Examining Head Start Funding Equity and Program Quality Across States

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Sunday 11:45 am
  In Poster Session: Constructing Early Childhood Education: Ideologies, Influences, and Discourses

Abstract

This paper examines whether current Head Start funding structures are equitable and distributed proportionally across states. We use a variety of methods and datasets to examine per-child allocations and determine the percentage of eligible children being served in each state. We also examine correlations between classroom quality and funding. The goal of this study is to identify inequities in the current structure of Head Start that result in uneven access based on the region or state in which a child resides, and often even vary within the same local area. Our findings underscore the need to update the Head Start funding formula and point toward additional action items to improve the program.

Authors

• Allison Boyle, Southern Education Foundation, Inc.

• Max Altman, Southern Education Foundation

• Kathy Thornburg, University of Missouri

• Cathy Grace, University of Mississippi