Head Start

Head Start is a U.S. federal early childhood education program targeting low-income children before kindergarten. Research on Head Start examines how its effects persist over time, including how initial cognitive gains (“test score fade-out”) relate to longer-term benefits in health and home environment, and how its impacts depend on the quality of subsequent K-12 schooling.

Claims that use this term

• Head Start effects persisted more for students who later attended better-funded K–12 schools, suggesting sustained enrichment rather than one-time intervention sustains gains.
• Test score fade-out in Head Start may reflect various mechanisms and is not necessarily inconsistent with overall gains in health and home environment.