A Critical Examination of the Impact of Federal Head Start Program on Kindergarten Student Behavior (Thesis Proposal Sample)


A Critical Examination of the Impact of Federal Head Start Program on Kindergarten Student Behavior
A Dissertation Research Proposal
By:
A Dissertation Proposal Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies,
Prairie View A & M University
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Education Leadership Major
Prairie View A & M University
Texas, United States of America
December 2014
Abstract
This research focuses on the impact of Head Start Programs currently operating across the United States. Head Start programs are the product of legislation passed in 1965 address, the emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological competence of economically disadvantaged children. Previous researchers focused and reported on the effectiveness and quality performance of the program since its inception. However, there are limited studies that specifically focus on the impact of head start programs on student behavioral issues in kindergarten. The researcher will examine this phenomenon by investigating student behavioral problems, through behavioral disciplinary referrals of kindergarten students.
The overall purpose of the research study will be to investigate the behavioral problems indicated by school discipline referrals, recorded by kindergarten students who have received or omitted the Head Start program comparatively, and in so doing characterize the impact of the Head Start program on behavioral problems of kindergarten children. The proposed study will aim at comparing the rate and significance of school discipline referrals recorded by kindergarten students who have received the Head Start program and those recorded among kindergarten students who have not received the Head Start program, as a measure of the Head Start program’s impact on behavioral problems of kindergarten children. Towards this end, the study proposal posed four distinct research questions.
To begin with, the study will determine whether there is any significant impact of the Head Start program on the behavioural traits of kindergarten students, as an Early Childhood intervention, as they prepare to start their education process in elementary schools. Secondly, the study will compare the school discipline referrals recorded among students who have received or omitted the Head Start program in their early childhood education, and by so doing establish any statistical significance of the Head Start program on behavioural problems during kindergarten years. Thirdly, the study will evaluate the school discipline referrals recorded among students who have received or omitted the Head Start program in their early childhood education, and by so doing establish whether the Head Start program impacts on children’s school readiness prior to elementary school. Finally, the study will determine the most accurate generalization on whether the Head Start program is a commendable early childhood education intervention for low-income children.
The proposed study has hypothesised that the Head Start program has a significant impact on the behavioural traits of kindergarten students before they start their elementary schooling. The study hypothesises that school discipline referrals among students in the Head Start program show that the program improved their psychological qualities (behaviour- based), as compared to the behaviour of children who did not receive the Head Start program. Finally, the study hypothesises that there is adequate statistical evidence to support the assertion that the Head Start program is a commendable early childhood education intervention for low-income children, given the program’s impact on children’s behavioural problems.
Adopting a theory-based conceptual framework of Developmental Timing, the proposed quantitative research methodology will be implemented in the Southeast Texas school district. In implementation, the study will use an experimental research design among a random sample of 100 students and families (50 in the experimental and 50 in the control groups). The data collected and analyzed will also be complemented with both observation sessions of real life classroom contexts, and secondary data analysis on discipline referrals.
Key Words and Phrases: Child Health Screening, Cognitive Outcomes, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Education, Head Start, School Readiness, Behavioural Problems, Behaviour Interventions
Declaration
[Name] ©2014
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The author hereby certifies that the research study proposed herein is an original scholarly work, not copied, adopted or submitted elsewhere for academic and or any other purposes whatsoever, and that, all parts of this dissertation proposal have originally been written by the author unless otherwise attributed to original authors in the footnotes and corresponding bibliography. No part of this work should be copied or adapted in any way without the express written permission from the author.
Table of Contents
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Abstract  PAGEREF _Toc406893991 \h
2
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Declaration  PAGEREF _Toc406893992 \h
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Table of Contents  PAGEREF _Toc406893993 \h
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CHAPTER 1  PAGEREF _Toc406893994 \h
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INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY  PAGEREF _Toc406893995 \h
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Background of Research Problem  PAGEREF _Toc406893996 \h
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Statement of Research Problem  PAGEREF _Toc406893997 \h
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Purpose of the Study  PAGEREF _Toc406893998 \h
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Aim and Objectives of the Study  PAGEREF _Toc406893999 \h
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Broad Aim of the Study  PAGEREF _Toc406894000 \h
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Narrow Objectives of the Study  PAGEREF _Toc406894001 \h
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Research Questions  PAGEREF _Toc406894002 \h
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Hypotheses on Proposed Findings  PAGEREF _Toc406894003 \h
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Scope and Context of the Proposed Research Study  PAGEREF _Toc406894004 \h
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Importance of the Proposed Study  PAGEREF _Toc406894005 \h
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Opportunities for New Research and Areas of Interest for Study  PAGEREF _Toc406894006 \h
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Researcher Interest and Perspectives  PAGEREF _Toc406894007 \h
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Assumptions, Limitations and Delimitations of the Research Findings  PAGEREF _Toc406894008 \h
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Contextual Definition of Terms  PAGEREF _Toc406894009 \h
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Organization of the Dissertation Proposal  PAGEREF _Toc406894010 \h
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Summary of the Introductory Section  PAGEREF _Toc406894011 \h
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CHAPTER 2  PAGEREF _Toc406894012 \h
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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW  PAGEREF _Toc406894013 \h
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Introduction to the Section: Overview  PAGEREF _Toc406894014 \h
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Theoretical/Conceptual Framework: Developmental Timing and Early Intervention  PAGEREF _Toc406894015 \h
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Critical Literature Review: The Federal Head Start Program in the US  PAGEREF _Toc406894016 \h
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Impact of Head Start on Child Development and Formal Learning  PAGEREF _Toc406894017 \h
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Focus on Kindergarten: Head Start Program and Behavioral Problems  PAGEREF _Toc406894019 \h
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Gap in Contemporary Knowledge  PAGEREF _Toc406894020 \h
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Summary of the Literature Review Section  PAGEREF _Toc406894023 \h
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CHAPTER 3  PAGEREF _Toc406894024 \h
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND METHODS  PAGEREF _Toc406894025 \h
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Introduction to the Methodology Section: Overview  PAGEREF _Toc406894026 \h
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Overview of the Proposed Research Purpose  PAGEREF _Toc406894027 \h
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Researcher Perspectives and Aim  PAGEREF _Toc406894028 \h
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Restatement of Research Questions  PAGEREF _Toc406894029 \h
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Null Hypotheses  PAGEREF _Toc406894030 \h
47
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Quantitative Research Methodology/Approach  PAGEREF _Toc406894031 \h
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Proposed Research Design  PAGEREF _Toc406894032 \h
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Population, Sampling Procedure and Final Sample  PAGEREF _Toc406894033 \h
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Target Population  PAGEREF _Toc406894034 \h
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Sampling Procedure  PAGEREF _Toc406894035 \h
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Final Sample  PAGEREF _Toc406894036 \h
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Data Collection Instruments and Process  PAGEREF _Toc406894037 \h
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Data Collection Instrument  PAGEREF _Toc406894038 \h
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Data Collection Procedure  PAGEREF _Toc406894039 \h
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Data Analysis Tools and Procedures  PAGEREF ...