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3.0 Staff Background Characteristics
3.1 Overview
Head Start staff provided information about their experience with their current Head Start program, other Head Start programs and other early childhood programs, their educational background, and their recent training. Staff also provided information about their current jobs: salaries, benefits, satisfaction, constraints and concerns, and reasons for remaining with their current jobs.
3.2 Staff Experience with Head Start and Early Childhood Programs
Head Start staff demonstrated substantial loyalty to the program. Respondents were asked to provide their length of employment in their present Head Start programs, their total Head Start experience, and their total years of experience in the field of early childhood education. In addition, they were asked what previous positions they had held at their current program. For all interviewed staff, the average number of years of employment with their current Head Start programs was approximately 10 years (Exhibit 3-1). They reported an average of 2 additional years of employment at other Head Start programs, and an average of 5 additional years of employment in the field of early childhood education. In all positions except Family Service Worker (FSW), more than 78% of the staff reported prior experience in the field of early childhood education (ECE). Compared to staff in other positions, Parent Involvement Coordinators (PIC), Center Directors (CD)1, and Education Coordinators (EC) tended to have longer tenures with their current Head Start programs (an average of 12.2, 11.7, and 10.3 years, respectively) as well as longer cumulative experience in the field of early childhood education (19.0, 19.6, and 20.2 years, respectively). In turn, Family Service Workers and Classroom Teachers (CT) reported the briefest tenures (7.6 and 8.1 years, respectively) and the least experience (10.8 and 14.1 years, respectively).
| Means (Standard Deviations) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC (n = 38) |
SSC (n = 35) |
PIC (n =38) |
HC (n = 41) |
FSW (n = 144) |
CD (n = 89) |
AT (n = 56) |
CT (n = 473) |
|
| Years of experience in ECEa |
20.2 (12.7) |
17.4 (10.2) |
19.0 (11.5) |
16.9 (9.7) |
10.8 (9.3) |
19.6 (11.1) |
15.8 (9.2) |
14.1 (8.6) |
| Percentage with prior experience in ECE |
78.9% | 82.9% | 89.5% | 85.4% | 40.1 % | 84.2% | 78.5% | 83.9% |
| Years employed by Head Start programs |
12.4 |
10.2 (7.4) |
12.7 (8.4) |
10.6 (8.4) |
8.4 (8.2) |
14.3 (9.4) |
11.1 (9.0) |
9.3 (8.2) |
| Years employed by current Head Start program |
10.3 (8.6) |
9.0 (7.3) |
12.2 (8.7) |
9.1 (7.9) |
7.6 (7.5) |
11.7 (8.9) |
9.5 (8.2) |
8.1 (7.3) |
| aEarly Childhood Education.(back) |
An examination of regional and urbanicity distributions for Center Directors and Classroom Teachers indicates that in the South these staff reported significantly more years of experience both in Head Start and in early childhood education. However, reported years of service in their current position as Center Director was not greater in the South than in other regions. (Exhibit 3-2). Center Directors in the South reported more experience at their current Head Start program, F(3, 82) = 7.8; p < .012, more total experience with the Head Start program, F(3, 82) = 11.5; p < .01, and more total experience in the field of early childhood education, F(3, 82) = 9.2; p < .01.
| Means (Standard Deviations) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North- east (n = 9) |
Mid- west (n = 19) |
South (n = 34) |
West (n = 24) |
Puerto Rico (n = 3) |
Rural (n = 22) |
Urban (n = 67) |
|
| Years of experience in ECE |
18.7 (11.3) |
17.9 (10.6) |
22.0 (13.3) |
19.6 (10.5) |
5.0 (1.4) |
20.5 (11.8) |
19.3 (11.4) |
| Percentage with prior experience in ECE | 88.9% | 88.9% | 85.2% | 84.0% | 33.3% | 77.3% | 86.5% |
| Years employed by Head Start programs |
12.9 (10.2) |
12.2 (8.6) |
16.7 (10.9) |
14.2 (7.2) |
4.7 (1.1) |
15.5 (10.5) |
13.9 (9.1) |
| Years employed by current Head Start program |
12.6 (10.3) |
10.3 (7.5) |
14.2 (10.0) |
10.0 (7.6) |
4.7 |
12.8 (8.8) |
11.4 (9.0) |
| Years employed as Head Start Center Director |
6.3 |
5.1 (3.8) |
6.2 (5.8) |
5.3 (5.1) |
3.7 (1.1) |
6.9 (5.4) |
5.2 (5.2) |
Furthermore, Center Directors and Classroom Teachers located in the South reported much greater differences between the years employed at their Head Start program and the years they have been employed in their current position than staff in other regions (Exhibit 3-3). In the South, over two thirds of Center Directors had previously been employed as teachers, and 45% of Classroom Teachers had been Assistant Teachers before being promoted. This result is in contrast to 37% and 21%, respectively, for all other regions combined.
| Means (Standard Deviations) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East (n = 45) |
Mid West (n = 142) |
South (n = 202) |
West (n = 122) |
Puerto |
Rural (n = 153) |
Urban (n = 376) |
|
| Years of experience in ECE | 11.1 (7.8) |
13.4 (9.7) |
16.4 (10.3) |
13.5 |
10.3 (7.4) |
13.5 (9.7) |
12.9 (9.8) |
| Percentage with prior experience in ECE | 91.1% | 80.9% | 80.2% | 92.6% | 55.5% | 80.3% | 84.6% |
| Years employed by Head Start programs | 7.6 |
8.3 (7.9) |
12.0 (9.5) |
7.4 (6.1) |
9.4 (7.1) |
11.2 (9.1) |
8.8 (7.9) |
| Years employed by current Head Start program | 7.4 (6.7) |
7.2 (7.5) |
10.4 (8.3) |
6.0 (4.6) |
9.3 (7.1) |
9.4 (7.6) |
7.7 (7.3) |
| Years employed as Administrative Teacher/Classroom Teacher | 5.7 (4.9) |
5.4 (6.2) |
7.2 (7.5) |
4.6 (3.9) |
9.3 (7.1) |
6.6 (7.1) |
5.8 (6.0) |
In contrast, Center Directors and Family Service Workers (Exhibit 3-4) in Puerto Rican centers, although based on small samples, reported strikingly shorter tenures at their current Head Start center and total years of experience in early childhood education than their mainland peers. Puerto Rican Classroom Teachers, however, reported having an equivalent amount of Head Start experience but somewhat less overall early childhood experience. Center Directors in Puerto Rico reported far less experience than the teachers who were employed in their centers.
