Introduction

• The 2000 cohort of the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) found gains by children in vocabulary and early writing, and increased learning of letter recognition compared to 1997.

• The study also found significant gains in children’s cooperative behavior and declines in problem behavior.

• This presentation examines variations in children’s cognitive and social-emotional development and their relationships to program and class characteristics that are believed to be associated with enhanced cognitive growth or emotional maturation.