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This is to certify that the

thesis entitled

A STUDY OF HEAD START PARENT PARTICIPATION
ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES IN CITIES
WITH POPULATION BETWEEN 100,000 AND 200,000

presented by

L. Wayne Brown

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

__Eh_.D_._degree in Jducatmn'

9ZL1~4I 970 {Zlfid/WZ

Major professor

Date w

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limo Asia 51

m

ABSTRACT

A STUDY OF HEAD START PARENT PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES
IN THE UNITED STATES IN CITIES WITH POPULATION
BETWEEN 100,000 AND 200,000

BY

L. Wayne Brown

Introduction

 

Head Start parent involvement policy stipulates
parent programs must provide four major types of parent
activities to strengthen the ability of parents to give
more positive support to the growth and development of

their children.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine if
Directors in Head Start programs are complying with the
Head Start parent participation policy, and if the prepara-
tion and prior experience of the Director, the person to
whom he is responsible, the number of years teachers have
taught in Head Start classrooms and the location of the
classrooms influence compliance with the Head Start parent
Aparticipation policy of non-preferential emphasis on the

four types of parent participation activities.

 

-L. Wayne Brown

Design

Ten selected Educational Authorities were polled
by questionnaire to ascertain if they supported the Head
Start parent program policy. Nine responded.

Directors of Head Start programs in the eighty—
seven United States cities with population between 100,000
and 200,000 were selected to participate.

Data were collected by a specially constructed
questionnaire consisting of two parts designed to gather
information about current parent participation activities
and five selected demographic characteristics of each Head
Start program. These characteristics became the basis for
six hypotheses tested in this study. Seventy—one per cent
of the questionnaires were returned.

The Friedman Two-Way Analysis of Variance by Ranks
Test was applied to all data, with level of significance

at .05.

Conclusions
1. As a group nine,Educational Authorities confirm
the need for Head Start parent programs to provide the four

types of parent activities as stated in Head Start, A Manual

 

of Policies and Instructions. This policy indicates the

 

need for non-preferential emphasis on the four types of
parent participation activities.
2. All Seventy-one per cent of the Directors

responding provided some degree of parent involvement in

L. Wayne Brown

all four types of parent activities, but with consistently
preferential emphasis.

3. Directors with preparation and prior experience
in elementary education emphasize the Classroom Involvement
type of activity as characterized by the descriptive state-
ments on the original questionnaire:

Parents assisting in the classroom as volunteers on
a scheduled basis

Parents being invited to planned classroom activities
Parents accompanying class on field trips

Parents being provided baby sitting services while
visiting in classroom

Parents assisting in serving food and eating meal
with class

4. Directors with preparation and prior experience
other than elementary education emphasize the Administrative
type of activity as characterized by the descriptive state-
ments on the original questionnaire:

Parents being systematically asked to give ideas for
program improvement

Parents actively securing volunteer services for
program ,

Parents helping recruit and screen employees

Parents visiting other programs to gain ideas for
local improvement

Parents assisting in the evaluation of the total
program

5. Staff-Parent-Child Relationship is the type of

parent activity consistently given the least emphasis.

L. Wayne Brown

This type of activity is characterized by the descriptive
statements on the original questionnaire:

Parents being allowed to check out toys/games for
home use with child

Parents receiving reinforcement materials to be
completed with child at home

Parents learning how to read and tell stories to
child for fun

Parents receiving suggestions of specific TV programs
to View with child

Parents being encouraged to attend with child certain
community events

6. In this study, only the Directors' background
appears to influence whether activities concerned with the
administration of the program or activities concerned with
the instructional aspect of the program are given priority

of emphasis.

A STUDY OF HEAD START PARENT PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES
IN THE UNITED STATES IN CITIES WITH POPULATION

BETWEEN 100,000 AND 200,000

BY

L. Wayne Brown

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

College of Education

1971

was???"

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Dr. Troy L. Stearns, Chairman of my doctoral com—
mittee is acknowledged for his support and assistance
during my studies. Dr. Calhoun C. Collier and Dr. George R.
Myers are also thanked for their interest and suggestions in
my program and in this study.

A debt of appreciation and thanks is due the fol—
lowing three persons who have made a significant contribu-
tion to my professional life:

Dr. Louise Sause, member of my doctoral committee,
and friend, who is the epitomist of The Educator,

Mrs. William R. Hasse, Lansing elementary principal
emeritus, who was an example of one totally given to public
school education,

Miss Rubie E. Smith, Murray State University,
Murray, Kentucky, who was the first to instill in me the
love and appreciation for the elementary child.

A sabbatical leave from the Lansing School District
and a fellowship from the Hinman Foundation provided finan—
cial support which made this year of intensive study
possible. I thank those persons who made this financial

assistance available.

ii

 

My wife, Betty, and children, David, Alan, and
Laurabeth are acknowledged for the assistance and endur-

ance they gave me during our educational endeavor.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LIST OT TABLES O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0

LIST OF EXHIBITS O O O O O O O O O O O O 0

Chapter
I. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY . . . . . . . .

Need for the Study .
Purpose of Study . .
Hypotheses . .
Design of the Study .
Definition of Terms . .

Assumptions Underlying the Study
Limitations of the Study . .

Overview . . . . . . . . .

II. REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH AND RELATED LITERATURE .

Effect of Early Experiences on Child's

Growth and Development . . . . . . .
Effect of Parents on Child's Early Experiences
Historical Development of Parent Involvement
in Head Start . . . . . . . . . . .
Effectiveness of Parent Participation in

Head Start Programs . . . . . . . . .
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . .

III. RESEARCH PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction . . . . . . .
Identification of Samples . . .
Hypotheses . . . . . . . .
Development of Survey Instruments

Procedure for Collection of Data .
Procedure for Analysis of the Data
Summary . . . . . . . . .

O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O
O O O O O O 0

iv

Page
ii
vi

viii

H

15
21

27

36
45

 

Chapter

IV. PRESENTATION OF DATA
Analysis of Data
Hypotheses Testing
Interpretation of Data
Summary . . .

V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND
Summary . . .
Conclusions . .
Future Study .

BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . .
APPENDIX . . . . . .

Recommendations for Possible Action and

RECOMMENDATIONS

93

93
97

100

104

111

 

4.6.

LIST OF TABLES

Structure of Director's Instrument . . . .

Nine Educational Authorities' Ranking of Four
Types of Parent Participation . . . . .

Summary of Fifty—three Head Start Directors'
Ranks of Four Types of Parent Participation
Programs 0 I O O O O O O O O O 0

Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent
Activities by Directors with Undergraduate
Elementary Major . . . . . . . . .

Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent
Activities by Directors with Undergraduate
Other Than Elementary Major . . . . .

Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent
Activities by Directors Whose Prior
Professional Experience Was in the Area
of Elementary Education . . . . . . .

Rank Sums of Emphasis of Four Types of Parent
Activities by Directors Whose Prior
Professional Experience Was in Areas
Other Than Elementary Education . . . .

Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent
Activities by Directors Who are
Administratively Responsible to the
Director of Elementary Education . . . .

Rank Sums of EmphaSis on Four Types of Parent
Activities by Directors Who are
Administratively Responsible to a
Person Other Than the Director of
Elementary Education . . . . . . . .

Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent

Participation Activities by Directors with a

Majority of Classroom Teachers who have
Taught Head Start Classes for Three Years
or Longer . . . . . . . . . . .

vi

Page

55

63

65

67

67

70

70

73

73

76

Table

4.10.

4.14.

 

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIlllllllllll----------52:7— ~qw~w»
J

Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent
Participation Activities by Directors with
a Majority of Classroom Teachers who have
Taught Head Start Classes for Two Years
or Less . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent
Participation Activities by Directors with
a Majority of Classrooms Located in Public
Schools . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent
Participation Activities by Directors with
a Majority of Classrooms Located in Places
Other than Public Schools . . . . . .

Summary of Times Each Type of Parent
Participation Received a Combined Rank of
l, 2, 3, or 4 Under Ten Conditions . . .

Number and Per Cent of Responses Recorded in
"Don't Know at Present" Column by Fifty-
three Directors About Emphasis on Four
Types of Parent Activities . . . . . .

Summary of Hypotheses . . . . . . -. .

vii

Page

76

79

79

83

83
86

 

LIST OF EXHIBITS

Exhibit Page

1. Head Start Parent Participation Activities
Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

2. Head Start Parent Participation Activities
survey 0 O O O O O O O D O I O O 115

3. Cities in the United States with Population
Between 100,000 and 200,000 With Full
Year Head Start Programs . . . . . . . 118

4. Letter of Introduction Educational Authorities'
Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . 122

5. Letter of Introduction Head Start Directors'
Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . 124

6. Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent
Participation Activities Reported by Fifty-
three Directors in United States Cities With
Population Between 100,000 and 200,000 . . . 126
7. Undergraduate Majors of Fifty-three Directors . 128
8. Prior Experiences of Fifty-three Directors . . 130

9. Persons to Whom Fifty-three Directors are
Administratively Responsible . . . . . . 132

10. Years Majority of Teachers Have Taught in Head
' Start Classrooms . . . . . . . . . . 134

11. Location of Majority of Classrooms in Fifty-
three Head Start Programs . . . . . . . 136

12. Ranks of Four Types of Parent Participation
Activities Reported Under Ten Conditions . . 138

13. Eleven Descriptive Statements on Directors'

Questionnaire Receiving Checks in the
"Don't Know at Present" Column . . . . . 140

viii

 

IIII[III________________________________________—_'I 'VW‘ ””“d‘

Exhibit Page

14. Twenty Descriptive Statements in Rank Order
as Reported by Fifty- -three Directors,
with Assignment to Four Types of Parent
Participation Activities . . . . . . 142

ix

 

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

Need for the Study

 

Head Start is a large scale social experiment by
the government of the United States to provide avenues to
support the growth of the pre-school child and to stimulate
and strengthen his development.

The implicit authority for creating Head Start comes
from Title IIA, Section 205(a) of the Economic Opportunity
Act of 1964, which reads as follows:

The Director is authorized to make grants to, or to
contract with, public or private nonprofit agencies,

or combinations thereof, to pay any part or all of the
costs of community action programs which have been
approved by him pursuant to this part, including the
cost of carrying out programs which are components of

a community action program and which are designed to
achieve the purposes of this part. Such component
programs shall be focused upon the needs of low-income
individuals and families and shall provide expanded

and improved services, assistance, and other activities,
and facilities necessary in connection therewith. Such
programs shall be conducted in those fields which fall
within the purposes of this part including employment,
job training and counseling, health, vocational rehabi-
litation, housing, home management, welfare, and special
remedial and other noncurricular educational assistance
for the benefit of low-income individuals and families.1

It is paradoxical that notice was not made of a

program for the pre-school child, and yet in 1966 at the

 

1U. 8., Congressional Record, 88th Congress, 2nd
Session (1964), CX, No. 14, 18637.

 

 

hearing of the House Education and Labor Committee, Sargeant
Shriver was to name Head Start as the War on Poverty's
"greatest measurable success."l Once conceived, the Head
Start program developed quickly into an operational program,
and by the summer of 1965, centers were functioning through-
out the United States.

Since Head Start is based on the philosophy that a
disadvantaged child can benefit most from a "comprehensive
interdisciplinary attack" on his problem, his entire family
must be involved in solving his problems.2 Research gives
support to this approach. Parents are significant ones who
encourage or discourage interests, stimulate or stifle
pleasures of learning, strengthen or weaken self-concept,
and influence other important attitudes and values. It is
paradoxical that children attending Head Start have the
greatest need for positive encouragement, yet often their
parents are ill equipped to provide this service. Thus,
children are caught in a cycle of deprivation. One way to
break this cycle is to provide parent participation activi-
ties which will develop parents' skills and increase parents'

knowledge of how to support their children's emotional,

 

1U. S., Congress, House, Committee on Education and
Labor, 1966 Admendments to the Economic Opportunity Act of
1964, Hearing, 89th Congress, 2nd Session (Washington:
Government Printing Office, 1966), p. 186.

zggad Start, A Manual of Policies and Instruction,
Office of Economic Opportunity Publication (Washington:
Government Printing Office, 1967), p. l.

 

 

physical, and intellectual growth. Bogar and others1 and
Steam2 have established that when parents are provided
with information concerning certain tasks, they can be
effective in helping their child perform better.

Head Start parent programs are structured to provide
instructive information for parents. Yet, recent events
within the Head Start program indicate a misunderstanding
about the need of carrying out the parent programs. At the
1969 December National Head Start Conference, the successful
move by parents to interrupt the meeting gave them a base
from which they could be more effective in the administra-
tion of the Head Start program.3 It was much the same
reason which prompted the formation of the Michigan Feder—
ation of Head Start Mothers during the early months of 1970.
Since they deemed it necessary to establish their voice in
the administration of the program, apparently these parents
had not been given an opportunity to participate in programs

which provided satisfying activities for meeting their needs.

 

1Robert P. Boger, Judith Kuipers, and Marilyn Beery,
"Parents as Primary Change Agents in an Experimental Head
Start Program of Language Intervention" (East Lansing:
Head Start Evaluation and Research Center, 1969): P. 106.
(Mimeographed.)

2Carolyn Stearn, "Developing the Role of Parent—As—
Teacher with Head Start Population," E.R.I.C., Document
#020 793 (1968), PP. l-l6.

3Statement by National Head Start Office Staff
Member, personal interview, February 5, 1971.

 

 

 

 

Further evidence of a lack of attention given to
the development of parent participation activities was
gathered in an interview the writer had with a Head Start
Regional Officer. This officer indicated parent programs
of which he had knowledge gave most emphasis to the admin-
istrative type of activities. The administrative type of
involvement should not be minimized, neither should it be
emphasized at the expense of the other types of activities,
since Head Start does not indicate any one type of parent
involvement should be emphasized over the others.

It seems Head Start staff members and parents are
dissatisfied with the present lack of involvement in Head
Start parent programs. This lack was not the intent of

the writers of the Head Start, A Manual of Policies and

 

Instructions, which describes parent involvement as a
positive and beneficial activity for parents. "Successful
parental involvement enters into every part of Head Start,
influences other anti-poverty programs, helps bring about
changes in institutions in the community, and works toward
altering the social conditions that have formed the systems
that surround the economically disadvantaged child and his
family."1
In further reflecting the desire to have parent

involvement relevant and satisfying to the needs of parents,

 

1Head Start, A Manual of Policies and Instructions,
Office of Economic Opportunity, Section B-2, revised (Washing-
ton D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1967), p. 10.

 

the Head Start, A Manual of Policies and Instruction states,

 

"Project Head Start must continue to discover new ways for
parents to become deeply involved in decision making about
the program and in the development of activities that they

deem helpful and important in meeting their particular

needs and conditions."1

This same Manual also stated,

Head Start believes that the gains made by the child
in Head Start must be understood and built upon by

the family and community. To achieve this goal, Head
Start provides for the involvement of the child's
parents and other members of the family in the experi-
ences he receives in the child development center by
giving them many opportunities for a richer apprecia-
tion 3f the young child's needs and how to satisfy
them.

 

And still further giving substance to this belief,
this policy booklet stipulated, "Every Head Start must have
effective parent participation," and lists four types of
activities to advance this requirement.3

1. Participation in the process of making decisions
about the nature and operation of the program.

2. Participation in the classroom as paid employees,
volunteers or observers. .

3. Activities for the parents which they have helped
to develop.

4. Working with their children in cooperation with the
staff of the center.

About these activities the Head Start, A Manual of

 

Policies and Instructions has this remark, "Each of these

 

 

lIbid. 21bid.
31bid., p. 11. 4Ibid.

is essential to an effective Head Start program."1 And

unless Directors provide channels through which such par-
ticipation and involvement can be realized, "the goal of
the Head Start will not be achieved and the program itself
will remain a creative experience for the preschool child
in a setting that is not reinforced by needed changes in
social systems into which the child will move after his
Head Start experience."2

However, in current programs it is not known the
degree to which these four types of activities are being
implemented, nor is it known what variables influence the
development of parent programs in which all four of these
types receive emphasis. Do Directors with certain pro-
fessional backgrounds and experiences and certain organ-
izational patterns encourage the development of parent
programs in which emphasis is given to all four types of
parent activities?

This study is undertaken because of the significance
given to parent participation by the Head Start,yA Manual
of Policies and Instructions, which emphasizes the need for
all four of these types of parent activities to be included
in orderfor parent programs to best provide poverty parents
with skills and information which they can use to give

positive support to the development of their children.

 

lIbid. 21bid.

 

The results of this study may be useful to national
and local policy boards in evaluating current parent pro-
grams, may provide direction for needed pre-service and in-
service workshops, may provide suggestions for program
changes in institutions for educating potential Head Start
personnel, and may provide information on Directors' quali-
fications or organizational patterns which influence the
development of parent participation programs which comply
with the Head Start parent participation policy of non-
preferential emphasis of the four types of parent participa—

tion activities.

