Head Start: Increased Percentage of Teachers Nationwide Have
Required Degrees, but Better Information on Classroom Teachers'
Qualifications Needed (01-OCT-03, GAO-04-5).
The 1998 Head Start Act mandated that 50 percent of all Head
Start teachers nationwide have a minimum of an associate degree
in early childhood education, or, in a related field with
preschool teaching experience, by September 30, 2003. This law
also required that each classroom in center-based programs (those
that primarily provide services in classroom settings) without
such a degreed teacher have a teacher with a Child Development
Associate credential or an equivalent state certificate. In
preparation for the reauthorization of Head Start in fiscal year
2003, GAO was asked to examine: (1) the extent to which Head
Start has met legislative mandates concerning teacher
qualifications; (2) whether Head Start teachers' salaries have
increased and enabled grantees to attract and retain teachers
with degrees; and (3) the extent to which degree and other
programs in early childhood education are available for Head
Start teachers and if grantees have taken steps to enhance access
to them.
-------------------------Indexing Terms-------------------------
REPORTNUM: GAO-04-5
ACCNO: A08633
TITLE: Head Start: Increased Percentage of Teachers Nationwide
Have Required Degrees, but Better Information on Classroom
Teachers' Qualifications Needed
DATE: 10/01/2003
SUBJECT: Aid for education
Higher education
Preschool education
Salary increases
Teacher education
Teacher salaries
Teachers
Personnel qualifications
Head Start Program
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GAO-04-5
United States General Accounting Office
GAO
Report to Congressional Requesters
October 2003
HEAD START
Increased Percentage of Teachers Nationwide Have Required Degrees, but Better
Information on Classroom Teachers' Qualifications Needed
GAO-04-5
Highlights of GAO-04-5, a report to congressional requesters
The 1998 Head Start Act mandated that 50 percent of all Head Start
teachers nationwide have a minimum of an associate degree in early
childhood education, or, in a related field with preschool teaching
experience, by September 30, 2003. This law also required that each
classroom in center-based programs (those that primarily provide services
in classroom settings) without such a degreed teacher have a teacher with
a Child Development Associate credential or an equivalent state
certificate. In preparation for the reauthorization of Head Start in
fiscal year 2003, GAO was asked to examine: (1) the extent to which Head
Start has met legislative mandates concerning teacher qualifications; (2)
whether Head Start teachers' salaries have increased and enabled grantees
to attract and retain teachers with degrees; and (3) the extent to which
degree and other programs in early childhood education are available for
Head Start teachers and if grantees have taken steps to enhance access to
them.
GAO recommends that the Secretary of Health and Human Services require
that ACF, at least annually, collect data from Head Start grantees and
report to the Secretary on whether each classroom in Head Start centers
has at least one teacher with at least the minimum credentials required by
law.
www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-5.
To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on
the link above. For more information, contact Marnie Shaul at (202)
512-7215 or [email protected].
October 2003
HEAD START
Increased Percentage of Teachers Nationwide Have Required Degrees, but Better
Information on Classroom Teachers' Qualifications Needed
Head Start appears to meet the 1998 mandate because about 52 percent of
Head Start teachers nationwide had, at a minimum, an associate degree in
early childhood education or in a related field based on Administration
for Children and Families (ACF) 2002 data. This represented more than a
14-percentage point increase in teachers with such degrees since 1999.
Head Start Teachers with Degrees Increased Significantly between 1999 and
2002
Percent of teachers with degrees
60
51.7a
50
40
30
20
10
0 1999 2002
Source: GAO analysis of ACF data. (These data are self-reported by
grantees.)
Note: Head Start data on the percent of teachers with degrees were
collected somewhat differently in 1998, limiting their comparability with
data collected in subsequent years.
aThe percentage of teachers with degrees in 2002 includes 3.8 percent with
graduate degrees, 24.8 percent with bachelor's degrees, and 23 percent
with associate degrees. (Does not add to 51.7 percent due to rounding.)
Although ACF requested grantees to report both the numbers of teachers by
type of degree or credential, and the numbers of classrooms, it is not
possible to determine if there was a teacher with the credentials required
by law in each classroom in Head Start centers since ACF did not ask
grantees to report this specific information. Furthermore, the ACF
monitoring instrument used did not have a separate question that asked
whether each classroom had at least one teacher with at least minimum
credentials.
Quality improvement funds, which have declined sharply in recent years,
enabled Head Start to increase teacher salaries to levels comparable to
other preschool teachers during the 1999-2001 period, although they
remained at about half of what kindergarten teachers earned nationally.
Some Head Start grantees continue to identify difficulties in competing
for teachers with degrees with existing salaries.
Early childhood education and similar programs were available in all
states and in one in five postsecondary institutions. However, as
expected, the more rural, less populous states had few of these programs.
Head Start grantees used a number of methods to make early childhood
education accessible to their teachers, such as offering on-site classes,
but access to these programs in rural areas sometimes was a problem.
Contents
Letter
1
Results in Brief 3 Background 5 The Percent of Teachers with Degrees Has
Risen and Appears to
Meet Legislated Goals for Progress, but It Is Unknown Whether
Each Classroom Has a Teacher with at Least Minimum
Credentials 8 Head Start Teacher Salaries Have Increased to Levels
Comparable
to those of Preschool Teachers, but Some Grantees Reported
Difficulties Competing for Teachers with Degrees 15 Early Childhood
Education Programs Were Available in All States
and Grantees Have Worked to Improve Access to Them, but
Access Is Still a Problem in Some Rural Areas 23 Conclusions 28
Recommendation 28 Agency Comments 28
Appendix I Scope and Methodology
Appendix II Comments from the Department of Health and Human Services
Appendix III GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments 35
GAO Contacts 35 Staff Acknowledgments 35
Tables
Table 1: Findings of Noncompliance Related to Teacher Qualifications Over
a 3-Year Review Cycle 14 Table 2: Head Start Teachers' Annual Salaries
Have Increased to the Level of Other Preschool Teachers' Annual Salaries
16 Table 3: Quality Improvement Funding and Head Start Appropriations,
Fiscal Years 1999-2003 16 Table 4: Head Start Teacher Salaries Increased
Significantly in All Regions and Branches, 1998-2001 17
Table 5: Head Start Teacher Salaries Were Generally Higher at
Programs Administered by Schools in 2002 18 Table 6: Head Start Teacher
Degree Levels Were Higher at
Programs Administered by Schools in 2002 19 Table 7: Number of Individual
Program Completions, by Level, in
Early Childhood Education and Eight Similar Fields for the
1997-98 and 1999-2000 School Years 21 Table 8: Number of Postsecondary
Institutions with Students
Completing Programs in Early Childhood Education and
Eight Similar Fields for the 1997-98 and 1999-2000 School
Years 24
Figures
Figure 1: The Percentage of Teachers with Degrees Has Increased
Significantly since 1999 9 Figure 2: More Than 50 Percent of Teachers in 7
of 10 Regions Had Degrees as of 2002 10 Figure 3: All Regions and Branches
Increased Percent of Teachers with Degrees from 1999 to 2002 12 Figure 4:
Head Start Teacher Turnover Rate Was Lowest at Programs Administered by
Schools in 2002 20
Abbreviations
ACF Administration for Children and Families
BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics
CDA Child Development Associate
FACES Family and Child Experiences Survey
HHS Department of Health and Human Service
IPEDS Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
PIR Program Information Report
PRISM Program Review Instrument for Systems Monitoring
This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright
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separately.
United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548
October 1, 2003
The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
United States Senate
The Honorable Christopher J. Dodd
Ranking Minority Member
Subcommittee on Children and Families
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
United States Senate
The Honorable George Miller
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Education and the Workforce
House of Representatives
The Honorable Dale E. Kildee
House of Representatives
In fiscal year 2002, Head Start provided comprehensive child development
services to over 900,000 preschool children from low-income families, and
the program was funded by a federal appropriation of about $6.5 billion.
