Many researchers and policymakers recognize the importance of preschool education, particularly for low-income children, and the role of state governments has become increasingly prominent in providing services. At the same time, some policy analysts have urged that Head Start should be shifted from federal to state control. Others, however, believe this is inadvisable. We sought to inform the debate over whether entrusting Head Start to the states would be a sound policy decision by examining extant state preschool programs. Our survey of 31 programs that matched our criteria suggested that state-funded initiatives vary widely in design, implementation, and quality. There are some common areas of strength and weakness: States tend to be strong in domains such as classroom quality, but are weak on providing comprehensive services. Overall, we find reason for serious concern regarding Head Start devolution from federal to state control at this time.

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This report describes the efforts of a technical assistance organization to build coalition capacity among 20 substance use prevention coalitions using a tool developed via eight principles of participatory research methods. Preliminary application of the self-assessment measure and feedback from coalitions suggests its value in strengthening coalition functioning.