eNotes
September 9, 2016In this Issue:
- New, Revised Head Start Program Performance Standards Released! Source: Office of Head Start - September 6, 2016
- New Reports Look at Long-Term Impacts of the Head Start Program Source: The Hamilton Project and the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at Berkeley - September 6, 2016
- Ed-Talk: High Quality Pre-K: Taking the Road Less Travelled Source: National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) - September 2016
- Let's Talk About STEM Video Series Source: ZERO TO THREE - September 6, 2016
- Journal of Early Intervention Abstract Available Online Source: DEC's Journal of Early Intervention - September 1, 2016
1. New, Revised Head Start Program Performance Standards Released!
The Final Rule for the New Head Start Program Performance Standards was published in the Federal Register on September 6, 2016. Effective starting November 2016, the updates reflect best practices and the latest research on early childhood development and brain science. This is the first comprehensive revision of the Standards since they were originally published in 1975. To learn more see:
- Introducing the New Head Start Program Performance Standards - A collection of related resources, including a fact sheet, questions and answers, a quick summary of the new standards, and more
- An Exciting Day For Head Start - A blog post by Head Start Director Blanca Enriquez
- Presenting the New Head Start Program Performance Standards - Includes a webcast of Office of Head Start leadership introducing the new standards.
2. New Reports Look at Long-Term Impacts of the Head Start Program
The following two reports provide new information on the long-term effectiveness of the Head Start Program:
- Economic Analysis: The Long-Term Impact of the Head Start Program (August 2016) - The Hamilton Project - Findings of this analysis indicate that Head Start has measurable long-term benefits in a number of areas, including: probability of graduating from high school; probability of attending college, and receiving a post-secondary degree, license, or certification; increased positive parenting practices. The analysis used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY)
- Revisiting the Impact of Head Start (September 2016) - Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at Berkeley - This report discusses new evidence related to the effectiveness of Head Start and concludes that the program has significant benefits for disadvantaged children, including improved school readiness and improved long-term parental involvement in their children's education.
3. Ed-Talk: High Quality Pre-K: Taking the Road Less Travelled
A recently published 6 minute video features NIEER Director W. Steven Barnett discussing what comprises high-quality preschool, the long-term benefits of high-quality preschool, the barriers that prevent many children from accessing high-quality preschool, especially children living in poverty, and examples of what can be done.
- Ed-Talk - High Quality Pre-K: Taking the Road Less Travelled (Runtime: 5:56 minutes)
- Research Fact Sheet - Early Care and Education: Research That Informs Policy
The talk was given as part of the American Educational Research Association's "Ed-Talk" video series promoting open, in-depth discussion of research on education and learning. The videos are accompanied by research fact sheets developed by the scholars providing findings and cumulative research.
4. Let's Talk About STEM Video Series
Young children begin to learn about early science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through play and everyday routines, activities and interactions. With support from the The Boeing Company, ZERO TO THREE and Too Small to Fail have partnered to develop a new Let's Talk About STEM Video Series highlighting the development of STEM skills in the first 5 years of life. Each video is available in both English and Spanish.
Additional resources on simple ways to incorporate STEM concepts and vocabulary into everyday routines and activities are available on the Let's Talk, Read and Sing About STEM! website, developed by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services in partnership with Too Small to Fail.
5. Journal of Early Intervention Abstract Available Online
An abstract of the following article is now available online at http://jei.sagepub.com/content/early/recent?papetoc
Effects of a Teacher Versus iPad-Facilitated Intervention on the Vocabulary of At-Risk Preschool Children
Lindsay R. Dennis, Kelly Whalon, Lisa Kraut, and Deborah Herron
The Journal of Early Intervention (JEI) is an official publication of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children and SAGE Publications. It offers articles related to research and practice in early intervention for infants and young children with special needs and their families. Freely available Podcasts of interviews with JEI authors can be accessed online.