Overview
The purpose of the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program (Even Start) was to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by improving educational opportunities for low-income families.
Even Start was first authorized in 1989 as Part B of Chapter 1 of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Even Start legislation was amended in July 1991 when Congress passed the National Literacy Act (Public Law 102-73), lowering the age of children served from age one to birth and allowing community-based organizations to receive grants. The Literacy Involves Families Together Act of 2000 (LIFT) renamed Even Start to the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program. It was reauthorized as Title I, Part B, Subpart 3, of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
For additional information, see the U.S. Department of Education Web site, No
Child Left Behind, Title I, Part B, Subpart 3
.
Purpose
Even Start funded local educational agencies (LEAs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) to plan and coordinate services to help parents gain the skills needed to become full partners in the education of their young children. Even Start integrated (1) early childhood education, (2) adult literacy or adult basic education, (3) parenting education, and (4) parent-child interactive literacy activities into a unified, four-component family literacy program.
LEAs, CBOs, public agencies, institutions of higher education, and other nonprofit organizations collaborated on Even Start projects throughout California. Projects were funded for four years, contingent on adequate annual progress based on performance indicators for adults and children. Projects were expected to increase self-sustainability with each year of implementation through collaborative, in-kind contributions that matched allocated federal Even Start funding amounts.
Evaluation
California Even Start projects were required to collect data on children and adults to document annual progress against identified state performance indicators and federal guidelines. Each project was required to submit an annual end-of-year evaluation report on the participation, service intensity and performance standards for adults and children in order to continue to be funded. Each report was read and scored according to objective criteria, and areas of weakness were addressed by plans and time lines of corrective action for program improvement.
The evaluation process also included on-site state monitoring reviews and an annual self-study, through which projects compared themselves to exemplary characteristics and success indicators.
Even Start Funding
Even Start grants were awarded to states from the U.S. Department of Education. States, in turn, awarded grants to local educational agencies, in partnership with community-based and other non-profit organizations, based on a statewide competitive process.
Contact Information
California Department of Education
Child Development Division
Curriculum, Learning, and Accountability Branch
1430 N Street, Suite 3410
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
916-319-0606/FAX 916-319-0135
Additional Resources
Gina Phi, Preschool Director
Campbell Union School District
Campbell Even Start
401 West Hamilton Avenue
Campbell, CA 95008
408-341-7124
Campbell Union School District (USD) has demonstrated success in meeting the goals and purpose of the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program statute to provide high-quality, intensive, year-round family literacy services based on scientifically based research principles. In addition, the Even Start project at Campbell USD has enrolled 35 families and utilizes existing high-quality community resources to provide a unified, high-quality, and intensive program of adult education, early childhood education, school readiness, parent education, parent and child interactive literacy activities at the Rosemary Family Learning Center.
Roberta Lanterman, Program Facilitator
Long Beach Family Literacy
3701 East Willow Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
562-595-8893 Extension 203/FAX 562-989-1847
Long Beach Unified School District (USD) has demonstrated success in meeting the goals and purpose of the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program statute to provide high-quality, intensive, year-round family literacy services based on scientifically based research principles. In addition, Long Beach USD has implemented the Even Start model at three sites in the City of Long Beach serving a total of 80 Even Start families. Forty families are enrolled at various elementary schools and 40 families are enrolled at the adult school who partnered with the Head Start Program which is funded by First 5.