Purpose of Study

 

To lend credence to the emphasis given to the parent

participation activities by the Head Start, A Manual of

 

Policies and Instructionsyten Authorities will be polled

 

to see if they agree with the policy.

Then this study will attempt to determine if the
Directors in Head Start programs in United States cities
with population between 100,000 and 200,000 are complying
with the Head Start parent participation policy.

It will also attempt to determine if the prepara-
tion and prior experience of the Director, the person to
whom the Director is administratively responsible, the
number of years teachers have taught in Head Start class-
rooms,and the location of the classrooms influence the

compliance with the Head Start parent participation policy.

 

Hypotheses

 

Since the Head Start parent participation program
is a recent educational innovation, limited effort has been
directed toward establishing the status of current practices
within the program. Without knowledge of the present status
of policy implementation, intelligent direction or guidance
cannot be given to the Head Start parent participation
program. Since this study proposes to determine which of
the four types of parent participation activities have been
implemented and if five specific demographic characteristics
had any influence on emphasis given to these four types of
activities, the following hypotheses are formulated:

HI: Directors of full year Head Start programs in

United States cities with population between

100,000 and 200,000 will report no significant
difference in emphasis given to the four types
of parent participation activities because of
selected aspects of Directors' background and
selected organizational patterns.
Directors with a major in elementary education
will report no significant difference in emphasis
to the four types of parent participation in

comparison to emphasis by Directors with a major
other than elementary education.

Ia:

HIb: Directors with prior professional experience in
elementary education will report no significant
difference in emphasis to the four types of
parent participation in comparison to emphasis
by Directors with prior experience other than
elementary education.

HIC: Directors who are administratively responsible
to the director of elementary education will
report no significant difference in emphasis
to the four types of parent participation in
comparison to emphasis by Directors who are
administratively responsible to a person other
than the director of elementary education.

 

HId‘ Directors with a majority of classroom teachers
who have taught Head Start classes for three
years or longer will report no significant dif-
ference in emphasis to the four types of parent
participation in comparison to emphasis by
Directors with a majority of classroom teachers
who have taught Head Start classes for two years
or less.

HIe‘ Directors with a majority of classrooms located
in public schools will report no significant
difference in emphasis to the four types of
parent participation in comparison to emphasis
by Directors with a majority of classrooms located
in places other than public schools.

Design of the Study

 

l. The four major types of parent participation,

as listed in the Head Start, A Manual of Policies and

 

Instructionsl will be used in developing a four point

 

questionnaire. This questionnaire will be submitted to
ten educational authorities presently involved in planning,
developing or executing educational programs for pre-
school or early elementary age children. These persons
will be asked if they agree with the Head Start policy.

A copy of this instrument is shown in the Appendix,
Exhibit 1.

2. If these Educational Authorities give support
to this policy, a questionnaire with five descriptive
statements for each of the four types of parent participa-
tion activities will be developed for sending to the eighty-

seven Directors of full-time Head Start programs in cities

 

lIbid.

 

10

of the United States with population of 100,000 to 200,000.
The Directors will be asked to reflect on this year's
activities and rate the degree to which their staff has
provided parent participation in the four types of parent
activities.

3. A second part of this questionnaire will solicit
the status of specific characteristics related to the
Director and the parent participation program. They are
as follows: undergraduate major, prior professional experi-
ence, immediate supervisor, classroom teachers' Head Start
experience, and location of classrooms. A copy of this
instrument is shown in the Appendix, Exhibit 2.

4. Because of the ordinal nature of the data a
nonparametric test, the Friedman Two-Way Analysis of Variance
by Ranks Test, will be utilized to analyze all data. This
test will be used to see if the Educational Authorities
indicate equal emphasis should be given to the four types
of parent participation activities and to determine if there
is a significant difference in emphasis given to the four
types of parent participation activities in operating Head
Start programs when any of the specific characteristics

exist in a program.

Definition'of‘Terms

 

This section defines the terms which are used in

a limited and specific sense in this study.

11

Behavior and Development of the Child: Behavior

 

and development is a far more basic type of growing than
is school learnings, e.g., learning to read, to spell,
and to do simple arithmetic. It is a growth of attitudes
and aptitudes which the middle class child characteristi-
cally acquires, such as finding pleasure in learning,
learning to attend to others and to engage in purposive
action, being able to delay gratification of desires and
to work for rewards and goals, viewing adults as sources
of information and ideas, of approval and reward, and
changing self-expectations.l This definition is embodied
in the phrase "learning to learn."2
Director: A director is a professional person
responsible for formulation, coordination and implementa-

tion of the total Head Start program in a specified area.

Disadvantaged Child: Disadvantaged child refers,

 

"to a child deprived of the same opportunity for healthy
growth and development as is available to the vast majority
of the other members of the large society in which he

lives."3

 

lBenjamin Bloom, Allison Davis, and Robert Hess,
Compensatory Education for Cultural Deprivation (New York:
Holt, RInehart and Winston Inc., 1960), p. 16.

2Harry F. Harlow, "The Formation of Learning Sets,"
Physicology Review, CVI (March, 1949), 51.

3Jerome Hellmuth, ed., Disadvantaged Child, Volume I
(Seattle: Straub and Hellmuth Co., 1967), p. 21.

 

 

12

Educational Authorities: Educational authorities

 

are ten selected recognized writers who have been involved
with educational programs for the elementary age child,
and have worked at the field level with educational pro-
grams for disadvantaged adults or youths. Each has earned
a doctoral degree and at least one authority is a member
of an ethnic minority.

Head Start Child: Head Start child is a child
enrolled in a Head Start program, usually age three up to
the age for entering the school system, or in some few
cases this may include a younger child.

Manual: Manual is the abbreviated name for the

Head Start, A Manual of Policies and Instructions.

 

Parent Participation; Parent Involvement: These

 

terms are used in this study interchangeably to include all
activities planned, initiated, encouraged or supervised by
any Head Start personnel which cause parents to interact

or react to any part of the Head Start program.

Assumptions Underlying the Study

 

The assumptions upon which this study is based are
listed below.
1. The pre—school years are critical to the child's
mental, physical, social and emotional develop-

ment.

 

13

2. Parents of disadvantaged children are concerned
about the maximum development of their child
and,

3. Parents can gain knowledge and understandings
and can learn methods, techniques and skills
which will provide positive support to their

children's development.

Limitations of the Study

 

l. The validity of the data on both questionnaires
is directly related to the skill, knowledge and technique
of the investigator in stating the directions, in selecting
the content and in phrasing the statements precisely.
However, pilot administration of both questionnaires,coupled
with revision of both, should hold the validity at an
acceptable level.

2. In this study, specific demographic variables
are selected for study: director's previous paid experience,
director's undergraduate major, director's immediate super-
visor, number of years teachers have been in program,
location of classroom. This group is not intended to be
inclusive.

3. The results of this study should be interpreted
as an indication of an association between the various
dimensions under study, but not as a direct causal relation—

ship between these dimensions.

 

 

 

14

Overview

Four additional chapters are written to further
develop and conclude this study.

A survey of the literature related to the disad-
vantaged pre—schooler's behavior and development, the role
parents have in this development, and the Head Start parent
participation program developed to indirectly support the
preschooler is given in Chapter II.

In Chapter III, the research procedures and method-
ology employed are presented. This chapter is centered
upon the identification of population under study, pro-
cedure for collection of data, development of instruments
and plans for analysis of the data.

The examination and analysis of the data are pre-
sented in Chapter IV.

Included in Chapter V are these sections: summary,

conclusions and recommendations.

 

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH AND

RELATED LITERATURE

The literature and research related to early child-
hood growth and development and parental influence on this
process is extensive. In order to select the literature
most pertinent to this study the following criteria were
established: (a) only research conducted after 1960, and
(b) research concerned with growth and development and
parental influence on growth and development of the pre-
school or early elementary-age,disadvantaged child was used.

These criteria were used in selecting the literature
concerning the following subjects: effect of early experi-
ences on a child's growth and development, effect of parents
on a child's early experiences, historical development of
parent involvement in Head Start, and effectiveness of
parent participation in Head Start programs. Following
a discussion of these subjects the chapter is concluded
with a summary.

Effect of Early Experiences on Child's
Growth and Development
The significance of the contribution the pre-school

years make to the behavior and development of the child was

15

 

t

16

effectively expressed by Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner in a
Congressional Hearing on the Economic Opportunity Act of
1964.1 The original statute emphasized employment, job
training . . . vocational rehabilitation, and other problems
of the young adults in poverty. Dr. Bronfenbrenner testi—
fied this act placed too much emphasis on the sixteen-to-
twenty-year—olds and that a program for pre-schoolers
could accomplish much more with the same funds. He was,
no doubt, cognizant of the research relating to the pre-
school years.

It has been well established that the pre-school
years are critical ones to the growing, developing child.

Bloom's2

analysis of the stability and variability in the
development of certain characteristics from infancy to
maturity--physical factors, intelligence, scholastic
achievement, interests, attitudes and personality--underscored
this critical influence.

In order to identify and explain this stability and
change, Bloom carefully surveyed data from over one thousand
longitudinal studies. In addition to uncovering support for
the idea of the effect of early environment, he also reported

evidence that indicates any given characteristic has its

 

lU.S., Congress, House, Committee on Education and
Labor, 1966 Amendments to the Economic Opportunity Act of
1964, Hearning, 89th Congress, 2nd Session, April 22-28,
1964 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1966), P.
1340.

 

2Benjamin Bloom, Stability and Change in Human
Characteristics (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1964),
pp. 214-16.

 

17

greatest potential for change during the period of most
rapid growth. Since the early years are periods of most
rapid growth in the child's development, the home environ-
ment exerts tremendous influence on thisdevelopment.l

The child's family structures his initial environ—
- ment. Barring congenital deficiencies, all babies come
into this world with certain positive physical, social,
emotional and intellectual potentialities, and as a product
of the interaction of these potentialities with the environ-
ment, the arena for the child's development is established.
While there are definite differences in the manner in which
lower income and middle-upper income parents structure their
child's environment, it should be pointed out that often the
differences reduce to the upper income parent providing
wholesome food, warm clothing, creative playthings, lessons
and trips. And, they more often pay attention to the
development of the child as an interesting competent per-
sonality. Granting the major variable in the different

rate of each child's development is the environment, then

research should concentrate on locating the means for develop-
ing his potentialities as Murphy implies in his book.2
In 1964 a group of twenty-nine leading specialists

from many different disciplines met at the University of

 

lIbid.

2Garden Murphy, Freeing Intelligence Through Teaching
(New York: Harper and Bros., 1961), pp. 13-21.

 

18

Chicago to secure a more comprehensive picture of the pro-
blems of education and cultural deprivation. They came to
the same position--"a11 later learning is likely to be
influenced by the very basic learning which has taken place
by the age of five or six."1

According to Gordon's2 summary of research reports,
deprivation in early experiences of children resulted in
the following: weakness in auditory and visual discrimina-
tion; limited vocabulary range; restricted language usage;
lack of familiarity with speech used by teachers; insuf-
ficient practice in attending to prolonged speech sequences;
deficiencies in cognitive development; lower IQ score
averages including decreases after about age five; and
depression of intellectual functioning.

The relationship of the early family setting to the
behavior and development of the child has long been a con-
cern of persons giving thought to the question: What cir-
cumstances allow a child to grow into a happy, producing
member of society? There has not always been a concensus
on these circumstances.

While it is agreed that environment is a strong
factor, the controversy of the influence of heredity versus

environment upon the child's development is continuing as

 

lBloom, Davis and Hess, loc. cit.

2Edmund W. Gordon, "Characteristics of Socially
Disadvantaged Children," Review of Educational Research,
XXXV (December, 1965), 337-388.

 

 

 

—

19

it has for some three generations. The prevailing belief

in the late 1800's that potential development of individuals
was primarily inherited, gave way to the opposite viewpoint:
that differences in rate and level of development were
attributable to differences in experiences. The research

in conditioning and learning experiments in psychology,

and research in cultural anthropology gave strength to this

change of viewpoint. Margaret Mead'sl

work was highly
influential, suggesting that even such basic character-
istics as masculinity and femininity differ in different
cultures, and their expression was determined by child
rearing practices. One characteristic after another of the
child was transferred from the arena of inheritance to the
domain of environment. This viewpoint reached an extreme
in the 1920's and '30's, and perhaps John B. Watson's
quotation has become the most famous expression of this
movement,
Give me a dozen healthy infants and my own world to
bring them up in and I'll guarantee to train any one
of them to become any kind of specialist I might
select--doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant, chief and
even beggarman or thief.

A contrast to this extreme position has been in

motion for several years. Most recently, Arthur R. Jensen

 

1Margaret Mead, Coming of Age In Samoa, A Study of
Adolescence and Sex in Primitive Society (New York: Mentor
Books, 1949), pp. 23-33.

2John B. Watson, Behaviorism (New York: W. W.
Norton and Company, 1928), p. 104.

 

20

presented his highly controversial position that environ-
mental factors are not nearly as important in determining
development (specific IQ) as are genetic factors.1

Thus, over past years, the concept of plastic and
changeable human nature has moved from one extreme to
another. However, out of this vacillating more has been
learned about the variables which influence the behavior
and development of children.

In the present decade initiation of compensatory
education programs for the pre—school child, writings of
authorities and reports on longitudinal studies indicate
a strengthening of the environmental position. In Two

Worlds of Childhood, Dr. Bronfenbrenner's basic precept was:

 

prevailing conditions in the lives of children do affect
their behavior and development. Another postulation con-
cerning a child's "modeling process" was "the most contagious
models for the child are likely to be those who are the
major sources of support and control in his environment;
namely his parents, playmates, and older children and

adults who play a prominent role in his everyday life."2

He observed further, "There is a substantial body of data

demonstrating the powerful effect of parents as models in

 

1Arthur R. Jensen, "How Much Can We Boost IQ and
Scholastic Achievement?" Harvard Educational Review, XXXIX
(Winter, 1969), 1—123.

 

2Urie Bronfenbrenner, Two Worlds of Childhood:
U.S. and U.S.S.R. (New York: Russell Sage Foundation,
1970), p. 133.

 

 

 

 

21

shaping the behavior and development of the child."1 This

evidence is of both a positive and a negative nature.

Effect of Parents on Child's
Early Experiences

 

 

Various longitudinal studies adequately support
that parents have an effect on a child's early experiences.
The subjects in Skeels' study2 approximated the contemporary
disadvantaged child and dramatically gave support to this
viewpoint. At the time the original study began, twenty-
five children institutionalized for their mental retarded-
ness, all under three years of age, were placed in two
settings: thirteen (boys and girls) were placed in the
care of female inmates of a state institution for the
mentally retarded, with each child being assigned to a
different ward. Approximately thirty patients, women
ranging in age from eighteen to fifty years, were in each
ward. A control group of twelve (also boys and girls)
remained in an institutional environment, a children's
orphanage. During the formal experiment period, which
averaged a year and a half, the experimental group showed
a gain in IQ of 28 points; whereas the control group's IQ
dropped 26 points. Later, it became possible to place the

experimental members in legal adoption.

 

lBronfenbrenner, op. cit., p. 139.

2Harold M. Skeels, "Adult Status of Children with
ContraSting Early Life Experiences," Monographs of the
Society for Research In Child Development, XXXI (March,
I966), 1-65.

 

 

22

A 1966 follow-up study, which was made thirty years
later, showed all thirteen members of the experimental group
were self-supporting and their personality development and
adjustment were considered well within the normal range.

The control group of twelve presented a significantly dif-
ferent picture: one had died in adolescence in a state
institution for the mentally retarded, four were still
wards of institutions, one was in a mental hospital, three
were in institutions for the mentally retarded, and only
three were contributing to their own support. Skeels
summarized, "The major difference between the two institu-
tions, as experienced by the children during the experiment,
was in the amount of developmental stimulation and the
intensity of relationships between the children and mother-
surrogates."l Skeels cautioned the making of generaliza-
tions from these results, but indicated there is little
doubt that this is a fruitful area for study.

The report of Fels Research Institute study2 was
of particular interest because of its broad base of concern.
The major purpose of this project was to relate the func-
tioning of the child to the psychological status of the
adult. Kagan and Moss observed and interviewed eighty-nine

mothers over a fourteen year period of time and assessed

 

lSkeels, op. cit., p. 54.