For Center Directors and Classroom Teachers, there were no statistically significant differences observed with regard to urban-rural distinctions. However, the trends were consistent across all positions, as staff in rural Head Start programs reported greater experience at their current program, in Head Start programs overall, and for total early childhood education work experience. Family Service Workers located in rural areas did report significantly more experience at their current program, t(143) = 3.5; p < .01, in Head Start programs overall, t(143) = 3.2; p < .01, and for total experience in social work/case management than those in urban locations, t(143) = 6.9; p < .01.
| Means (Standard Deviations) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North- east (n = 18) |
Mid- west (n = 38) |
South (n = 55) |
West (n = 27) |
Puerto Rico (n = 6) |
Rural (n = 47) |
Urban (n = 97) |
|
| Years of experience in ECE | 11.1 (9.4) |
11.2 (9.9) |
12.1 (10.2) |
10.1 (9.1) |
3.2 (2.0) |
13.3 (8.8) |
9.7 (8.4) |
| Percentage with prior experience in ECE |
47.1% | 52.6% | 22.2% | 48.1% | 66.7% | 39.1% | 42.1% |
| Years employed by Head Start programs |
7.9 (7.2) |
7.5 (7.6) |
10.7 (9.7) |
7.0 (5.8) |
2.6 (1.6) |
11.5 (8.6) |
6.9 (7.5) |
| Years employed by current Head Start program |
7.7 (7.2) |
6.5 (6.7) |
9.9 (9.0) |
5.7 (4.5) |
2.4 (1.4) |
10.7 (7.9) |
6.1 (6.8) |
| Years employed as Family Service Worker |
7.1 (6.4) |
5.9 (6.9) |
5.9 (5.6) |
4.1 (2.4) |
2.4 (1.4) |
10.7 (7.9) |
6.1 (6.8) |
3.3 Staff Education
The national Head Start program has devoted significant resources to increasing staff qualifications in recent years, focused in particular upon the educational achievement of Classroom Teachers. Specifically, the program has been mandated by Congress to increase the overall proportion of Head Start teachers with AA or BA degrees in early childhood education or a degree in a related field to 50% by 2003. Respondents were asked to indicate the highest grade they had completed, their degrees, the academic field for any degree held, whether they held a Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate, and whether they were currently working towards any further degree.
For each of the Component Coordinator positions, more than one half of those interviewed held a Bachelor’s Degree or greater (Exhibit 3-5). Among that group, Education Coordinators, on average, had the highest levels of education and held the largest proportion of advanced degrees (41.7%). Just 2.9% of Parent Involvement Coordinators held such degrees and 35.3% of Parent Involvement Coordinators held no academic degree at all.
The Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) provides information reported yearly by all Head Start programs. There are several points where information collected from staff interviewed for FACES and the PIR data base overlap. Results related to achievement of academic degrees for component coordinators were strikingly consistent with the national data provided through the Head Start PIR (as shown in Exhibit 3-5). That is, the national data confirmed the high proportion of college degrees, particularly graduate degrees, attained by Education Coordinators. As well, the relatively lower percentage of Parent Involvement Coordinators holding baccalaureate and graduate degrees was confirmed. In Appendix C10, Exhibit A-16 provides a more complete summary of information for the 1997-98 program year for the programs that provided the sample frame for FACES.
| Means (Standard Deviations) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC (n = 38) |
SSC (n = 35) |
PIC (n = 38) |
HC (n = 41) |
FSW (n = 144) |
CD (n = 89) |
AT (n = 56) |
CT (n = 473) |
|
| Average years of education | 16.3 (1.2) |
15.6 (1.4) |
14.7 (2.0) |
15.3 (1.5) |
14.3 (1.7) |
15.2 (1.3) |
14.1 (1.9) |
14.4 (1.6) |
| % With no college degree | 5.6 | 12.5 | 35.3 | 16.2 | 52.8 | 29.2 | 55.4 | 45.9 |
| % With AA as highest degree | 2.8 | 18.8 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.6 | 27.0 | 10.7 | 26.4 |
| % With BA/BS as highest degree | 50.0 | 53.1 | 50.0 | 58.7a | 29.9 | 30.3 | 28.6 | 24.3 |
| % With graduate degree | 41.7 | 15.6 | 2.9 | 13.5 | 2.8 | 13.5 | 5.4 | 3.4 |
| % With CDA | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 46.1 | 78.6 | 53.9 |
| % With CDA or teaching certificatec | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 60.7 | 55.3 | 76.1 |
| % With BA/BS | 44.0 | 43.9 | 37.2 | 42.3 | --b | -- b | -- b | -- b |
| % With graduate degree | 35.6 | 19.0 | 8.9 | 12.2 | -- b | -- b | -- b | -- b |
| aIncludes
nursing degrees.(back) bNot provided by the PIR.(back) cIncludes preschool, elementary, and secondary school teaching certificates.(back) |
As might be expected, Center Directors had achieved a higher level of education and more frequently had completed academic degree programs (70.8% including AA, BA, and graduate levels) than Administrative Teachers (44.7%), Classroom Teachers (54.1%), or Family Service Workers (47.3%). Among Center Directors, 30.3% had obtained bachelor degrees and an additional 13.5% had completed graduate degree programs. Over 90% of Center Directors with one or more college degrees (92.1%) had at least one degree in the areas of human development, child development, or early childhood education. Only 8.1% of Center Directors had not attended any college, while another 21.0% had attended college but not yet received degrees. In addition, 46.1% of Center Directors reported that they held CDAs.
