Implementation and Continuous Improvement
Volume I, Revised

Final Draft submitted to:
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Compensatory Education

Even Start Family Literacy Program
June 2001
By RMC Research Corporation

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RMC Research Corporation. (2001, June). Guide to Quality: Even Start Family Literacy Program, Volume I (revised). Manuscript submitted for publication.

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Rod Paige

Susan B. Neuman

Joseph Johnson

Patricia McKee

This publication is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted.

This guide was supported by a contract between RMC Research Corporation and the U.S. Department of Education. The document contains Web sites for information and resources created and maintained by other public and private organizations. This information is provided for the reader’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of information or addresses or Web sites for particular items does not reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered.

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Preface iv

Section I

• Purpose and Development of the Guide 2

• Using the Guide for Continuous Program Improvement 4

• Even Start Program Snapshots 7

Section II

• Family Literacy Core Values 16

• Quality Considerations

• Partnerships and Collaborations 18

• Program Leadership and Management 22

• Integration of Instruction Within Program Components 26

• Recruitment 29

• Retention 32

• Staff Development 36

• Early Childhood Education for Preschool Children 39

• Adult Basic Education and Literacy 43

• Parenting Education 48

• Parent and Child Interactive Literacy Activities 52

• Home-Based Instruction 54

• Transitions 57

Section III

• Appendix

• Selected Definitions from Federal Legislation 61

• Even Start Family Literacy Program Statute 62

• References 75

Section IV

• Program Self-Assessment (not included in draft text version)

This Guide is a revised version of the original Guide to Quality, published in 1995, and it includes new research and best practices from the field of family literacy and programs throughout the country. The research findings from the multiple fields that comprise family literacy are supported and augmented by the first-hand experiences and knowledge of practitioners and program administrators. This revised Volume I replaces the original Guide and will have a companion guide, Volume II, that will cover additional topics and program services (to be published in 2002).

Some of the highlights of the revised Volume I are:

• A new section on Program Leadership and Management.

• Separate treatment of Parenting Education and Parent-Child Interactive Literacy Activities.

• An enhanced focus on literacy (for example, Home Visiting has been changed to Home-Based Instruction).

• An emphasis on program design and evaluation that leads to continuous improvement of program services.

• An appendix containing the Even Start Family Literacy Program statute, and references to legal requirements that apply to Even Start program administration and services.

• New research references and resources.

Many people provided guidance and feedback throughout the writing of this Guide. From the U.S. Department of Education, we would like to thank: Patricia McKee, Doris Sligh, Tanielle Johnson and Laura Lazo (Even Start Program office); DonnaMarie Marlow (Migrant Education); and Miriam Whitney (Office of the General Counsel). We received invaluable comments and suggestions from Even Start state coordinators and staff from agencies, such as Parents as Teachers, who participated in focus groups. And special thanks goes to Diane D’Angelo of RMC Research, who contributed greatly to the writing and review of the Guide.

We hope that the accumulated research, wisdom and practice contained in this Guide help you to design and conduct programs that enable families to reach their literacy and life goals, thereby improving the lives of those you touch by helping them to realize their dreams for a better life.

M. Christine Dwyer
Teresa R. Sweeney
RMC Research Corporation

Section I

• Purpose and Development of the Guide 2

• Using the Guide for Continuous Program Improvement 4

• Even Start Program Snapshots 7

Effective family literacy programs are an important part of President Bush’s education agenda and pledge to "leave no child behind." The Guide to Quality: Even Start Family Literacy Program Implementation and Continuous Improvement, Volume I (Revised) covers what has been learned by Even Start program staff in the field and research that informs practice from the last ten years. The Guide describes characteristics of high quality, effective Even Start programs, and is intended to be used for multiple purposes related to improving program quality. This Guide: (1) serves as an outline of important program characteristics and practices for implementing new and existing Even Start programs; (2) provides a self-assessment tool that programs can use to identify strengths and weaknesses, and areas for staff development and continuous program improvement; (3) helps state personnel and peer review teams to improve programs by identifying characteristics of quality programs, as well as noting indications of possible problems; and (4) gives potential collaborators information about Even Start goals.

The statements of quality included here are intended as guidelines that can be used to design effective family literacy programs based on research and best practices. Scientifically-based research available from the fields of early childhood education, literacy and parenting is reflected in this Guide. The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) perceives the design of local programs to be a matter of state and local discretion, once the statutory program requirements are met. The quality statements are examples of approaches that have led to successful outcomes; they are not program requirements. Even well-managed and effective programs may not implement all the suggestions included in this Guide. This Guide does not replace federal laws or program guidance; programs must meet all of the requirements of the Even Start law, Part B of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 (ESEA), as reauthorized and amended by the Literacy Involves Families Together (LIFT) Act of 2000 (see Appendix).

The original and revised Guides were developed in response to requests from Even Start state coordinators for a document they could use during project site visits to engage staff in discussions about "what makes a quality family literacy program." The process of development included input and review from Even Start and other family literacy practitioners, Even Start state coordinators and federal staff.

The Guide incorporates information from a variety of sources: (1) Even Start national evaluation results; (2) research in fields related to Even Start, specifically early childhood education, adult education, collaboration, parenting education and home visiting; (3) the accumulated wisdom and practice of family literacy program staff and administrators that has been shared through conferences and site visits; (4) the theoretical base that has emerged for family literacy led by the work of the National Center for Family Literacy; (5) the work of other fields in developing indicators of quality, especially adult education and the National Institute for Literacy; and (6) legal requirements in the Even Start program legislation.

Even Start programs that serve special populations (for example, migrant or English language learners) or operate in specialized contexts (for example, isolated rural areas, homeless shelters or prisons) will need to adapt the quality statements to their program circumstances. Some of the quality statements may not apply or they may apply very differently to these programs. The staff of programs serving special populations may need to consider cultural and linguistic characteristics of their families and adjust services accordingly.

The statements of quality are presented within twelve major topic areas. In practice, these areas are integrated so there are many interconnections across the topics.

• Each topic area begins with a statement of the primary goal or "challenge" associated with that topic or program component. The challenge is followed by an "Even Start Note," which contains information about federal requirements or practices that are particular to Even Start programs.

• Next, "quality considerations" are listed for each topic. These are statements of conditions associated with high quality programs based on evaluation, research, theory, best practices, and legal requirements.

• The quality considerations are followed by "signs of problems" in each topic area. These are intended to be "red flags," and may be used to prompt discussion or to facilitate program review and technical assistance.

• "Snapshot" descriptions of diverse family literacy projects are included. These examples illustrate how the quality considerations can be implemented, and are intended to give a picture of program practices that may inspire staff as they design and modify their projects.

• The Appendix contains the complete Even Start statute, including amendments made by the Literacy Involves Families Together (LIFT) Act.

