Head Start Earns an F: No Lasting Impact for Children by First Grade

The benefits of participating in Head Start almost completely disappear by first grade, concludes the only study of the program using a rigorous design, note David Mulhausen and Dan Lips of The Heritage Foundation. Consequently, Congress should reconsider its $9 billion in annual spending on the program and $25 billion in annual spending on early childhood education before creating any new programs. Since 1965, when the program began, the federal government has spent more than $170 billion on this ineffective program, the researchers note.