Over 1,500 grantees, including community action agencies, school systems,
for-profit and nonprofit organizations, other government agencies and
tribal consortia, provide Head Start program services either directly or
through delegate agencies. Classroom instruction provided by over 51,000
teachers in about 47,000 classrooms is a key element of the Head Start
program. In 1998, the Congress sought to raise the educational level of
these teachers by mandating that 50 percent of all Head Start classroom
teachers in Head Start centers have a minimum of an associate degree in
early childhood education, or in a related field with preschool teaching
experience, by September 30, 2003. This amendment also required that
each classroom without such a degreed teacher have a teacher with a
Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or a state certificate
equivalent to a CDA. Some research indicates that preschool teachers with
higher levels of education are more effective at teaching young children.1
In light of the reauthorization of Head Start in fiscal year 2003 you
asked us to examine: (1) the extent to which Head Start has met
legislative mandates concerning teacher qualifications; (2) whether Head
Start teacher salaries have increased and enabled grantees to attract and
retain teachers with degrees; and (3) the extent to which degree and other
programs in early childhood education are available for Head Start
teachers and if grantees have taken steps to enhance access to them.
To respond to these questions we analyzed U.S. Department of Health and
Human Service's (HHS) data on Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Specifically, we analyzed HHS's Administration for Children and Families'
(ACF) Program Information Report (PIR) data on teacher credentials and
salaries for 1998-2002. ACF collects these data each year from Head Start
and Early Head Start grantees. Our analysis revealed some inconsistencies
in these data similar to those identified by HHS's Office of Inspector
General in its draft report on teacher qualifications covering program
year 2000-2001, which was based largely on data from the PIR. We
calculated the percent of teachers with degrees based on the largest
number of total teachers reported in the PIR, rather than on the number of
teachers reported by educational level, which was smaller. In addition, to
confirm the reasonableness of these data, we also reviewed 1998 and 2000
data relating to teacher qualifications from another source-ACF's Family
and Child Experiences Survey (FACES). During our review, we also
interviewed officials from each of the 10 ACF regional offices and the
American Indian-Alaska Native and Migrant Branches and obtained
information from 30 Head Start grantees from all 10 geographic regions to
learn about efforts to increase the proportion of teachers with degrees.
We selected grantees in each region to obtain perspective on those that
had been successful in achieving a high proportion of teachers with
degrees and those that were having difficulty doing so. We visited 11 of
these grantees in 2 ACF regions. These grantees were in three
states-Delaware, Maryland, and Texas-and in the District of Columbia.
Furthermore, we compared average annual salaries of Head Start teachers
taken from program data with annual salaries of preschool and kindergarten
teachers
1See, for example, National Research Council (2001) Eager to Learn:
Educating Our Preschoolers. Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy. Barbara
T. Bowman, M. Suzanne Donavan, and M. Susan Burns, editors. Commission on
Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Washington, D.C.: National
Academy Press.
Results in Brief
as calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). ACF PIR data
reported by grantees included the average Head Start full-time teacher
salaries earned annually, regardless of the number of months worked during
the year. Salaries reported by the BLS for preschool and kindergarten
teachers were estimated average annual wages, based on employer responses
to a BLS survey. BLS does not distinguish between full- and part-time
workers and assumes that all work 2,080 hours annually (which is a 40 hour
work week for 1 year). Finally, we analyzed the U.S. Department of
Education data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
(IPEDS) to determine the number of schools offering programs in early
childhood education and similar fields for years 1998-2000 and the number
of programs completed by students in those areas of study for the same
time period. While we took steps to determine that the PIR data were
sufficiently reliable for this report, we did not independently verify the
data provided by the grantees. We conducted our work between February and
September 2003 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards. Appendix I provides more details on our scope and methodology.
On the basis of ACF data, Head Start appeared to meet the 1998 mandate
requiring at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers nationwide to have,
at a minimum, an associate degree by September 30, 2003, but it is not
known if all classrooms in Head Start centers had at least one teacher
with at least the minimum credentials required by statute. About 52
percent of Head Start teachers nationwide had at least an associate degree
in early childhood education or a related field at the end of the 2002
program year, according to grantee-reported data. This was an increase of
more than 14 percentage points in teachers with degrees since 1999. All
ACF regions and the American Indian-Alaska Native and Migrant branch
programs made some progress increasing the percent of teachers with
degrees over the 1999-2002 period, although there was considerable
variation among regions and branches in the level of teachers with degrees
in 2002. We could not determine if each classroom had at least one teacher
with the credentials required by law because grantee-reported data did not
explicitly include this type of information. Although ACF requested
grantees to report both the number of teachers holding either degrees in
early childhood education or related fields, or CDA or equivalent
credentials, and the number of classrooms, it is not possible to determine
from these data if there was at least one teacher with at least minimum
credentials in each classroom. In addition, ACF did not ask grantees to
report specifically on this. Furthermore, although ACF monitors about
one-third of Head Start grantees each year, the monitoring instrument
used did not have a separate question that asked whether each classroom
had at least one teacher with at least minimum credentials.
Head Start teachers' salaries have increased since 1998, but some Head
Start grantees identified difficulties in competing for teachers with
degrees. Quality improvement funds enabled Head Start to increase teacher
salaries to levels comparable to other preschool teachers during the
1999-2001 period, although they remained at about half of what
kindergarten teachers earned nationally. However, quality improvement
funds have declined sharply in recent years, when Head Start's
appropriation grew more slowly than in the previous years. While all types
of grantees paid more to staff with higher qualifications, both the
average qualifications of teachers and the salaries paid them varied
across types of grantees, with teachers in Head Start programs
administered by school systems on average earning the highest salaries and
having the highest levels of education. Turnover was also lower at
grantees administered by school systems and government agencies than among
the 78 percent of Head Start teachers who worked at Head Start programs
administered by other types of agencies. Although nationally students
completed 34,000 individual programs in early childhood education or
related fields in the 1999-2000 school year, many grantees reported
difficulties competing for degreed graduates in these fields with existing
salaries. Data were not available on the number of students completing
early childhood education programs that actually worked as preschool
teachers in Head Start or similar programs.
Programs in early childhood education and 8 similar fields of study were
available in all states and in one in five postsecondary institutions
included in 1999-2000 Department of Education data. However, as expected,
the more rural, less populous states had few of these programs. Head Start
grantees used a number of methods to make early childhood education and
similar courses accessible to their teachers, such as offering on-site
classes. However, providing opportunities in rural areas sometimes was a
problem. Despite efforts to use distance education-education characterized
by the separation, in time or place, between instructor and student-some
Head Start teachers had to travel considerable distances to attend
classes.
Because ACF did not collect the necessary data to determine whether each
classroom in Head Start centers had at least one teacher with the
qualifications required by law, we are recommending that the Secretary of
HHS require that ACF, at least annually, collect data on whether there is
at
Background
least one teacher with at least the minimum required credentials in each
classroom.
Head Start began as an 8-week summer project administered by the former
Office of Economic Opportunity in 1965. Designed to help break the cycle
of poverty, Head Start provided preschool children of low-income families
with comprehensive educational, social, health, nutritional, and
psychological services. Head Start was originally aimed at 3 to 5 year
olds. A companion program begun in 1994, Early Head Start, made these
services available to children from birth to 3 years of age as well as to
pregnant women.
Head Start and Early Head Start programs are administered by ACF. Through
its 10 regional offices and 2 branches-the American Indian-Alaska Native
Branch and the Migrant Branch-ACF directly funds more than 1,500 grantees
that provide Head Start program services either directly or through
delegate agencies. Grantees include community action agencies, school
systems, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, other government
agencies, and tribal consortia. In fiscal year 2002, these grantees served
more than 912,000 children, with about 850,000 in Head Start and 62,000 in
Early Head Start. More than 90 percent of Head Start children are enrolled
in center-based programs while most of the remaining children attend
home-based programs.2 Head Start is funded primarily by federal grants,
but grantees must provide at least 20 percent of the program funding,
which can include in-kind contributions, such as facilities for holding
classes. Program costs, which include teacher salaries, vary considerably
since some grantees may receive donations, such as low-cost space.
