This report was prepared by Gail E. Joseph and Rachel Chazan Cohen from the Commissioner's Office of Research and Evaluation in the Administration on Children, Youth and Families. Information in this report was gathered by SocioTechnical Research Applications, Inc. and Juarez and Associates, Inc. under U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contract number 105-93-1913, under the direction of Henry M. Doan, Federal Project Officer.

First and foremost we acknowledge the openness and insight of the families who participated in this study. Their contributions are essential to understanding the Head Start experience. We are indebted to the many program directors and staff for working with us and participating in site visits, focus groups, surveys and interviews. We realize this called for time and effort over and above the dedicated hours they already spend committed to the children and families they serve.

Many individuals in the Administration on Children, Youth and Families were instrumental in the preparation of this report. Special thanks to Michelle Plutro, Marita Hoppmann, Julie Bosland, James A. Harrell, and Patricia Montoya for their thoughtful insights. We appreciate the care with which the following individuals reviewed earlier drafts of this report and provided helpful suggestions: Louisa Tarullo, Michael Lopez, Mary Bruce Webb, Tom Schultz, Ann Linehan, and Craig Turner.

We are also grateful for the work and commitment of the Technical Advisory Panel including: Dr. Eugene Garcia, former Director of the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA), U.S. Department of Education; Dr. Margo Gottlieb, Director of Assessment and Evaluation, Illinois Resource Center; Dr. Luis Laosa, Principal Research Scientist, Educational Testing Service; Dr. Carol Brunson Day, Executive Director for the Council on Early Childhood Professional Recognition; Dr. Marlene Zepeda, Professor, California State University, Los Angeles; and Mr. Gilbert Garcia, of the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA), U.S. Department of Education.