State(s) of Head Start report shows funding, enrollment and quality are all over the map
Overview
State(s) of Head Start is the first report to describe and analyze in detail Head Start enrollment, funding, quality, and duration, state-by-state. The report focuses on the 2014-2015 program year but also provides longitudinal data beginning with the 2006-2007 program year. Despite the fact that Head Start is a federally funded, national program, the report reveals that access to Head Start programs, funding per child, teacher education, quality of teaching, and duration of services all vary widely by state.
This report’s findings underscore the need for greater coordination between Head Start and state and local government agencies to build high-quality early learning programs with widespread reach and adequate funding. The authors call for an independent bipartisan national commission to study the issues raised in this report and develop an action plan to ensure every eligible child in every state has an equal opportunity to benefit from Head Start.


Report Contents
The links below open PDF documents.
- Full Report
- Report Digest
- Executive Summary
- National Profile
- National Figures
- Guide to Interpreting State Information
- Methodology
- National Press Release
- Informe de Prensa Nacional
- Media Coverage
State Profiles
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Palau
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands
American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start (AIAN)
Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS)
Suggested Citation: Barnett, W. S., & Friedman-Krauss, A. H., (2016). State(s) of Head Start. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research.