Grantees may also have widely varying costs of personnel and space
depending on many factors, such as geographic location (urban or rural),
and type of sponsoring agency (school system or private nonprofit).
However, salaries generally comprise most of Head Start grantees' budgets,
and grantees' teacher salary levels differ based on factors such as
location and staff qualifications.
Head Start classrooms are required to be staffed by a teacher and an
assistant teacher or an aide, or by two teachers. In fiscal year 2002,
Head
2Center-based programs are those where services are provided to children
primarily in classroom settings. Throughout this report, we refer to
classrooms in center-based programs as "classrooms." Head Start also has
"home-based programs" that provide services in the private residences of
children being served.
Start had more than 51,000 teachers and a similar number of assistant
teachers. At least one teacher in each classroom in Head Start centers
must have either: (1) an associate, baccalaureate (bachelor's), or
advanced (graduate) degree in early childhood education; (2) such a degree
in a related field, with preschool teaching experience; (3) a CDA
credential appropriate to the age of children served in center-based
programs; or (4) a state certificate at least equivalent to a CDA. The CDA
credential requires a high school diploma or equivalent and, within the
previous 5 years, 480 hours working with preschool children in a group
setting and 120 hours of child care education. The CDA credential is
awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition of Washington D.C.
Teachers with CDA credentials are expected to be able to meet the specific
needs of children and work with parents and other adults to nurture
children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth in a child
development framework.
In addition to the minimum requirements for teacher qualifications, the
1998 Head Start Act required that 50 percent of Head Start teachers across
the nation have a minimum of an associate degree in early childhood
education or in a related field with preschool teaching experience by
September 30, 2003. Head Start reauthorization proposals have been
introduced that would require increased levels of teachers with associate
and bachelor's degrees.
Some research indicates that preschool teachers with higher levels of
education are more effective at teaching young children. For example, the
National Institute for Early Education Research reported in March 2003
that the education levels of preschool teachers and specialized training
in early childhood education predict teaching quality and children's
learning and development progress.3 In addition, the National Research
Council reported in 2000 that while any teacher education related to early
childhood development or education is better than none, teachers with
bachelor's (or higher) degrees in early childhood development appear to be
most effective.4
3Barnett, W.S. (2003). Better Teachers, Better Preschools: Student
Achievement Linked to Teacher Qualifications. Preschool Policy Matter. 2.
New Brunswick, NJ:NIEER.
4National Research Council (2001) Eager to Learn: Educating Our
Preschoolers. Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy. Barbara T. Bowman, M.
Suzanne Donavan, and M. Susan Burns, editors. Commission on Behavioral and
Social Sciences and Education, Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
The Head Start appropriation has increased from $4.66 billion in fiscal
year 1999, the first year of the current authorization, to about $6.67
billion in fiscal year 2003. The Head Start Act provides that a portion of
the appropriation be committed to quality improvement if there is a real
increase (one exceeding the rate of inflation) over the previous year's
appropriation. Grantees must use at least one-half of their quality
improvement funding to increase the salaries of classroom teachers and
other staff. The remaining funds are to be used for such activities as
training to improve staff qualifications. In the first 2 years of the
current authorization, fiscal years 1999-2000, ACF allocated part of the
quality improvement funds to address Congress's emphasis on increasing the
number of teachers with degrees. Grantees were allocated $1,300 for each
teacher who did not have either a college degree in early childhood
education or a degree in a related field with a state certificate, and
$300 for each teacher with such a degree. According to ACF officials, each
year's quality improvement funding was added to the next year's base grant
in order to sustain the efforts supported by these funds, such as teacher
salary increases. ACF regional offices did not consistently document how
these funds were used, though they noted that they monitored changes in
staff qualifications.
Head Start funding provided grantees with two other sources of support for
improving teacher qualifications-quality improvement centers and Head
Start collaboration offices in each state. Quality improvement centers,
funded at about $41 million in fiscal year 2002, provided technical
assistance and training in support of various national initiatives,
including the improvement of teacher qualifications. There were 16 quality
improvement centers nationally, with at least 1 in each ACF region and 1
each for the Migrant and American Indian-Alaska Native programs, until
funding for quality improvement centers was terminated on August 31,
2003,and these centers ceased to operate. Head Start collaboration offices
in each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Migrant and
American Indian-Alaska Native programs, promote coordination of Head Start
and state and local programs for young children and their families. Some
state collaboration offices received grants from ACF to develop and
enhance professional development opportunities. State collaboration
offices were funded at approximately $8 million in fiscal year 2003.
ACF monitors and oversees Head Start grantees. ACF collects data on Head
Start programs through the PIR, an annual survey of grantees. These data
include information on various aspects of grantees' programs, such as
numbers of teachers with degrees in early childhood education. In
addition, to ensure that Head Start grantees comply with Head Start
The Percent of Teachers with Degrees Has Risen and Appears to Meet
Legislated Goals for Progress, but It Is Unknown Whether Each Classroom
Has a Teacher with at Least Minimum Credentials
program performance standards governing teacher qualifications and other
matters, ACF's regional offices and branches monitor each grantee at least
once every 3 years. ACF uses the Program Review Instrument for Systems
Monitoring (PRISM) to conduct these reviews.
Head Start appears to have met the 1998 mandate requiring at least 50
percent of Head Start teachers nationwide in classrooms in Head Start
centers to have degrees by September 30, 2003, based on grantee-reported
data, but it is not known if all classrooms in Head Start centers had at
least one teacher with at least minimum credentials. Fifty-two percent of
Head Start teachers nationwide had at least an associate degree in early
childhood education or a related field at the end of the 2002 program
year. All regions made some progress increasing the percent of teachers
with degrees over the 1999-2002 period, although there was considerable
variation among regions in the level of teachers with degrees in 2002.
Although ACF requested grantees to report both the number of teachers
holding either degrees in early childhood education or related fields, or
CDA or equivalent credentials, and the number of classrooms, ACF did not
ask grantees to report specifically if there was a teacher with minimum
credentials in each classroom. Furthermore, although ACF monitors about
one-third of Head Start grantees each year, the monitoring instrument used
did not have a separate question that asked whether each classroom had at
least one teacher with at least minimum credentials.
Over 50 Percent of According to grantee-reported data, almost 52 percent
of Head Start Teachers Nationwide teachers nationwide had at least an
associate degree in early childhood Appear to Have at Least an education
or a related field by the end of program year 2002, thereby
meeting the requirement of the 1998 Head Start reauthorization.5 This
wasAssociate Degree an increase of more than 14 percentage points in
teachers with degrees since 1999 (see fig. 1).
5Pub.L. No. 105-285, S:115.
Figure 1: The Percentage of Teachers with Degrees Has Increased
Significantly since 1999
Percent of teachers with degrees
60
51.7a
50
40
30
20
10
0 1999 2002
Source: GAO analysis of ACF data. (These data are self-reported by
grantees.)
Note: Head Start data on the percent of teachers with degrees were
collected somewhat differently in 1998, limiting their comparability with
data collected in subsequent years.
aThe percentage of teachers with degrees in 2002 includes 3.8 percent with
graduate degrees, 24.8 percent with bachelor's degrees, and 23 percent
with associate degrees. (Does not add to 51.7 percent due to rounding.)
In addition to the 52 percent of teachers with a degree in early childhood
education or a related field in 2002, 34 percent of teachers had a CDA
credential or its equivalent, and 4 percent more were in training for the
CDA credential. An ACF official said that the distribution of the
remaining 10 percent of teachers was not known but included
o recently hired teachers without a degree or CDA credential who had not
yet begun CDA training and
o teachers with degrees in fields other than early childhood education
who had not completed sufficient early childhood education courses to
qualify as having a related degree and who did not have a CDA and were not
in CDA training.
Grantee-reported data by region showed the progress toward higher teacher
degree levels geographically and revealed areas where challenges remain.
