Extended Bibliography #2

Implementations from the Beginning to Now.

Marshall, Gordon. "Coleman Report". A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 5 Feb. 2011

Wikipedia. James Samuel Coleman. 15 December, 2010. Web. 5 February, 2011.

Zigler, Edward and Susan Muenchow. Head Start: The Inside Story of America's Most Successful Educational Experiment. New York: Basic Books. 1992. Print.

As I had stated in my last bibliography on Head Start, I wanted to see how and what teaching methods have changed since the 1960's. I soon found that there weren't very many recorded studies done until the 1990's. I found that the information that went toward the Head Start program in the 1960's was con-screwed and left very little support. As I met with one of the Head Start advisers on February 5, 2011, Tawnia informed me that, "The Attorney General of the United States implemented the Head Start Program to reduce the delinquency of America's children." I wonder if he was sincere in his declaration to increase the importance and affordability of education in America? There were a couple studies that were conducted just after the first year Head Start had commenced, such as the Coleman Report and the Westinghouse/Ohio Evaluation, that do not paint a pretty picture (Zigler 56).

One study that I want to touch on is the Coleman Report. It was instigated by the US Department of Education and conducted by James Samuel Coleman. The 1966 Coleman Report became a controversial debate for many years. Coleman states that children would learn more from their families than from school (Marshall). I find this a very bold and idiotic statement to make, considering he himself attended college. Only after reading more of this document do we find out that Coleman almost refutes his own claim and states that Black children will only benefit from this program if they are integrated into a predominately white class setting. I believe that his concept of school along with this study may have been influenced by the "white fight" events that were taking place and thus an accurate study may not have been conducted.

In trying to gather some ground that may not have been tainted with racial discrimination, I turned to Edward Zigler's book for answers. He states that within the first year of the Head Start program Students were testing higher than non Head Start students, but after about a month in public school together, the non Head Start students were scoring about the same as the head Start children (56). This leaves the program in danger of becoming decommissioned as a hope for children. This leads me back to my initial question of how Head Start has evolved into this program of salvation that is offered.

It wasn't until meeting with Head Start representatives and reading Edward Zigler's book that I understood the total embodiment that is Head Start. This program is not just a summer school where parents stick children to prepare them for the next school year, although that is an important part, but it furthers children comprehension of basic skills. Head Start provides children with basic health and dental care and nutritious meals daily that they might not otherwise have ever experienced (Zigler 28). Zigler dives into the reasons why this program is such a success. He will stand by Head Start till death do they part as the best way for a young child to further their education and have a chance to succeed in life. Children learn basic life and social skills while interacting with children of similar circumstances. Tawnia of the Boise Head Start center said that children come to her school from all over the world with all different backgrounds because of their circumstances. The children that she watches are from impoverish families that couldn't otherwise educate their young. Also parents are welcomed to join in helping their kids while at the school.

Head Start may have started off as just a program where children from poor families could be taught to read, write, and count. It may have been a scapegoat for officials to pawn concerns to, but it has now grown into a safe haven for children all over the world. Parents now have a place where their children can not only learn to read, write, but to gain the social skills and abilities they need to start their life in this world. Many children now know what it's like to paint a picture, to have a friend, or to have a real nutritious meal to eat. Now children, who's parents just watch TV during meals or are never around, can have the attention and love they deserve. They can gain the self-esteem and motivation to change the world. Head Start has improved dramatically from its primordial state in the 60's from just a low income school to a house of learning. Finally, impoverish children have a new hope, a head start.