• References for major resource documents are included at the end of the guide.

• Finally, the quality considerations are provided in a workbook format as a "self-assessment guide" for programs.

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The purpose of the Even Start Family Literacy Program (Even Start) is to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by improving educational opportunities for the Nation’s low-income families through the integration of early childhood education, adult literacy (adult basic education or English as a Second Language), and parenting education in a unified family literacy program. Under Even Start, Federal financial assistance has been provided since 1989 for family-centered education projects to help parents gain the literacy and parenting skills they need to become full partners in the education of their young children (ages birth through seven), and to assist those children in reaching their full potential as learners. The Department has conducted three National Evaluations of Even Start, which have traced the growth, changes, progress and trends among programs. There are direct connections between the quality considerations suggested in this Guide and findings from the national evaluations. Whether a program retains families, offers sufficient hours and types of services, and collaborates with other agencies to meet families’ needs greatly affects the participation rates and success of family members. A few highlights of the evaluation findings are:

• Intensity of Services affects Participation: In Adult, Parenting and Early Childhood Education, greater hours of services offered correlate with greater hours of participation.

Adult Education. When 16 or less hours of service are offered per month, adults’ participation averages 100 hours per year. When 48 or more hours of service are offered per month, adults’ participation averages 216 hours per year.

Parenting Education. When 8 or less hours of service are offered per month, adults’ participation averages 29 hours per year. When 25 or more hours of service are offered per month, adults’ participation averages 80 hours per year.

Early Childhood Education. When 24 or less hours of service are offered per month, children’s participation averages 235 hours per year. When 80 or more hours of service are offered per month, children’s participation averages 410 hours per year.

• Support Services affect Participation: When comparing the average number of support services families receive to their hours of participation in Adult, Parenting and Early Childhood Education, a greater number of support services correlates with greater hours of participation.

Adult Education. When families receive no support services, adults’ average participation in adult education is 53 hours per year. When families receive five to nine types of support services, adults’ average participation in adult education is 215 hours per year.

Parenting Education. When families receive no support services, adults’ average participation in parenting education is 17 hours per year. When families receive five to nine types of support services, adults’ average participation in parenting education is 76 hours per year.

Early Childhood Education. When families receive no support services, children’s average participation in early childhood education is 260 hours per year. When families receive five to nine types of support services, children’s average participation in early childhood education is 432 hours per year.

• Length of Participation affects Goal Attainment: Families that participate in Even Start for 12 months or more experience greater success in achieving their goals. While 15% of families achieved their goals within four to six months, 21% of families achieved their goals by remaining in the program for seven to 12 months. However, the greatest gains were made by those who participated for one and a half to two years -- 34% of those families achieved their goals.

Another important finding relates to families’ involvement in the above-mentioned services and in parent-child interactive literacy activities. Overall, families in projects that dedicated significant amounts of time to parents and children learning and playing together had measurable improvements in their home environments compared to families in projects with considerably less parent-child time. Some of the indicators of improved home environment were: having more reading materials in the home; practicing positive disciplinary approaches; and parents and children engaging in learning activities related to daily events and routine family activities.

Family literacy programs are complex to implement because they rely on cooperation among education and other community services, and require knowledge of best practices in a number of fields. In 1995, the Department published the first edition of the Guide to Quality to highlight the practices associated with programs that produced positive outcomes for families. The practices listed in the Guide to Quality came to be widely known in the family literacy field as "program quality indicators."

In a move toward increasing the quality of all Even Start programs, Congress amended Section 1210 of the Even Start law (Part B of Title I of the ESEA) in 1998 to require that all states develop "indicators of program quality" based on the best available research and evaluation data. The amendments also require States to use those indicators to monitor, evaluate and improve the progress of Even Start projects. But some confusion was introduced at the same time because Section 1210 uses the term "quality indicators" in a new way, meaning indicators that describe performance outcomes for adults and children. For example, required indicator categories in the law include attainment of secondary diplomas or equivalents and employment for adults, and progress on reading readiness skills and school attendance for children. In addition to the required indicators for participant outcomes, the law allows states to develop other participant and program quality indicators. Program quality indicators that describe best practices in the design and delivery of Even Start services are the subject of this Guide.

This revised edition of the Guide provides ideas for state agencies to use in developing quality standards for Even Start program implementation to supplement the required performance outcomes. States could select indicators of quality from the Guide that they consider important enough to require of all their programs. These may include: (1) expectations associated with staff development and staff supervision; (2) the nature and frequency of home-based instruction; (3) procedural requirements, such as exit and transition policies; and (4) particular features of instructional approaches, such as explicit teaching of phonological awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. States are encouraged to focus local programs’ attention on best practices in order to emphasize the quality of program delivery as well as program outcomes.

The quality considerations in this Guide are based on evaluation and research findings, and the advice of expert theorists. When particular intensities or ranges of behavior are suggested, they are grounded in evidence from research. Individual states may choose to be more prescriptive than the Guide in their setting of quality standards for programs. For example, a state may decide to require programs to maintain particular staff-to-family ratios or provide a specific number of service hours.

Local Even Start programs should consult their state’s plan for information about the specific program standards and performance outcomes that apply to them. The terms or phrases used to describe different types of expectations may vary by state. States usually make distinctions in terminology between qualities of program implementation (often called "quality indicators," the subject of this Guide) and outcomes for participants (often called "performance indicators"). In some cases, they are both called program quality indicators or other similar terms. The purpose of using indicators to measure program quality is more important than the terminology. Local program administrators are encouraged to use the indicators in this Guide for reviewing and assessing local program implementation, whether or not their state agency requires them to measure program quality in a formal way.

The following snapshots are based on examples from local Even Start programs throughout the country, the Even Start National Evaluation, and work of the National Center for Family Literacy and RMC Research Corporation.

An urban school district and a county non-profit family service agency are partners on a successful Even Start proposal, and they are implementing the plan together. The Even Start program is scheduled to open in a few months. Community agencies representing a wide range of services – the housing authority, Head Start, adult basic literacy – supported the proposal and wrote contracts with the new Even Start entity. These contracts describe the services and resources they will provide as part of their collaboration with the program. The partners and collaborating agencies discussed their vision for the program as part of writing the proposal, and the new Even Start director, Angela, wants to get everyone back together as soon as possible to develop a detailed first year plan based on this vision. She knows that she cannot assume everyone has the same approach or agenda for the families they will serve, and that all the agencies need to develop good working relationships for the Even Start program to be successful.

When the school district and the family service agency were writing the proposal, they asked some of the collaborators and local leaders if they would serve on an advisory board. Angela is holding an "opening celebration" for the Center, where her staff, advisory board members, and staff from other programs will meet and get to know each other. Angela and the partners will explain the purpose and services of Even Start, and outline the types of support the new Center needs. In fact, one of the board members has already donated office furniture. It is important that everyone involved can articulate the vision and their commitment, and represent the program in their personal and professional circles.

