Head Start as a National Laboratory

Project Head Start was initiated during an optimistic era when many believed that intelligence could be vastly improved through environmental input. This extreme position holds many dangers. The search for the brief periods in development when intervention will yield life-long benefits has also been misleading; all stages of life deserve their own program focus. Head Start has held a unique position as a national laboratory for the design of effective interventions for children and adults. The program has served as a base from which to experiment with various services and approaches such that those found to be successful can be expanded or can spawn related efforts. Ways to improve Head Start's orientation include the admittance of children from all socioeconomic levels and the use of social competence, instead of IQ score changes, as the criterion by which to evaluate the success of early intervention. A promising future direction would be to expand its Child and Family Resource Programs, where arrays of services are offered in one neighborhood center. With adequate funding, the evolution of Head Start is assured, since the program has been flexible, innovative, and a stable foundation from which to move forward in social programs for children and families.