The use of assessment to support policy decisions is much
more prevalent in the public school system than in preschool settings.
However, most early childhood programs for poor children
and children with disabilities are supported with public
monies, and agencies typically seek to evaluate the effectiveness
of their programs in order to justify the spending of taxpayers’
dollars. The evaluation studies of Head Start and other such programs
are of this genre. As more and more young children are
cared for and educated outside the home, the pressure for accountability
is likely to increase—not just to satisfy a demand for
reporting on public expenditures but as an expression of society’s
interest in protecting its youngest and most vulnerable members.