ERIC Number: EJ1126084
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1040-9289
EISSN: N/A
Is Full Day Better than Half Day? A Propensity Score Analysis of the Association between Head Start Program Intensity and Children's School Performance in Kindergarten
Leow, Christine; Wen, Xiaoli
Early Education and Development, v28 n2 p224-239 2017
Research Findings: This study used data from a national sample to examine differences in school outcomes at the end of kindergarten between Head Start children who attended full-day and half-day programs. Propensity scores were used to match children who experienced different intensities of the program on a series of demographic characteristics in order to achieve a more unbiased estimation of the intensity effect. Analyses were performed on 2 different age cohorts: 3-year-olds who enrolled in the program for 2 years and 4-year-olds who enrolled in the program for 1 year. The results showed that in comparison to a demographically comparable group of children who attended the Head Start half-day program, children who experienced the more intensive full-day program showed no significant differences on any of the 5 academic and social outcome measures examined. Practice or Policy: Policy and practice implications, as well as future research ideas, are discussed within this context.
Descriptors: School Schedules, Kindergarten, Federal Programs, Probability, Scores, Academic Achievement, Demography, Preschool Children, Cohort Analysis, Outcomes of Education, Comparative Analysis, Early Childhood Education, Statistical Bias, Family Characteristics, Early Intervention, Experience, Family (Sociological Unit), Preschool Education, Surveys, Hypothesis Testing, Verbal Ability, Intelligence Tests, Vocabulary, Achievement Tests, Interpersonal Competence, Regression (Statistics)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Kindergarten; Primary Education; Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey; Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A