Understanding Children's Transitions from Head Start to Kindergarten (HS2K), United States, 2019-2023

The purpose of this project was to better understand how to improve children's transitions from Head Start programs to elementary schools. Central to this project was a systems approach that recognizes that effective transitions require intentional engagement from both the sending programs (Head Start) and the receiving programs (elementary schools). This approach also recognized that transition strategies and practices must be implemented at multiple levels - among classroom teachers in Head Start and kindergarten, families, elementary school principals and Head Start directors, Head Start grantees and school districts, and state and federal agencies. Specifically, the project aimed to explore the definition of "successful transitions" by addressing the following research questions: What strategies and practices are Head Start programs implementing to support children as they transition from Head Start to kindergarten? What is the content, quality, and quantity of these strategies and practices? How are they experienced by children, families, teachers, and other direct service providers? What characterizes relationships/partnerships among Head Start programs, elementary schools, and other community partners that support children's successful transitions from Head Start to kindergarten? What are the specific facilitators of, and barriers to, successful transitions? What are the key perceived short- and long-term outcomes of transition strategies and practices for children, families, Head Start teachers, and kindergarten teachers? What are the key contextual factors and mechanisms that result in these key perceived outcomes? This project included several key tasks, including a review of the knowledge base, the development of a theory of change, a scan of existing measures and data sources to determine alignment with the theory of change, the development of new measures based on gaps identified in the measures scan, and the implementation of a comparative multi-case study.