Among staff that provided instruction in the classroom (Administrative Teachers and Classroom Teachers), 53.2% had obtained Associate degrees or higher and 53.9% had obtained CDAs. Of those with at least one academic degree, 59.4% were in the field of early childhood education (overall, 31.6% of Classroom Teachers held degrees in early childhood education). An additional 25.3% held degrees in general education, special education, or secondary education. Thus, 78.5% of classroom staff held degrees at the Associates level or higher in fields directly related to their employment. Overall, about 34.0% of Administrative Teachers and Classroom Teachers had attended some college but not yet achieved degrees, leaving only 13.2% of those groups who had not attended any college at all. Thus, almost all teachers had some college education. Nearly 40% of Classroom Teachers and one third of Administrative Teachers had 1-2 years of college; 37% of Classroom Teachers and 23% of Administrative Teachers had 3-4 years of college.
Classroom Teachers frequently had completed the requirements for a CDA, a teaching certificate, or both. In all, 21.5% of Classroom Teachers held CDAs alone, 22.5% held only teaching certificates, and 32.4% held both (thus, a total of 53.9% of Classroom Teachers held CDAs, and 76.4% held either CDAs or teaching certificates).
The PIR provides information about the academic achievement of all Head Start classroom teachers (which include both Administrative Teachers and Classroom Teachers as identified in FACES). Overall, the 1997-98 PIR indicates that 29.1% of all Head Start teachers (versus 31.6% of FACES teachers) held early childhood education degrees and that 49.7% (versus 53.9% in FACES) held CDAs. As with the Component Coordinators, these educational achievement data were consistent with information provided directly by the FACES Classroom Teachers.
Similar to the data on staff experience, staff education also varied by region and urbanicity (Exhibits 3-6, 3-7, and 3-8). Among Center Directors and Classroom Teachers, those located in the Northeast3 had completed more years of education and obtained more degrees than in other regions. Center Directors in the Northeast reported completing an average of 16.4 years of school, F(3, 82) = 14.3; p < .01, and 88.9% reported having baccalaureate or graduate degrees, X2 = 13.8; p < .01. In turn, Classroom Teachers in the Northeast reported completing 15.4 years of education, F(3, 524) = 8.7; p < .01, and 62.2% reported having completed baccalaureate or graduate degrees, X2 = 45.8; p < .01. A higher percentage of Center Directors (33.3%) and teachers (13.3%) in the Northeast held graduate degrees than in other mainland regions. Notably, however, although the sample of staff interviewed in Puerto Rico was relatively small (3 Center Directors and 18 teachers), all Center Directors and all but one Classroom Teacher in Puerto Rico had Bachelor degrees.
A high proportion of Center Directors and Classroom Teachers in the Midwest also held academic degrees. Only 5.6% of Midwestern Center Directors held no college degree (the lowest non-degree percentage of any region), while 55.6% held Bachelor’s (equal to the percentage of Northeastern CDs with such a degree) and 16.7% had completed graduate degrees. Among Classroom Teachers, over two thirds held college degrees, with one third having completed Bachelor’s degrees and an additional 6.3% holding graduate degrees.
In contrast, over 40% of Center Directors in the South and West held no academic degree. Only 29.5% of CDs in the South held Bachelor’s degrees or higher and only 20.0% of CDs in the West had obtained Bachelor’s degrees or higher (Exhibit 3-6). Among classroom staff, just over one third of teachers in the South (34.2%) had obtained any college degree. In contrast, the proportion of Classroom Teachers who held CDAs was far higher in the South (71.8%) than in any other region of the nation (Exhibit 3-7).
| Means (Standard Deviations) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North east (n = 9) |
Mid- west (n = 18) |
South (n = 34) |
West (n = 25) |
Puerto Rico (n = 3) |
Rural (n = 22) |
Urban (n = 67) |
|
| Average years of education | 16.4 (0.6) |
15.8 (1.1) |
14.8 (1.3) |
14.7 (1.3) |
16.0 (0.0) |
14.7 (1.5) |
15.3 (1.2) |
| % with no college degree | 11.1 | 5.6 | 41.2 | 40.0 | 0.0 | 45.5 | 23.9 |
| % with Associate as highest degree | 0.0 | 22.2 | 29.4 | 40.0 | 0.0 | 22.7 | 28.4 |
| % with Bachelor's as highest degree | 55.6 | 55.6 | 17.7 | 12.0 | 100.0 | 22.7 | 32.8 |
| % with Graduate Degree | 33.3 | 16.7 | 11.8 | 8.0 | 0.0 | 9.1 | 14.9 |
| % with CDA | 11.1 | 44.4 | 67.6 | 36.0 | 0.0 | 63.6 | 40.3 |
The pattern of regional PIR results is very consistent with the information reported by FACES respondents. For the 1997-98 PIR, a larger proportion of Classroom Teachers in the Northeast (49.2%) and Midwest (36.5%) were reported to have obtained academic degrees in early childhood education or related fields than, in particular, Classroom Teachers in the South (20.4%). A far greater percentage (64.2%) of Classroom Teachers in the South were reported to hold CDA credentials than teachers in other regions (48% or fewer).