In 7 of 10 geographic regions, between 55 percent and 76 percent
of teachers had a degree in early childhood education or a related field
at the end of the 2002 program year, the most recent year for which data
were available at the time we conducted our study (see fig. 2).
Figure 2: More Than 50 Percent of Teachers in 7 of 10 Regions Had Degrees
as of 2002
Source: GAO analysis of ACF data. (These data are self-reported by grantees.)
Region II, including New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico,6 had the
highest level of degree attainment-76 percent. The 3 regions that did not
reach 50 percent were in the South and Midwest. The attainment levels for
these regions ranged from 40 percent in Region VI (Arkansas, Louisiana,
New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas) to about 47 percent in Region VII (Iowa,
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska). To some extent, the distribution of teachers
with degrees among the regions reflected the educational attainment of
6Region II also includes the Virgin Islands, which we excluded from our
study.
the general population in each region. For example, Department of
Education data in 2001 showed a higher percentage of adults with
bachelor's degrees in the northeastern states. Furthermore, a National
Center for Education Statistics study for school year 2000-2001 showed
that over 92 percent of preschool teachers in public schools in the
Northeast and Central United States had a minimum of a bachelor's degree,
compared with their counterparts in the West and the Southeast, with 84
percent and 79 percent, respectively.7
The American Indian-Alaska Native and the Migrant branch programs had
substantially lower levels of teachers with degrees as of program year
2002-27 percent and 21 percent, respectively. ACF officials attributed the
low levels of teachers with degrees in the American Indian-Alaska Native
program to the fact that many of these grantees are in remote locations
without access to early childhood education degree programs and the lower
likelihood that persons in these areas had completed college education.
ACF migrant program officials said that the program's limited increase
reflected difficulties in hiring bilingual teachers with degrees in rural
areas because the programs are of limited duration and migrant families
move frequently; in addition, they cited a need to provide basic English
courses for many teachers before they can begin a degree program.
All regions and branches made progress in increasing the numbers of
teachers with degrees between 1999 and 2002. Regions experienced an
average improvement of about 14 percentage points (see fig. 3).
7U.S. Department of Education, National center for Education Statistics.
Prekindergarten in U.S. Public Schools: 2000-2001, NCES 2003-019, by
Timothy Smith, Anne Kleiner, Basmat Parsad, and Elizabeth Farris. Project
Officer; Bernard Greene. Washington, D.C.: 2003
Figure 3: All Regions and Branches Increased Percent of Teachers with
Degrees from 1999 to 2002
Percent of teachers with degrees
nan/
riciadmeIn
Alaska native
n I
II III VI II VIII
tn
Vn IV n IX n XVn
igraM
nn
io
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iogRe
ionio
gioRe
io nioio io
egR
io
geR
geR
geR
geR
egR
geR
egR
A
Increase in teachers with degrees by 2002
Percent of teachers with degrees 1999
Source: GAO analysis of ACF data. (These data are self-reported by
grantees.)
The region showing the greatest increase by far was Region II, with an
increase of 29 percentage points, about twice the average of the other
regions. Region II officials attributed this increase primarily to a large
number of teachers in Puerto Rico who already held college degrees and who
then completed the necessary early childhood education courses when
funding became available. Four of the 7 regions that had less than 50
percent degreed teachers in program year 1999 had surpassed 50 percent by
program year 2002. The remaining 3 regions still had less than 50 percent
teachers with degrees by program year 2002, but nevertheless made
significant progress in increasing the number of teachers with degrees
between program years 1999 and 2002, with increases ranging from 12 to 17
percentage points. In addition, the American Indian-Alaska Native branch
program increased by more than 7 percentage points and the Migrant branch
program by more than 2 percentage points, although the percent of teachers
with degrees for both branches remains far under 50 percent.
It is Not Known Whether Each Classroom in Head Start Centers Has a Teacher
with at Least Minimum Credentials
Head Start did not collect data from grantees that allowed determination
of whether each classroom in Head Start centers had a teacher with at
least minimum credentials. For the PIR, ACF requested grantees to report
data on teacher qualifications, including each grantee's total number of
teachers and the numbers of teachers holding degrees in early childhood
education or a related field, or CDA or equivalent credentials, across all
sites administered by each grantee. ACF also requested that grantees
report the number of classrooms included in their programs.8 However,
ACF's PIR data collection instrument did not ask grantees if there was a
teacher with at least minimum credentials in each classroom, and it is not
possible to ascertain this from the collected data. For example, in
program year 2002 the PIR reported just over 46,000 teachers with degrees,
CDA or equivalent credentials, or in CDA training, and almost 47,000
classrooms, but it did not indicate how many classrooms were not staffed
by a teacher with at least minimum credentials. Some classrooms could have
been staffed with two teachers meeting statutory requirements, rather than
a teacher and an assistant teacher. In turn, other classrooms could have
been staffed by teachers without the required qualifications. As a result,
the number of classrooms without a teacher with at least minimum
credentials may be greater than the difference between the number of
classrooms and the number of teachers with degrees, CDA or equivalent
credentials, or in CDA training. ACF officials acknowledged that it is
likely that some classrooms are not staffed by teachers with at least the
required minimum credentials.
ACF monitors each Head Start grantee at least once every 3 years through
PRISM reviews, but the monitoring instrument does not have a separate
question that asks whether there is a teacher with at least minimum
credentials in every classroom. These reviews include analysis of grantee
compliance based on the Head Start program performance standards,
including the standard for teacher qualifications. However, this
performance standard is broad in scope and does not specifically address
whether there is a teacher with at least minimum credentials in each
classroom. The standard provides that "Head Start programs must comply
with section 648A of the Head Start Act and any subsequent amendments
regarding the qualifications of classroom teachers."9 This section of the
8The PIR defines the term "classroom" as physical space and "class" as a
group of children under the direction of one or more teachers. However,
here, and throughout this report, we use the term "classroom" to refer to
such a group of children.
9This requirement is set forth in 45 C.F.R. S:1306.21.
Head Start Act includes the requirements that each classroom in a
center-based program have a teacher who has demonstrated certain specified
competencies, such as supporting the social and emotional development of
children, and that each classroom have a teacher with a minimum of an
associate degree in early childhood education, or in a related field with
preschool teaching experience, or a CDA or a comparable state credential.
As a result, it is not clear whether findings of noncompliance during
PRISM reviews are related to issues with teacher competencies or teacher
degree and certification qualifications. Furthermore, according to an ACF
official, PRISM data are reported at the national level by grantee and are
not centrally available by classroom. For example, PRISM review data show
that in 2002 about 4 percent of the 559 grantees reviewed had findings of
noncompliance regarding teacher qualifications, but the number of
classrooms without a teacher with minimum credentials was not reported or
requested. Grantees with findings together had about 507 classrooms. About
2 to 3 percent of grantees had such findings in each of the previous 2
years (see table 1).
Table 1: Findings of Noncompliance Related to Teacher Qualifications Over
a 3-Year Review Cycle
Number of grantees Number of Percent of grantees
with findings of grantees with findings of
Year of review noncompliance reviewed noncompliance
2000 18 554
2001 10 591
2002 23 559
Source: GAO analysis of ACF data.
Furthermore, because ACF only evaluates approximately one-third of the
grantees each year, there is no way of knowing annually how many grantees
are not meeting the teacher qualifications standard and, therefore, may
have classrooms without teachers with at least minimum credentials.
Head Start Teacher Salaries Have Increased to Levels Comparable to those
of Preschool Teachers, but Some Grantees Reported Difficulties Competing
for Teachers with Degrees
Quality improvement funds enabled Head Start to increase teacher salaries
to levels comparable to other preschool teachers during the 1999-2001
period. However, some grantees still reported difficulties competing for
teachers with degrees. Quality improvement funds have declined steeply in
recent years, when Head Start's appropriation grew more slowly than in
earlier years. The level of Head Start teacher salaries varied by level of
credential and type of grantee administering the program. Teachers in Head
Start programs administered by school systems on average had a higher
level of education and earned higher salaries than those in programs
administered by other types of agencies. Average turnover was lower at
grantees administered by school systems and government agencies, than
among the 78 percent of Head Start teachers who worked at Head Start
programs administered by other types of agencies. While nationally
students completed 34,000 individual programs in early childhood education
or related fields in the 1999-2000 school year, many grantees reported
difficulties competing for degreed graduates in these fields with existing
salaries. Data were not available on the portion of students completing
early childhood education programs who either work as preschool teachers
in Head Start or similar programs or were hired by such programs.
