Introduction
Research Questions
- What are the characteristics of MSHS programs, centers, classrooms, staff, families, and children?
Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs provide child development, family support, and family engagement services to young children zero to five years of age and their migrant and seasonal farmworker families. MSHS programs are designed to meet the unique needs of migrant and seasonally working families. The Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) Study provides a national picture of MSHS programs, centers, families, and children across the United States in 2017. The MSHS Study was conducted by Abt Associates in partnership with Catholic University of America and Westat.
Purpose
These slides highlight select findings from the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) Study 2017.
Key Findings and Highlights
The Key Indicator Slides highlight select descriptive findings from the MSHS Study 2017 regarding
- Program and center directors’ background and experience;
- Staffing characteristics and professional development;
- Classroom quality and instructional practices;
- Teacher and assistant teacher characteristics;
- Language policies;
- Curriculum use;
- Family engagement approaches;
- Parent characteristics;
- Household characteristics; and
- Child characteristics and developmental skills.
Methods
The Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) Study 2017 provides a national picture of MSHS programs, centers, families, and children. The MSHS Study was designed through extensive engagement and input from the MSHS community to better understand:
- characteristics of MSHS programs, centers, staff, families, and children;
- services that MSHS provides; and
- instructional practices in MSHS classrooms.
Recommendations
The information in these slides may be important for MSHS programs to consider as they identify the best ways to serve their local children, families, and communities.
Related Documents
See the MSHS Study 2017: Data Tables for additional information about the study, including information on its background, methodology, measures and detailed descriptive statistics on MSHS children, families, classrooms, centers, and programs.
Citation
Walker, A. (2019). Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study 2017: Key Indicator Slides, OPRE Report #2019-102, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.