Coordinated transitions are key to sustaining early gains, yet Head Start and K-12 systems often operate in silos.

Transitions from Head Start to kindergarten are critical moments that shape a child’s educational path, but too often, these transitions lack coordination and consistency. Despite strong research showing that aligned and collaborative transition practices, policies, professional supports, and perspectives (the “4Ps”) can improve children’s social-emotional and academic adjustment, there has never been a comprehensive, national look at how these 4Ps are implemented across Head Start and local education agency (LEA) systems.

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) at the Administration for Children and Families commissioned NORC at the University of Chicago to address this gap with the National Descriptive Study of Transitions from Head Start to Kindergarten (HS2K project). This project builds upon the foundational work of NORC’s first Head Start to Kindergarten Transitions (HS2K) project, which provided the theoretical foundation and initial case studies underpinning this new national descriptive study. The goal of this new work is to understand not only what practices, policies, and professional supports are in place, but also the organizational and systemic conditions—like cross-system collaboration and leadership buy-in—that influence successful transitions.

NORC is conducting a national, cross-system study to examine the policies, practices, professional supports, and perspectives that shape kindergarten transitions.

The HS2K project includes the design and administration of six coordinated surveys—targeting Head Start and K-12 actors—to capture a 360-degree view of kindergarten transition systems. These surveys will be fielded to local education agency (LEA) administrators, Head Start program directors, elementary school principals, Header Start center directors, and both kindergarten and Head Start teachers.

By using parallel survey items across Head Start and K-12 systems, NORC will analyze alignment in and collaboration on practices, policies, professional supports, and perspectives on what makes a successful transition to kindergarten. The project is particularly interested in the roles system-level supports play, such as leadership engagement, dedicated staff time, and financial resources.

NORC brings methodological rigor, deep content expertise in early childhood systems, and a commitment to capturing the perspectives of a diverse sample of educators and administrators. The project is designed to provide actionable insights for Head Start and K-12 system leaders, policymakers, and practitioners striving to build successful kindergarten transitions.