Head Start Programs Have Made Teacher Salaries More Competitive since
1999, but Salaries Varied by Type of Grantee and Level of Education
Increasing Head Start teacher salaries and benefits was a key element in
attracting and retaining teachers with degrees, according to ACF regional
officials and Head Start grantees. For example:
o The director of a public school grantee in the state of Washington
said that adequate teacher salary levels were a great factor in attracting
and retaining qualified, degreed teachers.
o The director of a Head Start program in Maryland said that the primary
method of effectively reducing turnover has been to raise salaries.
Quality improvement funds enabled Head Start grantees to increase teacher
salaries to levels comparable to other preschool teachers during the
1999-2001 period, although salaries remained at about half of what
kindergarten teachers earned nationally, as shown in table 2. For example,
a Head Start program director in Missouri said that the program had used
quality improvement funds to increase staff salaries above the level of
childcare workers to a level comparable to the local and national levels
for preschool staff, although not to the higher level paid by school
districts.
Table 2: Head Start Teachers' Annual Salaries Have Increased to the Level
of Other Preschool Teachers' Annual Salaries
In nominal dollars
Percentage
Type of teacher a Salary 1998 Salary 2001 change
Kindergarten $35,450 $41,100 15.9
Preschool $19,530 $20,940 7.2
Head Start $17,956 $20,793 15.8
Source: BLS estimates and GAO analysis of ACF data self-reported by
grantees.
aBLS included preschool teachers who instruct children (normally up to 5
years of age) in activities designed to promote social, physical, and
intellectual growth needed for primary school in preschool, day care
center, or other child development facilities. Child care workers are
excluded from this category. Special education teachers are excluded from
both preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers.
The quality improvement funding peaked at $356 million in fiscal year 2001
and then dropped sharply in the following 2 years when Head Start's
appropriations grew more slowly. Quality improvement funding allowed Head
Start to make real increases (those that exceed cost of living allowance
increases) in teachers' salaries in fiscal years 1998 to 2001. However,
the steep decline in quality improvement funding in fiscal years 2002 and
2003, as shown in table 3, greatly reduced Head Start grantees' ability to
make further real increases in salaries in those years. As an example, the
chief executive officer of a community action agency grantee in Dallas
said that since quality improvement funds have been reduced, the program
could no longer make progress in closing the salary gap between Head Start
and school district teachers.
Table 3: Quality Improvement Funding and Head Start Appropriations, Fiscal
Years 1999-2003
Dollars in millions
Quality improvement Head Start
Fiscal year funding appropriation
1999 $148 $4,660
2000 $244 $5,267
2001 $356 $6,200
2002 $80 $6,538
2003 $32 $6,668
Source: Appropriations-P.L. 105-277, P.L. 106-113, P.L. 106-554, P.L.
107-116, P.L. 108-7. Quality Improvement Funding-annual ACF Program
Instruction Guidance that covered quality improvement funding.
The increase in Head Start teacher's salaries in the 1998-2001 period was
widespread, with salaries rising by at least 11 percent in each of the
regions and branches and nearly 16 percent nationwide, as shown in table
4. Consumer prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index-All Urban
Consumers increased 8.65 percent over this period.
Table 4: Head Start Teacher Salaries Increased Significantly in All
Regions and Branches, 1998-2001
In nominal dollars
1998 average 2001 average Percent
Region teacher salary teacher salary change
$17,924 $21,623 20.64
$19,335 $22,658 17.19
$20,798 $24,161 16.17
$15,793 $18,518 17.25
$18,809 $21,984 16.88
$16,702 $18,893 13.12
VII $15,603 $19,899 27.53a
VIII $16,791 $19,835 18.13
$21,981 $24,988 13.68
$18,376 $21,704 18.11
American Indian-Alaska
Native branch $16,104 $18,284 13.54
Migrant branch $14,635 $16,313 11.47
Nationwide $17,956 $20,793 15.80
Source: GAO analysis of ACF data. (These data are self-reported by
grantees.)
aAccording to regional officials, the significantly higher increase in
average teacher salaries in Region VII is attributable to efforts to
improve professional development, such as emphasizing wage incentive
programs for teachers to increase their educational levels. These efforts
included partnership agreements that attracted state funding, thus
allowing grantees to devote the majority of quality improvement funding to
teacher salary increases. They also drew upon other sources of funding,
such as an Early Learning Opportunities Act grant, which were used for
salary increases.
On average, the 13 percent of Head Start teachers employed at programs
administered by school systems earned higher salaries, had a higher level
of education, and had a lower turnover rate than other Head Start
teachers. For example, teachers with bachelor's degrees in Head Start
programs administered by school systems earned, on average, over $31,000
in 2002 while similarly educated teachers in other Head Start programs
earned, on average, between about $21,000 and $26,000 as shown in table 5.
Table 5: Head Start Teacher Salaries Were Generally Higher at Programs
Administered by Schools in 2002
Average Average
salary
with CDA or annual
salary
Average salary Average equivalent of teachers
Average salary salary
Percent with graduate with state with a
of with bachelor's associate
Agency type teachers degree degree degree certificate credentiala
Public/private 13 $41,459 $31,368 $24,106 $18,964 $28,177
school
system
Public/private 39 $34,023 $25,576 $22,335 $19,526 $22,482
nonprofit
Community 36 $27,059 $23,778 $20,918 $18,420 $20,641
action agency
Government 9 $25,300 $21,831c $21,327 $19,081 $20,996
agencyb
Public/private 1 $22,180 $22,178 $20,182 $18,461 $20,028
for-profit
Tribal 2
government or $20,893 $22,807 $20,208 $19,193 $19,766
consortium
Nationwide
total 100 $35,472 $25,547 $21,797 $18,976 NA
Source: GAO analysis of ACF data (These data are self-reported by
grantees.)
aCredential includes a graduate, bachelor's, or associate degree or a CDA
or its equivalent.
bGovernment agencies are those that are administered by governments, such
as some cities and municipalities, but are not community action agencies.
cPuerto Rico accounts for about 58 percent of the government agency Head
Start teachers with bachelor's degrees. Salaries for such teachers in
Puerto Rico were about $19,000 per year, causing the overall level of
salaries of government agency teachers with bachelor's degrees to be the
lowest of any agency type for similarly credentialed teachers. Region II
officials noted that the poor job market in Puerto Rico resulted in
teachers with bachelor's degrees willing to accept lower pay.
Head Start teachers with a credentials earned just over $28,000 in
programs administered by school systems compared with less than $23,000 in
programs administered by other agencies.
About one-half of all Head Start teachers employed by programs
administered by public and private school systems had a bachelor's or
graduate degree in 2002. At Head Start programs administered by most other
types of agencies, the percentage of the teachers that had a bachelor's or
graduate degree ranged from about 7 percent for tribal governments or
consortiums to nearly 39 percent for governmental agencies. One reason
that school system programs have more teachers with a bachelor's degree or
higher is that a minimum of a bachelor's degree is often a requirement for
being hired as a Head Start teacher in these settings. For example:
o The director of a public school Head Start program in Virginia said
that the program only hired teachers with at least a bachelor's degree and
a state teaching license.
o The Head Start director of an Education Service Center in Texas said
that its Head Start grant was received in partnership with 19 school
districts and it required that all Head Start teachers have at least a
bachelor's degree and be state-certified.
o A representative of a District of Columbia public school system Head
Start program said that all of the program teachers had at least a
bachelor's degree and those whose degrees were not in early childhood
education were working to be certified in that area.