| Means (Standard Deviations) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North- east (n = 45) |
Mid-west (n = 142) |
South (n = 202) |
West (n = 122) |
Puerto Rico (n = 18) |
Rural (n = 153) |
Urban (n = 376) |
|
| Average years of education | 15.4 |
14.7 (1.5) |
13.8 (1.6) |
14.3 (1.4) |
16.0 (0.3) |
14.1 (1.7) |
14.5 (1.5) |
| % with no college degree | 24.4 | 33.1 | 65.8 | 46.7 | 0.0 | 56.9 | 42.8 |
| % with Associate as highest degree | 13.3 | 27.5 | 19.8 | 36.9 | 5.6 | 17.0 | 27.9 |
| % with Bachelor's as highest degree | 48.9 | 33.1 | 12.9 | 15.6 | 94.4 | 22.9 | 25.5 |
| % with graduate degree | 13.3 | 6.3 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| % with ECE degrees | 53.4 | 34.5 | 23.8 | 34.4 | 94.4 | 28.5 | 36.3 |
| % with CDA | 40.0 | 43.0 | 71.8 | 32.0 | 94.4 | 45.8 | 51.1 |
| 1997-98 Head Start Program Information Reports |
North-east |
Mid-West (n = 455) |
South |
West |
|||
| % with ECE degrees | 49.2 | 36.5 | 20.4 | 28.9 | -- | -- | -- |
| % with CDA | 31.1 | 48.0 | 64.2 | 29.4 | -- | -- | -- |
For Family Service Workers (Exhibit 3-8), the pattern was somewhat different than for Center Directors and Classroom Teachers. Again, all staff interviewed in Puerto Rico held college degrees: five held Bachelor’s degrees and one held a graduate degree. Among the mainland regions, Midwestern Family Service Workers reported having completed the greatest number of years of education (M = 15.1), F(3, 140) = 9.8, p < .01, and the greatest percentage had obtained at least baccalaureate degrees, c 2 = 43.4, p < .01. Again, Family Service Worker staff employed by programs in the South reported a lower level of education (M = 13.6 years) and a smaller proportion (25.4%) held academic degrees.
| North- east (n = 18) |
Mid- west (n = 38) |
South (n = 55) |
West (n =27) |
Puerto Rico (n =6) |
Rural (n =27) |
Urban (n =6) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average years of education | 14.3 |
15.1 (1.6) |
13.6 (1.5) |
14.3 (1.9) |
16.3 (0.5) |
14.0 (1.8) |
14.5 (1.7) |
| % No college degree | 61.1 | 29.0 | 74.6 | 48.2 | 0.0 | 57.5 | 50.5 |
| % Associate as highest degree | 5.6 | 21.1 | 10.9 | 22.2 | 0.0 | 14.9 | 14.4 |
| % Bachelor's as highest degree | 33.3 | 44.7 | 12.7 | 29.6 | 83.3 | 27.7 | 30.9 |
| % Graduate degree | 0.0 | 5.3 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 16.7 | 0.0 | 4.1 |
Generally, educational differences between staff in rural and urban areas were not as striking, although staff of urban programs tended to have completed more grades and hold more academic degrees. For Center Directors, there were significant differences. Over three quarters (76.1%) of those employed in urban programs reported holding degrees compared to only 54.5% of those working in rural areas, X2 = 6.8; p < .01 (Exhibit 3-6). Similarly, 57.1% of Classroom Teachers in urban programs held at least Associate degrees, while only 43.2% of rural teachers met that criterion, X2 = 8.1; p < .01 (Exhibit 3-7). No significant differences in educational level were observed for Family Service Workers.
3.4 Head Start-Sponsored Training for Staff
Head Start programs set aside time for staff training throughout the year. All interviewed staff were asked about the types of training received, the utility of the training provided by Head Start, the total number of hours of training they received, and, across a variety of topics, how those hours of training were distributed. Exhibit 3-9 indicates the formats for staff training offered by Head Start as reported by classroom staff. The most common format (96% reported participating “sometimes” or “often” in this format) involved in-service training sessions or workshops conducted at the Head Start program. Such training often occurred off-site as well, while actual classes or courses taught at an outside location occurred less frequently. Less than half of the classroom staff reported use of a resource library made available by the program, while ongoing feedback from supervisors was reportedly quite common. Among the classroom staff, 66.4% rated the training they received from Head Start as “very helpful,” and another 31.5% indicated it was “somewhat helpful.”
| Training Format | Unweighted Percentages (n = 529) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Offered Sometimes | Offered Often | |
| Training sessions and workshops on site | 20.0 | 76.0 |
| Training sessions and workshops at outside locations | 44.4 | 43.6 |
| Courses/classes at outside locations | 28.8 | 36.0 |
| Resource library made available by the program | 21.6 | 24.8 |
| Ongoing supervision and feedback by their supervisor | 17.6 | 75.2 |
| aAdministrative Teacher and Classroom Teacher reports.(back) |
For each staff position, responses to questions about hours of training varied substantially, from less than 10 hours to greater than 400 hours. In order to provide stable and realistic estimates of the total time for training and the proportions of that time devoted to specific topics, the top and bottom 5% of each staff category were excluded from the results shown in Exhibits 3-10, 3-11 and 3-12 (as well as Exhibits A-1, A-2, and A-3 contained in Appendix C10).
