As seen in Florida's Child, Spring 2004; Reprinted with permission
A recent study of the Charlotte County School District’s Head Start programs shows that the county’s Head Start students are learning more in most areas than their peers across the country. Conducted by Title I evaluator Richard Janiak, the study showed that local Head Start students improved 23 percent on average between November and May. The study measured student progress in several categories, including language and literacy, early math, social and emotional development, approaches to learning and physical health practices. According to the study, 63 percent of county Head Start students were using compound sentences by May, versus 43 percent of their peers across the country. Other areas of improvement included drawing pictures to tell a story, requesting favorite books and beginning addition. The study also showed that the achievement gap between black and white students is closing, at least in the county’s Head Start classes. The end-of-year performance of black children was similar to the performance of white children in most of the literacy and math categories, surpassing it in a few. Head Start, a federal program that began in the 1960s, offers free pre-kindergarten classes to children from low-income families, also ensuring that they are fed and have access to health and social services. There were 329 children in the county’s Head Start program last year, and 236 of them came from families living below poverty level.