Running head: HEAD START AND PRE-K REFLECTION PAPER

Head Start and Pre-K Reflection Paper

Sandra E. Zaragoza

EDUC 5382 Special Programs

Professor Dr. Kristy Duckworth

East Texas Baptist University

August 8, 2017

Version 1.0
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Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families

through agencies in their local community. Head Start and Early Head Start programs support

the comprehensive development of children from birth to age 5, in centers, child care partner

locations, and in their own homes. Head Start services include early learning, health, and family

well-being (TEA, 2017). Founded by Lyndon B. Johnsons War on Poverty in 1965. Since then,

Head Start has grown from an eight-week demonstration project to include full day/year services

and numerous program options. Head Start has served over 30 million children and their families

in urban and rural areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S.

territories (TEA, 2017). TEAs goal for Texas children to enter school with the foundational

knowledge and skills to be curious, confident and successful learners. In partnership with

families, schools and communities, TEA provides support for effective and aligned early

learning opportunities, policies and programs that:

Support a highly skilled early learning workforce

Provide resources that engage and support development of young children

Provide access to high-quality year old prekindergarten.

State law has some requirements for high-quality prekindergarten program with 15% minimum

quality allocation. According to Rider 78, it ensures that school districts expend 15% of the

districts prekindergarten foundation school program (FSP) funding on High-Quality

Prekindergarten programs over the period of the biennium. As an example, the TEA State

Funding Division has calculated the 15% minimum to be allocated for High Quality

Prekindergarten programs in the 2018-19 biennium based on the four-year-old prekindergarten

half-day average daily attendance (ADA) (TAC, 2017).

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My experience in working with head start teachers and students has been a positive one.

Head Start does offer many family supports and resources for their head start students. I do see

the need to offer these same resources to other Pre-K students in the state of Texas. We want all

children to have the same experiences and equal opportunities for all children. Head Start and

Pre-K should be given what is necessary for students to be prepared for kindergarten and beyond.

Children who come from any Pre-K or Head Start program do make a significant growth due to

being prepared early for Kindergarten. For bilingual students in head Start, they acquire English

earlier as well. They transition into English learning much sooner.

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References

Texas Administrative Code (2017). TAC 102.1003

High-quality prekindergarten grant program

Texas Education Code (2017). TEC 29.170, program funding evaluation