The difference by agency type in the portion of teachers with graduate
degrees was especially pronounced, with more than 13 percent of teachers
employed by school systems having such degrees compared with about 1 to 3
percent of teachers at Head Start programs administered by other types of
agencies (see table 6).
Table 6: Head Start Teacher Degree Levels Were Higher at Programs Administered
by Schools in 2002
Percent of teachers at each agency type by level of education
CDA or
equivalent Percent of
Percent Graduate Bachelor's Associate state teachers
of with
Agency type all degree degree degree certificate a
teachers credentiala
Public/private
school
system 13 13.5 36.4 19.1 23.7
Public/private 39 3.1 23.0 22.3 34.9
nonprofit
Community
action
agency 36 1.7 21.4 25.4 38.4
Government 9 2.8 36.0 22.0 25.8
agencyb
Public/private 1 1.9 21.5 29.5 35.1
for-profit
Tribal
government or
consortium 2 1.1 6.3 19.4 50.6 77.4
Nationwide
total 100 3.8 24.8 23.0 34.3 85.9
Source: GAO analysis of ACF data. (These data are self-reported by
grantees.)
aCredential includes a graduate, bachelor's, or associate degree, or a CDA
credential or its equivalent.
bGovernment agencies are those that are administered by governments, such
as some cities and municipalities, but are not community action agencies.
Average turnover was lower at grantees administered by public and private
school systems and government agencies than among the 78 percent of Head
Start teachers who worked at Head Start programs administered by other
types of agencies. The average turnover rate at Head Start programs
administered by school systems was about 10 percent and that of teachers
in government agencies was about 11 percent in 2002, somewhat lower than
the rate in programs administered by other types of agencies, as shown in
figure 4.
Figure 4: Head Start Teacher Turnover Rate Was Lowest at Programs
Administered by Schools in 2002
Percent
23.4
Public/privatenonprofitschool systemGovernmentagency action
agencyPublic/privatefor-profit
Tribal government/consortiumNationwidetotal
Agency type
Source: GAO analysis of ACF data. (These data are self-reported by
grantees.)
Among all Head Start teachers leaving during the 2002 program year, 30
percent left for higher compensation in the same field, 24 percent left
for a change in job field, and the remaining 46 percent left for various
other reasons, based on grantee data provided for the PIR.
Some Head Start Grantees Reported Difficulties Competing for Graduates
with Degrees in Early Childhood Education Fields
Nationally, students completed about 34,700 individual programs of study
in early childhood education and similar fields of study, but some Head
Start grantees identified difficulties competing for graduates with
degrees in these fields. In both the 1997-1998 and the 1999-2000 school
years, students completed about 34,700 programs of study in early
childhood education and similar fields of study.10 However, the number of
programs completed in the 1999-2000 school year at the associate and
graduate levels increased nearly 7 percent and 2 percent, respectively,
from 2 years earlier. The completion of programs at the bachelor level
declined slightly during the same period, as shown in table 7.
Table 7: Number of Individual Program Completions, by Level, in Early
Childhood Education and Eight Similar Fields for the 1997-98 and 1999-2000
School Years
School year Associate Bachelor Graduate Othera Total
1997-1998 6,865 13,225 3,484 11,135 34,709
1999-2000 7,332 13,078 3,543 10,755 34,708
Percent change 6.8% -1.11% 1.69% -3.41%
Source: U.S. Department of Education.
a"Other" includes programs that are: less than 1 year, at least 1 but less
than 2 years, or at least 2 but less than 4 years in length.
The three states with the most individual programs completed in early
childhood education and similar fields had large populations while the
reverse was true for the three states with the fewest programs completed.
The states with the greatest number of programs completed by students
were: California-5,892, Florida-2,706, and Pennsylvania-2,109.
The states with the smallest number of programs completed by students
were: Wyoming-17, Alaska-23, and Hawaii-27. These are among the least
populous and, in the case of Alaska and Wyoming, among the more rural
states.
Data were not available on the number of students completing early
childhood education programs who either worked as preschool teachers in
Head Start or similar programs or were hired by such programs. However,
there is competition for graduates with bachelor's degrees. For
10The number of programs completed may be greater than the number of
students completing programs because some students may complete more than
one program in a given year, according to a Department of Education
official.
example, several Head Start grantees administered by nonprofit or
community action agencies informed us that the salary they paid for
teachers with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education was too low
to attract new teachers with early childhood education and related degrees
and that even teachers who earn a bachelor's degree while working in Head
Start often accepted much higher paying jobs at a public school district
upon graduation. The director of a community action agency in Georgia said
that hiring degreed teachers was a problem because the agency's salaries
were not competitive with the public schools' pre-kindergarten programs,
which the director estimated were about 10 percent higher than Head Start
teacher salaries. Also, the director of a government agency Head Start
program in Texas said that it was more difficult to hire teachers with
degrees in rural areas because salaries are lower, and recently graduated
teachers like the greater availability of social activities in an urban
area.
Several grantees we contacted that were not school systems said that a key
cause of turnover was teachers who had earned a college degree leaving to
work for a higher salary, and in some cases better benefits, at a school
system. Even teachers who had earned an associate degree often went to
work at a school system as assistant teachers for higher salaries or
better benefits than they would receive as a teacher in a Head Start
program not affiliated with a school system. For example:
o An officer of a Texas Head Start program said that teachers hired with
an associate or bachelor's degree often left after a year for a higher
salary offered by a school district and that this was the main reason for
turnover. She said that although the program had increased teachers'
salaries to levels well above those of day care centers and above those of
most other pre-kindergarten teachers and increased teachers' fringe
benefits to be competitive with those of school districts, the program's
teacher salaries were still not competitive with those paid to teachers by
school districts.
o The director of a Maryland Head Start program said the causes of
teacher turnover included moving to the public schools after degree
completion for more attractive salary and benefits (including "signing
bonuses" offered by the public schools). The director said that the
program's primary method of reducing turnover was raising teacher
salaries.
Several nonschool district Head Start grantees told us that annual
salaries for teachers with bachelor's degrees at Head Start programs
administered by school systems were considerably higher than the annual
salaries they paid. For example:
o An officer of a community action agency grantee in Dallas said that
starting annual pay for Head Start teachers with a bachelor's degree was
$26,000, compared with $36,000 paid by the Dallas Independent School
District. In addition, while the agency's benefit package was competitive
with the school district's, the public school teachers got the summer and
Christmas and spring breaks off while the Head Start program operated year
round.
o A manager of a nonprofit grantee in New Jersey said that school
districts
Early Childhood Education Programs Were Available in All States and
Grantees Have Worked to Improve Access to Them, but Access Is Still a
Problem in Some Rural Areas
paid new teachers, just out of college, with a bachelor's degree about
$5,000 a year more, and certified teachers as much as $15,000 a year more,
than the Head Start program could offer. The manager said that it was
difficult to retain teachers who acquire a bachelor's degree and
certification because those are the requirements for teaching in the
public schools. The manager also said that teachers are getting degrees
and moving on because Head Start salaries cannot compete with salaries or
the 10-month work year offered in the public schools.
Our analysis of completion data for early childhood education and similar
programs shows that such programs were available in all states and at one
in five postsecondary institutions included in the 1999-2000 IPEDS
database. Nevertheless, as expected, the more rural, less populous states
had few of these programs. Head Start grantees used a number of methods to
make early childhood education and similar courses accessible to their
teachers, such as offering on-site classes. However, providing
opportunities in rural areas sometimes remained a problem. As a result,
some Head Start teachers had to travel considerable distances to attend
classes.
Programs in Early Childhood Education or Similar Fields of Study Exist in
Every State, but Some Rural States Have Few
Early childhood education and similar programs were available to Head
Start teachers in all states. Our analysis of data from the Department of
Education's IPEDS shows that in the 1999-2000 school year, students
completed programs in early childhood education and eight similar fields
of study at 1,352 U.S. postsecondary institutions across all states. These
programs include graduate, bachelor, and associate degree programs and
other programs, such as those less than 1-year. This was an 11 percent
increase from 1,215 postsecondary institutions 2 years earlier, as shown
in
table 8. Every state had students complete either bachelor's or associate
degree programs or both.