One collaboration challenge that Angela already anticipates is the relationship with the Head Start program that operates in the local schools. Angela sees no duplication of services and little competition for families, but she wants to avoid any perception of real or imagined "turf wars" between programs. There are a large number of families who need the services of Even Start and Head Start, and collaborators have been chosen because they can reach different target populations and serve different needs. In fact, at the first planning meeting of collaborating agencies, representatives made short presentations about each program’s mission, services, eligibility, and client demographics and profile. One strategy Angela is going to suggest at the next planning meeting is that they develop a joint screening and intake tool. This will facilitate the referral of families to appropriate agencies and ensure that they receive some services while waiting to enroll in programs. The agencies have already implemented a tracking system for referrals made among programs, so a common intake tool would enhance cooperation and management of services to families.

The collaborating agencies have already started joint staff training. The first steps were easy because agencies that already had scheduled training shared that information. Also, the agencies’ staffs filled out surveys concerning what topics they were interested in, what their subject and training expertise were, and if they were willing to present cross-training workshops. Some of the topics they said they would like to have training in were: child development, literacy, nutrition, health issues, legal services, and parenting education. The staffs of Even Start and Head Start have also decided to hold a joint family day event, because they anticipate they may have some families in common.

The partner agencies, advisory board members and Angela plan to have a retreat at the end of the first program year. They will review the budget, program records, and progress made during the first year. Some of the topics that staff and board members have suggested for discussion are whether the recruitment and intake processes are reaching the neediest families, and uncovering their social service as well as literacy needs, and if there are sufficient services available to meet the identified needs. They will also set goals for the second year, and identify resources to support the long-term program plans.

Angela and her staff developed an annual recruitment plan using multiple methods and resources. The plan includes: a highly visible media campaign (for example, public service announcements, calendar of events, ads in newspapers, flyers, brochures, posters); an open house twice a year; monthly special events; participation in community events (for example, fairs, neighborhood days); and a schedule for distributing materials through community agencies and in neighborhoods. Recruitment materials are written in the languages and at the literacy level of the families targeted by the program. Neighborhood canvassing is done as often as possible; at a minimum, it is done three times a year. Teams of staff members canvass neighborhoods with which they are most familiar. Current Even Start participants are encouraged and asked to join the recruiting teams. Canvassing is frequently done door-to-door, particularly targeting homes with young children’s toys in the yards and hallways. Staff also visit the local laundromats and convenience stores to talk about Even Start and to leave brochures. Staff set recruitment goals related to identifying families that are most in need based on profiles of the community, which they get from local government and other agency annual reports.

Calls are made to potential families, and are followed up with personal visits whenever possible. Staff and parents complete a "screening questionnaire" at home, which is intended to describe the family as well as provide clues about their literacy skills. For instance, staff may ask the age and educational level of all persons living in the home, what they enjoy doing together in their leisure time, what activities the children do at home, if there are special concerns about any family member, and what about the Even Start program sounds important or appeals to the family. The staff select the families most in need of Even Start services based on this screening tool. Staff need to keep in mind the program’s limited resources and determine how they will most effectively serve the families most in need. Staff will refer families to other services in the community if Even Start has a waiting list. Staff review the waiting list each month and stay in contact with the families by mail and phone. Staff talk about the expectations of participants with each family before they enroll in Even Start. In many cases, the staff provide some type of support to the families until they can enroll, such as offering free books.

Each staff member must be able to articulate the purpose and services of Even Start because recruitment is a continual process. To prepare, staff model talking about Even Start to potential families and referring agencies during staff meetings. Each staff member sets recruitment goals, such as number of monthly contacts with families and agencies. Recruitment becomes a weekly agenda item at staff meetings. Angela has hired bilingual staff to communicate with Spanish-speaking families during recruitment and enrollment. Staff exhibit their desire and need to be knowledgeable about community resources by serving on other agencies’ committees and boards, which also increases the visibility and outreach of the Even Start program. Many Even Start family events are planned with and include families in other agencies, such as Head Start and the YMCA. Resources and facilities are shared so that families learn about the other services. Ongoing and continuous community outreach builds trust and relationships with collaborating staff.

Wanda lives in a trailer at the end of a three-mile dirt road with her four children. She dropped out of school when she was fifteen to have her first child. Her two school-age children are enrolled in Title I programs and one child has some hearing loss in the right ear. He is waiting to receive a hearing aid. The youngest children are two and four years old. Wanda has a difficult time helping her children with homework and often accuses the teachers of asking her to do their work. Mona, the Even Start home instructor who works with Wanda’s family, says there are not enough pots to catch the water dripping from the ceiling when it rains. Wanda does the best she can, living far from town with no car. Twice a month, her sister comes over to take the family to town to buy supplies. The family’s main connection to the world is the television and Wanda’s love of stories. She enjoys making up pretend tales to entertain the children. She agreed to be part of a home-based Even Start program because she gets lonely, and wants the children to "learn something" and have a better life.

Mona decides to discuss Wanda and her family at the next staff meeting so the team can help her plan an integrated approach to providing services. During the staff discussion, it becomes very clear to Mona that Wanda’s interests and needs are interrelated. Wanda’s desire to improve herself and to help her children could be the catalyst for addressing many of the concerns she has for her family. The staff recommend that Mona build the initial adult literacy lessons upon Wanda’s interest in reading to her children. She could write her "pretend" tales and practice reading them to her children. The parent-child interaction time could include writing down the children’s stories for school. The staff suggest that Mona talk to Wanda about what to expect at parent-teacher conferences at school so that Wanda will understand what her children are learning. Mona should use every opportunity that arises to emphasize to Wanda the value of reading and writing for herself and her children. Mona might ask Wanda what types of learning activities she would like to do with her children, and she can suggest things like a trip to the library if Wanda does not suggest it herself. Mona hopes to transition Wanda into the Center to involve her in discussions with peers about managing her children’s behavior, decreasing television viewing, and other parenting issues. Mona also wants to get Wanda’s youngest children involved in the early childhood education program at the Center. Wanda might want to come to the Center’s classes after meeting other parents and seeing first-hand what is available for her children there.

