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Head Start Self-Study
Data Analysis Finalized and Presented by Boryana Dimitrova and Jonathan Pimentel
Background
- Research Team: Harold Aguas, Boryana Dimitrova, Michael Bruno, Jim Fontanilla, Dianna Gomez, Savannah Gonzalez, Daisy Guasch, Joseph Long, Jonathan Pimentel
- Partner Group: Head Start
- Contact Person: Dolores Perry
Overview
- Sociology 448/Social Science Statistics students:
- transferred data from surveys into SPSS
- Cleaned data/recoded variables
- Generated descriptive statistics on key areas of interest
Head Start Project
- Secondary Research
- Observational Research
- Survey
- Dr. Henson and students toured Head Start facility
- Dr. Henson met with Head Start Acting Director several times
Secondary Research
- Federally funded program
- Serves low-income children and their families in Jersey City, NJ
- Provides critical developmental, education and health services to disadvantaged children from three to five, and their families
- Designed to improve the children’s long-term school and employment prospects
- Includes a social services and parent involvement focus
- Overall goal is to improve the school readiness of children and to move low-income families closer to self-sufficiency
Observational Research: Bergen Avenue Head Start Site
- Students required to observe a specific situation
- Students required to write up their observation in a reflection paper
Observational Papers
- “Head Start wasn’t what I expected but more! …there was a huge amount of love and compassion. The teachers really care about those kids.” P. Katora
- After visiting one of Jersey City’s Head Start facilities I realized the program lives up to their mission and goal.” L.Rey
- “…Head Start program…teaches the kids the basics they need and shows them the love and devotion they deserve.” S. Terry
- “ The Head Start Program is designed so that the children learn independence and how to do things on their own. They learn basic living skills in case they ever need to take care of themselves.” B. Johnson
- “…I believe that the children’s experience at Head Start will provide them with the foundation needed in order to grow and advance in the future.” S.Sanfilippo
Initial Areas of Interest
Who Uses Head Start?
| |
Range |
Mean |
SD |
| "Our families are..." |
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|
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| Family size |
4.5 |
1.5 |
2-10 |
| Number of Children |
2.43 |
1.2 |
1-6 |
| Number of Adults in Home |
2.13 |
1.1 |
1-8 |
| Distance from Head Start (in blocks) |
4.79 |
4.5 |
0-25 |
“They are diverse…” %
1. Places of Origin
- Jersey City
- Other New Jersey
- Other U.S.
- Asia
- Africa
- Dominican Rep.
2. Languages Spoken at Home (not English) %
How are Clients Feeling about Head Start?
- What are the 3 best things about Head Start? -Most Common Responses-
- First Choice
- Education/Learning Aspects (27.8%)
- Teachers/Staff (21.7%)
- Environment (11.7%)
- Second Choice
- Education/Learning Aspects (21.7%)
- Food (13.3%)
- Teachers/Staff (11.7%)
- Third Choice
- Education/Learning Aspects (13.9%)
- Programs (8.9%)
- Teachers/Staff (8.3%)
- What are the 3 worst things about Head Start? -Most Common Responses-
- First Choice
- Environment (6.7%)
- Food (3.3%)
- Repairs (2.8%)
- Second Choice
- Food (2.2%)
- Lack of Involvement (1.7%)
- Time (1.7%)
- Third Choice
- Environment (1.7%)
- Food (1.1%)
- Programs (1.1%)
What More do Clients Want/Need from Head Start?
- Services desired from Head Start: -Most Common Responses-
- After school activities (4.4%)
- Housing Assistance (2.2%)
- Spelling and Other School Work (1.7%)
- Desired workshops from Head Start: -Most Common-
- Child guidance/discipline (15.6%)
- Housing (14.4%)
- Job search (12.8%)
How are Clients Feeling about their Community?
- Name 3 of the Best Things About Your Community: -Most common-
- First Choice
- Environment (12.8%)
- Education (6.1%)
- Quiet (5.0%)
- Second Choice
- Environment (6.1%)
- Pleasant (3.9%)
- Education (3.3%)
- Third Choice
- Pleasant (3.9%)
- Environment (3.3%)
- Church (2.8%)
- Name 3 of the Worst Things About Your Community: -Most Common-
- First Choice
- Drugs 16.1% (n=)
- Crime 10.6% (n=)
- Second Choice
- Crime (7.2%)
- Lack of Police (5%)
- Third Choice
- Crime (5%)
- Lack of Police (3.9%)
Next Steps
- Continue Cleaning Data
- Meet with Head Start
- Establish further areas of interest for these data with Head Start
- Establish methods for improving client surveys with Head Start
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