2J. Kagan and H. Moss, Birth‘tO’Maturityj'A'Study
in Psychological DeVelopment (New York: Wiley, 1962),
pp. 1-3250

 

 

23

maternal practices on seVeral affective dimensions such as
protection, restrictiveness, hostility, and acceleration.
One suggested finding was that maternal protection of boys
from birth to three years was associated with a theoretiCally
consistent set of behaviors during the years six to four-
teen. This set of behaviors included a passive reaction
to frustration, emotional dependence on adults, conformity
to adult demands, striving for excellence in intellectual
tasks, fear of physical harm, and minimal adoption of tradi-
tional masculine interests. Thus, if'a mother valued
intellectual achievement, the child probably would adopt
this motive in order to retain the mother's nurturance.
Related to this phenomenon, Kagan and Moss formu-
lated a concept called "sleeper effect."1 This emerged
because maternal acceleration of a child's development
skills showed the highest correlation with adult achieve-
ment behavior when the measure of maternal acceleration was
obtained during the first three years of the child's life.
Similarly, maternal protection of the child during the
first three years was a better prediction of school-age
passivity than the mother's protective behavior during
school-age period. The correlations were considerably
lower when the index of maternal protection was taken at

the same time that the school-age child's passivity was

 

lIbid., p. 277.

 

 

 

24

assessed, or maternal reward of dependency in an eight-
year-old had less effect on the child than a similar
maternal practice six years earlier. Since maternal
practices have a latent or "sleeper effect" and require
several years before their influence is evidenced in the
child's behavior, the role parents play in the life
of a pre-schooler does in fact affect the later adjustment
and performance of the child.

Most of the short-term research of the past eleven
years dealing with parental influence on the disadvantaged
child has focused on the effect of parental activities on

cognitive development of the child. One of the most com-

 

prehensive and apparently successful attempts to relate

 

parental influence to intelligence test performance of the
child used data obtained from sixty fifth-grade students

and from interviews with their mothers. Those aspects of
the home which were considered as most relevant to the
development of general intelligence were incorporated as
items in an interview schedule of seventy-three questions.
The items were then used as a basis for ratings on thirteen
scales designated as "Environmental Process Characteristics."
The correlation of the total score and the child's IQ score
was a striking .69. The best relations were found for those
scales dealing with the parents' intellectual expectations
for the child, the amount of information that the mother

had about the child's intellectual development, the

 

25

' opportunities provided for enlarging the child's vocabulary,
the extent to which the parents created situations for
learning in the home, and the extent of assistance given

in learning situations related to school and non-school

 

activities.l

Dave2 and Deutsch3 each developed scales with six
items which demonstrated the relationship between the home
environment activities and the child subject matter achieve-

ment. The items of the indexes are as follows:

 

Deutsch , Dave

1. Housing Dilapidation index 1. Achievement Press-the

for block on which S re- parents' aspirations for
sides, and assigned to him, the child and for them-
computed from census data. selves; their interest in,

knowledge of, and stand-
ards of rewards for, the
child's educational
achievement.

2. The educational aspiration 2. Language Models--the

level of the parent for quality of parents' lan-
the child. guage and the standards
they expect in the child's
language.
3. The number of children 3. Academic Guidance-~the
under 18 in the home. availability and quality

of educational guidance
provided in the home.

 

1R. M. Wolf, "The Identification and Measurement of
Environmental Process Variables Related to Intelligence"
(unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Chicago,
1964) I pp. 71-97.

2R. H. Dave, "The Identification and Measurement of
Environment Process Variables That Are Related to Educational
Achievement" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of
Chicago, 1963), p. 107.

3Martin Deutsch and Associates, The Disadvantaged
Child (New York: Basic Books, 1967), p. 323.

 

4. Dinner conversation. 4. Activeness of the Family——
the extent and content of
indoor and outdoor activi—
ties of the family.

5. Total number of cultural 5. Intellectuality in the
experiences anticipated Home-—the nature and quality
by child for coming week- of toys, and the opportunity
end—-i.e., visiting provided for thinking in

daily activities.

6. Attendance of child in 6 Work Habits in the Family—-
kindergarten. the degree of routine in
home management and the
preference for educational
activities.

Dave found a correlation of +.80 between his total
index and the total fourth grade achievement test scores.
Deutsch's results were not as favorable. Items 2, 4, 5 on
the average correlated +.30, with first grade reading
scores. This was not a strong correlation but nevertheless
was indicative of a relationship better than chance. The
conditions which existed in the life of the pre-school child
did affect his performance in school. Some variables on
these indexes are subject to change through education of

parents--notably, each of the items on Dave's index and

items 2, 4, 5 and 6 on Deutsch's.

 

lIbid.

2Dave, loc. cit.

 

 

 

 

27

Bradshaw,l Hess and Shipman,2 Pavenstedt3 and
Wortis4 each used the observational method as a major means
for gathering data for their pre-school age child studies.
The four sample sizes were nineteen, one hundred sixty,
twenty—one and two hundred fifty respectively. These four
studies all indicated a relationship between life conditions,
family styles, particular maternal behavior, and cognitive
development. The results of these studies were impressive
as indicators of parental influence on the intellectual
development of the child. In addition the general pattern
of the results from the several studies of the disadvantaged
child was consistent. The child's behavior and development
were affected by the parents' motivation and the enactment
of this motivation in the child—parent interactions.

Historical Development of Parent
Involvement in Head Start

 

 

A brief review of the organizational steps which

led to the creation of Project Head Start showed that

 

lCarol Ensign Bradshaw, "Relationship Between
Maternal Behavior and Infant Performance in Environmentally
Disadvantaged Homes," Dissertation Abstracts, XXX (1968),
162_Ao

2Robert D. Hess and Virginia C. Shipman, "Early
Experience and the Socialization of Cognitive Modes in
Children," Child Development, XXXVI (December, 1965),
869-886.

3Eleanor Pavenstedt, ed., The Drifter (Boston:
Little, Brown, Co., 1967), pp. 38-44.

4H. Wortis, et al., "Child—Rearing Practices in a
Low Socioeconomic Group," Pediatrics, XXXII (August, 1963),
pp. 298-307.

 

 

 

 

28

parent involvement had been a major consideration since
inception.

The concept of Head Start grew out of President
Kennedy's 1961-62 Panel on Mental Retardation, which was
charged to prepare a national plan for a comprehensive
and coordinate attack on the problem of mental retardation.
One of the task forces of the panel wrote a detailed
statement on the prevention of mental retardation with
emphasis on the prevention of pseudo-retardation due to
cultural deprivation.l This was the first time a national
program of intervention was suggested.

The membership of this task force numbered five,
one of whom was Robert E. Cooke, M.D. Their report stated
there were a large number of children coming from the low
socio-economic group, particularly black, who were not
given the Opportunity to develop to their true potential.
They were functionally handicapped and perhaps considered
mildly retarded, not on a genetic or racial basis, but
because of inadequate experiences, continued failure, poor
motivation, and language handicaps resulting from their

environment.

 

lPresident's Panel on Mental Retardation, A Proposed

 

 

 

Program for National Action to Combat Mental Retardation
(Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1962),
pp. 47-72.

 

 

29

This committee recommended one way of approaching
the problem would be with widespread establishment of
nursery centers in rural and urban slum areas, which should
pop be traditional day care centers, nor even the typical
nursery school designed to meet the needs of a middle class
child,

. . instead, these should be directed toward the
specific development of the attitudes and aptitudes
which middle class culture characteristically
develops in children and which contribute in large
measure to the academic and vocational success of
such children.

Further suggestions included these centers could
be built with every low cost housing project and should
give major attention to the development of the modes of
learning to understand, on more abstract levels, the world
of things and people, of communicating with others, and of
developing attitudes conducive to school learning.

Another recommended aspect was directly related to
parent involvement. In established centers for parents,
social workers and public health nurses would work toward
the building of attitudes in young mothers that would help
them develop child-rearing practices more conducive to the
intellectual and educational progress of their child.

Another possible productive approach was the estab-

lishment of course work and practical experiences in family

 

lPresidents' Panel on Mental Retardation, Report of
the Task Force on Law, January, 1963, Chair. David L.
Bazelon (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office,
1963), p. 14.

 

 

 

 

 

30

life education in junior high schools--before such potential
parents drop out of school-~and again in senior high school.
These courses for the adolescents would include as a specific
part of their content an emphasis on the methods of child
care associated with the development of learning potential.
Nursery schools attached to junior and senior high schools
could become learning laboratories for the parents of the
next generation.

Parenthetically, this task force noted such pro-
cedures would be of no avail unless the public schools are
sufficiently reorganized to adapt educational opportunities
to the needs and learning capacity of such children. These
opportunities must continue from the time of school entrance
until the children have gone out from school and are estab-
lished in some kind of productive employment.

When Sargeant Shriver was designated as head of the
Office of Economic Opportunity, he asked Dr. Robert E.

Cooke in December, 1964, to outline a pre-school program
which might interrupt the poverty cycle by altering early
childhood experiences. At this time, not even the name

Head Start had been firmly decided upon and the title,
"Operation Success," was considered to emphasize the need
for successful experiences in the life of the disadvantaged
child. To develop this outline, Dr. Cooke assembled a group
of professional people in the child development field,
including psychologists, pediatricians, sociologists,

educators, public health nurses, and social workers.

 

 

31

This committee's final report, dated February, 1965,
listed seven objectives:1

1. Improving the child's physical health and physical
abilities.

2. Helping the emotional and social development of
the child by encouraging self-confidence, sponta-
neity, curiosity, and self-discipline.

3. Improving the child's mental processes and skills
with particular attention to conceptual and verbal
skills.

4. Establishing patterns and expectations of success
for the child which will create a climate of con-
fidence for his future learning efforts.

5. Increasing the child's capacity to relate posi-
tively to family members and others while at the
same time strengthening the family's ability to
relate positively to the child and his problems.

6. Developing in the child and his family a responsi—
ble attitude toward society, and fostering
constructive opportunities for society to work
together with the poor in solving their problems.

7. Increasing the sense of dignity and self-worth
within the child and his family.

It should be noted that in three of the seven
objectives (five, six and seven) members of the family
were included as elements to be altered in improving the
child's early experiences.

Monies were first appropriated in October, 1964,
and Head Start became an operational part of the community

Action Program in the summer of 1965. However, Head Start

 

lRobert Cook, "Report to Sagrent Shriver, Office
of Economic Opportunity, on Improving the Opportunity and
Achievements of the Children of the Poor" (Washington,
D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1965), pp. 1-2.
(Mimeographed.)

 

 

 

 

— --‘ ---W—‘_ -

32

became law only in 1967 with the amending of the Economic
Opportunity Act of 1964. The Act in Title II, Part B,
Section 222 (a) stated:

A program to be known as 'Project Head Start' focused
upon children who have not reached the age of com-
pulsory school attendance which (a) will provide such
comprehensive health, nutritional, education, social,
and other services as the Director finds will aid the
children to attain their full potential, and together
with appropriate activities to encourage the par-
ticipation of parents of such and permit the effective
use of parent services. . . .1

In September, 1967, the publication, Head Start,

 

A Manual of Policies and Instructions, provided requirements
and regulations for this program. This book of policies
stated, "Every Head Start Program must have effective

parent participation,"2 and listed the four major kinds

of participation:

1. Participation in the prOcess of making decisions
about the nature and operation of the program.

2. Participation in the classroom as paid employees,
volunteers or observers.

 

 

3. Activities for the parents which they have helped
to develop.

4. Working with their children in cooperation with
the staff of the center.

Because of the innovative and experimental nature
of the Head Start program, the Office of Economic Opportunity

established at the time of its inception a Research and

 

lU.S., Congressional Record, 90th Congress, lst
Session (1967), CXIII, No. 9587.

2Head Start, op. cit., p. 10.

 

 

33

Evaluation Office as an integral part of Project Head
Start. Studies conducted by the national office have been
in one of four categories: surveys, research, longitudinal
studies and national evaluations.l

A series of descriptive surveys of a nationally
representative sample of local units was conducted by the
Bureau of Census. The inquiries typically obtained data
on compliance with guidelines and answered questions con-
cerning how much, how often and how many children and
families were served through and in the major areas: health,
nutrition, volunteers, parent participation, social services
and education. The most recent study was published in
September, 1970. This survey indicated about 86 per cent
of the centers reported parents involved in administrating
the program; the staff in one-half or more of the class?
room centers initiated one or more lectures, demonstrations,
or workshops per month for parent development; between 73

per cent and 78 per cent of the teachers reported parent-

 

teacher members, and only about 15 per cent to 17 per cent

 

of all parents frequently or occasionally stayed to watch

 

lU.S., Department of Health, Education, and Welfare,
A Report on Evaluation Studies of Project Head Start, by
Lois—ellin Datta (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing
Office, 1969), PP. 1-20.

 

 

 

—T

34

or help in the classroom after bringing their children to or
before taking children home from school.1
In the research area, the subjects under study were
categorized in the following areas:
1. Sub—population Characteristics: (a) Language,
(b) Cognitive, Intellectual, and Achievement
Behavior, (c) Social-emotional Behavior and
Self—Concept
2. Demonstration Programs
3. Teacher Characteristics

4. Parent Participation

5. Head Start and the Community

 

6. Follow—up.2
The results of many of these studies are quoted in
the next section (pages 36—44) "Effectiveness of Parent
Participation in Head Start Programs."
The third major research effort by the national

office was longitudinal studies on the development of low-

 

income children. Data is presently being collected in one
such program which follows all children in a target area
through their school experiences from the first observations

at age three and one-half to the end of the third grade.

 

lBarbara D. Bates, Project Head Start, 1968: The
Development of a Program, U.S., Health, Education, and
Welfare Publication (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing
Office, 1970), PP. 211-249.

2Edith H. Grotberg, Review of Research, 1965 to 1969
of Project Head Start, U.S., Health, Education, and Welfare
Publication (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office,
1969), p. 2.

 

 

35

This Educational Testing Service study is designed to add
to the knowledge of child development.1

Another longitudinal study called Planned Variation
is attempting to evaluate twelve educational strategies
(models) on both a short and long term basis in order to
obtain information about their relative effectiveness.
Conclusions about immediate effects of the twelve programs
should be available in 1973.2

The fourth major area, national evaluation studies,
was designed to assess the average change associated with
Head Start. The 1969 controversial "Westinghouse Report"3
and the most recent "Kirschner Study"4 are examples of this
kind of study. These two studies were conducted by private

institutions to evaluate the effectiveness of Head Start in

particular areas of interest. The Westinghouse study found

 

1Educational Testing Services, Inc., "Disadvantaged
Children and Their First School Experiences: E.T.S.-O.E.O.
Longitudinal Study," E.R.I.C., Document No. 037 486 (December,
1968)! PP. 1'20.

2Jenny Klein, Head Start Planned Variation Study,
U.S., Health, Education, and Welfare PublicatiOn (Washington,
D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1970), p. 1-15.

3Victor G. Cicirelli, William H. Cooper, and Robert L.
Granger, "The Impact of Head Start: An Evaluation of the
Effects of Head Start on Children's Cognitive and Affective
Development" (Springfield, Va.: The Clearing House for
Federal Scientific and Technical Information, 1969), pp.
1-135.

 

4Robert G. Hayden, "A National Survey of the Impact
of Head Start Centers or Community Institutions," U.S.,
Health, Education, and Welfare Publication (Washington,
D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1970): P. 2.

 

36

students were not able to continue accelerated growth in
the cognitive area produced by Head Start. The Kirschner
Study had its focus on the study of the role Head Start
had had in influencing local institutions to become more
responsive to the needs of the poor. This latter study

was significant in providing research documentation that
Head Start has been influential in stimulating change in
educational and health institutions. While there have been
other informal reports of such change, this was the first
time that the effects in communities with and without Head

Start programs have been compared.

Effectiveness of Parent Participation
in Head Start Programs

 

 

During the formative years of Head Start, some
attention of research was directed toward getting parents
to understand and accept the purposes of Head Start and
to learn something about how to get them to become an
active partner in this new project.
3

Chandler,1 Chorost and others,2 Holmes, and Holmes,

Johnson and Palomares,4 found those parents who had enrolled

 

lMarvin Chandler, "Project Head Start and the Cul-
turally Deprived in Rochester, New York: A Study of Partici-
pating and Non-Participating Families in Areas Served by
Project Head Start in Rochester," E.R.I.C., Document #ED
013 669 (1966), pp. 77-86.

2Sherwood B. Chorost, K. M. Goldstein, and R. Silber-
stein, "An Evaluation of the Effect of a Summer Head Start
Program," E.R.I.C., Document #ED 014 327 (1966), pp. 10—11.

3Monica Holmes and Douglas Holmes, "Evaluation of
Two Associated Y.M.-Y.W.H.A. Head Start Programs," E.R.I.C.,
Document #ED 014 318 (1965), pp. 38-41.

4Henry Johnson and Uvaldo Palomares, "A Study of
Some Ecological, Economic and Social Factors Influencing

 

 

37

their child in Head Start and sent him regularly, tended
to hold middle class values, held higher educational
aspirations for themselves and their child, and generally
used community resources more than those parents who had
an eligible child but had not enrolled him. In these
studies, parents consistently thought of the Head Start
program as helpful for their child. Montezl and Ortiz2
indicated this was true among Mexican-American families,
too. I

Curwood,3 investigating the attitudes of parents
actively involved as teacher assistants, aides or room
mothers, found these mothers expressed pleasure in being
involved actively.