Mona began developing a family action plan with Wanda during the next home visit. Wanda identified three goals she wanted for herself and her children. As next steps, Mona and Wanda identified a long list of resources she would need to accomplish her goals: money to buy a car, a driver’s license, job training and a job, a library card, better reading skills, and the self-confidence that she can do this. So Wanda began to prioritize the things she needed to do first: learn to read better, explore job options, ask her sister about watching the kids. Mona skillfully incorporated interactive literacy and parenting activities that related to Wanda’s goals into the weekly Even Start instructional home visits. She also guided her through problem-solving exercises to explore solutions to some of her needs, such as transportation and housing. Mona let Wanda use her laptop computer to practice writing her stories and printing pages so the children could illustrate them. Wanda was amazed how easy it was! Mona also suggested that Wanda call her church or volunteer groups to ask about free transportation to the library and to the school. To start her community outreach, Wanda decided to call the welfare office to see if there were funds to evaluate her son’s hearing loss. As she began to see evidence of her accomplishments, Wanda became very excited about her future. She agreed to bring the children to the "Family Fun Day" at the Center. Each child selected a favorite "homemade" book to bring. They loved the attention and praise they received from everyone.

An Even Start program in rural Pennsylvania offers the adult education component both at the Even Start Center, located in the elementary school, and through the home-based instruction program, which offers an individualized adult learning curriculum. One of the students, Claudet, a married mother of four, is finishing her second year with Even Start. She dropped out of school in the tenth grade following the birth of her first child. Her main goal when she enrolled in Even Start was to be able to read "chapter books," not just picture books, to her children. She now has two children in grade school and she wants to help them learn. She feels this will encourage them to finish high school. She said she is embarrassed that she cannot read well, especially when she is out in public. For example, she cannot read all the words on food labels to buy "good" food for her children and feels "ripped off" at fast food restaurants because she cannot figure out if she gets the correct change. The friend who initially brought Claudet to Even Start has already gotten her general equivalency diploma and is starting a job. Claudet said she may want to get a job when her children are older. She knows she does not have adequate skills to get a decent paying job now. When she entered the program, her short term goals were to get a library card so she could get books to practice reading to her children, learn how to help her children with their homework, and improve her basic math skills.

Initially, Claudet received adult education instruction at home, but made the choice to come to the Center with her two youngest children. One incentive for this was that transportation was provided by Even Start. Claudet admitted that she was afraid to come to the Center’s adult education program, but decided to try it because "all the staff who have visited me at home are so friendly and encouraging." She is finding that her children love their classes at the Center, and that she can set up a class schedule four days a week that is flexible and works around her family’s schedule. She also likes that the staff remind her about special events and call her if she misses classes because it shows they care.

Although the whole family enjoys the interactive literacy activities and early childhood program, Claudet is afraid of being tested for her adult education classes at the Center. She is comfortable with the parenting sessions, since she feels she is a good parent and enjoys talking with the other mothers. But school to her means reading textbooks, filling in workbooks and taking tests – which she has never done well. To her surprise, the first thing Claudet and her teacher did was to discuss what she wanted to learn and she completed a self-evaluation. Eventually, she was tested on her literacy and math skills, but she was comfortable with the teacher and understood the purpose of the testing so she was less nervous and fearful. Claudet is surprised that she and the other students read real life materials, like novels and magazines, and discuss topics they want to learn about, such as budgeting, family health concerns, and how to write a resume. She is amazed that she and the other students have similar feelings and desires, and she is eager to talk about her life experiences during class discussions. Claudet also enjoys listening to the teacher read to the class and often takes a tape recorder home so that she can listen to lessons on tape. She finds she learns better by listening and is really pleased with the progress she has made. Claudet told the staff that she feels her adult education teacher is very knowledgeable and teaches the material in a way that she understands. Claudet was particularly pleased to announce to the class that her husband just enrolled in the adult education classes offered at night to get his GED because he saw how positive she felt about Even Start.

Claudet is surprised by how much she likes computers. Her program has partnered with another Even Start program in the state and Claudet has a pen pal she keeps in touch with through e-mail. She is thrilled that she can take the Center’s laptop home to do work with her children. She decided that getting a job working with computers might be a good long-term goal. At the end of her first year of classes, she received a Certificate of Improvement because she has made significant progress toward completing a level in the adult education course. Claudet constantly says, "This is not like going to school. I feel good coming to my Even Start school." Because she feels more confident about her skills, Claudet is volunteering in her oldest child’s third grade classroom. She has already achieved one of her goals: learning how to help her children with their schoolwork.

Hosea and his mother will have many changes in their lives this fall. Hosea will start kindergarten and his mother, Luann, will attend adult education and parenting classes full-time at the Even Start center. They have really enjoyed the visits from the home instructor, and Luann feels she does many more literacy activities with Hosea on her own at home. But when they discussed the topic of transition during parenting class last semester, Luann was concerned and nervous about how both she and Hosea would adjust to being in school all day and separated from each other. The Even Start staff assured her that they helped families make changes like these, and that she would discuss transition plans for herself and Hosea with a staff member. Even Start has a committee that maintains contact with teachers, social workers, employers and others so that staff and families have the information they need to plan smooth transitions for family members. Talking about her concerns gave Luann reassurance about Hosea beginning kindergarten, and she began to get excited about spending more time at the Center for her adult studies and job training.

The Center already has several effective transition policies in place. For instance, Even Start staff meet with the kindergarten teachers each spring to discuss the children coming from the program and to focus on the needs and abilities of each child. They also exchange ideas about what worked and did not work programmatically for different children during the past year. They use this opportunity to set up joint training in early childhood development and curriculum planning for both staffs in the upcoming year.

Hosea was given the screening test for kindergarten at Even Start to see if he had any disabilities that required attention. The staff explained all of the services and special opportunities that the public schools offer for children and families to Luann. Luann now feels that she could ask for additional services for Hosea, if he needs them. Luann’s home instructor encourages her to read books about going to school to Hosea, find or start a playgroup during the summer, and to talk about and emphasize all the positive things about school to prepare him. Hosea’s Even Start early childhood teacher has already agreed to accompany Luann to the parent orientation at the public school in a few weeks. Hosea and his friends from the Center who are going to kindergarten together are scheduled to visit the kindergarten class with their Even Start teacher.

Luann received a voucher for public transportation to visit Hosea’s new kindergarten classroom. She was told that these vouchers are available for any visits she would like to make to help out in the classroom during the school year. The school mailed her an information packet, which was printed in both English and Spanish. She was able to share it with Hosea’s grandmother who only speaks and reads Spanish. At the parent orientation meeting, the teacher explains the developmental nature of the kindergarten program to Luann. She learns that a high level of parent involvement is welcomed and encouraged, and that her opinion of how Hosea is doing is very valuable to the teachers. There will be two scheduled parent-teacher conferences a year, and frequent written correspondence and telephone contact with parents. Hosea’s Even Start teacher tells Luann that she would be happy to review the materials from school with her at any time. Luann will also visit Hosea each week in kindergarten as part of the parent-child interaction time with Even Start. She is very pleased about this.

