pamela A.

AU - Connors, Maia C.

AU - Gomez, Celia J.

AU - Yoshikawa, Hirokazu

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - Recent research suggests that Head Start may be differentially effective in improving low-income children's early language and literacy skills based on a number of individual- and family-level characteristics. Using data from the Head Start Impact Study (n = 3503; 50% male, 63% treatment group), the present study extends this work to consider program impact variation based on centers' location in urban versus rural communities. Results indicate that Head Start is more effective in increasing children's receptive vocabulary (as measured by the PPVT) in urban areas and their oral comprehension (as measured by the Woodcock-Johnson Oral Comprehension task) in rural areas. Additional analyses suggest that related characteristics of the center - including concentration of dual language learners and provision of transportation services - may underlie these associations. Implications for research on program evaluation and policy are discussed.

AB - Recent research suggests that Head Start may be differentially effective in improving low-income children's early language and literacy skills based on a number of individual- and family-level characteristics. Using data from the Head Start Impact Study (n = 3503; 50% male, 63% treatment group), the present study extends this work to consider program impact variation based on centers' location in urban versus rural communities. Results indicate that Head Start is more effective in increasing children's receptive vocabulary (as measured by the PPVT) in urban areas and their oral comprehension (as measured by the Woodcock-Johnson Oral Comprehension task) in rural areas. Additional analyses suggest that related characteristics of the center - including concentration of dual language learners and provision of transportation services - may underlie these associations. Implications for research on program evaluation and policy are discussed.

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KW - Impact variation

KW - Language and literacy

KW - Neighborhoods

KW - Preschool

KW - Urbanicity

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Differential effectiveness of Head Start in urban and rural communities

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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