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Poverty is a social context that has direct impact on students' performance since the conditions associated with poverty (brain development, social interactions, nutrition, and emotional environment) all play a role in developmental outcomes. Head Start is an early intervention program designed to address the unique needs of students from poverty. The Head Start Impact Study (DHHS, ACF, 2012) and other research (Lee, Brooks-Gunn, and Schnur, 1988; Ramey and Ramey, 2004) indicate that the academic achievement of low-income students who participated in Head Start is mixed as they move through elementary school. The purpose of the Head Start program is to prepare students with skills so that they begin kindergarten on an even playing field with their more advantaged peers (DHHS, ACF, 2013). Although students who participate in Head Start begin kindergarten with the appropriate readiness skills, initial gains are not maintained as they move through elementary school (Burkham and Lee, 2002). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the effects of the Head Start program as its students move through kindergarten and first grade. In the study, I analyzed data to find relationships between student performance on the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) (University of Virginia, 2010) and classroom practices that led to high achievement. Two Title I schools were studied. PALS scores were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVAs and multiple regressions. Reading performance in second grade was measured using scores from the Developmental Reading Assessment (Beave, 2006). Qualitative data were collected through interviews, focus groups, and document reviews. These data were utilized to make connections between the results of PALS and reading scores and the best practices being used in schools that showed strong results for the kindergarten and first grade students in the study. By triangulating data, I uncovered relationships between best practice strategies being used in high performing schools and achievement of former Head Start enrollees. / Ed. D.

Objective: To determine the impact of preschool teacher food-related attitudes and behaviors on child food behaviors. Design: A twelve-week intervention and observational study with teachers completing questionnaires before and after the intervention. Setting: Head Start classrooms throughout Virginia. Participants: 177 preschool Head Start teachers and 1534 children. Intervention(s): Food Friends, a twelve-week social marketing campaign, was conducted by Head Start teachers during the Spring 2007, introducing children to novel foods with food puppets, nutrition-related activities and novel food tasting opportunities. Hypotheses related to the impact of preschool teachers' food-related attitudes and behaviors on children's food behaviors were tested, and changes in teacher and child food behaviors were measured. Main Outcome Measures: Teacher food-related attitudes and behaviors were measured/quantified. Child food behaviors were measured and compared to teacher attitudes and behaviors. Analysis: Descriptive, correlational and t-test statistics were conducted. Results: Teachers' and children's acceptance of novel foods improved after the Food Friends program, however, no direct correlations were found between teacher food-related attitudes and behaviors and child food behaviors. Conclusions and Implications: Preschool teacher attitudes and behaviors may not significantly impact child food-related behaviors. More research is needed to determine effective ways of encouraging positive child food behaviors. / Master of Science

Childhood obesity is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and poses a health care burden. Child care facilities serve at the forefront in fighting childhood obesity among preschoolers. Since 2009, a significant shift has occurred in studying child care settings among children aged 3-5 in North Carolina and South Carolina in response to the rising rates of obesity in this population. Some of the hypothesized determinants of childhood obesity among preschoolers in North Carolina and South Carolina are outdoor activity, staff behavior, center's size and location. The purpose of this study was to investigate if significant relationships exist between childhood obesity and each one of these variables. This study was conducted within the framework of social cognitive theory within the contexts of the process of self-efficacy for realizing goals. A quantitative correlational design was used, while data were collected through Survey Monkey administering a closed end survey. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the associations between childhood obesity and center size, location, outdoor activity and staff behavior. The Power analysis determined total of 110 participants (N=100) who worked in North and South Carolina Head Start facilities of preschool children aged 3-5. The multiple regression indicated significant contributions of the center size (â = .32, p = .001), the location (â = -.28, p = .002), the outdoor activity (â = -.25, p = .005), and staff behavior (â = .27, p = .008). Therefore, the overall null hypotheses were rejected. This study may help to effect positive social change through identifying the important barriers to minimizing the risk of obesity among preschool children, which in turn would help to inform policy for developing and implementing strategies to reduce risks of preschoolers' obesity.

The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 required teacher assistants (TAs) to obtain their child development associate (CDA) credential by September of 2015. TAs who had not obtained their CDA within the required timeframe were either demoted or terminated from their positions. However, with the increase of working parents, the need for quality early childhood education has risen. In this project study, the barriers TAs confront in regards to their decision to continue their schooling to obtain a CDA credential were examined, as were the factors that deterred or prevented them from enrolling in or completing a higher education program. The purpose of the study was to inform the development of a plan outlining how childcare administration can mentor and encourage TAs in the completion of their CDA program. Knowles's theory of adult learning and Kolb's experiential learning theory provided the theoretical basis and framework for this qualitative case study. Cluster random selection was used to identify 9 participants who were interviewed using a semistructured process. Interview responses were recorded, transcribed, and broken down into 6 themes. Findings showed that 7 out of 9 participants experienced barriers to continuing their education, and 8 of the 9 partipants expressed a desire to participate in a mentoring program. Raising the educational requirements and completion rate of TAs positively affects social change through increased quality of instruction, improved teaching strategies, and enhanced and developmentally appropriate support provided to young children.