A few research projects were designed to ascertain
what parents saw as the main benefit to their child.

Harding4 found in his study the greatest change came in

the area of interest in new things. Social development

 

Parental Participation in Project Head Start," E.R.I.C.,
Document #ED 014 331 (1965), pp. 55-62.

lPhilip Montez, "An Evaluation of Operation Head
Start Bilingual Children, Summer," E.R.I.C., Document #ED
013 667 (1965), pp. 103-117.

2Alfonso Ortiz, "Project Head Start in an Indian
Community," E.R.I.C., Document #ED 014 329 (1965), pp. 46-53.

3Sarah T. Curwood, "A Survey and Evaluation of
Project Head Start As Established and Operated in Communi-
ties of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts During the Summer
of 1965," E.R.I.C., Document #ED 014 324 (1965), pp. 151-156.

4John Harding, "A Comparative Study of Various
Projects, Head Start Program," E.R.I.C., Document #ED 019
987 (1966), p. 26.

 

38

was reported by Allen Soulel as the most important contri-
bution from the Head Start experience.

Research of the above type has waned in recent
years. However, there is increased interest in the ques—
tion: zuxamothers effective as teachers? This second group—
ing of research might be referred to as effect of maternal
characteristics and actions upon the child's behavior and
development.

Perhaps the most comprehensive study in this area
was conducted by Hess and Shipman.2 They constructed a
number of tests to be administered to 362 Head Start children
to determinevflrflflimaternal characteristics might predict
cognitive and social abilities of their Head Start children.
They found that teacher ratings and previous test perform-
ance were better predictors of children's behavior than
maternal characteristics. However, the three maternal
characteristics found most useful for predicting Head Start
children's school achievement and Stanford-Binet scores
were: (1) educational aspirations (hoped for and expected);
(2) openness of mother's response to child's "difficult"

questions; and (3) frequency of imperative statements to

 

lAllen Soule, "Northfield, Vermont: A Community
Depth Study in 1965," E.R.I.C., Document #ED 018 245 (1965),
pp. 36-40.

2Robert Hess and Virginia Shipman, "Techniques for
Assessing Cognitive and Social Abilities of Children and
Parents in Project Head Start," E.R.I.C., Document #ED 015
772 (1966), pp. 106-115.

39

child without rationale. A later study by Hess and
Shipmanl examined maternal behavior and attitudes to
determine if they influenced their Head Start child's
achievements within a middle class school setting. The
children were in a summer Montessori program with pre-
dominantly middle class children. They found that mothers
who were active in many things and were high in analytical
behavior had a more significant positive influence on the
achievement of their children. They also found that open
communication between mother and child positively affected
their children's achievement in school.

Another study on maternal educational aspiration
for children was conducted by Bell2 who learned by inter-
viewing 200 Negro mothers with Head Start children, 73 per
cent wanted their children to succeed in school so that
they could go to college.

Several educators and developmentalists have narrowed
their studies to fewer variables. Ira Gordon supervised
several studies of varying scope and depth. His 1967 study3

provided parents with a forty week program for stimulating

 

lRobert Hess and Virginia Shipman, "Maternal Ante-
cedents of Intellectual Achievement Behaviors in Lower Class

Pre-school Children," E.R.I.C., Document #ED 001 239 (1967).

2Robert Bell, "A Study of Family Influences on the
Education of Negro Low-class Children," E.R.I.C., Document
#ED 025 309 (1967), pp. 75-77.

3Ira Gordon, "A Parent Education Approach to Provision
of Early Stimulation for the Culturally Disadvantaged,"
E.R.I.C., Document #ED 017 339 (1967), pp. 1-118.

 

40

their child's motor skills, perceptual, auditory and
Kinesthetic development. One year later this experimental
group of 100 measured greater development in these areas
than the control group.

In other studies which examined the effect of
maternal actions on cognitive growth, a positive correla-
tion was found between a child's language scores and the
mother's acceptance of the child, mother's use of praise,
and her frequency of rewarding for the child's independent
actions.l Head Start parents who visited the classroom,
helped with extra-curricular activities and attended meet-
ings on child development and child education,witnessed a
greater increase in their child's first grade reading score
than mothers who did not.2

Kearney's3 research revealed that having a child
enrolled in Head Start does not necessarily mean this

parent will have a positive attitude toward school. She

recommended however, that positive attitudes could be

 

lHazel Leler, "Language Development of Social
Disadvantaged Pre-school Children," E.R.I.C., Document
#ED 041 641 (1970), PP. 52-57.

2Florence Heisler and France Crowley, "Parental
Participation: Its Effects on the First-Grade Achievement
of Children In a Depressed Area: Final Report," E.R.I.C.,
Document #ED 039 265 (1969), p. 6.

3Nancy L. S. Kearney, "Attitude Change of Project
Head Start Parents," Dissertation Abstracts, XXX (1969),
102 l-Ao

 

41

developed through involvement. Gordon1 and Jester2 con-
ducting studies at Gainsville's Institute for Development
of Human Resources offered subjective data to support this
position.

This area of research presents evidence that certain
maternal factors can be used in predicting achievement of
children, and when the variable is rigidly limited in con—
tent and time span, parents can be taught how to teach
specific skills to their pre-school aged child.

A third area of research was referred to as descrip-
tive studies of Head Start parent participation programs.
More activity has been reported in this field of Head Start
involvement than in the previous two areas. Some studies
attempted to establish a curriculum for mothers to use with
their children, and then they measured the growth of the

child in the predetermined area. Jacobs and Jones,3 Miller,4

 

lIra Gordon, "Early Child Stimulation Through Parent
Education," E.R.I.C., paper read at American Psychological
ASsociation, September, 1969, Washington, D.C., Document
#ED 038 166 (1969), pp. 1-20.

2R. Emile Jester, "Focus on Parent Education as a
means of Altering the Child's Environment," E.R.I.C.,
Document #ED 033 758 (1969), pP. 9-10.

3Sylvia Jacobs and Pierce Jones, "Parent Involvement
in Project Head Start, Part of the Final Report on Head
Start Evaluation and Research 1968-69," E.R.I.C., Document
#ED 037 244 (1969), pp. 79-81.

4James 0. Miller, "Diffusion of Intervention Effects
in Disadvantaged Families," E.R.I.C., Document #ED 026 127

 

42

and Witters,l are such studies. These three varied in
approach and in desired outcome. Jacobs and Jones struc-
tured their model to encourage parents to be active in the
classroom and in parents' meetings; Miller designed a
detailed step-by-step program to train mothers to teach,
and ultimately to teach a formal class to the Head Start
students; Witters learned that activity oriented programs
were better than lecture type ones. Miller and Witters
reported observing improvement in mothers' self-aspiration
after they participated in parent programs, higher aspira-
tion level for the child and a positive improvement in the
child's attitude toward academic subject matter. However,
Jacobs and Jones reported no positive correlation between
increased parent involvement and higher aspiration level
for the child.

Burns2 and Freis3 are representative of the many
authors who reported on programs in which parents were
involved in Head Start. Typically these kinds of programs
were not structured to measure any degree of change or

improvement, but provided reports on program activities.

 

lGlorianne Witters, "Two Approaches to Group Work
With Parents in a Compensatory Pre-school Program," E.R.I.C.,
Document #ED 035 056 (1969), pp. 21-22.

2Laurel Burns, "Parents Have Much To Give," Young
Children, XXIII (November, 1967), 111-114.

3Ruth Freis, et al., "A Nonsegregated Approach to
Head Start," Young Children, XXIX (July, 1969), 292-296.

 

43

The guide, A Training Program for Parent Participa-

tion in Project Head Start,1 is representative of other

 

Curriculum Guides which have been developed to encourage
the implementation and strengthening of parent participa-
tion. This guide is directed toward providing major helps
to those who lead parent participation groups, rather

than to the parents themselves. It embodies content areas,
methodology, techniques and skills to guide staff persons
in identifing the needs of a parent group, and how to
structure settings in which these needs can best be met.
Two other guides representative of this kind of material

are Ira Gordon's, A Parent Education Approach to Provision
2

 

of Early Stimulation for the Culturally Disadvantaged,

 

and Dorothy Adkins' , Development of a Pre-School Language-

 

Oriented Curriculum With a Structured Parent Education

 

Program.3 The primary aim of these two booklets is to
give parents information on skills of how to instruct their
child in specific areas of development.

Research concerned with parent participation in Head

Start programs is complex and plentiful concerning some

 

lMary Gay Harm, A Training Program for Parent Par-
ticipation in Project Head Start (New York: Child Study
AssoEiation of America, 1967), pp. 1-114.

2Ira Gordon, "A Parent Education Approach to Provi-
sion of Early Stimulation for the Culturally Disadvantaged,"
E.R.I.C., Document #ED 017 399 (1967), pp. 1-118.

3Dorothy Adkins, "Development of a Pre-School
Language-Oriented Curriculum With a Structured Parent
Education Program,"'E.R.I.C., Document #ED 028 845 (1968),
pp. 8-18.

 

 

44

areas, but a limited effort has been devoted to whether
emphasis is given to all four types of parent participa-
tion activities and to the study of the conditions under
which the four types of activities are given equal emphasis
by the professional staff. The Head Start policy states
the four types are to have equal emphasis in all Head
Start programs.1 These guidelines also stress that sub-
stantial change in the life of a Head Start child demands
the fullest involvement of parent or parent—substitute,
and it is the obligation of the professional staff to
provide the channels through which such participation and
involvement can be exercised.

The authors of this Manual made it mandatory that
channels be established for participation in the four types
of parent participation e.g.,

. . . the Parent Head Start Policy Groups must be set
up, classrooms must be open to parents, a plan for
parent education must be developed, and home visits
are required when parents permit such visits.2

Unless this happens the goals of Head Start will not
be achieved and the program itself will remain a
creative experience for the pre-school child in a
setting that is not reinforced by needed changes in

social systems into which the child will move after
his Head Start experience.3

 

1Head Start, op. cit., p. 11.

2Ibid., pp. 12-18.

31bid., p. 11.

 

45

Summary

The works of Benjamin Bloom and others have well
established that pre-school years are critical ones in
the development of certain characteristics, namely: physical
factors, intelligence, scholastic achievement, interest,
attitudes and personality. They offer, "All later learning
is likely to be influenced by the very basic learning which
takes place by the age of five or six."1 This position was
reached after reviewing many longitudinal studies and col-
laborating with other scientists who were knowledgeable in
the field. Statements contra to this position are not
present in the literature. Thus, it seemed sound to accept
the position of Bloom and others as one worthy to support
a study.

Many educators and scientists studied the control-
ling elements in a young child's environment and reached
the conclusion parents are important ones who determine
the quality of these early experiences. Skeels' study
dramatically illustrated this point. All thirteen of his
experimental group, which received a high level of stimula-
tion (between the ages of 2% to 4) from mother surrogates,
were all self supporting thirty years later and their
personal development and adjustment were considered normal.
Yet, of the control group of twelve who remained in a

sterile environment, only three were contributing to their

 

lBloom, Davis, and Hess, loc. cit.

 

46

own support thirty years later and had obtained any degree
of normal personal adjustment and development. This study
and others reviewed in this chapter established that
parents or surrogates are the significant ones who deter-
mine the amount of stimulation a child's environment will
provide.1

It is upon established knowledge like that reviewed
in this chapter that Head Start and the Head Start parent
participation component were conceived and are being imple-
mented. A clear understanding of this and related bodies
of knowledge has also caused the creators and persons
responsible for carrying out the Head Start parent partici-
pation policy to stipulate that non-preferential emphasis
must be given to the four types of parent participation.

Research within Head Start has shown parents
are interested in improving their child's early experi-
ences, parents are able to alter their actions to improve
the experiences for their pre-schooler when given instruc-
tion, and certain maternal values and actions correlate
with the behavior and development of the child. However,
lacking in the literature are studies which ask whether
current programs are following the policy of the Head

Start parent participation program by giving equal

 

lSkeels, loc. cit.

47

emphasis to the four types of parent activities. And are
there characteristics present in those programs fulfilling
this policy which may have fostered this consummation?

Specifically, research with Head Start has not
sought to know if the four major types of parent participa—
tion activities are equally emphasized in programs through-
out the nation, nor if there are specific characteristics
present in those Head Start parent participation programs
which influence non-preferential emphasis to the four
types of parent activities. This void in research and
the increasing attention currently given to parent partici-
pation lends significance to a study which examines these
questions.

In Chapter III the research design to seek answers
to these questions will be given. The samples will be
identified, the survey instruments will be developed, the
procedures for collection and analysis of the data will be

given.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH PROCEDURES

Introduction

 

Parent participation has been an important component
in the Head Start program since its inception. The parent
is most often cited in the literature as one of the signifi-
cant persons in determining the quality and quantity of the
child's pre-school experiences. Parents of the disadvan-
taged child are often lacking in skills and information
which would equip them with the knowledge to provide posi-
tive experiences for their child. Cognizant of these
conditions, the creators of Head Start indiCated in
the program policy that provisions must be made for activi-
ties which would strengthen the ability of parents to give
more positive support to the growth and development of their
child.

The pamphlet, Head Start, A Manual of Policies and

 

Instructions,l indicated the importance of parent activities

 

by listing four types, reflecting the need for equal

emphasis to be given to each.

 

1Head Start, loc. cit.

48

 

49

The four types of parent activities are:

1. Participation in the process of making decisions
about the nature and operation of the program.

2. Participation in the classroom as paid employees,
volunteers or observers.

3. Activities for the parents which they have helped
to develop.

4. Working with their children in cooperation with
the staff of the Center.1

This Manual indicated each of these four types of
parent activities is essential to the parent participation
program and one should not be provided at the expense of
the other three.2

It further indicated it is the responsibility of
the Head Start Direbtor to translate the four types of
activities into practice and give them equal emphasis in
each local program. Otherwise, the Head Start goal to
narrow the gap between the disadvantaged child and the
more advantaged child may not be accomplished.

This study was structured to determine if the
Directors in Head Start programs in United States cities
with population between 100,000 and 200,000 had executed
this parent involvement policy, and if the preparation and
prior experience of the Director, the person to whom the

Director is administratively responsible, the number of

years teachers have taught in Head Start classrooms, and

 

1 2

Ibid. Ibid.

 

50

the location of the classrooms seemed to influence whether
equal emphasis was given to the four types of parent par-
ticipation activities.

'To further evaluate the need ten Educational
Authorities were asked to evaluate the Head Start parent
participation policy position of giving non-preferential
emphasis to the four types of parent activities.

The information in this chapter describes the
processes undertaken to accomplish this purpose. The
Educational Authorities sample is identified, the popula-
tion of Head Start Directors to be polled is isolated, the
hypotheses are stated in null form, the development of the
instrument employed is described, the procedure for col-
lection of data is given and the method for analyzing the

collected data are examined.

Identification of Samples

 

One sample, subsequently referred to as Educational
Authorities, was selected from the population of educators
who are recognized writers in the field of the young disad-
vantaged child or his parent, and who have been involved
with educational programs for this young child. Candidates
who met these requirements and had earned a doctoral degree
were discussed with members of the writer's doctoral guid-
ance committee and with a Michigan State University Head

Start parent education coordinator. Based upon their

51

comments and suggestions, a total of ten authorities
including one from an ethinic minority, who seemingly had
the strongest professional experiences to qualify them to
make intelligent responses were selected to receive a
questionnaire on which they were asked whether they agree
with the Head Start parent participation policy. A copy
of this questionnaire is shown in Exhibit 1 of the Appendix.
The second population was originally composed of
the Directors of Head Start programs in the eighty-seven
cities of the United States with a population between

100,000 and 200,000.1

Exhibit 3 in the Appendix illustrates
these cities and the ones with a full year Head Start pro-
gram. Cities within this population range were selected
since a city this size should have a Head Start program
small enough to allow the Director to have knowledge of
its different elements, yet large enough to permit diversi-
fication in programs. These two characteristics should also
provide a climate in which an aggressive Director could
develop a balanced, active parent involvement program if
he so desired.

A survey instrument (illustrated in Exhibit 2 of

the Appendix) concerning the activities in the parent

participation component was finally sent to seventy-five

 

lU.S. Bureau of Census, 1970 Census of Population,
Egaliminary Report, Population Counts by States (Washington,
D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1970).

 

 

 

52

Directors, since twelve cities did not have full year '

Head Start programs.

Hypotheses

 

Since the hypotheses in Chapter I were stated in
null form it was not necessary to convert them for testing

purposes.

H : Directors of full year Head Start programs in
United States cities with population between
100,000 and 200,000 will report no significant
difference in emphasis given to the four types
of parent participation activities because of
selected aspects of Directors' background and
selected organizational patterns.

