NHSA:
MISLEADING REHASH OF STALE DATA DESIGNED
TO CONFUSE ISSUES, REVIVE "DYING" BILL IN U.S. HOUSE
WASHINGTON, D.C.///June 9, 2003///An "overview" of
attacks on the Head Start program released today by the Bush
Administration contains no new data and is yet another in
a series of increasingly desperate attempts to breath new
life into a controversial U.S. House bill that is in serious
trouble on Capitol Hill, according to the National Head Start
Association (NHSA), the national organization representing
local Head Start program.
NHSA President Sarah Greene said: "We are disappointed,
though not surprised, that the Bush Administration is releasing
a highly selective and misleading document that is a stale
rehash of convenient slivers of information thrown together
in an attempt to confuse unwitting lawmakers long enough
to move a bill that, in fact, is in serious trouble in the
U.S. House of Representatives. This gross mischaracterization
of the data about Head Start is a blatant attempt to advance
a political agenda. It is a desperation move. This should
be about the kids, not politics. This is bad science and
it is yet another slap in the face from the Bush Administration
to the tens of thousands of hard-working Head Start instructors
and parent/volunteers."
Greene continued: "Let's talk about the facts.
The experts who have looked at the data on Head Start --
including
the stale information ?eleased?today that, in fact, is more
than five years old in some cases -- are virtually unanimous
in concluding that Head Start works. It gets kids ready for
school. They are better able to learn. They stay in school
and out of trouble. There is absolutely no research showing
that the unproven and untested approach advocated by the
White House and Rep. Castle would do as well -- much less
better. It is astonishing to me that people would misuse
data to tear down a successful program in the hopes that
people will miss the fact that they don't have a single shred
of evidence that their alternative will work."
For more information about the extensive research data showing
the efficacy of the Head Start program, go to http://www.saveheadstart.org/SHS_white_paper_041403.pdf on the Web.
In discussing the rehashed-data report, Greene noted:
- Stale data are being misrepresented in the report to
suggest that there are current problems in relation to
literacy and
numeracy that are now improving. Based on new research
information and a 1998 Congressional mandate, Head Start
shifted in the
late 1990s to a greater focus on letters and numbers. Experts
have given the program credit for improvement from 1998
and on.
- The Administration document deliberately ignores
an obvious
fact: Head Start children start out with a learning deficit
compared to more affluent children. Head Start has been
successful in narrowing the gap that at-risk children bring
to the classroom,
but it is disingenuous to point out that the narrowed gap
still exists. The data shows that the otherwise enormous
handicap that America's poorest children would bring to
school has been reduced significantly. Head Start kids
are much
better ready to learn than they otherwise would have been.
- HHS
already has the power from Congress to eliminate any
barrier to better state-level coordination. Further legislative
authority is unnecessary, even though the department has
not acted to promulgate regulations to reduce barriers
to
state coordination. State-level Head Start operations already
are fully committed to working with the states. In fact,
all of the success stories cited in today? Bush Administration
report of state level coordination are happening currently
without any open-ended block granting that would destroy
the Head Start program as it exists today.
For comments on Head Start research, NHSA encourages the
media to hear from unbiased experts:
- Dr. Edward Zigler, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Psychology
and director of the Center in Child Development and Social
Policy at Yale University. Professor Zigler is often referred
to as the "father of Head Start" due to his leadership
role during the Nixon Administration as a member of the
National Planning and Steering Committee of Project Head
Start. Contact:
(203) 432-4576 or edward.zigler@yale.edu.
- Dr. James Elicker,
Purdue University professor of child development and
former Head Start teacher, education coordinator
and state training coordinator. Contact: (765) 494-2938
or elickerj@cfs.purdue.edu. (See unrelated news release
below.)
- Dr. Joan Lombardi, former HHS deputy assistant secretary
for external affairs, Children and Families. Contact: (202)
364-5162.
- Dr. George L. Askew, founder, Docs For Tots, and
past chief, Health and Disabilities Services Branch of
the Head
Start Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, (202) 638-1144 or gaskew@zerotothree.org.
- Miriam
Rollins, federal policy director, Fight Crime: Invest
in Kids. Contact: (202) 776-0027, ext. 143.
- Rachel Schumacher,
policy analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy. Contact:
(202) 906-8005.
- Paul Thornell, director of public policy,
United Way of America. Contact: (703) 683-7817.
ABOUT NHSA
The National Head Start Association is a private not-for-profit
membership organization dedicated exclusively to meeting
the needs of Head Start children and their families. The
Association provides support for the entire Head Start family
by advocating for policies that provide high-quality services
to children and their families; by providing extensive training
and professional development services to all Head Start staff;
and by developing and disseminating research, information,
and resources that impact Head Start program delivery. NHSA
represents more than 900,000 children and their families,
200,000 staff, 1,900 Head Start programs, and 600 Early Head
Start programs in America. NHSA provides a national forum
for the continued delivery and enhancement of Head Start
services for at-risk children and their families.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Christine Kraly, NHSA,
(703) 276-3258 or ckraly@hastingsgroup.com.
=========================================
You may have missed this, which was released earlier today:
Expert Says Head Start OK As Is
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A Purdue University Head Start researcher
says the Congressional movement to change the federal preschool
program would do more harm than good.
"Head Start is not broken, so why make radical and
risky changes in its funding and administration?" asks
James Elicker, a professor of child development and former
Head Start teacher, education coordinator and state training
coordinator.
"There is substantial evidence that Head Start improves
the health, school readiness and long-term educational outcomes
of low income children, as well as provides needed support
and education for their parents. The program has extremely
high customer satisfaction ratings, too."
The Republican plan calls for transferring the funding and
administration of Head Start to individual states using a
de facto block grant formula.
"That would be a mistake at this time because administrative
costs will undoubtedly increase, states will use the federal
funds to replace funds lost in state budget cuts, and the
net result will be a decrease in Head Start program quality
and a reduction in the total number of poor children served," says
Elicker, who is conducting research with three Early Head
Start programs in Lafayette, Kokomo and Marion.
Elicker says that if the states inherit control of the program,
it is likely the current comprehensive focus for Head Start
will be lost. This change could eliminate critical services,
such as early education that teaches children social skills,
as well as academic skills, health and dental screenings
and treatment, mental health services, parent-education programs
and social services.
"Also, it is a concern that the proposed federal legislation
does not strongly mandate states to follow the current national
Head Start program performance standards," Elicker says.
"These performance standards have been the keystone
of Head Start's quality and improvements over the past 37
years. If the performance standards are loosened, or if states
are able to set their own standards according to changing
political whims, Head Start as a high-quality national program
for low-income children will soon be dismantled."
Contact: James Elicker, 765-494-2938 or elickerj@cfs.purdue.edu;
Purdue University News Service, 765-494-2096.
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