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I'm unclear which of the many Head Start Studies is referred to in this chain, but since the year 2014 was referenced, I'll use Head Start Impact Study and Follow-up, 2000-2015 to respond. Mr. Stark is correct in his assertion - to a point. According to the study I read, it was determined that there was no discernible academic impact by grade 3. So for so good for Mr. Stark's assertions, but there's the rest of the story that we should discuss.

The Head Start Study I reference shows that there is measurable improvement, both cognitively and socially during the two year Head Start experience. Obviously part of the problem with discussions like this is that there isn't enough space to parse out the various aspects of the study and its results, but suffice to say that kids who enter Head Start for one or two years exhibit improved performance in a variety of areas. So the obvious question is why those improvements are not carried over into K-3?

Instead of using Head Start studies to justify the opposition to universal all-day kindergarten, these studies should be the starting point to examine and improve the public school experiences of not just these Head Start kids, but all kids. Throwing up one's hands in opposition to an all-day kindergarten program is easy; the hard job is to improve the experiences and outcomes for all kids in our public schools. If results of prior achievements are not carried over, the better effort would be to improve, not abandon, the kindergarten initiative. Using this study and Mr. Stark's logic, based on this Head Start study we may as well abandon grades 1 - 3 as well.

One final point, Mr. Stark asserts that the universal kindergarten initiative is not about academics but, "...about alleviating parents of the burden of child care." This comment is not merely dismissive, but insulting. There are as many studies published as there are opinions they support. However, while not conclusive, there are some interesting results coming from a variety of areas of inquiry. One that should strike home is a study of Philadelphia kids that showed that exposure to all-day kindergarten was more likely to keep those kids on track, advancing without having to repeat a grade, than their peers who graduated from half-day programs. As a result of the lower retention rates for kids who graduated from all-day kindergarten, limited educational dollars were saved over the long term, more than justifying the expense of an all-day kindergarten program. Is there room for improvement of kindergarten through grade 12 programs? Absolutely. And that's why it's vital that we all take a part in the effort to improve - this is the hard work previously spoken of - our public schools and not take the easy way out of dismissing any such effort some glorified day care program.