ATI In the News
As seen in Florida's Child, Spring 2004, Vol. 10, No. 2; Reprinted with permission
Florida’s Head Start Kids Are Ready for School
A Florida Head Start Association (FHSA) Research Committee report documents the impressive accomplishments of more than 10,000 4-year-olds served in Florida Head Start programs during the 2002-2003 program year.
The report, “A Portrait of Our Head Start Children’s Outcomes,” utilized data gathered using the Galileo System for the Electronic Management of Learning. The system, developed by Assessment Technology Inc., includes a research-based assessment tool that measures children’s learning in all eight Head Start domains.
The committee set a benchmark of 50 points (one standard deviation on the Galileo Scales) since gains of this magnitude indicate a substantial level of growth. Florida Head Start children exceeded the 50-point gain in one year in all eight domains. “The gains reflected in this report are significant and clearly show that our Head Start programs are helping the children they serve enter school ready to succeed,” said Daryl Greenfield, Ph.D., a University of Miami researcher.
The director of Training and Technical Assistance Services at Western Kentucky University, Marce Verzaro-O’Brien, Ph.D., explains that the effective evaluation of any good early childhood program requires the use of multiple research-based measures of children’s learning. “As the federal government implements its National Reporting System,” says Verzaro-O’Brien, who is also a member of the FHSA research committee, “…it will be essential to recognize, utilize, and build upon data emanating from initiatives such as the Florida Portrait.”
Elizabeth Karas, Ph.D., another committee member, points out that as the state drafts legislation to guide development of voluntary universal pre-kindergarten in Florida, current data on children’s learning and program impact will be essential to inform policy decisions. “Data such as the Florida Portrait,” said Karas, “can provide a valuable resource in helping Florida lead the way in high quality early childhood education.”