As for her own "school schedule," Luann met with the adult education coordinator to discuss and choose her classes. She plans to take a mix of pre-GED classes and job training, to work toward her goal of being a teacher’s aide. Maybe she can work in Hosea’s school one day. Luann arranged her schedule at Even Start so she can accompany Hosea to school his first day. Luann is feeling much better about their "transitions into the future" this fall.

The topic of this monthly Even Start staff meeting is evaluation – specifically, what the staff can do to improve services based on their program’s evaluation data. The program director, Lynn, and her staff are concerned about the unexpectedly disappointing results of their adult learners’ TABE scores (Test of Adult Basic Skills) compared with other programs in their state. They also compared the number of adult education hours their program participants receive compared to national Even Start data, and found that their participants receive fewer instructional hours than the average hours for adults in other programs. So they decide to track content hours more closely this year, which will require the cooperation of collaborating agencies.

The subject of collaborators brings up the whole issue of how well the current relationships are working. The staff at this meeting are from the two major Even Start partner agencies, which provide parenting and early childhood services. Most of the adult education services are provided by a collaborating agency. Lynn mentions that they need to expand their circle of collaborating agencies because the current agencies do not have the funds or service capability to handle the range of needs of enrolled families. The staff agree that more collaborators are needed. However, some of them bring up problems with current cross-agency coordination that they would like to discuss. The examples given are: (1) efforts to share information about and stay in contact with families are not reciprocated, and Even Start staff are not invited to other agencies’ meetings; (2) referrals from one particular agency are usually inappropriate, which suggests they do not understand the purpose of Even Start; (3) parents have complained that the adult education instructors do not use materials that relate to their goals or requests. Everyone agrees that these are problems that need to be addressed before additional collaborators are sought. Lynn suggests that they ask their independent evaluator, Jack, to include this issue in his upcoming annual evaluation plan.

In the past, Jack has helped Lynn and the staff to assess the long-term family outcomes of their participants and to clarify program direction. For this year’s evaluation, Jack plans to: (1) assess the extent to which adults in the Even Start program have met goals in their Family Action Plans; and (2) examine parenting outcomes, such as changes in educational expectations of children, parent-initiated contacts with schools, and understanding of children’s curricula and instructional content. After discussing the history of and staff’s concerns with the current collaborators, Jack summarizes what he hears as the crux of the matter: the purpose of collaboration is to extend support services to families to meet the goal of comprehensive services for families, and the weaknesses in the current system are preventing this from happening. Based on the problems the staff has described, Jack notes that some of their basic criteria for successful collaborations are: regular communication, knowledge of each other’s programs, and common philosophies and goals. Lynn asks him to develop a plan to assess their collaboration efforts.

Over a five-month period, Jack works with the staff of all the key agencies and gets their feedback on various aspects of collaboration. The guiding questions for the collaboration evaluation are: (1) How well do current collaborators understand the goals and operations of Even Start? (2) What are collaborators’ degrees of satisfaction with their relationship with Even Start? (3) How compatible are collaborators’ goals with Even Start goals? And have the goals of different programs grown closer as a result of the collaborative relationship? (4) What is needed to strengthen and improve collaborative relationships? Jack uses various approaches and instruments to collect evaluation data: focus groups, surveys, and follow-up interviews. The plan also addressed how the findings and recommendations would be presented, and it was agreed that Jack would make two presentations – one to the Even Start staff, and one to the collaborators’ staffs. Then the administrators from each agency will decide how they want to proceed.

Soon after receiving the evaluation report, Lynn meets with her colleagues from the other agencies. Openly discussing the report and their individual perspectives on program services and participants reveals that, philosophically, they have similar hopes for family outcomes. But it is also obvious that the approaches reflected in their program designs and curricula are quite different, and most of the collaborators only concentrate on the family member that is their direct recipient or client. The administrators draw some immediate conclusions that echo the Even Start staff’s original concerns: (1) the lack of knowledge and coordination among agencies is causing services to conflict with each other and/or gaps in services, (2) families are not always looked at holistically, so some staff are not familiar with whole families and their goals and activities, and (3) both of these factors result in a lack of appropriate and sufficient services being provided to families. The discussion turns to how these problems can be improved. Numerous ideas and suggestions – and, of course, potential obstacles or difficulties – are generated. Lynn suggests they categorize the suggestions and issues into those that can be addressed now and those that require some long-range planning. She would like to end the meeting with some concrete action steps related to the short-term solutions. Everyone agrees that the following immediate steps will be taken to improve relationships and services: (1) They will schedule a joint staff training day devoted to familiarizing everyone with each other’s mission, program design and services, and client population. (2) The director and lead instructors from the adult education provider will meet with Lynn and her key staff to discuss how to improve the quantity and scheduling of adult education hours, and how they can integrate their instruction better based on family and adult learners’ goals. (3) The core collaborators will figure out a way to exchange relevant participant information, and to share and create cross-agency staff training.

They have a lot of planning and work ahead of them to create a strong collaborative system, but Lynn feels optimistic as she leaves the meeting because she heard and saw her colleagues make the connection between the quality of their services and the successful experiences of families – and that it is mutually beneficial for everyone to work together on this. On that score, the evaluation process has already proved its worth.

• Family Literacy Core Values 16

• Quality Considerations

• Partnerships and Collaborations 18

• Program Leadership and Management 22

• Integration of Instruction Within Program Components 26

• Recruitment 29

• Retention 32

• Staff Development 36

• Early Childhood Education for Preschool Children 39

• Adult Basic Education and Literacy 43

• Parenting Education 48

• Parent and Child Interactive Literacy Activities 52

• Home-Based Instruction 54

• Transitions 57

The improvement of literacy skills of family members is the primary focus of Even Start programs. Even Start programs target families who are most in need of services based upon low income, low level of literacy and other need-related factors, and who otherwise might not be reached or helped by other education programs. Literacy acquisition encompasses the four domains of language (reading, writing, speaking and listening) and numeracy. Literacy instruction should be woven into the activities of all program components, and presented and practiced in contexts that are meaningful to families’ lives and needs.

As the primary stakeholders in Even Start programs, families are full partners in identifying their needs and priorities, shaping their goals, and making decisions about plans to achieve those goals. Program design is based on the needs, interests and goals of families. Even Start values the home and family unit as the most influential learning environment. Successful programs build on families’ strengths and celebrate their successes. Even Start is a safe and supportive place for families to grow and develop.

Even Start programs have high expectations for family involvement and commitment, and require that families participate fully in all program components. Programs encourage families to attend regularly and to remain in the program long enough to meet their long-term goals of academic improvement and self-sufficiency. The program is designed to provide services of the requisite intensity and duration to ensure that families can achieve such goals.

Successful Even Start programs fit services to families, not families to the program. Program services are tailored to meet the needs of individual families, both in content and the scheduling of services. Programs must remain flexible enough to recognize and accommodate the diverse interests and changing needs of families over time, including changes in support service needs (such as, transportation, child care and work demands). Programs also must respond to changing needs and populations in their communities.

