Module 3 Assignment

This week you are to conduct a “mini” policy analysis of Head Start. I have chosen Head Start as it is well researched and many of you may be familiar with it. To conduct the analysis, you will need to find 3 articles that concern and describe the legislation.

To find the articles, please use the social work . One of the articles should come from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) (the link is also available on the libguide page). The CRS report will provide you an overview of the policy/program and help you discuss the benefit-allocation framework. Your second article should come from a policy/research center or a think tank. The link to these types of organizations (for example, the Urban Institute, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) can also be found on the libguiude page (right hand side). Please note that some of these organizations have a particular political orientation (progressive, conservative, libertarian) so you should think about this as you read their reports.

Finally, your third article can also come from one of these organizations (although it should be a different organization than the first article) OR you can find a scholarly article through the articles database in the library (you can use the social work policy research guide click journal articles). The articles you choose should be relatively recent and you should choose sources that help to answer the questions below.

Please use the analysis model described in your readings and in the audio lecture to draft a 3-4 pages (double spaced) analysis of this program/policy. This is an exercise and the goal is to apply a policy analysis framework to the policies. Your analyses may differ based on the legislation you choose and you may not be able to respond to all the points in the analysis framework.

The analysis should address the following points:

• Benefit-Allocation Framework: Who, what, how, and how much ($)
• Social, Economic, Environmental Justice Analysis/Human Rights framework: How does this policy impact social, economic, environmental justice and/or human rights? Use readings from weeks 1 and 2 to guide the analysis. Use Gilbert and Terrells notions of Equality, Equity, Adequacy
• Policy Effectiveness (When you search for article about effectiveness, using the term ‘outcomes’ in your search may be helpful).