HIa‘ Directors with a major in elementary education
will report no significant difference in
emphasis to the four types of parent partici-
pation in comparison to emphasis by Directors
with a major other than elementary education.

HIb‘ Directors with prior professional experience in
elementary education will report no significant
difference in emphasis to the four types of
parent participation in comparison to emphasis
by Directors with prior experience other than
elementary education.

HIC: Directors who are administratively responsible
to the director of elementary education will
report no significant difference in emphasis
to the four types of parent participation in
comparison to emphasis by Directors who are
administratively responsible to a person other
than the director of elementary education.

HId‘ Directors with a majority of classroom teachers
who have taught Head Start classes for three
years or longer will report no significant dif-
ference in emphasis to the four types of parent
participation in comparison to emphasis by
Directors with a majority of classroom teachers
who have taught Head Start classes for two
years or less.

 

 

53

Directors with a majority of classrooms located
in public schools will report no significant
difference in emphasis to the four types of
parent participation in comparison to emphasis
by Directors with a majority of classrooms
located in places other than public schools.

e:

Development of Survey
Instruments

 

 

The most feasible method for gathering data on the
current conditions or status of parent participation in
cities across the nation, and soliciting opinions of the
Educational Authorities, appeared to be that of question-
naires.

The value of the questionnaire was emphasized by
Barnes:

A survey frequently becomes more than a mere fact
finding device. It may also result in important
hypotheses or conclusions that help to solve current
problems, and it may provide basic information for
comparison studies and for identifying trends.

Based on this rationale two questionnaires were
devised because the nature of the inquiries did not permit
2

the use of any standardized form. By following Fox's,

Parten's,3 and Sax's4 comments on constructing the

 

1John B. Barnes, The Dynamics of Educational
Research (Tempe: Arizona State College, 1958), p. 164.

2David J. Fox, The Research Process in Education
(New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1969), PP. 524-554.

3Mildred Parten, Surveys, Polls, and Samples:
Practical Procedures (New York: Cooper Square Publishing,
Inc., 1950) I pp. 161-3910

4Gilbert Sax, Empirical Foundations of Educational
Research (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall,
Inc., 1968), pp. 201-870

 

 

 

 

 

54

questionnaires, effort was made to eliminate biases and
leading or ambiguous questions. The two instruments
developed for this study were based on the four major kinds
of Head Start parent participation activities as listed in
the Head Start, A Manual of Policies and Instructions.1

The instrument for the Educational Authorities was
constructed by listing verbatim the four types of parent
participation as they appear in the Manual.2 This instru-
ment was used to ascertain if Authorities agreed with the
Head Start policy.

The seventy-five Directors were sent a one page
questionnaire in two sections. In section I five descrip-
tive statements about each of the four major types of
parent participation (a total of twenty) were listed at
random. These descriptive statements were developed from
Head Start literature describing parent programs in opera-
tion or from suggestions for possible parent programs.
Table 3.1 shows these descriptive statements regrouped
according to parent participation activity and labeled
for purpose of reference.

Responses were solicited by means of a six-step
measurement scale, specifically an ordinal scale which
permitted the rating of activities in order of occurrence,

but made no assumption that difference between successive

 

1Head Start, op. cit., p. 10.

2Ibid.

 

 

 

55

TABLE 3.l.--Structure of Director's Instrument.
(Copy not sent to Directors)

 

 

 

Identifying Wording of Activity* Statement Descriptive Statement**
Labels Number

Administrative "Participation in the 3 Being methodically asked
process of making to give ideas for pro-
decisions about the gram improvement
nature and operation
of the Head Start 7 Actively securing
Program." volunteer services

for program

12 Helping recruit and
screen employees

 

18 Visiting other programs
to gain ideas for local
improvement

20 Assisting in evaluation

of the total program

Classroom "Participation in the 2 Assisting in the class-

Involvement classroom as . . . , room as volunteers on
volunteers or a scheduled basis
observers."

8 Being invited to
planned classroom
activities

9 Accompanying class on

field trips

10 Being prov1ded baby
sitting services while
visiting in class-
room

17 Assisting in serving
food and eating meal
with class

56

TABLE 3.1.-—Continued.

 

Identifying Wording of Activity* Statement

 

Descriptive Statement**
Labels Number
Parent Skills "Activities for the 1 Participating in ex-

parents which they
have helped to
develop."

13
l6
l9

Staff--Parent-- "Working with their 4
child Relation- children in coopera-
ship tion with the staff."

ll
14

15

periences on how to
spend income wisely

Exploring ways to make
home life more com-
fortable

Being exposed to ways on
how to effectively com-
municate complaints

Joining activities planned
to meet their expressed
educational needs

Receiving information
about community agencies'
services

Being allowed to check
out toys/games for home
use with child

Receiving reinforcement
materials to be completed
with child at home

Learning how to read and
tell stories to child
for fun

Receiving suggestions of
specific TV programs to
view with child

Being encouraged to
attend with child certain
community activities

 

*
Head Start, A Manual of Policy and Instruction (Washington,
D.C.: Community Action Program, Office of Economic Opportunity, 1967),

p. 10.

**
Exhibit 2 of the Appendix, this document.

 

57

categories represented equal differences. These six
categories allowed for five degrees of frequency of

occurrence and one for information unknown:

1. Regularly 4. Seldom
2. Often 5. Never
3. Occasionally 6. Don't know at present

Section II of the questionnaire was composed of
multi—choice questions with directions to check the most
appropriate choice. Most of the choices were derived from
a national survey1 of existing conditions in Head Start
programs.

Section I and II were pre-tested with seven profes—
sional educators who had had experience providing educational
programs for the disadvantaged child or his parent. The
pre-tested instrument was reviewed with a staff member in
the Research Department of Michigan State University and
agreement was reached that it had been refined sufficiently
to gather data to test the stated hypotheses.

Procedure for Collection
‘of Data

 

The survey instrument and a letter of request and
explanation (illustrated in Exhibit 4 of the Appendix)
were sent to the ten selected Educational Authorities.
Ninety per cent of the questionnaires were returned;

therefore a follow-up effort was not made.

 

1Bates, loc. cit.

 

 

 

58

The Directors' questionnaire and an instructional
letter (illustrated in Exhibit 5 of the Appendix) were
sent to the seventy-five Directors. At the end of thirteen
days a follow-up inquiry was sent to Directors from whom a
reply had not been received. These two efforts produced
a return of 56 per cent. Eleven days after the second
reminder had been mailed another letter with a duplicated
questionnaire and stamped addressed envelope were sent to
those Directors who had not yet returned their questionnaire.
These three efforts produced fifty-three returned ques-
tionnaires or 71 per cent. Collection of data was ter-
minated at the end of thirty—four days.

Procedure for Analysis
of the Data

 

Data from the Educational Authorities' instrument
were analyzed by the Friedman Two-Way Analysis of Variance
by Ranks Test,l which made use of rank sums as data to
determine if the sums of ranks differed significantly
from chance. Significance level was set at .05 and
reference to "Table of Critical Values of Chi Square"2
indicated with three degrees of freedom the critical

value to be 7.82.

 

lSidney Siegel, Nonparametric Statistics for the
Behavioral Science (New York: McGraw—Hill Book Company,
Inc., 1956), pp. 166-73-

2

 

Ibid., p. 249.

 

 

 

—" - ’ ' ’ ""7"“ "“w' '“‘ ' """ '

59

The Friedman Test was selected for use since the
data were in ordinal scale and from four matched samples,
with the number of cases the same in each sample and the
.data collected in rank form.

All null hypotheses were tested by data obtained
from the questionnaires returned by the Directors. Data
from Section I and II were tested with the Friedman Two-
Way Analysis of Variance by Ranks Test. These data fit
the Friedman Test in the same manner as the data from the
Educational Authorities' instrument. HOWever, the data
had to be converted to ranks before applyingthem to the
formula. The level of significance was set at .05, the
value needed to reject the null hypotheses at this level

was 7.82.

Summary

In this Chapter the design and procedures for the
study were described. The two samples which provided data
were identified and designated as: (1) Educational Authori-
ties, ten persons carefully selected according to their
educational and professional background, (3) Directors,
the seventy-five administrators of Head Start programs
in United States cities of population between 100,000 and
200,000.

The data from these two samples were collected
_ with two survey instruments specially constructed for

these purposes.

 

 

 

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII[::::I_______________——I 7 '77

60

The hypotheses were stated in null form. The reasons
were given for applying the Friedman Two-Way Analysis of
Variance by Ranks Test to test each of the six hypotheses.

In Chapter IV the results of the statistical analysis
of the data will be given with an interpretation of these

results.

 

CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION OF DATA

In this chapter the data collected from the two
questionnaires are analyzed and interpretation given to the
results. The Friedman Two-Way Analysis of Variance by
Ranks1 test was used to analyze the data collected from
the Educational Authorities'and the Directors' question-
naires. The combined opinions expressed by the Educational
Authorities and the six hypotheses are tested in separate
sections, followed by an interpretation of the results.

The chapter is concluded with a summary.

Analysis of Data

 

The data from the nine Educational Authorities'
questionnaires provided a basis for determining if they
concurred with the Head Start policy on parent participa-
tion activities. This policy stipulates the four types
of parent participation activities should be given equal
emphasis if maximum skills and information are to be made
available to parents for their use in contributing more

positively to the growth and development of their children.

 

lSiegel, op. cit., pp. 166-173.

61

 

 

 

62

The rank data were cast into a two way contingency
table, using the columns for the types of parent participa—
tion activities and the rows for the Educational Authorities'
ranks. Table 4.1 shows the tabulation of these ranks.

The Friedman test was administered to these rank
totals, and a computed value of 1.95 was obtained, at the
.05 level of significance. This was not equal to or
greater than the 7.82 critical value. Therefore, Educa—

tional Authorities as a group did support the Head Start

 

policy of providing emphasis to each of the four types of
activities.

In retrospect the force choice question method may
not have allowed Educational Authorities to state accurately
their opinion on the individual value of each of the four
types of parent activities. A more accurate method of

soliciting this information should be sought.

Hypotheses Testing

 

The Directors' questionnaires provided a basis for
collecting data to test the hypotheses. The collected data
were converted to ranks in order to accommodate the Friedman
test. For each Director the raw rates given to each of the
twenty descriptive statements in Section I were grouped into
the type of parent participation they described, the rates

were totaled and converted to ranks.

 

 

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ucwucm mo womme “Dom mo mcHMcmm .mmHuHuonpsfi HMGOHpmosom OGHZII.H.V MHmHB

 

64

The rank data was cast into a two way contingency
table, using the columns for the types of parent participa-
tion activities and the rows for the Directors' responses
in numerical ranks. Exhibit 6 in the Appendix shows the
individual ranks and totals. Table 4.2 shows a summary of
these ranks.

The data from Table 4.2 and its source table (Ex—
hibit 6 in the Appendix) were used for testing the hypotheses,
along with the data from the checked responses for each of
the five questions in Section II. The data from Section II
were totaled and results are shown in Exhibits 7, 8, 9, 10,
ll, of the Appendix.

Major Hypothesis I is a summary of those demographic
I

characteristics stated in Hypotheses Ia, I I

b’ 0’ Id’ e'

HI: Directors of full year Head Start programs in
United States cities with population between
100,000 and 200,000 will report no significant
difference in emphasis given to the four types
of parent participation activities because of
selected aspects of Directors' background and
selected organizational patterns.
A statement about the status of Hypothesis I will
be made after the subordinate hypotheses (Ia, Ib, Ic' Id’
Ie) have been tested.
Hypotheses Ia, Ib, Ic, Id, Ie, predicted in
cities with population between 100,000 and 200,000 the
Directors with programs which had any of five specific

demographic characteristics would report parent participa—

tion activities complying with the Head Start policy.

 

65

.osHm> pmmann o:# no: Hmnmssc umwsoH
¥

 

 

e m H N mHmuou mo xcwm
m.me m.mMH m.mm m.mHH mm Hmuoa
H
mHnmCOHpMHQm. ‘mHHme HGOEO>HO>GH.
UHHAOIucmHomIMHMHm Dcmumm EoommmmHU :oHpmupmHCHEcfl wuouomHHQ

 

t.mEmumoum coHpmmHOHpHmm uconmm mo
momwe soon we mxcmm .mHOpooHHQ pumpm comm consulwumHm mo mnefifismll.m.v mqmfla

 

66

Hypothesis Ia predicted Directors with a major in
elementary education would report parent programs complying
with the Head Start policy more frequently than Directors
with a major other than elementary education.

HIa: Directors with a major in elementary education
will report no significant difference in emphasis
to the four types of parent participation in

comparison to emphasis by Directors with a
major other than elementary education.

The data collected from the Directors' question-
naires revealed that twenty-eight Directors had an under-
graduate elementary major. The rank sums of emphasis
they gave to the four types of parent participation
activities ranged from 40.8 to 103.5. Table 4.3 shows
the distribution.

A computed value of 36.0 was calculated when the
Friedman test was used on these data. At the .05 level
of significance this value indicated Directors with an
undergraduate elementary major reported emphasis on the
four types of parent activities to be significantly dif-
ferent.

Exhibit 7 in the Appendix shows the Directors who
indicated undergraduate majors other than elementary
education number twenty-five. To find out if these
Directors reported activities which adhered to the Head

Start policy the Friedman was used on the data in Table 4.4.

11

 

67

 

v m N H mHMHou m0 gamm

 

o.¢h m.Hh o.mw m.hv mN
mHanOHumHom mHHme pcoEo>Ho>cH qupomuHQ
UHHQUIDsmHmmIHMMHm uconmm Eoonmmeo o>HumnpchHEo¢ mo Hmafisz

 

.Hommz manpcofion page Hospo mumsomumumonn SHHB asepomHHa
mo mmHuH>Huo¢ uconmm mo momme soon so mHmmnmEm mo wasm Mammul.v.v mHmHB

 

 

w m H m mHmuou mo xcmm

m.mOH m.em m.ov o.mm mm
QHSmcoHHMHom mHHme pcofio>Ho>cH mnouowuHo
UHHEOIucoHMAIHHMHm uconmm EconmmmHO o>HumuuchHEc¢ mo Honspz

 

.uommz unapcmEmHm mumscmnmnmcsb nuHB machoouHQ
ma mmHuH>Huo¢ uconwm mo momma Hsom so mHmmnmEm mo mEsm xcMMII.m.v flames

 

68

The computed value of 10.74 at the .05 level of
significance indicates that Directors with a major other
than elementary education reported emphasis on the four
types of parent activities to be significantly different.
Since Directors with either major reported emphasis on
the four types of parent participation activities to be
significantly different, Hypothesis Ia is rejected. Thus,
Directors with an elementary education major reported
parent participation activities not in compliance with
the Head Start policy as did Directors with a major other
than elementary education.

Tables 4.3 and 4.4 show that Directors with a
major in elementary education reported parent programs
which emphasized Classroom Involvement type of activity
(Rank of l), and Directors with a major other than elemen-
tary education reported parent programs which emphasized
Administrative type of activity (Rank of 1). The major
of the Directors appeared to influence the type of parent
activity receiving precedence.

Hypothesis 2U: predicted Head Start Directors with
prior professional experience in elementary Education will
report parent programs complying with the Head Start policy
more frequently than Directors with prior experience other

than elementary education.

 

69

lb: Directors with prior professional experience in
elementary education W111 report no Significant
difference in emphasis to the four types of
parent participation in comparison to emphasis
by Directors with prior experience other than
elementary education.

Table 4.5 shows twenty—eight Directors had prior
experience in the area of elementary education and gives
the rank sums of emphasis these Directors gave to the four
types of parent participation activities.

A computed value of 39.0 at the .05 level of signifi-
cance indicates Directors with prior professional eXperience
in the area of elementary education reported emphasis on the
four types of parent participation activities to be signifi-
cantly different.

Exhibit 8 in the Appendix shows the Directors who
indicated prior experience other than in the area of elemen-
tary education to number twenty-five. To learn if these
Directors reported activities which execute the Head Start
parent participation policy the Friedman was used on the
data in Table 4.6.