Respect for the diverse languages, cultures, and life experiences of families is apparent in all aspects of program practice. Staff members view themselves as allies with other service providers in advocating for families within the larger community. Even Start staff work with families and other service providers to create and use social and resource support networks in the community.

Quality programs are characterized by research-based approaches, consistent values and curricula that are compatible across Even Start components and collaborating programs. The goal of Even Start programs is to provide seamless services for families through the many transitions that families will experience over time. To ensure continuity of services, Even Start administrators lead efforts to institutionalize family-centered approaches within the larger community of service providers.

Even Start programs require staff to operate in new ways and, thus, to provide cross-disciplinary and cross-agency training opportunities to support staff roles and responsibilities. The level of staff qualifications, experience and ongoing professional development are integral to the quality of programs. Staff from Even Start and collaborating agencies work together in the interests of their client families. This focus requires different types of relationships among service providers. Even Start places a high priority on developing truly collaborative relationships with key agencies to ensure comprehensive services for families.

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Challenge: To develop a strong partnership to operate the Even Start program and to form a network of service providers that, individually and collectively, take responsibility for providing and strengthening family literacy services.

Even Start Note: It is important to distinguish between the many formal and informal agency relationships needed to implement a program, and the partnership agreement that constitutes the "eligible entity" that applies for an Even Start grant. Even Start programs apply for funding in partnerships of at least two organizational entities: one or more local educational agencies (LEAs) and one or more community-based organizations (CBOs), public agencies (non-LEA), institutions of higher education, or public or private nonprofit organizations of demonstrated quality. [Sections 1202(e)(1) and 1203(b)(1), ESEA.] The partners assume responsibility for the program’s compliance with legal requirements and proper use of federal funds, although they might not have equal management responsibilities. One partner, or the partnership as a whole, serves as the fiscal agent.

In this section, the following terms are used:

• The "partnership" and "partners" refer to the entities that are the legal Even Start grant recipients.
• "Collaborators" refers to agencies with whom the partnership has formal relationships for providing services.
• "Program" and "program staff" refer to local Even Start programs and their staffs (this is true throughout the Guide).

1. The partners design the program together and periodically review the effectiveness of strategies in meeting desired outcomes.
2. The LEA takes an active role in the partnership, meaning that the district’s central office staff and school principals are knowledgeable about and supportive of Even Start’s goals and services. The LEA values the role of Even Start in developing early reading skills; Even Start staff are included in district professional development and as part of the early reading team.
3. The partnership develops relationships with a wide variety of agencies. These relationships range in purpose from simple information exchange and coordination, to joint referrals for services, to providing core services on an ongoing basis. Throughout the life of the program, the partnership expands the circle of relationships with other agencies to meet the growing and changing needs of the program and families.
4. Collaborations are formed with key agencies that provide high-quality services which are directly related to Even Start’s core program components. To fully sustain the literacy focus of the program, Even Start collaborates with multiple providers of early childhood and adult education services.
5. The program has written agreements with collaborators concerning the nature of the relationship and services to be rendered. Agreements might include: description of services, staff roles and designated contacts, fiscal arrangements and sources of funding, length of agreement and options for renewal, and communication mechanisms and expectations. The strongest relationships include clear benefits for both collaborators and the Even Start program as a result of working together.
6. Cooperative relationships are formed with agencies for referral, coordination and external support services in fields such as health, housing, social services, counseling, substance abuse, job training and placement, and transportation. This includes programs funded by federal and state legislation, such as Title I, Head Start, WIC (Women, Infants and Children), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), WIA (Workforce Investment Act, which includes programs formerly funded by the Job Training Partnership Act), REA (Reading Excellence Act), and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
7. The program builds on and does not duplicate high quality community services that are meeting family needs. It does not build on low quality or inappropriate services. It expands upon, improves and fills gaps in services available from collaborators based on the needs of the families served.
8. An administrative team of representatives from partner and collaborating agencies meets regularly to ensure good communication and coordination of services.
9. The partners and collaborating agencies see collaboration as primarily beneficial to families; there are secondary benefits to the agencies themselves. They agree on mutual goals for families, including literacy goals.
10. The partners create a governance or advisory board that serves as a bridge and unifying force between the partners and collaborators, and the program and the community. This is a group of representatives from the partner agencies, collaborators and members of the community (for example, local government, religious community). The board is an informed, committed and objective group that provides advice and support for the Even Start program and its long-range plan for sustainability past the grant cycle.
11. The program recognizes that staff time is required to attend to building and maintaining collaborative relationships. Communication among agency staffs is frequent and staff visit each others’ program sites.
12. Referrals for the program come from collaborators and other agencies. Even Start families are also referred to collaborators for services. Even Start staff stay in touch with other agencies about families they have referred to ensure that they are participating and receiving adequate services.
13. The program and collaborators share information about families to improve and tailor services they receive. Confidentiality issues have been addressed; programs know what information can and cannot be shared.
14. The program and collaborators work together to minimize barriers to participation in services. For example, the program and collaborators standardize some of their procedures, including developing common terminology and definitions of eligible clients.

 

15. The program offers training as an incentive for collaborators. All collaborators receive training in family literacy philosophy and approaches, and collaborating staff train together when possible to build "buy in" to Even Start approaches.
16. Ownership in the relationship with collaborators is built at all levels. Staff are well informed about the roles and missions of the collaborators. Staff also know each others’ constraints. Staff express an attitude of respect for collaborators and their contributions, and are willing to work together to solve problems that arise.
17. Some Even Start staff have "boundary-crossing" roles with collaborating agencies; for example, adult education instructors work with early childhood staff to plan home-based parent-child literacy activities.
18. Collaborators have a role in identifying outcomes for local evaluation and an interest in evaluation results. Collaborating agencies cooperate with data collection, as needed. Even Start local evaluation addresses successes of and improvements in collaborations.
19. Families have a role in identifying possible collaborators. Families are encouraged to select resources that are most appropriate for them.
20. The partners assume joint responsibility for developing and implementing a continuous improvement plan for program design and services.
21. The partners assume joint responsibility for developing a long-range continuation plan for the program by the second year of the grant cycle to ensure continued funding after the grant ends.

