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Getting Inside the "Black Box" of Head Start Quality: What Matters and What Doesn't?

Author

Listed:
  • Janet Currie
  • Matthew Neidell
Abstract
Critics of Head Start contend that many programs spend too much money on programs extraneous to education. On the other hand, Head Start advocates argue that severely disadvantaged children need a broad range of services. Given the available evidence, it has been impossible to assess the validity of these claims. In this study, we match detailed administrative data with data on child outcomes from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, including test scores, behavior problems, and grade repetition. We find that former Head Start children have higher reading scores and are less likely to have been retained in grade where Head Start spending was higher. Holding per capita expenditures constant, children in programs that devoted higher shares of their budgets to education and health have fewer behavior problems and are less likely to have been retained in grade. However, when we examine specific educational inputs holding per capita expenditures constant, only pupil/teacher ratios matter.

Suggested Citation

  • Janet Currie & Matthew Neidell, 2003. "Getting Inside the "Black Box" of Head Start Quality: What Matters and What Doesn't?," NBER Working Papers 10091, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:10091
    Note: ED CH
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Currie, Janet & Thomas, Duncan, 1999. "Does Head Start help hispanic children?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 235-262, November.
    2. Eliana Garces & Duncan Thomas & Janet Currie, 2002. "Longer-Term Effects of Head Start," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(4), pages 999-1012, September.
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    8. Blau, David & Currie, Janet, 2006. "Pre-School, Day Care, and After-School Care: Who's Minding the Kids?," Handbook of the Economics of Education, in: Erik Hanushek & F. Welch (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 20, pages 1163-1278, Elsevier.
    9. Janet Currie, 2000. "Early Childhood Intervention Programs: What Do We Know?," JCPR Working Papers 169, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mari Rege & Ingunn Størksen & Ingeborg F. Solli & Ariel Kalil & Megan McClelland & Dieuwer ten Braak & Ragnhild Lenes & Svanaug Lunde & Svanhild Breive & Martin Carlsen & Ingvald Erfjord & Per S. Hund, 2019. "Promoting Child Development in a Universal Preschool System: A Field Experiment," CESifo Working Paper Series 7775, CESifo.
    2. Shapiro, Joseph & Trevino, Jorge Moreno, 2004. "Compensatory education for disadvantaged Mexican students : an impact evaluation using propensity score matching," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3334, The World Bank.
    3. Pedro Carneiro & Rita Ginja, 2014. "Long-Term Impacts of Compensatory Preschool on Health and Behavior: Evidence from Head Start," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 6(4), pages 135-173, November.
    4. Wong, Ho Lun & Luo, Renfu & Zhang, Linxiu & Rozelle, Scott, 2013. "The impact of vouchers on preschool attendance and elementary school readiness: A randomized controlled trial in rural China," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 53-65.
    5. Magnuson, Katherine & Shager, Hilary, 2010. "Early education: Progress and promise for children from low-income families," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1186-1198, September.
    6. Flores, Carlos A. & Flores-Lagunes, Alfonso, 2009. "Identification and Estimation of Causal Mechanisms and Net Effects of a Treatment under Unconfoundedness," IZA Discussion Papers 4237, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Sarah Flood & Joel McMurry & Aaron Sojourner & Matthew Wiswall, 2022. "Inequality in Early Care Experienced by US Children," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 36(2), pages 199-222, Spring.
    8. Lee, Kyunghee, 2010. "Do early academic achievement and behavior problems predict long-term effects among Head Start children?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(12), pages 1690-1703, December.
    9. Cho, Yoonyoung, 2008. "An Evaluation of A Pronatal Subsidy Program in Korea: A Quasi-Experimental Approach," MPRA Paper 25958, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Rege, Mari & Solli, Ingeborg Foldøy & Størksen, Ingunn & Votruba, Mark, 2018. "Variation in center quality in a universal publicly subsidized and regulated childcare system," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 230-240.
    11. Rucker C. Johnson & C. Kirabo Jackson, 2019. "Reducing Inequality through Dynamic Complementarity: Evidence from Head Start and Public School Spending," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 310-349, November.
    12. repec:ces:ifodic:v:6:y:2008:i:2:p:14567131 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Jens Ludwig & Deborah A. Phillips, 2007. "The Benefits and Costs of Head Start," NBER Working Papers 12973, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. David Blau & Janet Currie, 2008. "Efficient Provision of High-Quality Early Childhood Education: Does the Private Sector or Public Sector Do It Best?," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 6(02), pages 15-20, July.
    15. Herbst, Chris M. & Tekin, Erdal, 2010. "Child care subsidies and child development," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 618-638, August.
    16. Nina Drange & Marte Rønning, 2017. "Child care center staff composition and early child development," Discussion Papers 870, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    17. Chris M. Herbst & Esra Kose, 2024. "Head Start Funding Expansions and Program Inputs," Public Finance Review, , vol. 52(1), pages 42-77, January.
    18. David Deming, 2009. "Early Childhood Intervention and Life-Cycle Skill Development: Evidence from Head Start," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(3), pages 111-134, July.
    19. Joo, Myungkook, 2010. "Long-term effects of Head Start on academic and school outcomes of children in persistent poverty: Girls vs. boys," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 807-814, June.
    20. Kuger, Susanne & Marcus, Jan & Spiess, C. Katharina, 2019. "Day care quality and changes in the home learning environment of children," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 27(3), pages 265-286.
    21. Drange, Nina & Rønning, Marte, 2020. "Child care center quality and early child development," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    22. Ann Dryden Witte & Marisol Trowbridge, 2005. "The Structure of Early Care and Education in the United States: Historical Evolution and International Comparisons," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 19, pages 1-38, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    23. Carlos A. Flores & Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, 2007. "Identification and Estimation of Casual Mechanisms and Net Effects of a Treatment," Working Papers 0706, University of Miami, Department of Economics.
    24. Greg J. Duncan & Jens Ludwig & Katherine A. Magnuson, 2010. "Child Development," NBER Chapters, in: Targeting Investments in Children: Fighting Poverty When Resources Are Limited, pages 27-58, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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