A comparison of participating and non-participating mothers in a Head Start preschool

In the Head Start-Preschool program under study, mothers were expected to participate in the classroom once in two weeks. Many met or surpassed this requirement, but a large number fell short of this and some did not participate at all. The number of times each parent participated in the classroom was compared with available data from the records including number of parents in the home, employment or non-employment, sex of child, sibling rank and number, child's test scores, child's attendance, cooperation in meeting required health examinations, welfare or non-welfare. The goal was to uncover and describe the differences, if any, between those parents who met their obligation and those who did not. The study disclosed a bimodal curve of participation, indicating that there was, essentially, a group who participated fully and a group that did not. Those who did not fully meet their obligation were more likely to have one parent in the home, be ill or pregnant or have a sick child. Their difficulties in participation were indicated early in the school year by their failure to meet preliminary program requirements for various health and dental reports.