Senior Head Start staff, as might be expected, reported the greatest numbers of training hours during the previous 12 months (more than 100 hours, on average) while Classroom Teachers and Family Service Workers reported an average of 69 and 73 hours of training, respectively, during the year. In total, Center Directors reported receiving the largest amount of training (M = 140.6 hours).
| Means (Standard Deviations) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC (n = 38) |
SSC (n = 35) |
PIC (n = 38) |
HC (n = 41) |
FSW (n = 144) |
CD (n = 89) |
AT (n = 56) |
CT (n = 473) |
|
| Reported hours of training in past 12 months |
128.3 (99.3) |
104.9 (76.7) |
133.0 (89.3) |
121.7 (87.8) |
73.1 (50.6) |
140.6 (99.2) |
103.0 (67.2) |
68.6 (54.3) |
By region, staff located in the West reported, on average, a greater total amount of training (M = 101.3 hours) than other mainland regions. In particular, Center Directors (M = 206.7 hours) in the West reported the greatest amount of training. In turn, Classroom Teachers located in Puerto Rico reported more hours of training (M = 121.5 hours) than Classroom Teachers in any mainland region (Exhibit 3-11). Center Directors and Administrative Teachers in urban programs reported greater numbers of hours of training than their rural counterparts.
| Means (Standard Deviations) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North- east |
Mid-west | South | West | Puerto Rico |
Rural | Urban | |
| Center Directors (n = 89) |
102.0 (91.0) |
106.2 (75.2) |
124.3 (81.9) |
206.7 (115.6) |
109.7 (93.9) |
103.6 (71.4) |
153.8 (104.7) |
| Administrative Teachers (n = 56) |
96.9 (60.3) |
89.0 (51.8) |
113.4 (78.9) |
92.5 (40.3) |
-- | 89.5 (45.1) |
113.5 (79.7) |
| Classroom Teachers (n = 473) |
66.1 (41.2) |
58.3 (51.0) |
60.9 (46.0) |
83.5 (61.5) |
121.5 (75.3) |
70.8 (54.8) |
67.7 (54.1) |
| Family Service Workers (n = 144) |
61.2 (29.2) |
77.4 (54.2) |
71.2 (46.0) |
83.2 (66.3) |
45.2 (27.0) |
78.1 (52.5) |
70.7 (49.8) |
Exhibit 3-12 provides a summary of the percentage of training reported by topic for staff in each position. That is, each staff member reported hours of training received by topic, and the percentage of training associated with each topic was computed by dividing those hours by the total hours of training reported. Administration/program management and Head Start principles and practices received considerable attention across all positions, ranging from a total of 22.9% for Education Coordinators to 14.5% for Health Coordinators. As might be expected, the remaining topics varied by staff position. Education Coordinators, Center Directors, Administrative Teachers, and Classroom Teachers each reported receiving over 22% of their training in the areas of child development and educational programming. Social Service Coordinators received 8.5% of their training in the area of case management services to families and another 8.0% on child abuse and neglect. Parent Involvement Coordinators received 12.8% of their training in the area of involving parents in program activities and another 7.0% on case management services to families. Health Coordinators received a significant amount of training in the areas of children’s health issues (12.8%) and family health issues (11.8%). Finally, Family Service Workers reported receiving 8.6% of their training on services for children with special needs and an additional 7.7% in the area of substance abuse.
| Area of Training | Unweighted Percentages of Total Training Received | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC (n = 38) |
SSC (n = 35) |
PIC (n = 38) |
HC (n = 41) |
FSW (n = 144) |
CD (n = 89) |
AT (n = 56) |
CT (n = 73) |
|
| Child development | 14.8a | 5.6 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 15.0 | 16.3 | 12.2 |
| Educational programming | 9.8 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 7.3 | 10.9 | 10.0 |
| Child assessment and evaluation | 4.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 6.4 | 7.1 |
| Children's health Issues | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 12.8 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 5.6 | 6.6 |
| Family health issues | 4.1 | 5.8 | 7.3 | 11.8 | 3.5 | 6.2 | 7.6 | 5.4 |
| Mental health issues | 5.7 | 6.2 | 3.4 | 6.1 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Bilingual education | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Multi cultural sensitivity | 4.0 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.8 |
| Domestic violence | 1.6 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 6.6 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 3.2 |
| Child abuse and neglect | 3.8 | 8.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 5.6 | 6.1 |
| Substance abuse | 1.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 7.7 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 3.0 |
| Family Needs Assessment | 0.7 | 4.6 | 5.7 | 1.8 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 3.0 |
| Services for children with special needs | 5.2 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 6.7 | 8.6 | 5.8 | 4.2 | 5.4 |
| Case management services to families | 0.6 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 2.7 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
| Working with other agencies | 3.2 | 5.6 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 4.9 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Involving parents in program activities | 5.1 | 4.8 | 12.8 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 5.1 | 6.6 | 5.6 |
| Behavior management | 3.6 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 5.7 | 5.3 |
| Providing supervision to staff | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 6.3 | 3.7 | 2.5 |
| Administration/ program management | 12.2 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 5.6 | 8.0 | 7.2 | 5.0 | 3.9 |
| Head start principles and practices | 10.7 | 9.3 | 13.5 | 8.9 | 10.7 | 7.9 | 10.4 | 11.0 |
| aBoldface indicates percentages greater than or equal to 7 %.(back) |
3.5 Characteristics of Head Start Employment
Head Start staff provided information about the characteristics of their employment, including salary (provided by each program office for Center Directors, Administrative Teachers, and Classroom Teachers; Family Service Workers provided the information during their interview), benefits, children attending (past and present), job constraints, and reasons for continuing employment at Head Start.