1. The program fears loss of identity or threats of competition for resources from collaborators.
2. There are obvious omissions of relationships with programs serving similar populations.
3. Even Start duplicates existing services in the community.
4. Key staff of partners (for example, school principals) are not aware that they are connected to Even Start or have little understanding of the program.
5. Collaborations are limited to referral and access only (for example, simple sharing of information).
6. There are no changes in service delivery to families that are attributable to the efforts of collaboration.
7. Collaborators and Even Start staff do not understand each other’s program goals and requirements.
8. Collaborators often refer inappropriate families to Even Start.
9. Partners and collaborators cite lack of common procedures, definitions and regulations, and bureaucratic problems as primary barriers to working together.
10. There is no evidence of resource sharing with collaborators.
11. Partners are not clear about what each collaborating program offers. Common goals have not been discussed. Collaborators and partners have different goals for families.
12. No cross-agency staff training has occurred.
13. Collaborators have not altered the literacy level and content of their materials for Even Start families.
14. The majority of collaborators sever their relationship with the program. Collaborators complain there are few benefits for their agencies and clients or improvements in their services.
15. There is no plan for continuation of the program beyond receipt of federal funding.

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Challenge: To provide leadership and direction for the Even Start program, and to employ management strategies that ensure that the program operates smoothly and can achieve its goals. The leadership maintains a vision of improving literacy for children and adults, and ensures that this vision is reflected in daily program practice.

Even Start Note: The Even Start partnership helps to define the management structure of the program. A variety of administrative arrangements is possible, including variations in the degree to which the program is directed by an individual or by an administrative team, and the degree to which management functions are distributed among staff members.

In this section, the following terms are used:

• The "partnership" and "partners" refer to the entities that are the legal Even Start grant recipients.
• "Collaborators" refers to agencies with whom the partnership has formal relationships for providing services.
• "Leadership" refers to the partners and any administrators vested with the authority to shape, govern and direct the program. This may include the influence of a governing or advisory board.
• "Program administrators" are Even Start staff who are responsible for managing the program on a daily basis (the lead administrator is often called the "coordinator"). "Program" and "program staff" refer to local Even Start programs and their staffs.

1. The leadership has an articulated vision of family literacy for the program and the role of the community in supporting this vision.
2. Program administrators’ management styles foster shared decision-making and team-building that involve partners, collaborators, staff, and parents. Staff and program participants feel their ideas are listened to and valued.
3. Program administrators implement a management and accountability system that allows them to measure program effectiveness and outcomes.
4. Program administrators have, at a minimum, Bachelor’s degrees and professional experience in one or more of the Even Start component areas of family literacy (for example, early childhood education, adult education). Administrators have or obtain training in comprehensive family literacy services and program management.
5. Program administrators actively recruit staff with strong credentials and experience in family literacy and related fields. High priority is placed on candidates who have similar cultural and language backgrounds to the majority of program participants. Instructional staff who are paid by Even Start as of the year 2000 have or are working toward obtaining certification or a college degree in fields related to early childhood, elementary or secondary, or adult education by 2004. Instructional staff hired after December 22, 2000 must have such a degree and/or certification.
6. Paraprofessionals who provide support for academic instruction are supervised by professional staff and have, at a minimum, a high school diploma or its equivalent. Staff with Master’s degrees in early childhood education are available to instructional staff for consultation.
7. The program has a written staffing plan that includes job descriptions and expectations for each position, including required credentials or licenses, and desired personal qualities. The plan includes a long-range view of staffing patterns to enhance consistency, continuity and quality of services.
8. There is a staff supervision and support plan that is understood by all staff members. The plan includes policies for addressing staff concerns, and a process for periodic reviews of job performance, salary and professional development plans. Program administrators also support staff in setting boundaries in relationships with families.
9. The program complies with state and local licensure requirements for staffing and physical program settings.
10. The program has an orientation for all new staff that fully describes family literacy and the goals, philosophy and operations of the program. The orientation includes a summary of participating families’ strengths and needs.
11. Program administrators are attentive to the working conditions of staff, recognizing the value of retaining qualified staff. Recognition of staff’s expertise and appreciation for staff can be shown through: (1) salary scales and equity (based on credentials and experience, comparable to other professionals, and competitive with local salaries for similar work), (2) benefits, (3) professional development opportunities, and (4) reasonable caseloads.
12. The leadership recognizes that maintaining high quality staff and services requires sufficient monetary resources. Program administrators establish and maintain an appropriate size caseload based on available resources. To fully and intensively serve families’ needs, many Even Start programs limit the number of participants to approximately 20 or fewer families in small programs and 30 to 50 families in mid-size or large programs at any given time (in other words, taking into account newly-enrolled and exiting families).
13. Program administrators manage budget resources on behalf of the partnership, including preparing an annual realistic budget, approving expenditures (and ensuring records are kept for both cash and matching resources expenditures), monitoring the budget status monthly, and filing necessary reports for continued federal funding.
14. Partners and administrators explore ways to combine, expand and allocate resources to improve the quality of the collaboration; for example, sharing or co-funding staff positions, sharing space, materials and equipment, applying for project grants as agency teams.
15. Program administrators establish and maintain a system of internal communication to ensure that staff, including staff of collaborating agencies, and families are aware of program events, pertinent family literacy news, and support services. Staff and parents feel they know what is going on in the program, and what opportunities are available to them. A variety of communication strategies is used, including regular meetings of staff and collaborators, and postings of materials in accessible locations.
16. Program administrators establish and maintain a system of external communication designed to give the program visibility in the community and to build support for the program. Examples of external communication strategies include distributing a newsletter, participating in community events, and public service announcements.
17. Program administrators take responsibility for connecting the program to the wider field of family literacy. For example, they participate in state and national meetings and conferences related to family literacy and the fields represented by Even Start, and take advantage of relevant information and publications available from national organizations.
18. The leadership seeks feedback from families and staff both formally and informally. Program administrators provide opportunities for the leadership to have direct contact with families and staff, observe program activities, review progress data, and participate in the annual program evaluation.
19. The partnership ensures that the program has a data collection plan that complies with state and federal reporting requirements, and takes responsibility for the completeness and accuracy of information in reports.
20. Partners and administrators work with an independent local evaluator to design and conduct an annual program evaluation. The evaluation tools and process are designed to allow for ongoing assessment of progress and comparisons of progress over time. Staff and collaborators participate in shaping the questions addressed in the evaluation, which should include a means of evaluating the quality of collaborators’ services. The annual evaluation, at a minimum, summarizes participant progress on desired outcomes and addresses implementation and integration of program components, with recommendations for improvement.
21. Program administrators periodically engage staff and collaborators in reflection on the effectiveness of the program model based upon data from the project’s local evaluation, and development of new strategies to achieve the desired outcomes for participants. There is special attention to the quality and intensity of literacy instruction.
22. The leadership has developed a realistic plan to sustain services after the grant ends. The plan is developed with the governing or advisory board and collaborators, and includes expanding connections and support in the community.