Table 8: Number of Postsecondary Institutions with Students Completing
Programs in Early Childhood Education and Eight Similar Fields for the
1997-98 and 1999-2000 School Years
Postsecondary Postsecondary
institutions institutions
with students with students
completing completing Number
program in program in Percentage
Program of study 1997-98 school 1999-2000 change change
year school year
Pre-elementary/early 428 506 78
childhood
/kindergarten teacher
education
Individual and family 102 107 5
development
studies, general
Family life and relations 28 30 2
studies
Child growth, care, and 64 82 18
development
studies
Individual and family 12 16 4
development
studies, other
Child care and guidance 407 441 34
workers and
managers, general
Child care 242 275 33
provider/assistant
Childcare services manager 121 139 18
Child care and guidance 24 26 2
workers and
managers, other
Totala 1,215 1,352 137
Source: U.S. Department of Education.
aTotal figures differ from a total of the figures in each column because a
single school can be counted 9 times if it has students completing
programs in all nine of the fields of study.
The 1,352 postsecondary institutions were spread across all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. California, the most populous
state, had the largest number of these institutions (128), while there
were fewer than 5 of these institutions in 4 of the least populous states
(Alaska, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Wyoming), 2 of which (Alaska and
Wyoming) are among the most rural states.
Grantees Used a Variety of Grantees used a wide variety of approaches to
increase access to early Approaches to Increase childhood education
programs for Head Start teachers seeking to earn Access to Early Childhood
degrees, and many Head Start staff were enrolled in such programs.
Although early childhood education and similar programs were
availableEducation Programs to Head Start teachers in all states, ACF
regional officials and some Head Start grantees said that providing
educational opportunities in rural areas
sometimes remained a problem and that some teachers had to travel
considerable distances to attend early childhood education courses.
ACF regional office officials and grantees noted that efforts to work with
community colleges to provide early childhood education courses during or
after the school day at Head Start centers or other easily accessible
locations were effective in making these courses available to Head Start
teachers. In fact, grantees reported that nearly 45 percent of teachers
without degrees were enrolled in such training, ranging from 35 percent in
Region II (New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico),11 to 51 percent in
Region IX (Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada.)12 Grantees also
provided funding and time off to facilitate teachers' completion of
degrees. For example:
o In Region VII (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska), the director of
a Missouri community action agency Head Start program reported that the
agency developed partnerships with community colleges to provide: (1)
on-site courses that were held at the agency's central office as well as
at several Head Start Centers and partner sites and (2) field-based CDA
courses offering 15 hours of college credit. For college courses, the
program paid any tuition costs not covered by financial aid and 50 percent
of book fees.
o In Region VI (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas),
ACF officials said that policies grantees implemented to encourage staff
to increase their education level included: (1) paying or reimbursing
staff for tuition, books, and testing; (2) allowing staff to attend some
classes during the work day; (3) hiring qualified substitutes to allow
teachers the time for classes; and (4) assisting staff to apply for Pell
Grants and other financial aid.
o In Region III (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West
Virginia, and the District of Columbia), the director of a community
action agency Head Start program in Delaware said that getting a college
degree through Head Start had been the opportunity of a lifetime for many
of the program's teachers. The agency has partnership agreements with
Delaware State University and Delaware Technical College for college
11Region II also includes the Virgin Islands, which we excluded from our
study.
12Region IX also includes American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands,
and Republic of Palau, which we excluded from our study.
classes. The agency pays for tuition, books, mileage, and child care and
provides substitute teachers when release time is needed. For example,
since most college classes are held at night, teachers are given release
time to prepare for class and take care of family needs.
Although programs in early childhood education and similar fields of study
were available in all states, such courses were often unavailable or
difficult to access in rural areas, according to some ACF regional
officials and grantees we contacted. For example, ACF officials said:
o In some rural areas in Region V (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin), which often included smaller grantees,
there were few colleges and some lacked early childhood education
programs. But, ACF officials said the number of schools offering an early
childhood education degree had increased recently with the help of the
Head Start quality improvement centers.
o In Region VI (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas),
more than one-half of Head Start teachers were located in rural areas,
making improving teacher qualifications particularly difficult. Few Head
Start programs had partnerships with colleges and, for many Head start
teachers, classes were difficult to attend due to long distances. For
example, in New Mexico some teachers had to travel 2.5 hours to attend
class.
Grantees have had some success in addressing the difficulty in accessing
courses in early childhood education in rural areas using distance
education-education characterized by the separation, in time or place,
between instructor and student. For example, according to ACF officials:
o In Region II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin
Islands), availability of early childhood education programs was no longer
a problem except in some rural areas in upstate New York where distance
education had helped to provide courses.
o In Region I (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, and Vermont), there were many institutions of higher education,
and availability was generally not a problem even in rural areas. However,
officials said that distance learning was used in Maine, the region's most
rural state, but only as a last resort because many teachers prefer
interaction with others when learning.
Officials noted that distance learning has advantages and disadvantages.
Although some grantees said that teachers like the flexibility offered by
courses taken over the Internet, some officials noted disadvantages such
as the lack of opportunity to interact with other teachers and the lack of
appropriate computer skills. For example:
o In Region VIII (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
and Wyoming), the director of a school system Head Start program in
Montana said that most of the staff preferred distance learning to courses
taken at the local college because they could set their own time schedule,
take up to 6 months to complete each class, set up a time and place to
take tests, and select a tutor. Staff members took each class with at
least one other staff person to have someone with whom to discuss ideas.
The director said the disadvantages of distance learning courses included
a lack of instructors or classmates with whom to interact, the need for
students to have up-to-date computers, and a wait for the delivery of
class materials.
o In Region IX (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa,
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau), the director
of a private, nonprofit Head Start grantee in California said that on-line
courses are convenient and allow for scheduling flexibility. She said that
a large number of staff reside in other counties and, given work and
commuting schedules, have no time to attend college, so Internet
coursework addresses these staff members' needs. The director said the
agency sponsors and conducts some Internet coursework and gives employees
access to the agency's training center computers to take courses on the
Internet. However, while Internet instruction is effective for some
teachers, the director said that most teachers need and enjoy interaction
with other people while learning.
o In Region VII (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska), the director of a
community action agency Head Start program in Missouri, which operates in
a rural area with little access to colleges courses, said that HeadsUP! (a
course provided via satellite to classrooms) had been successful because
it had a community college instructor available to facilitate the course.
The director said that the advantages of distance education were: (1) it
can be scheduled when convenient for the employee, (2) employees can work
at their own pace, (3) it provides access to courses not otherwise
available to staff, and (4) it can be successful if the employee is highly
motivated and independent. She said the disadvantages of distance learning
include that: (1) it is easy to fall behind, (2) it is more expensive, and
(3) most staff need face-to-face interaction with instructors.
o
Conclusions
Recommendation
Another director of a Head Start Program in Missouri (part of Region VII )
said that in the 10-county area it served, early childhood education
programs for teachers seeking degrees were available only in one city,
consequently, teachers in rural areas did not have easy access to
programs. The director said that, while one teacher had completed an
associate degree using distance learning and two other staff were
presently piloting the use of another distance learning program, there had
been little overall success with distance learning because: (1) many
education programs have a component that requires the student to be
on-campus at scheduled times, (2) courses require a certain level of
computer skills, and (3) the courses are expensive.
Head Start appears to have met the requirements of the 1998 mandate for
teacher qualifications by increasing the number of teachers with at least
an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field to 52
percent in 2002. However, the number of classrooms in Head Start centers
that did not have at least one teacher with at least minimum credentials
was not known because ACF does not require that grantees specifically
report such data in their annual PIR.