Not surprisingly, Head Start staff salaries were relatively low when considering their responsibilities. Even Center Directors (M = $26,055) and Administrative Teachers (M = $21,280) earned less than $30,000 annually; Classroom Teachers (M = $17,322) and Family Service Workers (M = $17,310) were paid less than $20,000 yearly. Combining Administrative Teacher and Classroom Teacher data, the FACES classroom staff was reported to have an average annual income of $17,734. For Classroom Teachers, these results were close to those calculated from the 1997-98 PIR, where teachers were reported to earn an average income of $18,124. Furthermore, the regional patterns found in FACES data were replicated in the PIR. That is, salaries were highest in the Northeast and Midwest, somewhat lower in the West, and far lower in the South. Although Puerto Rico data were based on only small samples, reported salaries there were far lower than even in the Southern region of the mainland United States.
| Means (Standard Deviations) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North- east |
Mid- west |
South | West | Puerto Rico |
Rural | Urban | |
| Center Directors (n = 89) |
$29,511 (10,238) |
$28,114 (9,712) |
$23,485 (8,692) |
$27,633 (8,923) |
$19,321 (6,774) |
$23,250 (7,935) |
$28,862 (9,623) |
| Administrative Teachers (n = 56) |
$22,924 (7,238) |
$24,043 (8,423) |
$19,433 (6,481) |
$20,407 (6,420) |
-- | $21,834 (7,429) |
$25,352 (8,838) |
Classroom Teachers |
$19,371 (7,170) |
$17,531 (6,971) |
$16,692 (5,967) |
$17,925 (6,392) |
$14,028 (5,118) |
$15,801 (5,735) |
$20,394 (8,429) |
| Classroom Teachers (PIR) | $20,508 (7,350) |
$18,327 (6,914) |
$16,802 (6,914) |
$17,857 (5,650) |
-- | -- | -- |
| Family Service Workers (n = 144) |
$19,684 (6,159) |
$18,691 (4,655) |
$15,256 (3,499) |
$19,135 (4,770) |
$12,955 (991) |
$14,785 (4,413) |
$18,572 (4,567) |
Head Start staff in all positions reported that they received a substantial benefits package. Over 80% of all staff reported receiving paid vacation, paid sick leave, maternity leave, family leave, health insurance, dental insurance, tuition reimbursement, and a retirement plan (Exhibit 3-14). In addition, significant numbers of Head Start staff (42.4% of all staff interviewed) have been or currently are Head Start parents.
| Unweighted Percentages | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC (n = 38) |
SSC (n = 35) |
PIC (n = 38) |
HC (n = 41) |
FSWa
(n = 144) |
CD (n = 89) |
AT (n = 56) |
CT (n = 473) |
|
| Paid vacation | 86.8 | 87.5 | 89.5 | 100.0 | -- | 84.1 | 75.8 | 83.2 |
| Paid sick leave | 100.0 | 92.7 | 100.0 | 100.0 | -- | 94.5 | 97.3 | 94.0 |
| Maternity leave | 94.4 | 88.6 | 80.7 | 88.7 | -- | 85.6 | 73.4 | 70.5 |
| Family leave | 91.2 | 86.5 | 75.0 | 90.9 | -- | 83.2 | 70.3 | 71.9 |
| Health insurance | 100.0 | 95.1 | 100.0 | 100.0 | -- | 97.9 | 98.2 | 97.0 |
| Dental insurance | 86.8 | 75.6 | 80.6 | 82.9 | -- | 78.5 | 73.5 | 76.4 |
| Tuition reimbursement | 60.5 | 46.3 | 51.5 | 52.8 | -- | 63.4 | 75.3 | 77.1 |
| Retirement plan | 92.1 | 90.2 | 86.8 | 91.4 | -- | 93.1 | 81.2 | 86.0 |
| Children currently attending Head Start |
5.4 | 10.0 | 10.5 | 0.0 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Children previously attended Head Start |
16.2 | 40.0 | 32.4 | 34.3 | 51.7 | 44.4 | 35.7 | 33.1 |
| aFamily Service Worker interviews did not include questions on benefits received.(back) |
Over 90% of all staff reported receiving paid sick leave and health insurance. Surprisingly, supervisory staff reported receiving each of the remaining benefits mentioned in only slightly greater percentages than other staff. For example, almost 90% of staff in all categories reported participation in a retirement plan. In fact, a greater percentage of classroom staff (both Administrative Teachers and Classroom Teachers) reported the availability of tuition reimbursement benefits than Center Directors, Coordinators, or Family Service Workers. Greater than 70% of Head Start staff in all positions reported receiving dental insurance, family leave, and maternity leave.
On average, staff was paid for approximately 40 hours per week and worked 4 to 8 additional hours each week (Exhibit 3-15). In general, Component Coordinators and Center Directors reported greater amounts of unpaid overtime (ranging between a mean of 5.1 hours for Health Coordinators to a mean of 8.3 hours for Social Service Coordinators). Among the Coordinators, those responsible for family services and coordination of family activities spent more of their time in direct contact with families (36.7% of their time at work for Parent Involvement Coordinators and 31.1% for Social Service Coordinators). Center Directors and Classroom Teachers were typically paid for approximately 40 weeks each year while component coordinators were paid for an average of approximately 48 weeks per year.
Over 80% of all staff interviewed reported that they were “very likely” to continue working for Head Start over the following year and two thirds indicated that they were “very satisfied” working in the field of early childhood. While a significantly lower proportion of staff (46.4%) reported that they were “very satisfied” with their current employment, less than 5% indicated that they were actually “dissatisfied” with their job.
