Early Childhood

GAO: Head Start Programs Underenrolled

By Linda Jacobson — January 07, 2004 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Many Head Start programs across the country don’t enroll as many children as they receive federal money to serve, but the extent of the situation is unknown, according to a recent report from the General Accounting Office.

The report, “Head Start: Better Data and Processes Needed to Monitor Underenrollment,” is available online from the U.S. General Accounting Office. (Requires Adobe’s Acrobat Reader.)

The Administration for Children and Families, the branch of the Department of Health and Human Services that manages the federal preschool program designed to aid poor children, does not collect accurate national data on programs that are underenrolled, the researchers concluded.

They also found inconsistencies between what regional Head Start agencies consider to be “unacceptable” levels of enrollment and the definitions used by the ACF.

“Our survey work and analysis indicate it is possible that underenrollment is more widespread than ACF has acknowledged,” write the authors of the Dec. 4, 2003 report by the congressional watchdog agency. “The complexity of factors buffeting Head Start grantees underscores the need for ACF to accurately identify underenrollment and its causes on a timely basis.”

Interviews by the GAO with regional ACF officials and administrators in Head Start agencies uncovered a variety of reasons that some programs were not filled to capacity, including greater demands among parents for full-day programs when only part-day classes were available.

Other factors cited are parents’ use of other sources of early-childhood services, including reliance on relatives for care, and language and cultural differences between families and Head Start staff members.

Variety of Factors

The report recommends that the Health and Human Services Department take steps to improve the accuracy of the enrollment data included in its annual survey of Head Start grantees, and come up with a standard method for regional offices to identify programs where underenrollment might require “corrective action.”

The GAO also recommends that Head Start officials improve the way they track enrollment in part-day and full-day programs.

In a response included in the report, HHS officials agreed with the recommendations and said they would take action to improve monitoring of enrollment.

Related Tags:

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Early Childhood Opinion What K-12 Can Learn from Pre-K
Early-childhood education has valuable lessons to share with K-12.
5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Early Childhood Which States Offer Universal Pre-K? It's More Complicated Than You Might Think
Universal pre-K is growing in popularity. Here are the states that have already established universal preschool programs or policies.
2 min read
Early Childhood Support for Universal Pre-K Grows as More States Jump on Board
New Mexico became the latest state to approve investments in pre-K programs.
5 min read
A Pre-K student plays with the class guinea pig at Positive Tomorrows in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Aug. 17, 2021. Oklahoma is one of a handful of states offering universal pre-k to all students.
A prekindergarten student plays with the class guinea pig at Positive Tomorrows in Oklahoma City, Okla., in 2021. Oklahoma is one of a handful of states offering universal pre-K.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Early Childhood As Head Start Quality Push Continues, Advocates Raise Red Flag on Equity
Inadequate federal funding forces Head Start providers to choose between quality and quantity, a new report contends.
2 min read
A multi-ethnic group of preschool students is sitting with their legs crossed on the floor in their classroom. The mixed-race female teacher is sitting on the floor facing the children. The happy kids are smiling and following the teacher's instructions. They have their arms raised in the air.
E+/Getty