The computed value of 18.33 at the .05 level of sig-
nificance indicated that Directors whose prior experience was
in areas other than elementary education reported emphasis on
thefour types of parent activities to be significantly dif-
ferent. Since Directors with either prior professional experi-
ence reported emphasis on the four types of parent participa-

tion activities to be significantly different, Hypothesis Ib is

rejected. Thus, Directors with prior professional experience

7O

 

e m w m V H happen mo ream

 

o.nm m.vw m.me m.ov mN
adamGOHHMHmm mHHHMm pcoEm>Ho>sH mHOpomHHa
UHHSUIpcmHmmlmwmpm pcmncm (EOOHmmMHO m>HuchmHsHfiom mo HmQEsz

 

.QOHpmosom wuwucmEmHm swap Hosuo mmmn<
cH mp3 mocmHHomxm HMCOHmmomonm HOHHm omen: mu0pooHHD
an moHuH>Huom psmuom mo mmmwe usom mo mHmmsmEm mo mfism Mammll.o.e MHmHB

 

e , m H m weapon we seem

 

m.mm o.Hh m.mm 0.05 mm
mHamQOHpmHmm mHHmeL pamEm>Ho>cH mHO#omHHQ
UHHQUIHQmHmmIHMMHm ucmHom SoonwmeU o>HpmupchHfio¢ mo Hmnfisz

 

.cOHuwuopm mumucmEmHm mo mmn< esp
sH we: mocmHHmmxm HmaOHmmmmoum HOHHm omega mHOpomnHo
>3 moHuH>Huo¢ ucmnmm mo momma “new so mHmmnmEm mo mesm xsmmll.m.v flames

71

in elementary education reported parent programs not com—
plying to the Head Start policy as did Directors with prior
experience other than elementary education.

Table 4.5 and 4.6 show that Directors with prior
experience in elementary education reported parent programs
which emphasized Classroom Involvement type of activity
(Rank of l), and Directors with prior experience in areas
other than elementary education reported parent programs
which emphasized Administrative type of activity (Rank of
l). The prior experience of Directors appeared to influence
the type of parent activity receiving precedence.

Hypothesis Ic predicted Head Start Directors who
are administratively responsible to the director of elemen-
tary education will report parent programs complying to the
Head Start policy more frequently than Directors who are
administratively responsible to a person other than the
director of elementary education.

HIC: Directors who are administratively responsible
to the director of elementary education w111
report no significant difference in emphasis to
the four types of parent participation in com-
parison to emphasis by Directors who are
administratively responsible to a person other
than the director of elementary education.

Table 4.7 shows six Directors to be administratively
responsible to the director of elementary education, and it

gives the rank sums of emphasis these Directors gave to the

four types of parent participation activities.

 

72

A computed value of 9.0 was calculated when the
Friedman test was used on these data. At the .05 level
of significance this indicated Directors who are adminis-
tratively responsible to the director of elementary educa-
tion reported emphasis on the four types of parent par-
ticipation activities to be significantly different.

Exhibit 9 in the Appendix shows the Directors who
are administratively responsible to persons other than the
director of elementary education number forty-seven. To
learn if these Directors reported parent participation
activities which fulfilled the Head Start policy, the
Friedman test was used on the data in Table 4.8.

The computed value of 55.31 at the .05 level of
significance indicated that Directors who are administra-
tively responsible to a person other than the director of
elementary education reported emphasis on the four types
of parent participation activities to be significantly
different. Since Directors administratively responsible
to either administrator reported emphasis on the four types
of parent participation activities to be significantly
different, Hypothesis Ic is rejected. Thus, Directors who
are administratively responsible to the director of elemen-
tary education reported parent participation programs not
complying to the Head Start policy as did Directors who are
administratively responsible to a person other than the

director of elementary education.

73

 

 

 

e m H N mHapOp no spam

 

o.mmH m.mHH m.mn m.v0H be
mHanOHHMHmm mHHme pcoEm>Ho>cH mnouomHHo
UHHaolucmHmmlmmmHm psmumm EoouwmcHU m>HHwHuchHfio¢ mo HwQEsz

 

.GOHpmoscm wucucmEmHm mo HopumHHQ may GMQB Hmnuo
somuom c on mHQHmsommmm >H6>HpmnpmHCHfio¢ mum 0:3 mn0pomHHo
mo mmHHH>Huo¢ vacuum mo mmmwa Hsom co mHmmsmEm mo mEdm gammll.m.v mHmda

 

 

v m H N mHmuou wo Mcmm

m.HN o.hH o.m m.NH w
mHanOHpmHmm mHHHMm pamEm>HO>cH muouomHHQ
UHH£UIpcmHmmlwmmum usmumm EOOHmmeU ®>HpmuuchHEU¢ mo Hmnfisz

 

.coHpmosom whopsmEmHm Ho HepomHHQ may
ou.mH£Hmcommmm mHm>HpmupchHfio¢ one 0:3 muouomHHo
mp mmeH>Hpo¢ powwow mo momma Hsom co mHmmsmfim mo wfism gammll.h.v mqmda

74

Tables 4.7 and 4.8 show that Directors administra-
tively responsible to either administrator reported parent
programs which emphasized the same type of parent activity--
Classroom Involvement. The person to whom Directors are
administratively responsible apparently did not influence
the type of parent activity receiving precedence.

Hypothesis Id predicted Directors with a majority
of classroom teachers who have taught Head Start classes
for three years or longer will report parent programs
complying to the Head Start policy more frequently than
Directors with a majority of classroom teachers who have
taught Head Start classes for two years or less.

HId: Directors with a majority of classroom teachers
who have taught Head Start classes for three
years or longer will report no significant dif-
ference in emphasis to the four types of parent
participation in comparison to emphasis by
Directors with a majority of classroom teachers

who have taught Head Start classes for two years
or less.

The data collected from the Directors' question-
naires revealed that there were twenty-seven Directors
with a majority of classroom teachers who have taught Head
Start classes for three years or longer. Table 4.9 gives
the rank sums of emphasis these Directors gave to the four
types of parent participation activities.

The computed value of 27.0 was obtained when the
Friedman test was used on this data. At the .05 level of

significance this value indicated Directors with a majority

75

of teachers who have taught Head Start classes for three
years or longer reported emphasis on the four types of
parent participation activities to be significantly dif-
ferent.

Exhibit 10 in the Appendix shows the Directors
having a majority of classroom teachers who have taught
Head Start classes for two years or less number twenty-six.
To learn if these Directors reported parent participation
activities which execute the Head Start policy the Friedman
test was used on the data in Table 4.10.

The computed value of 27.85 at the .05 level of
significance indicated that Directors with a majority of
classroom teachers who have taught Head Start classes for
two years or less reported emphasis on the four types of
parent participation activities to be significantly dif—
ferent. Since Directors with a majority of classroom
teachers who have taught Head Start classes for any number
of years reported emphasis on the four types of parent
participation activities to be significantly different,
Hypothesis Id is rejected. Thus, Directors with a majority
of classroom teacherswho have taught Head Start classes
for three years or longer reported parent participation pro-
grams not complying to the Head Start policy as did Directors
with a majority of classroom teachers who have taught Head

Start classes for two years or less.

 

 

w m H N mHmuou wo :cmm

 

m.Nm m.mm m.mm m.hm wN
mH:m:0HuMH0m mHHHMm usoao>Ho>sH muouomnHo
UHH:U|ucmHom|mmmpm “comma EooummmHo 0>HpcupchHfio¢ wo H0:Esz

 

.mw0H H0 mummy 039 “Ow mommMHU pumpm comm u:msms
0>m: 0:3 mum:omma EooummeU m0 mpHnommz m :pHs muouomHHQ %: mmeH>Hu0¢
COHpmmHOHuHmm uconmm Mo momma Hsom so mHmm:mEm m0 mEfim :cmmll.0H.e mHm<B

76

 

 

e . . m H m mHMHou Ho seem

0.0m m.hm 0.0m 0.0m SN
mH:wc0HpmHmm . .meHHMm ucmE0>H0>cH muouomHHa
UHH:U|pc0ummlmmw:m uconmm EooummMHo 0>HumuumHsHficm m0 H0:Esz

 

.uwmcoq H0 mummy 00H:B How mommmHO psmum one: u:msma
m>w: 0:3 wum:0mos EOOHmmMHU m0 prmommz m :HH3 muouomHHo m: mmHuH>Hu0¢
GOHUMQHUHpHmm uswumm m0 momma noon :0 mHmm:mEm m0 mEsm xammII.m.v wands

 

77

Table 4.9 and 4.10 show that Directors with a
majority of classroom teachers who have taught Head Start
classes for any number of years reported parent programs
which emphasized the same type of parent activity--Classroom
Involvement. The teachers' amount of experience in Head
Start classroom apparently did not influence the type of
parent activity receiving precedence.

Hypothesis Ie predicted Directors with a majority
of classrooms located in public schools will report parent
programs complying to the Head Start policy more frequently
than Directors with a majority of classrooms located in
places other than public schools.

HIe: Directors with a majority of classrooms located
in public schools W111 report no Significant
difference in emphasis to the four types of
parent participation in comparison to emphasis

by Directors with a majority of classrooms
located in places other than public schools.

Table 4.11 shows twenty-eight Directors reported a
majority of classrooms located in public schools, and it
gives the rank sums of emphasis these Directors gave to
the four types of parent activities.

A computed value of 19.0 was calculated when the
Friedman test was used on these data. At the .05 level of
significance this indicated Directors with a majority of
classrooms located in public schools reported emphasis on
the four types of parent participation activities to be

significantly different.

78

Exhibit 11 in the Appendix shows the Directors
with a majority of classrooms in locations other than public
schools to number twenty-five. To learn if these Directors
reported parent participation activities which fulfilled
the Head Start policy the Friedman test was used on data
in Table 4.12. I

The computed value of 35.19 at the .05 level of
significance indicated that Directors with a majority of
classrooms located in places other than public schools
reported emphasis on the four types of parent participa-
tion activities to be significantly different. Since
Directors with classrooms in any location reported emphasis
on the four types of parent participation activities to be
significantly different, Hypothesis Ie is rejected. Thus,
Directors with a majority of classrooms located in public
schools reported parent participation programs not complying
to the Head Start policy as did Directors with a majority of
classrooms located in places other than public schools.

Tables 4.11 and 4.12 show that Directors with
classrooms in any location reported parent programs which
emphasized the same type of parent activity--Classroom
Involvement. The location of Head Start classrooms appar-
ently did not influence the type of parent activity
receiving precedence.

The status of the major hypothesis (HI) was deter-
mined from the test results of the five subordinate

hypotheses (Ia, Ib, Ic, Id, Ie).

 

79

 

 

 

e 7m. H m mHmpou Ho seem

 

m.om o.mm m.mm o.oo mN
QH:m:0HHMH0m . .mHHH:m , Hawao>H0>cH mnouomHHQ
UHH:olucoumm|HHMHm Hcmumm. EooummMHO m>HpmupmHCHfic< H0 H0:Esz

 

.mH00:0m oHH:sm cm:u H0:uo
mooMHm cH topmooq mfiooummcHO Ho mpHnommz c :uHs muouomuHQ h: meHH>Hpo¢
cOHummHOHuHmm vacuum H0 momma snow :0 mHmm:mEm H0 mssm Mammll.NH.e mamma

 

 

v m H N mHMHOH H0 :cmm

o.wm m.Nh m.Nm m.wm mN
QH:m:0HHMHmm (WHHHMM . psmfim>H0>GH mHOHomHHD
UHH:UIHc0HmmIHHmHm Hzmumm EOOHmwMHU 0>HpmuuchHEc¢ m0 HOQEDZ

 

.mH00:om 0HH:sm :H ompmooq
mfioonmeHU m0 wuHuonmz m :HHB muouomHHQ w: mmHuH>Hp0¢
GOHummHOHunm ucmumm mo mmmwa usom :0 mHmm:mEm m0 mfism Mcomll. HH. w mqmfla

80

H : Directors of full year Head Start programs in
United States cities with population between
100,000 and 200,000 will report no significant
difference in emphasis given to the four types
of parent participation activities because of
selected aspects of Directors' background and
selected organizational patterns.

Since the major hypothesis is a summary of the
demographic characteristics stated in the five subordinate
hypotheses and since without exception each of the sub-
ordinate hypotheses was rejected, Hypothesis I is rejected.
Thus, Directors of full year Head Start programs in United
States cities with population between 100,000 and 200,000
with selected aspects of Directors' background and selected
program organizational patterns reported parent participation
programs not complying with Head Start policy.

The previous pages concluded the analysis of the
data to test the six hypotheses, further grouping and
analyzing of the same data revealed pertinent facts about
the parent participation programs under study.

The results of testing the major hypothesis (HI)
indicated the presence or absence of selected Director's
background characteristics and selected program's organ-
izational patterns appeared to have no influence on whether
parent participation activities complied with the Head
Start policy. In fact whatever the characteristics under
study none appeared to influence the parent program's

compliance with the Head Start parent policy.

 

 

81

To further support this finding all fifty-three
Directors' data were combined and the Friedman Two-Way
Analysis by Ranks Test was applied to this data (Table
4.1). A computed value of 48.61 was obtained. Reference
to Table C in Seigel'sl book revealed that such a value
of chi square is significant far beyond the .001 level.
Since this probability was less than the previously used
level of significance of .05 this indicated a significant
difference in emphasis given to the four types of current

parent participation activities in cities with population

 

between 100,000 and 200,000. Directors of Head Start
programs in these cities reported parent programs which
do not comply with the Head Start parent program policy.

Table 4.13 shows the number of times each type of
parent participation activity received a rank of l, 2, 3,
or 4 under the ten conditions tested in conjunction with
Hypotheses Ia, Ib, Ic, Id, and Ie.

This table shows graphically that out of the
possible ten ranks of one, eight were cast in the Class-
room Involvement type of parent activity; out of the possi-
ble ten ranks of two, seven were cast in the Administrative
type of parent activity; out of the possible ten ranks of
three, nine were cast in the Parent Skills type of parent

activity; and out of the possible ten ranks of four, all

 

1Siegel, op. cit., p. 249.

 

82

ten were cast in the Staff-Parent-Child Relationship type
of parent activity.

In Exhibit 12 in the Appendix from which Table 4.13
was summarized it appears the demographic conditions altered
the emphasis ranks of the four types of parent participation
activities very little.

Noticeably under these ten conditions the only
demographic characteristics which appeared to influence

the type of activity receiving rank one were Directors

 

with preparation and prior experience other than elementary.
This data seems to indicate Directors background influenced
the type of parent participation activity receiving a rank
of one. With the exception of these two characteristics
Directors assigned rank one to Classroom Involvement type
of parent activity.

These two tables (4.13 and Exhibit 12 in the Appen-
dix) illustrate that the Staff—Parent-Child Relationship
type of parent activity was reported as receiving rank four
scores under all ten conditions. Regardless of the demo-
graphic characteristics under study the Staff—Parent-Child
Relationship received less emphasis in the programs under
study.

Tabulating and categorizing the number of checks
in the "don't know at present" column revealed that this

column was used thirty-four times (see Table 4.14).

 

 

OOH me , ON O O Heme ppm

 

em HN h m m noncommmm
ermeoHpmHmm mHHme HemEm>Ho>eH
Hence pHHroupemHemnHthm Happen sooummmHo m>HpeHHmHeHspH

 

A .moHHH>Hp0< pcmsmm
Ho momma usom c0 mHmm:mEm pso:< mHOpoouHQ 00H:pa>umHm m: GEDHOO eucmmoum
pm 30cm p.:oo= :H cocuoomm momsommmm H0 pcoo no: can Ho:ESZII.eH.e mamde

 

83

 

 

OH . OH OH OH Hepoe
OH O O O H
O O O H H
O H N s N
O O O m H
QH:mc0HHpHmm ‘ . .mHHHMm _ ucwam>H0>sH
UHH:UIHG0HmmIHmmum Hcoumm SoonmmoHU 0>HumupchHEc4 ‘wxsmm

 

.mnOHunQOU :08 HocGD e no .m .N .H H0 :zmm omaH:Eoo
m o0>Hoomm coHummHoHuHmm pcoumm H0 coma :omm moEHB H0 SHMEESmII.mH.w mamHB

 

 

 

 

84

Over half of the responses (62%) were checked in
the Staff-Parent-Child Relationship type of parent par-
ticipation activity. This indicates Directors were less
knowledgable about the activities described on the ques-
tionnaire in this one area than in the other three. Ex—
hibit 13 in the Appendix gives a list of the descriptive
statements and their respective type of parent activity

which received a "don't know at present" check.

Interpretation of Data

 

 

In this section, an interpretation of results will
be treated in the same order as the hypotheses were tested.

The Head Start policy on parent participation
activities stipulates it is essential to provide for
parents to participate in the four major types of activi-
ties. The Professional literature supports the theory that
parents are significant ones who can provide pre-school age
children with experiences which can determine the level of
later social, physical, mental and emotional maturity.
This literature also supports theHead Start policy by
indicating the more parent involvement the greater the
positive support to the pre-schooler. In this context it
was not surprising to find that as a group nine Educational
Authorities reaffirmed the Head Start policy by indicating
the four types of parent participation should have non-

preferential emphasis if maximum skills and information

 

85

are to be made available to parents for their use in con-
tributing more positively to the growth and development of
their children.

The six hypotheses in this study were designed to
learn the status of the implementation of these four types
of parent participation and the effect of five demographic
characteristics upon this implementation. Table 4.15 presents
a summary of the status of the six research hypotheses.