Head Start grantees and ACF regional officials we contacted said the
quality improvement funds used to pay for teacher training and to increase
the level of teacher salaries were the key to success in increasing the
numbers of teachers with degrees. In addition, the agreements worked out
with colleges to provide easily accessible early childhood education
courses were seen as a factor in increasing the number of teachers with
degrees.
Head Start reauthorization proposals have been introduced that would
require increased levels of teachers with associate and bachelor's
degrees. Because salaries comprise most of Head Start grantees' budgets,
and grantees' teacher salary levels differ based on staff qualifications,
it is likely that proposals to enhance teachers' qualifications will
require consideration of the implications for the Head Start program.
We recommend that the Secretary of HHS require that ACF, at least
annually, collect data from Head Start grantees and report to the
Secretary on whether each classroom in Head Start centers has at least one
teacher with at least the minimum credentials required by law.
Agency Comments We provided a draft of this report to the Departments of
Health and Human Services and Education for their review and comment. In
its
written response, included as appendix II of this report, ACF concurred
with our recommendation. In addition, ACF provide technical comments,
which we incorporated where appropriate. Education officials reviewed the
draft and said that they support the recommendation and had no comments.
We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of HHS; Assistant
Secretary for Children and Families; Associate Commissioner, Head Start
Bureau; appropriate congressional committees; and other interested
parties. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on GAO's
Web site at http://www.gao.gov. Please call me at (202) 512-7215 if you or
your staff have any questions about this report. Key contacts and staff
acknowledgments for this report are listed in appendix II.
Marnie S. Shaul Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology
This appendix discusses in more detail the scope and methodology for
assessing the extent to which: (1) Head Start has met legislative mandates
concerning teacher qualifications; (2) Head Start teacher salaries have
increased and enabled grantees to attract and retain teachers with
degrees; and (3) degree and other programs in early childhood education
are available for Head Start teachers and grantees have taken steps to
enhance access to them.
In order to determine the percent of Head Start teachers who have at least
an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field, we
analyzed Program Information Report (PIR) data on center-based Head Start
and Early Head Start programs, including the American Indian-Alaska Native
and Migrant programs, in the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of
Columbia, for program years 1998-2002. These data sources are an annual
survey of all grantees regarding various aspects of their programs. We
reviewed and performed electronic testing of the data for obvious errors
in completeness and accuracy and found some inconsistencies in the way
teacher qualifications were reported. We also reviewed a U. S. Department
of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General draft report on
the status of efforts to improve the qualifications of Head Start teachers
as of program year 2001. This report noted similar problems with the data.
However, we determined the PIR data elements we used were sufficiently
reliable for this report. Most of our references to portions of Head Start
teachers with degrees or CDAs and to teacher salary levels are based on
our analyses of these data. Given the timeframes of our review, we could
not verify these data with grantees, but have appropriately annotated the
data used in our findings. We calculated the percent of teachers with
degrees based on the largest number of total teachers reported in the PIR,
rather than on the total number of teachers reported by educational level,
since a non-exhaustive set of reporting categories was used for this
question. In addition, to confirm the reasonableness of these data, we
reviewed 1998 and 2000 data relating to teacher qualifications from
another source-ACF's Family and Child Experiences Survey. We reviewed
these data in order to estimate the percentage of Head Start children
instructed by teachers with various levels of education. We also reviewed
Head Start laws and regulations addressing requirements for teacher
qualifications.
In order to address whether there is at least one teacher in each
classroom in Head Start centers with a degree, a CDA credential, or a
state certificate at least equivalent to a CDA, we reviewed the PIR survey
and related data. We further reviewed Head Start Program Performance
Standards and results of Program Review Instrument for Systems Monitoring
(PRISM)
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology
reviews for fiscal years 2000-2002. We also reviewed Head Start laws and
regulations addressing requirements for a teacher with minimum credentials
in each classroom.
To assess the importance of the competitiveness of teachers' salaries in
grantees' ability to attract and retain teachers with degrees and the
extent to which degree programs in early childhood education are available
for Head Start teachers without degrees, we interviewed officials in 10
regional offices and the American Indian-Alaska Native and Migrant
Branches. We also interviewed officials from the Head Start Bureau and
contacted officials of 30 grantees. We selected grantees in each region to
obtain perspective on both those that had been successful in achieving a
high proportion of teachers with degrees and those that were having
difficulty doing so. We visited 11 of these grantees in three states-
Delaware, Maryland, and Texas-and in the District of Columbia. These
grantees were in 2 ACF regions-Region III (Delaware, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia) and
Region VI (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas).
We also compared salaries of Head Start teachers taken from ACF's PIR data
with those of preschool and kindergarten teachers reported by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 1998 and 2001.1 The results of this
comparison were consistent with interview responses on the competitiveness
of Head Start teachers' salaries with other preschool teacher salaries. It
is important to note that PIR reported by grantees included the average
Head Start full-time teacher salaries earned annually, regardless of the
number of months worked during the year. Salaries reported by BLS for
preschool and kindergarten teachers were estimated average annual wages,
based on employer responses to a BLS survey. BLS does not distinguish
between full- and part-time workers and assumes that all work 2,080 hours
annually (which is a 40 hour work week for 1 year). However, BLS tracks
salaries of child care workers in a separate category. On the basis of our
review of the methodology used to develop the BLS information, we
determined that the data were sufficiently reliable for this report. In
addition, we reviewed Head Start Bureau program guidance on quality
improvement funds.
1BLS included preschool teachers who instruct children (normally up to 5
years of age) in activities designed to promote socials, physical, and
intellectual growth needed for primary school in preschool, day care
center, or other child development facilities. Child care workers are
excluded from this category. Special education teachers are excluded from
both preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers.
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology
In addressing the extent to which degree programs in early childhood
education are available for Head Start teachers without degrees, we also
analyzed Department of Education data from the Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System (IPEDS) to determine the number of schools with
students completing programs in early childhood education and eight
similar fields for 1997-98 and 1999-2000 school years. We also identified
the number of schools with completing students in each of four categories
(graduate, bachelor, associate, and other-such as those less than 1-year)
in each state for this time period. In addition, we identified numbers of
completed programs by students in these areas of study for these years.
ACF defines a degree related to early childhood education as a program of
study which includes six or more courses in early childhood education
and/or child development. We identified a list of eight fields of study
similar to early childhood education that had been used to prepare a 2001
journal article on early childhood teacher preparation at institutions of
higher education.2 The eight fields of study include (1) Individual and
Family Development Studies, General; (2) Family Life and Relations
Studies; (3) Child Growth, Care and Development Studies; (4) Individual
and Family Development Studies, Other; (5) Child Care and Guidance Workers
and Managers, General; (6) Child Care Provider/Assistant; (7) Childcare
Services Manager; and (8) Child Care and Guidance Workers and Managers,
Other. Our review of all fields of study confirmed that this list
represents such programs. This list is similar to lists of degree programs
related to early childhood education provided by ACF in the past. An
elementary education degree or a degree in any one of a number of fields
of study with a certification, specialization, endorsement, or state
license for pre-school, early childhood, or pre-kindergarten could qualify
as a degree related to early childhood education if the program of study
includes six or more courses in early childhood education and/or Child
Development. However, definitive information on the number of degree
programs or students meeting this criterion is not available.
2Diane M. Early, Pamela J. Winton, "Preparing the workforce: early
childhood teacher preparation at 2- and 4-year institutions of higher
education," Early Childhood Research Quarterly 16, pp. 285-306, 2001.
Appendix II: Comments from the Department of Health and Human Services
Appendix II: Comments from the Department of Health and Human Services
Appendix III: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments
GAO Contacts
Staff Acknowledgments
(130231)
Betty Ward-Zukerman, (202) 512-2732, [email protected] Julianne
Hartman Cutts, (206) 287-4803, [email protected]
The following people also made key contributions to this report: Chuck
Novak, Matt Coco, Molly Laster, Grant Mallie, Robert Miller, and Corinna
Nicolaou.
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