FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2006
Literacy Groups Respond to President's FY 2007 Budget Request for Even Start
Washington, DC - In a strong show of support for tens of thousands of at-risk children and families in the U.S., three key national literacy organizations today began a major advocacy campaign to save the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program now being proposed for elimination in President Bush's FY 2007 budget request.
The National Even Start Association (NESA), the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) and the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy plan to work with dozens of House and Senate supporters to ensure that Even Start receives the funding necessary to meet the educational needs of the nation's poorest families.
Considered the only federal reading program to involve both parents and children from birth to age eight, the program would be "zeroed-out" in the FY 2007 budget released yesterday by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This is the third consecutive attempt by the Bush Administration to eliminate Even Start.
Many literacy, education, and Hispanic organizations also are expected to join the effort to see that the vital program's funding not only continues, but also is returned to the FY 2005 level of $225 million. The FY 2006 funding level for Even Start is $99 million.
"It is regrettable. In spite of the population this program serves, and sound scientific evidence to the contrary, the Administration has decided to make something of a poster child of the Even Start program," said former chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Education and the Workforce Committee, Bill Goodling (R-PA). "The picture they paint is not one I, as author of the program, or independent researchers, would recognize," said Goodling.
Rigorous evaluations of newer federal reading programs have yet to be released, according to Goodling who says that any research must include longitudinal studies on the progress of all family participants to effectively evaluate literacy programs.
While in Congress, Goodling introduced language in federal law requiring reading programs to be based on "reliable and replicable" scientifically-based research. When we created and later revised Even Start in 2000, it was with the intent of helping the poorest families and insisting on program quality and accountability...these are goals that now permeate the program," said Goodling.
Serving an estimated 50,000 families nationwide in 1,200 state-administrated projects, Even Start emphasizes that a parent must be a child's first and most important teacher. The program teaches parents about their child's language and literacy development and the value of reading and talking extensively to them. Nearly half of the parents who participate in Even Start are Hispanic. It is noted that they are in search of the English language skills needed to obtain a job and support their children's education. Research shows that this population is making the greatest gains from Even Start programs.
The U.S. Department of Education cites compelling statistics proving that Even Start families are the most in need.
- Eighty-four percent of Even Start's families are at or below Federal poverty levels.
- Even Start families are significantly poorer than Head Start families. Nearly half of Even Start families have an annual household income under $6,000, contrasted with only 13 percent of Head Start families.
- Eighty-four percent of Even Start adults have no high school diploma or GED; 44 percent of the parents have not gone beyond the ninth grade; and many have had little or no formal education.
Sue Henry, executive director of NESA, is particularly concerned with the effect the FY 2006 Even Start appropriations cuts (from $225 million to $99 million, a 56 percent annual reduction) are having on the delivery of services to families eager to learn, but potentially locked out from doing so.
"States will have to reduce the number of families served by more than half to maintain high quality services with only 44 percent of last year's funding." Henry said. "If we are to ever close the gap between children who live in poverty, whose parents have low literacy skills, we must expand, not decrease the Even Start model that begins at birth and supports parents to assist their children in their language and literacy development."
Local and state evaluations have clearly documented the success of the Even Start program. In California, for instance - where 82 percent of the families served are English language learners - second grade students entering the program with little or no English language skills are now achieving at comparable rates with all second graders statewide. These results are similar throughout the country.
Barbara Van Horn, co-director of the Goodling Institute disagrees with OMB's contention that eliminating Even Start is justified because it duplicates several other programs, including Head Start, Adult Education, Early Reading First, Reading First, and Title I. Van Horn said, "Even Start grantees integrate early childhood education, adult literacy, and parenting education into a unified family literacy program. No other program is designed to do that."
If Even Start is eliminated, then those most in need of a family-oriented literacy program will find no support.
ABOUT NCFL
NCFL was established by Sharon Darling in 1989 with a grant from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust. Since 1989, the National Center for Family Literacy has pioneered educational initiatives that open pathways to continuous life improvement for the nation's most at-risk children and families. Working with family literacy programs and practitioners in schools and communities across the nation, NCFL has helped thousands break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and low literacy and move forward to become stronger and more self-sufficient. To learn more, visit www.famlit.org.
Contact: Marvin Young, 502-584-1133 x. 173 or
ABOUT NESA
NESA is a membership organization, comprised of a group of professionals dedicated to supporting high quality services in Even Start Family Literacy programs. NESA supports Even Start programs in all 50 states and the territories, Tribal Even Start programs, Migrant Even Start programs and Even Start programs in prisons housing women and children. To learn more, visit www.evenstart.org.
Contact: Sue Henry, 1-800-977-3731 or
ABOUT THE GOODLING INSTITUTE
The Mission of the Goodling Institute is to improve family literacy education through research and its application to practice and professional development. Further, the Goodling Institute provides national leadership to support and maintain high quality, integrated programs for families with educational needs. To learn more, visit www.ed.psu.edu/goodlinginstitute/.
Contact: Barb Van Horn, 814-865-5876 or