Major Hypothesis I was rejected. Directors of full
year Head Start programs in United States cities with p0pu1a-
tion between 100,000 and 200,000 with selected aspects of
Directors' background and selected program organizational
patterns reported parent programs not complying with the
Head Start policy. The results of the analysis of the data
relative to these selected characteristics indicated that,
in this study, all involved could be considered collectively.
The Director's undergraduate major, Director's prior pro-
fessional experience, person to whom the Director is
responsible, experience of classroom teachers and location
of classrooms had no significant influence on whether
parent participation programs were reported as complying
with the Head Start policy.

The test analysis of all fifty-three Directors
amplified this finding by indicating Directors as a group
when considered without regard of demographic character-

istics reported parent programs not complying with the

86

TABLE 4.15.—-Summary of Hypotheses.

 

Hypotheses

Statement of Hypotheses Significant
at Level

——

Status

 

Ia'

Ib‘

Ic‘

Id‘

Ie‘

Directors of full year Head Start programs

in United States cities with population

between 100,000 and 200,000 will report no
significant difference in emphasis given

to the four types of parent participation
activities because of selected aspects of
Directors' background and selected organ-

izational patterns. .05

Directors with a major in elementary educa-

.tion will report no significant difference

in emphasis to the four types of parent
participation in comparison to emphasis by
Directors with a major other than elementary
education. .05

Directors with prior professional experience

in elementary education will report no sig-
nificant difference in emphasis to the four

types of parent participation in comparison

to emphasis by Directors with prior experi-

ence other than elementary education. .05

Directors who are administratively responsible

to the director of elementary education will

report no significant difference in emphaSis

to the four types of parent participation in
comparison to emphasis by Directors who are
administratively responsible to a person other

than the director of elementary education. .05

Directors with a majority of classroom teachers

who have taught Head Start classes for three

years or longer will report no significant dif-
ference in emphasis to the four types of parent
participation in comparison to emphasis by
Directors with a majority of classroom teachers

who have taught Head Start classes for two

years or less. .05

Directors with a majority of classrooms located

in public schools will report no significant
difference in emphasis to the four types of

parent participation in comparison to emphasis

by Directors with a majority of classrooms

located in places other than public schools. .05

Rejected

Rejected

Rejected

Rejected

Rejected

Rejected

 

 

87

Head Start policy. However, they reported some attention
given to each of the four types of activities.

These results are interpretated in the following
ways. Although Directors have not developed parent pro-
grams with non-preferential emphasis given to the four
types of parent participation activities, they apparently
placed some value on each type, since they made some effort
to comply with the parent program policy. Therefore,
perhaps they would be receptive to education and experi-
ences which would stimulate and equip them to propagate
parent programs which comply with the Head Start policy.
This reasoning is supported by the rankings given to the
Administrative type of activity. Although this type is
perhaps the newest concept to a local education unit for
the disadvantaged, it was strongly stressed by the national
Head Start office in the latest parent program policy i.e.,
thirteen of fifteen pages were devoted to this type of
involvement.l This and other types of educational efforts
might account for the Administrative type to have received
a second from highest rating and might indicate the
worthiness of such educational efforts.

Hypotheses Ia, Ib, Ic, Id, Ie, were rejected.
Directors' educational background, Directors' prior pro-

fessional experience, person to whom administratively

 

1Head Start, op. cit., pp. 10-24.

88

responsible, experience of teachers in Head Start classrooms,
and location of classrooms appeared to have no significant
influence on whether Directors' parent programs complied
with the Head Start policy. However, when the rankings

were examined it was noticeablethat Directors with other

than elementary education major and those with other than
elementary experience gave a rank of one to Administrative
activity while under all other conditions Classroom Involve-

ment was given a rank of one.

 

These results are interpretated in the following
ways. Organized parent involvement, as defined in the
Head Start, A Manual of Policies‘and Instruction,1 is an
innovation in early disadvantaged childhood education and
therefore few Directors would have had any prior experience
from which they could assimilate an understanding of
organized parent involvement and Directors would normally
give more emphasis and direction in the area most familiar
to their past experiences. This was supported to some
extent when the rank emphasis was examined.

The results of ranking emphasis of parent partici-
pation activities indicated preparation and prior experi-
ence apparently influenced the type of parent program
Directors developed. If the rank one score is an indica-

tion of thevalue Directors place on one of the four types

 

lIbid.

89

of parent activities, then Directors with preparation and
prior experience other than elementary education value
Administrative type of parent activity. Those Directors
with preparation and prior experience in elementary educa-
tion value Classroom Involvement type of parent activity.
This is interpretated to indicate those Directors with
background other than elementary, value parent activities
(Administrative) in which parents are not personally in
contact with the pre-school child but inv01ved in activi-
ties of leadership and adult interaction--a relationship
with which those Directors would be more familiar. Whereas
Directors with preparation and prior eXperience in elemen-
tary education value parent activities (Classroom Involve-
ment) in which parents are personally in contact with the
pre-school child-~an area they would have experienced as
beneficial to the pre-school child.

Table 4.13, Exhibit 13 and 14 in the Appendix vividly
showed the Staff-Parent-Child Relationship type of activity
consistently received the lowest rank, indicating this type
of parent activity received less emphasis than the other
three types under all conditions. The five descriptive
statements describing this activity listed on the original
questionnaire were:

Parents being allowed to check out toys/games for
home use with child

Parents receiving reinforcement materials to be
completed with child at home

 

 

90
Parents learning how to read and tell stories to
child for fun

Parents receiving suggestions of specific TV programs
to View with child

Parents being encouraged to attend with child certain
community events

A comparison of these descriptive statements with
the statements of the other three types (Table 3.1, Chapter
III) reveals this category is the only one that encourages
direct, intimate interaction between a parent and his child,

and requires a more direct individual relationship between

 

the Head Start classroom teacher and the parent.

Since, "Project Head Start is a program for the
economically disadvantaged pre-school child,"1 and since
the one type of parent activity which could provide direct
positive support by the parent to the pre—school dis-
advantaged child consistently was reported as receiving
less emphasis than any of the four types of parent activi—
ties, there appears to be an inadequate amount of emphasis
given to the Staff-Parent-Child Relationship type of parent
participation activity throughout this nation.

Table 4.14 illustrated one factor which could have
contributed to the low rank of Staff-Parent-Child Relation-
ship activity--sixty-two per cent of the "don't know at
present" responses were recorded about this type of parent

activity.

 

lIbid., p. 1.

91

Summary
The Head Start parent participation policy of

giving non-preferential emphasis to the four types of parent
participation activities was supported by a group of

selected Educational Authorities. Apparently the most

 

productive way, within the present Head Start organiza-
tion, to offer parents of disadvantaged children skills
and information which they can use in making positive con-

tribution in the lives of pre-school children is to provide

 

these four types of parent participation activities with
non-preferential emphasis.

The data collected for this study indicated parent
programs are not complying with the Head Start policy.
Directors of full year Head Start programs in United States
cities with population between 100,000 and 200,000 with
selected aspects of Directors' background and selected
program organizational patterns reported parent activities
not complying with Head Start policy.

The results of the analysis of the data relative
to these selected characteristics indicated that, in this
study, all Directors involved could be considered col-
lectively as one group. The Director's undergraduate
major, Directors' prior professional experience, person
to whom the Director is responsible, experience of class-

room teachers and location of classrooms had no significant

 

92

influence on whether parent participation programs were
reported as complying with the Head Start policy.

However, only those Directors with an elementary
major and prior experience in elementary education reported
giving rank one emphasis to the Classroom Involvement type
of parent activity. Background in elementary education-
appears to influence the type of parent programs emphasized
by Directors.

The only type of parent participation activity which
consistently received the same rank emphasis was Staff-
Parent-Child Relationship. Without exception, under each
of the demographic characteristics, the Staff-Parent-Child
Relationship type of parent activity received rank four
emphasis. This type of activity appears to be the one
type which was given less attention in Head Start parent
programs. It was to this type that most of the "don't

know at present" responses were recorded.

 

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents a summary of the study,

conclusions, and recommendations for possible action and

future study.

 

Summary

Purpose of Study

 

The purpose of this study was to determine if
Directors in Head Start programs are complying with the
Head Start parent participation policy, and if the prepara-
tion and prior experience of the Director, the person to
whom he is responsible, the number of years teachers have
taught in Head Start classrooms and the location of the
classrooms influence the compliance with the Head Start
parent participation policy of non-preferential emphasis
on the four types of parent participation activities.

The literature and research which point out the
importance of the parent's role in furthering a pre-schooler's

growth and development is reflected in Head Start, A Manual

 

of Policies and Instructions which lists the four types of
parent participation activities and states each is essential

to a successful parent program:

93

94
1. Participation in the process of making decisions
about the nature and Operation of the program.

2. Participation in the classroom as paid employees,
volunteers or observers.

3. Activities for the parents which they have helped
to develop.

4. Working with their children in cooperation With
the staff of the center.1

Since its inception parent participation has been
a basic tenet of the Head Start program. Research within
Head Start documents that poverty parents are interested
in improving their children's early experiences, and parents
are able to alter their actions to improve the experiences
for their pre-schoolers when given instruction.

The literature is lacking, however, which investi-
gates whether the Head Start parent participation activities
are given emphasis in programs throughout the nation and if
there are certain characteristics which influence non-
preferential emphasis of these activities. This void in
research and the increasing attention currently given to
parent participation suggest a need for a study which

examines these questions.

Hypotheses

 

By isolating demographic characteristics in Head
Start programs this writer attempted to make available

more information for developing parent programs which

 

1Head Start, op. cit., p. 10.

 

 

95

conform to the Head Start policy. The hypotheses which

follow contain the five such demographic characteristics

isolated in this study:

HI:

Ia‘

Ib‘

Ic:

Id:

Ie:

Directors of full year Head Start programs in
United States cities with population between
100,000 and 200,000 will report no significant
difference in emphasis given to the four types
of parent participation activities because of
selected aspects of Directors' background and
selected organizational patterns.

Directors with a major in elementary education
will report no significant difference in emphasis
to the four types of parent participation in
comparison to emphasis by Directors with a major
other than elementary education.

Directors with prior professional experience in
elementary education will report no significant
difference in emphasis to the four types of
parent participation in comparison to emphasis
by Directors with prior experience other than
elementary education.

Directors who are administratively responsible
to the director of elementary education will
report no significant difference in emphasis
to the four types of parent participation in
comparison to emphasis by DirectOrs who are
administratively responsible to a person other
than the director of elementary education.

Directors with a majority of classroom teachers
who have taught Head Start classes for three
years or longer will report no significant dif-
ference in emphasis to the four types of parent
participation in comparison to emphasis by
Directors with a majority of classroom teachers
who have taught Head Start classes for two years
or less.

Directors with a majority of classrooms located

in public schools will report no significant
difference in emphasis to/the four types of

parent participation in comparison to emphasis

by Directors with a majority of classrooms located
in places other than public schools.

 

 

96

Design of Study

 

This study was based on the following assumptions:

1. The pre-school years are critical to the
child's mental, physical, social and emotional
development.

2. Parents of disadvantaged children are concerned

about the maximum development of their children.

3. Parents can gain knowledge and understanding,

and can learn methods, techniques and skills
which will provide positive support to their
children's development.

As a part of this study nine selected Educational
Authorities expressed support for the position stated in
the policy Manual concerning the need for non-preferential
emphasis on the four types of parent participation activi-
ties. The questionnaire sent to the Educational Authorities
was constructed by listing verbatim the four types of
parent participation activities as they appear in the
Manual, and the Authorities were asked to record their
professional opinions.

In United States cities with population between
100,000 and 200,000 there are seventy-five full time Head
Start programs (1970-71). The Director of each of these
programs was sent a questionnaire seeking information on
the four types of parent participation activities in his

program. This instrument was one page in length with two

 

 

97

sections. In Section I five descriptive statements about
each of the four major types of parent participation
activities (a total of twenty) were listed at random with
provisions to respond to these statements on a six-step
measurement scale. Section II was composed of multi—

choice questions with directions to check the most appro-
priate choice which best described the Director's background
and certain organizational aspects of his program. Seventy-

one per cent of the questionnaires were returned.

Analysis of the Data

 

The Friedman Two-Way Analysis of Variance by Ranks
Test was applied to the data collected from the Educational
Authorities' questionnaires and the Directors' question-
naires to determine if the sums of ranks differed signifi-
cantly from chance. The Friedman test was selected for use
since the data were in ordinal scale and from four matched
samples, with number of cases the same in each sample. The

level of significance was set at .05.

Conclusions

 

The results of this study indicate the following
conclusions can be made about Head Start parent programs
in United States cities with population between 100,000
and 200,000.

1. As a group nine Educational Authorities confirm

the need for Head Start parent programs to provide the four

 

 

98

 

types of parent activities as stated in Head Start, A

Manual of Policies and Instructions. This policy indicates

 

the need for non-preferential emphasis on the four types
of parent participation activities.

2. All Seventy-one per cent of the Directors
responding provided some degree of parent involvement in
all four types of parent activities, but with consistently
preferential emphasis.

3. Directors with preparation and prior experience
in elementary education emphasize the Classroom Involvement
type of activity as characterized by the descriptive state-
ments which appeared on the original questionnaire:

Parents assisting in the classroom as volunteers on
a scheduled basis

Parents being invited to planned classroom activities
Parents accompanying class on field trips

Parents being provided baby sitting services while
visiting in classroom

Parents assisting in serving food and eating meal
with class

4. Directors with preparation and prior experience
other than elementary education emphasize the Administrative
type of activity as characterized by the descriptive state-
ments on the original questionnaire:

Parents being systematically asked to give ideas for
program improvement

Parents actively securing volunteer services for
the Head Start program

Parents helping recruit and screen employees

 

 

99
Parents visiting other programs to gain ideas for
local improvement

Parents assisting in the evaluation of the total
program

5. Staff-Parent—Child Relationship is the type of
parent activity consistently given the least emphasis.
Directors with elementary backgrounds and Directors with
backgrounds other than elementary reported least involve-
ment of parents in this type of activity. This type of
activity is characterized by the descriptive statements
which appeared on the original questionnaire:

Parents being allowed to check out toys/games for home
use with child

Parents receiving reinforcement materials to be
completed with child at home

Parents learning how to read and tell stories to child
for fun

Parents receiving suggestions of specific TV programs
to View with child

 

 

Parents being encouraged to attend with child certain
community events

6. Those Head Start programs with a majority of
experienced teachers do not implement the Head Start
parent involvement policy of providing non-preferential
emphasis to the four types of activities. The Staff-
Parent-Child Relationship type of activity receives the
least emphasis in programs with experienced teachers.

7. Location of Head Start classrooms appears to

have no influence on the emphasis given to the four types

 

 

 

100

of parent activities; in all locations preferential emphasis
is given to at least one type of parent activity.

8. In this study, only the Directors' background
appears to influence whether activities concerned with the
administration of the program or activities concerned with
the instructional aspect of the program are given priority
of emphasis.

Recommendations for Possible Action
and Future Study

 

 

The conclusions of this study indicate that Head
Start parent participation activities are falling short of
the national guidelines. If poverty parents are to be given
the help and support envisioned by the creators of Head
Start the guidelines must be observed. The following
recommendations are intended to stimulate action programs
and future studies which will assist Directors in develop-
ing parent participation programs which agree ‘with the
Vnational policy.

The National Office of Project Head Start should

consider revising the examples in Head Start, A Manual of

 

Policies and Instructions to emphasize all four types of

 

parent participation activities, rather than giving major
suggestions for the Administrative type of activity. At
present the Manual devotes thirteen out of fifteen pages

to the Administrative type of activity. This office should

provide specific guidelines, illustrations, directions and

 

 

 

101

information on ways to develop involvement in all four
types of parent activities. Concentrated time and atten—
tion should be given to developing the Staff-Parent-Child
Relationship type of activity, since this is the type which
receives the least emphasis under all conditions.

Universities should provide credit and non—credit
sessions which are concerned with the philosophy of parent
involvement, the value of encouraging parent involvement,
and specific methods and techniques for developing parent
programs which agree with the national policy. These
sessions should be planned as pre—service and in—service
for professional and non—professional personnel interested
in working with the young disadvantaged child.

The National Office and universities should combine
resources to conduct workshops, seminars, lectures, forums,
demonstrations and to publish materials for the purpose of
providing Directors and their staff information on the need
for and implementation of parent involvement in all four
types of parent activities.

Local Head Start policy councils should carefully
consider the background of prospective Directors, since
this is one variable which appears to influence the type
of parent activity to receive emphasis.

Each Director of local programs should assume the
responsibility of educating his professional and non-

professional staff members on ways to encourage more

 

 

 

 

102

involvement in all four types of parent participation
activities.

Further research needs to be given to the Head
Start parent involvement component. This could be done
by enlarging the sample to include Directors in cities
with populations below 100,000 and over 200,000. Other
studies should solicit parents' impressions of opportuni—
ties and values of parent participation programs, and ways
to strengthen parent participation.