| Means (Standard Deviations) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC (n = 38) |
SSC (n = 35) |
PIC |
HC (n = 41) |
FSWa
(n = 144) |
CDa
(n = 89) |
ATa
(n = 56) |
CTa
(n = 473) |
|
| Paid work hours/week | 39.4 (1.6) |
39.0 (3.5) |
39.8 (2.3) |
38.1 (5.2) |
38.1 (3.5) |
39.0 (2.2) |
38.7 (2.6) |
37.8 (3.9) |
| Actual work hours/week | 47.3 (5.6) |
47.3 (8.0) |
47.1 (6.0) |
43.2 (8.0) |
42.0 (7.0) |
45.1 (6.7) |
43.4 (5.5) |
42.8 (9.2) |
| Paid work weeks/year | 48.0 |
46.6 (7.8) |
48.7 (4.2) |
47.9 (5.0) |
39.8 (3.2) |
41.4 (5.6) |
39.6 (4.9) |
39.2 (5.4) |
| Hours working directly with families |
7.1 (9.1) |
14.7 (13.2) |
17.3 (12.7) |
11.8 (10.9) |
-- | -- | -- | -- |
| % Very satisfied with current position |
39.5 | 48.6 | 56.4 | 46.3 | 34.3 | 46.9 | 49.0 | 49.3 |
| % Very satisfied working in ECE |
86.5 | 70.6 | 69.2 | 70.6 | 65.7 | 84.8 | 82.5 | 81.6 |
| % Very likely to continue in HS during following year |
92.1 | 85.7 | 97.3 | 85.6 | 80.4 | 88.9 | 85.0 | 82.9 |
| Job Satisfaction | Unweighted Percentages | |||||||
| % Very satisfied
with current position |
39.5 | 48.6 | 56.4 | 46.3 | 34.3 | 46.9 | 49.0 | 49.3 |
| % Very satisfied
working in ECE |
86.5 | 70.6 | 69.2 | 70.6 | 65.7 | 84.8 | 82.5 | 81.6 |
| % Very likely
to continue in HS during following year |
92.1 | 85.7 | 97.3 | 85.6 | 80.4 | 88.9 | 85.0 | 82.9 |
| aFamily Service Worker, Center Director, Administrative Teacher, and Classroom Teacher interviews did not include a question on hours directly working with families.(back) |
Exhibit 3-16 suggests some possible reasons that staff were somewhat less satisfied with their current position than they were with the field in which they were employed. Over 60% of all staff interviewed felt they received an insufficient salary and over 50% felt the press of time constraints in performing their duties adequately. Almost 40% of all Component Coordinators reported that the program had a lack of support staff, and more than 30% of those same individuals (along with Family Service Workers) indicated that their roles should be more clearly defined. Not surprisingly, staff responsible for providing direct services to children were more likely to feel that there were adequate support staff and that their roles were sufficiently well defined.
| Unweighted Percentages | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EC |
SSC (n = 35) |
PIC (n = 38) |
HC (n = 41) |
FSW (n = 144) |
CD (n = 89) |
AT (n = 56) |
CT (n = 473) |
|
| Time constraints | 78.9 | 77.1 | 74.4 | 74.4 | 66.4 | 54.9 | 52.5 | 53.2 |
| Undefined role | 42.1 | 34.3 | 30.8 | 32.5 | 35.7 | 20.1 | 20.4 | 20.7 |
| Insufficient salary | 47.4 | 57.1 | 64.1 | 65.0 | 56.6 | 64.6 | 60.8 | 57.6 |
| Lack of support staff | 34.2 | 37.1 | 46.2 | 45.0 | 32.9 | 27.1 | 26.6 | 29.1 |
| Not enough training for other responsibilities |
21.1 | 29.4 | 30.8 | 23.1 | 28.8 | 22.9 | 12.6 | 10.8 |
However, staff endorsed a relatively large number of positive reasons for continuing to work for Head Start (Exhibit 3-17). Across all positions, they agreed almost unanimously that the importance of the work and their enjoyment of working with young children were positive factors. With the exception of Family Service Workers, over 90% cited professional respect, the opportunity to use their experience in child development, and the opportunity to work with other adults as positive factors for continuing to work in their current positions. Salary and benefits were endorsed far less frequently, and only a small proportion of staff indicated that the opportunity to have their own children at work was a reason for remaining at Head Start.
| Unweighted Percentages | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EC |
SSC (n = 35) |
PIC (n = 38) |
HC |
FSW (n = 144) |
CD (n = 89) |
AT (n = 56) |
CT (n = 473) |
|
| Job security | 72.9 | 63.4 | 92.1 | 80.0 | 78.9 | 87.5 | 77.9 | 80.5 |
| Enjoyment of working with young children |
100.0 | 100.0 | 89.5 | 91.2 | 88.8 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Professional respect | 91.9 | 92.7 | 94.7 | 88.6 | 68.5 | 90.3 | 94.5 | 97.1 |
| Salary | 63.2 | 56.1 | 55.3 | 60.0 | 55.9 | 60.0 | 56.3 | 54.7 |
| Benefits | 68.4 | 73.2 | 79.0 | 71.4 | 72.7 | 80.7 | 84.3 | 86.6 |
| Ability to have own children at work |
13.2 | 12.5 | 13.2 | 17.1 | 17.6 | 29.7 | 27.5 | 29.3 |
| Favorable work schedule | 57.9 | 84.6 | 65.8 | 65.7 | 59.4 | 86.2 | 86.4 | 86.6 |
| Favorable working conditions |
68.4 | 80.0 | 89.5 | 74.3 | 74.8 | 93.1 | 93.4 | 93.7 |
| Opportunity to work with other adults |
97.4 | 92.5 | 100.0 | 94.3 | 76.9 | 95.9 | 93.5 | 91.9 |
| Opportunity to use experience in child development |
97.4 | 92.5 | 89.5 | 82.9 | 77.6 | 100.0 | 98.0 | 98.5 |
Importance of the |
100.0 | 100.0 | 97.3 | 100.0 | 98.6 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Opportunity to implement beliefs about child care |
86.8 | 67.5 | 81.6 | 74.3 | -- a | 80.5 | 83.5 | 86.0 |
| Opportunities for professional growth |
73.7 | 47.5 | 73.7 | 65.7 | 60.8 | 80.7 | 87.2 | 85.2 |
| aThis item not included in Family Service Worker interview.(back) |
3.6 Summary
Chapter 3 presented information about Head Start staff’s experiences with their current Head Start programs, other Head Start programs and other early childhood programs, their educational background, and their recent training. The following is a summary of the key findings.
