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HEAD START REEVALUATION - POSITIVE EFFECTS ARE NOT YET DEMONSTRABLE

NCJ Number
50186
Journal
EVALUATION QUARTERLY Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (AUGUST 1978) Pages: 493-509
Author(s)
P M BENTLER; J A WOODWARD
Date Published
1978
Length
17 pages
Annotation
A CRITICAL REVIEW IS PRESENTED OF AN ANALYSIS WHICH, UNLIKE OTHER EVALUATIONS, FOUND THE HEAD START PROGRAM TO HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS.
Abstract
THE ANALYSIS IN QUESTION EMPLOYED A CAUSAL MODELING APPROACH IN EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF A SUMMER HEAD START PROGRAM ON THE COGNITIVE ABILITY OF WHITE FIRST-GRADERS. THE APPROACH WAS SAID TO PERMIT AN APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENT TO BE MADE FOR PREEXISTING DIFFERENCES AMONG HEAD START PARTICIPANTS. POSITIVE ESTIMATES OF EFFECT WERE FOUND FOR A SAMPLE THAT HAD YIELDED HIGHLY NEGATIVE EFFECTS IN ANOTHER EVALUATION, THE IMPLICATION BEING THAT OTHER SAMPLES WOULD HAVE SHOWN EVEN STRONGER POSITIVE EFFECTS. HOWEVER, REEVALUATION OF THE SAME HEAD START DATA, USING BOTH THE MODEL EMPLOYED IN THE QUESTIONED ANALYSIS AND SIMILAR, MORE COMPLEX MODELS, SHOWS THAT NO POSITIVE EFFECT CAN AS YET BE DEMONSTRATED FOR HEAD START. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT CASUAL MODELING HAS A PLACE IN THE EVALUATION OF SOCIAL PROGRAMS, BUT THAT THE APPROACH MUST BE USED WITH CAUTION. IT IS FURTHER CONCLUDED THAT THE FINAL WORD ON THE EFFECTS OF HEAD START PROBABLY HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN, BUT THAT BELIEF IN THE POSITIVE EFFICACY OF THE PROGRAM CANNOT REST UPON THE EVALUATION DISCUSSED. DETAILS OF THE ANALYSIS, A LIST OF REFERENCES, AND SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. FOR A RESPONSE, SEE NCJ-50187. (LKM)