Head Start, the nation’s largest publicly funded preschool program, holds licensed centers and agencies accountable through a set of defined quality standards.

A new study led by Northwestern University’s Terri Sabol, however, finds that the overall quality rating of a Head Start center can vary substantially, depending on which classrooms are evaluated.

Sabol joins CPRE Knowledge Hub managing editor Keith Heumiller to discuss her team’s findings and their implications for educators, policymakers, and future research.

Featured Article: Sabol, Terri J., Emily C. Ross, and Allison Frost. “Are All Head Start Classrooms Created Equal? Variation in Classroom Quality Within Head Start Centers and Implications for Accountability Systems.” American Educational Research Journal, (July 2019)