Staff Experience
-
Head Start staff in all positions4 reported extensive experience with early childhood programs. On average, Component Coordinators, Center Directors and Administrative Teachers had over 15 years experience in early childhood education, while Classroom Teachers and Family Service Workers had been employed in their field for over 10 years;
-
The average number of years of experience with Head Start reported by staff was
12.2 years for Component Coordinators,
14.3 years for Center Directors,
11.1 years for Administrative Teachers, and
9.3 years for Classroom Teachers. -
Center Directors reported that they had been in their current Head Start position about 5 years on average, while Administrative Teachers and Classroom Teachers had been in their current staff positions for an average of approximately 6 years.
-
Over 80% of Center Directors and Classroom Teachers had experience with other preschool programs, adding about 5 years to their experience with Head Start.
-
Over 40% of Head Start staff interviewed were currently parents of Head Start children or had other children from their household attend Head Start at some time.
-
Head Start experience varied by region. For each position, staff employed by programs in the southern United States reported more experience in early childhood education and longer periods of service with Head Start.
-
Experience did not systematically vary between urban and rural programs except for the Family Service Worker position, where staff in rural areas reported far more experience than staff in urban areas.
Staff Education
-
Head Start Component Coordinators and Center Directors had more years of education and had earned more academic degrees than classroom staff.
-
More than 50% of the Component Coordinators had at least a 4-year degree, including Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees; a higher percentage of Education Coordinators had obtained graduate degrees (42%) than coordinators in the other areas (3-16%).
-
Most Head Start Center Directors (70.8%) had a college degree; about 30% had a Bachelor’s degree and about 14% had a graduate degree;
-
Head Start Classroom Teachers reported completing an average of 14.3 years of schooling.
-
Almost all teachers had some college education. Nearly 40% of Classroom Teachers and a third of Administrative Teachers had 1-2 years of college; 37% of Classroom Teachers and 23% of Administrative Teachers had 3-4 years of college.
-
Over 90% of Center Directors and 75% of Classroom Teachers with degrees at the AA level or higher majored in early childhood education, secondary education, special education, or general education.
-
Center Directors and Classroom Teachers employed by Head Start programs in Puerto Rico reported high levels of education relative to the mainland. All staff reported that they had a college degree, and virtually all (95.2%) had completed their baccalaureate program.
-
The patterns of education reported during interviews closely matched information drawn from the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR).
Staff Training
-
Component Coordinators and Center Directors participated in more training than classroom staff. Component Coordinators and Center Directors reported that they had participated, on average, in approximately 105 - 140 hours of training per year that was provided by their Head Start program. Center Directors, Education Coordinators, and Parent Involvement Coordinators reported the highest number of training hours received.
-
Administrative Teachers (those with administrative as well as classroom duties) reported about 100 hours, compared with Classroom Teachers who reported about 70 hours of training.
-
Approximately 30% of training hours provided for Classroom Teachers (almost 30 hours per year) were devoted to (1) child development, (2) child assessment or evaluation, and (3) educational programming and management.
-
Center Directors received more training hours from Head Start programs located in urban areas and from those located in the West. Classroom staff reported similar amounts of training in all regions of the nation.
Staff Salaries
-
Annual salaries reported for Center Directors averaged $26,055; Administrative Teachers were reported to have an annual income of $21,280 and Classroom Teachers received on average, $17,322; Family Service Workers reported an average annual salary of $17,310.
-
Salaries in the Northeast and Midwest were somewhat higher than national averages, while those in the South were below the rest of the nation.
-
Salaries reported by all categories of Head Start staff in Puerto Rico were far below those reported for any mainland region despite high levels of staff education.
Staff Benefits
-
More than 90% of Head Start staff in all positions reported receiving paid sick leave and health insurance benefits.
-
More than 80% of Head Start staff in all positions reported receiving paid vacation (except for Administrative Teachers), and had a retirement plan available to them.
-
Greater than 70% of Head Start staff in all positions reported receiving dental insurance, family leave, and maternity leave.
-
More than one half of Head Start staff in all positions, except Social Service Coordinators, reported the availability of tuition reimbursement.
Staff Work Hours
-
Head Start staff in all positions were paid for between 35 to 40 hours weekly, and respondents for all positions reported contributing an average of 5-8 additional hours.
-
Center Directors and Classroom Teachers were typically paid for approximately 40 weeks each year while component coordinators were paid for an average of approximately 48 weeks per year.
Staff Job Satisfaction
-
Staff reported high levels of satisfaction with their employment in the field of early childhood, although satisfaction with their Head Start position was lower.
-
More than 80% of all staff respondents indicated that they were very likely to return to Head Start in the following year.
-
A majority of all Head Start staff indicated that time constraints and insufficient salaries were a concern.
Reasons for Continuing Employment
-
Staff in all positions overwhelmingly indicated that the importance and enjoyment of working with young children were primary reasons to continue working with Head Start.
-
Greater than 80% of staff in all positions cited favorable working conditions (except for Education Coordinators), professional respect, and the opportunity to work with other adults as important reasons to continue working for Head Start (both with the exception of Family Service Workers).
1In some cases, a Classroom Teacher also served some of the administrative functions of a Center Director when a Center Director was not available. Within this report, such teachers are referred to as Administrative Teachers.(back)
2In this section of the report, staff employed by centers in Puerto Rico are shown separately from staff on the mainland. Although the sample of interviewed staff in Puerto Rico was small, the characteristics of these staff were, in several cases, distinctly different from those on the mainland. Analyses of differences between Center Directors located in different regions do not include those from Puerto Rico (there were too few Center Directors for analysis).(back)
3For this analysis, Puerto Rico was excluded because of the small sample of CDs in that sample. Note, however, that all Puerto Rican CDs reported completion of a BA degree.(back)
4“In all positions” refers to Component Coordinators, Center Directors, Classroom Teachers (including those designated as Administrative Teachers), and Family Service Workers.(back)
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