Studies should seek to learn why Directors give
preferential emphasis to some of the four types of parent
participation. Could this be due to lack of information,
inadequacy of professional preparation, or lack of direc-
tion from the national office; answers to these and similar
questions would be beneficial in propagating educational
programs on ways Directors and staff could implement parent
programs in compliance with the Head Start parent program
policy.

An in-depth study should be made of the Staff-
Parent-Child Relationship type of parent participation
activity. A study of this type appears to be the most
urgent since it is the parent activity given least emphasis
under all conditions and it is the one type which could
stimulate direct positive parental support for the disad-

vantaged pre-school child.

 

 

103

The many examples in professional literature and
the opinions of educators testify to the importance of
parent involvement in the education of youths. Head Start
since its inception has provided for parent participation
activities as an avenue to give support to the growth and
development of the disadvantaged pre-school child.

Head Start parent participation programs can be
used as a powerful asset in supporting the growth and
development of the disadvantaged child if Directors insti-
tute parent programs which agree with the national Head

Start parent program policy.

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

 

104

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Bell, Robert. "A Study of Family Influences on the Educa-
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Bradshaw, Carol Ensign. "Relationship Between Maternal
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APPENDIX

 

 

111

 

EXHIBIT 1

HEAD START PARENT PARTICIPATION

ACTIVITIES SURVEY

112

 

 

 

HEAD START PARENT PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES SURVEY
(Sent to Educational Authorities)

Below are the four major kinds of Head Start parent partici-
pation activities as recommended in the Head Start Manual.
The examples given under each statement were added as
illustrations of possible activities.

Please express your opinion by RANKING these in order of
contribution each can make in the lives of children.

Use this RANKING nomenclature: l = contributes most
2
3
4 = contributes least

"Participation in the process of making decisions about

the nature and operation of the Head Start program."

Examples:
parents being systematically asked to give ideas for
program improvement
parents actively securing volunteer services for
program
parents helping recruit and screen employees
parents visiting other programs to gain ideas for
local improvement
parents assisting in the evaluation of the total
program

*
"Participation in the classroom as (paid employees),*
volunteers or observers."
Examples:
parents assisting in the classroom as volunteers on
a scheduled basis
parents being invited to planned classroom activities
parents accompanying class on field trips
parents being provided baby sitting services while
visiting in classroom
parents assisting in serving food and eating meal
with class

 

*

Head Start, A Manual of Policies and Ingtructions,
Office of Economic Opportunity, Section B—2, Revised
(Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1967).

 

**
Consideration is not given to paid employees in
this study.

113

 

 

114

"Activities for the parents which they have helped
to develop."

Examples:

parents participating in experiences on how to spend
income wisely

parents exploring ways to make home life more
comfortable

parents being exposed to ways on how to effectively
articulate complaints

parents joining activities to meet their expressed
educational needs

parents becoming knowledgeable about community agencies'
services

"Working with their children in cooperation with the
staff of the center."

Examples:
parents being allowed to check out toys/games for
home use with child
parents receiving reinforcement materials to be
completed with child at home
parents learning how to read and tell stories to
child for fun
parents receiving suggestions of specific TV programs
to View with child
parents being encouraged to attend with child certain
community events

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 2

HEAD START PARENT PARTICIPATION

ACTIVITIES SURVEY

115

HEAD START PARENT PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES SURVEY
(Sent to Head Start Directors)

DIRECTIONS I Below are broad descriptions of possible
parent participation activities. As you reflect on this
year's activities RATE the degree to which your staff has
provided parent participation in each of the following
activities or similar activities, at any level. Please
base your responses on your present knowledge, do not
seek assistance.

 

 

 

EACH activity should be rated in one of these ways:
1 - Regularly 4 - Seldom
2 - Often 5 - Never
3 - Occasionally DK - Don't know at present

 

l. Participating in experiences on how
to spend income wisely . . . . .

2. Assisting in the classroom as vol-
unteers on a prearranged basis . .

3. Being methodically asked to give
ideas for program improvement . .

4. Being allowed to check out toys/
games for home use with child . .

5. Exploring ways to make home life
more comfortable . . . . . . .

6. Receiving reinforcement materials
to be completed with child at home .

7. Actively securing volunteer services
for program . . . . . . . .

8. Being invited to planned classroom
activities . . . . . . . . .

9. Accompanying class on field trips .

10. Being provided baby sitting services
while visiting in classroom . . .

11. Learning how to read and tell stories
to child for fun . . . . . . .

12. Helping recruit and screen employees

13. Being exposed to ways on how to //HH\\\
effectively communicate complaints . ,.-~ \

116

117

14. Receiving suggestions of specific
TV programs to view with child . .

15. Being encouraged to attend with
child certain community events . .

l6. Joining activities planned to meet
their expressed educational needs .

l7. Assisting in serving food and
eating meal with class . . . . .

l8. Visiting other programs to gain
ideas for local improvement . . .

l9. Receiving information about com-
munity agencies' services . . . .

20. Assisting in the evaluation of the
total program . . . . . . . .

DIRECTIONS II Check choice which most appropriately describes
you or your program.

a. Your undergraduate major b. You are administratively

was: responsible to which ONE
__E1ementary Education of the following:
'__Secondary Education __Community Action Agent
__Other __Director of Elementary
Education
__Other Public School

c. Majority of your teachers Administrator
have been in Head Start _;Private Organization
classroom for: Administrator

2 years or less __Other

:3 years or more

d. Majority of your classrooms

e. Just prior to entering are housed in:
Head Start your paid Church Buildings
experience was in: ::Public Schools
Elementary Education Community Centers

::Secondary Education Other

EXHIBIT 3

CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES WITH POPULATION
BETWEEN 100,000 AND 200,000 WITH FULL

YEAR HEAD START PROGRAMS

118

 

Cities in the United States with Population

Between 100,000 and 200,000 With Full

Year Head Start Programs

Alabama:

Arkansas:

California:

Colorado:

Conneticut:

Florida:

Georgia:

Illinois:

 

Huntsville
Mobile
Montgomery

Little Rock

Anaheim
Berkely
Fremont

Fresno

Garden Grove
Glendale
Huntington Beach
Pasadena
Riverside

San Bernardino
Santa Ana
Stockton

*Torrance

Colorado Spring

Bridgeport
Hartford
New Haven
Stamford
Waterbury

Fort Lauderdale
Hollywood

*Hialesh

*Columbus
*Macon

Savannah

*Peoria

Rockford

*
Reported as not having Full Year Head Start Program.

119

Indiana:

Iowa:

Kansas:

Kentucky:

Louisiana:

Massachusetts:

Michigan:

Mississippi:

Missouri:

Nebraska:
Nevada:

New Jersey:

New York:

North Carolina:

 

*
Reported as not having Full Year Head Start Program.

120

Evansville
Fort Wayne
*Hammond
South Bend
*Gary

Des Moines
Cedar Rapids

Kansas City
Topeka

Lexington

Baton Rouge
Shreveport

New Bedford
Springfield
Worcester

*Dearborn
Flint

Grand Rapids
Lansing
*Livonia
*Warren

*Jackson

Independence
Springfield

Lincoln
Las Vegas

Camden
Elizabeth
Paterson
Trenton

Albany
Syracuse

Greensboro
Raleigh
Winston-Salam

121

Ohio: Canton
Youngstown
Pennsylvania: Allentown
Erie
Scranton
Rhode Island: Providence
South Carolina: Columbia
Tennessee: Chattanooga
Knoxville
Texas: Amarillo
Beaumont
Lubboch
Utah: Salt Lake City
Virginia: Alexandria
*Hampton
NeWport News
Portsmouth

Virginia Beach

Washington: Spokane
Tocoma
Wisconsin: Madison

 

*
Reported as not having Full Year Head Start Program.

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EAST LANSING o MICHIGAN 48823

 

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION 0 ERICKSON HALL

February 26, 1971

Dear Dr. :

As a doctoral student at Michigan State University, I am
conducting a study which may provide some additional leader-
ship to the Head Start parent participation component.

The Head Start Manual lists four major kinds of parent
involvement activities, each of which may benefit both
parent and child. Although research has been devOted to
various aspects of these four areas, little attention has
been given to the relative contribution each can make. A
part of my study explores the proposition that emphasis on
one of the four activities can make a more significant
contribution to the life of the pre—schooler.‘

To explore this question, a small select group of profes-
sionals, who are highly respected for their involvement in
the field of early childhood education, is being asked to

respond to this proposition by completing the attached
survey. These results will be reported anonymously.

In advance I express my appreciation to you for co-operating,
and ask that you give this survey your prompt and careful
attention.

Sincerely,

L. Wayne Brown .
Hinman Fellow 1970-71

LWB/cn

Attachment

123

EXHIBIT 5

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION HEAD START

DIRECTORS' QUESTIONNAIRE

124

 

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EAST LANSING . MICHIGAN 4s323

 

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION 0 ERICKSON HALL

February 26, 1971

Dear

It is difficult to profit from the experiences of other Head
Start Directors since this complex program is spread across
the entire country. The project I am undertaking is
designed to provide information which may help make your
program more profitable for parents and pre-schoolers.

The Directors in cities with populations of 100,000 to
200,000, whose names were supplied by the National Head
Start Office or Regional Training Officers, are being asked
to respond to the attached questionnaire which focuses on
the prevailing practices in your parent participation
component. These replies will be compiled and forwarded

to you.

 

This survey, which is completely divorced from the National
Head Start Office and its research centers, is strictly
anonymous. No Director, city or school system will be
identified in the results.

Your perception of the parent participation component in
your program is important to the outcome of this study;
your efforts may benefit others. In advance I express my
appreciation to you for co-operating, and ask that you give
this survey your prompt and careful attention.

Sincerely,

L. Wayne Brown
Hinman Fellow 1970-71

LWB/cn

Attachment

125

EXHIBIT 6

RANK SUMS OF EMPHASIS ON FOUR TYPES OF PARENT PARTICIPATION
ACTIVITIES REPORTED BY FIFTY-THREE DIRECTORS IN UNITED
STATES CITIES WITH POPULATION BETWEEN

100,000 and 200,000

126

 

127

Exhibit 6.--Rank Sums of Emphasis on Four Types of Parent Participation
Activities Reported by Fifty—Three Directors in United States Cities
With Population Between 100,000 and 200,000.

 

Directors Administrative Classroom Parent Staff-Parent-Child
Involvement Skills Relationship

 

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Total of Ranks 115.8
Rank of Emphasis 2

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135.8 186.5

 

 

EXHIBIT 7

UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS OF FIFTY-THREE

DIRECTORS

128

Exhibit 7.--Undergraduate Majors of Fifty-three Directors.

 

 

List of Possibilities Number ‘ Per Cent
Elementary Education - I 28 53
Secondary Education 9 17
Other 16 30
Total 53 100

 

129

 

EXHIBIT 8

PRIOR EXPERIENCES OF FIFTY-THREE

DIRECTORS

130

 

Exhibit 8.--Prior Experiences of Fifty-three Directors.

 

 

List of Possibilities Number Per Cent
Elementary Education 28 53
Secondary Education 4 8
Other 21 39
Total 53 100

 

131

 

EXHIBIT 9

PERSONS TO WHOM FIFTY-THREE DIRECTORS ARE

ADMINISTRATIVELY RESPONSIBLE

132

 

Exhibit 9.--Persons to Whom Fifty-three Directors are
Administratively Responsible.

 

 

List of Possibilities Number Per Cent
Community Action Agent 36 68
Director of Elementary Education 6 11
Other Public School Administrator 9 17
Private Organization Administrator 1 2
Other 1 2

Total 53 100

 

133

EXHIBIT 10

YEARS MAJORITY OF TEACHERS HAVE TAUGHT IN

HEAD START CLASSROOMS

134

Exhibit lO.--Years Majority of Teachers Have Taught in Head

Start Classrooms.

 

 

List of Possibilities Number Per Cent

Two Years or Less 26 49

Three Years or More 27 51
Total 53

100

 

135

 

EXHIBIT 11

LOCATION OF MAJORITY OF CLASSROOMS IN FIFTYfTHREE

HEAD START PROGRAMS

136

Exhibit ll.--Location of Majority of Classrooms in Fifty—
three Head Start Programs.

 

 

List of Possibilities Number Per Cent
Church Buildings 17 32
Public Schools 28 53
Community Centers 5 9
Other 3 6
Total 53 100

 

137

EXHIBIT 12

RANKS OF FOUR TYPES OF PARENT PARTICIPATION

ACTIVITIES REPORTED UNDER TEN CONDITIONS

138

139

Exhibit 12.--Ranks of Four Types of Parent Participation Activities Reported
Under Ten Conditions.

 

Conditions Administrative Classroom Parent Staff-Parent-Child
Involvement Skills Relationship

 

Directors with
elementary major 3 l 2 4

Directors with major
other than elementary l 2 3 4

Directors with prior
experienCe in elemen-
tary education 2 l 3 4

Directors with prior
experience other than
elementary education 1 2 3 4

Directors responsible
to director of elemen-
tary education 2 l 3 4

Directors responsible

to person other than

director of elemen-

tary education 2 l 3 4

Directors with experi-
enced teachers 2 l 3 4

Directors with inexperi—
enced teachers 2 l 3 4

Classrooms located in
public schools 2 1 3 4

Classrooms located in
places other than
public schools 2 l 3 4

 

EXHIBIT l3

ELEVEN DESCRIPTIVE STATEMENTS ON DIRECTORS'
QUESTIONNAIRE RECEIVING CHECKS IN THE

"DON'T KNOW AT PRESENT" COLUMN

140

 

3'11

w 141

Eflubit l3.--Eleven Descriptive Statements on Directors' Questionnaire
Receiving Checks in the "Don't Know at Present" Column.

 

 

 

 

' Type of Descriptive Descriptive Statement Number of
‘Pment Activity Statement Marks
Number
mhunistrative 18 Visiting other programs to gain
ideas for local improvement 3
Gassroom
Involvement 10 Being provided baby sitting
services while visiting in
classroom 3
Parent Skills 1 Participating in experiences on
how to spend income wisely 2
I 5 Exploring ways to make home life
1 more comfortable 2
} 13 Being exposed to ways on how to
‘ effectively communicate
complaints 2
16 Joining activities planned to
meet their expressed educa-
tional needs 1
Staff-Parent~Child
Relationship 4 Being allowed to check out toys/
games for home use with child 6
6 Receiving reinforcement materials
to be completed with child at
home 4
11 Learning how to read and tell
stories to child for fun 4
l4 Receiving suggestions of specific
TV programs to view with child 3
15 Being encouraged to attend with
child certain community events 4
Total 34

 

 

EXHIBIT 14

TWENTY DESCRIPTIVE STATEMENTS IN RANK ORDER AS

REPORTED BY FIFTY-THREE DIRECTORS, WITH
ASSIGNMENT TO FOUR TYPES OF PARENT

PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES

142

 

143

Exhibit l4.—-Twenty Descriptive Statements in
Rank Order as Reported by Fifty-three Directors,
With Assignment to Four Types of Parent
Participation Activities.

    

U)
4.)
a +1
0) a
E a) m
8&4
1.2“ 3 ‘”
5 m “g Statements
m u
a: fit: 0‘) z
1 l9. Receiving information about community agencies'
serViCeS O I O O O O O O O O O O O O X
2 9. Accompanying class on field trips . . . . . X
3 2. Assisting in the classroom as volunteers on a
prearranged basis . . . . . . . . . . . X
8. Being invited to planned classroom activities . X
12. Helping recruit and screen employees . . . . X
4.3 17. Assisting in serving food and eating meal with
class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X
4.3 20. Assisting in the evaluation of the total program X
5.5 3. Being methodically asked to give ideas for
program improvement . . . . . . . . . . X
5.5 7. Actively securing volunteer services for program X
16. Joining activities planned to meet their
expressed educational needs . . . . . . . X
7.5 13. Being exposed to ways on how to effectively
communicate complaints . . . . . . . . . X
7.5 15. Being encouraged to attend with child certain
community events . . . . . . . . . . . X
9 14. Receiving suggestions of specific TV programs to
View with child . . . . . . . . . . . X
10 5. Exploring ways to make home life more comfortable X
11 11. Learning how to read and tell stories to child
for fun I O O O O O O O O O O O O O X
12 10. Being provided baby sitting services while
visiting in classroom . . . . . . . . . X
13 6. Receiving reinforcement materials to be completed
with child at home . . . . . . . . . . X
13.5 1. Participating in experiences on how to spend I
income wisely . . . . . . . . . . . . X
13.5 18. Visiting other programs to gain ideas for local
improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . X
15 4. Being allowed to check out toys/games for home

 

 

 

use With Child O O O O O O I O O O O O x

 

 

 

 

 

   

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