1. One of the partners has assumed all decision-making powers, including those affecting program design, funding, and staff selection.
2. The program adopts the existing power structure of the lead partner agency, even if it does not serve the purposes of Even Start.
3. "Silent" partners are involved in securing the program grant, but not in the governance.
4. Program administrators and/or staff lack experience with the target population.
5. There is a high turnover of staff and participants, and staff experience "burnout."
6. Partners and collaborators are consistently late, default on, or provide inaccurate reporting and financial data.
7. Program administrators do not have control over the budget.
8. Program expenditures are far behind schedule for estimated budget and work plan, or the fiscal agent does not disburse funds in a timely fashion.
9. The progress of participants cannot be assessed because collaborators do not provide the necessary data.
10. Staff have not observed collaborators’ programs so they have no first-hand knowledge of the quality of those services.
11. Program administrators take no responsibility for the quality of collaborators’ services.
12. There is a lack of teamwork among staff or training in team building. Staff see their roles as separate from each other – for example, an adult basic education teacher does not think of him or herself as a family educator.
13. Staff do not believe that families can reach their goals and the program can be successful in achieving planned outcomes.
14. Staffing pattern has not changed in response to demographic changes in families served, i.e., no staff members have language backgrounds similar to the majority of participants.
15. There is no connection between the program and local schools where Even Start children attend school.
16. The leadership and staff cannot articulate the vision of the program.
17. The leadership has not promoted the program to the community-at-large and made the case for family literacy as a means of creating overall societal improvement.

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Challenge: To connect instruction within and across components through meaningful and consistent program messages and planning, and to have service providers work with the whole family, thereby providing an intensive experience intended to change intergenerational patterns associated with low levels of literacy.

Even Start Note: The Even Start legislation requires programs to provide integrated family literacy services. [Section 1201, 1204, and 14101(15), ESEA.] Integration is one of the most difficult concepts associated with family literacy and holistic service approaches. It may include, but should not be confused with, "thematic planning" -- choosing a topic to be taught in all components and simply varying instruction per age group and skill level. The purpose of integrating components is to ensure that families receive consistent and reinforced messages about the value of education and learning from all staff. Integration of instruction within and across components ensures that, for each family member, learning in a variety of situations and mastery of new information and skills is thorough and complete.

Even Start services are comprehensive, and the expectation is that all participants will actively and consistently participate in all program components:

• Interactive literacy activities between parents and their children.
• Training for parents regarding how to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in the education of their children.
• Adult education and training that leads to personal growth and economic self-sufficiency.
• Age-appropriate education for children to prepare them for success in school and in life.

Even Start program models vary widely. Most combine center-based and home-based services, and research shows that predominantly home-based programs are more effective when they have some center-based services. Some programs combine the services of different providers and operate in various locations. In other cases, a single provider offers all component services in a single location. Single or adjacent location of services facilitates integration. However, Even Start programs must build on existing high-quality educational services, combining and enhancing them with other community services to meet families’ needs. If component services are delivered by multiple providers at various sites, integration is more difficult and will require greater planning and collaboration.

1. All program components employ a holistic approach to serving families; that is, activities and instructional plans are based on needs, goals and interests of families rather than relying on packaged materials without tailoring them to meet different, individualized needs.
2. The program has identified common messages that are emphasized across instructional components, for example: the value of education for success in life, high expectations for families, the central role of the parent in a child’s development, the importance of applying and transferring skills, the identification of individual strengths, and the value of experiential learning. Staff can articulate these common messages to each other, to families, and to the community.
3. Staff from all program components know all members of each family, and see integration as an effective instructional strategy that is essential to achieving the desired intensity of services for families.
4. The program makes specific connections across program components, for example:

1. Family events and activities are inclusive of all family members (for example, older children, grandparents).
2. Home-based instruction provides an opportunity to practice what is discussed during parenting education; in other words, it is a time for active learning and application of new information. Parenting education addresses issues that arise during home-based instruction and in families’ lives outside the program.
3. Some adult literacy skills are taught in the context of early childhood development, parenting education, and home visit activities.
4. Home instructors meet regularly with center-based early childhood and adult education staff to plan activities for families.

1. Program leadership and collaborators foster and support integration of components by providing adequate, paid planning time and joint staff development. Cross-component staff teams meet regularly to discuss and design integrated instructional plans.
2. The program’s management structure is designed to facilitate integration of components. An interdisciplinary approach is used to plan the curriculum for each component, including making connections among themes, content and instructional and learner strategies.
3. The program continues to work on integration of services with local schools when children are enrolled in elementary school.

1. Administrative activities and program schedule do not include regular planning time for staff teams.
2. Staff consider the Even Start team to include only those staff paid by Even Start, and do not include other service providers (for example, adult education staff) in curriculum planning and professional development.
3. Staff do not view integration with other components as their job. Individual staff prefer to follow their own curricular ideas and plans.
4. Program staff define integration as simply having all program components work on the same theme on the same day.
5. One or more program components rely solely on commercial, packaged materials without adapting them.
6. Collaborators who provide direct services are not trained in family literacy.
7. There have been no cross-training opportunities among different component staff and agencies.
8. Inter-visitations of classrooms by program staff are rare.
9. Parents cannot describe the connections across information they learn in different program components.
10. Parents get different or mixed messages about the value of education and the importance of their roles in shaping the learning environment at home from different service providers.

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Challenge: To reach and recruit those families most in need, specifically low-income, disadvantaged families with low literacy skills, including those with limited English proficiency.

Even Start Note: The Even Start program law requires programs to identify, recruit and serve families with the greatest need for Even Start services, as indicated by low income, level of literacy and English language proficiency of the eligible parents. In competitions, priority is given to projects planning to operate in areas with the highest concentrations of poverty or in empowerment zones or enterprise communities. Other need-related indicators also may be considered, such as disabling conditions, homelessness, or chronic unemployment. [Section 1205(1) and (14), ESEA.] To be eligible, families must have at least one eligible parent and one eligible child. Teen parents are eligible to participate if: they are within the state’s compulsory attendance age range; they are among those most in need and; the LEA provides or ensures the required basic education component. Teen parents over the compulsory school age range are eligible if they are attending school or qualify for services under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act. [Section 1206(a)(1), ESEA.] Programs are required to serve at least a three-year age range of children, which may begin at birth and extend through age seven, and are encouraged to serve the full eligible age range. Children over age seven may participate in the program if the local project collaborates with a program under Title I, Part A and Title I, Part A funds contribute to the cost of providing Even Start services to those children, as long as the program continues to focus on families with young children. [Section 1206(b)(3), ESEA.]

See section on Retention for other indicators related to Recruitment.

1. Recruitment targets families who are most in need of literacy services as determined by low income and low level of literacy, and other need-based indicators. These are also families who do not have access to and cannot afford services. For English language learners, eligibility should also be determined by their literacy needs based on limited English proficiency.
2. The key message to target populations is that Even Start is a family-centered, long-term, intensive program that focuses on literacy. Recruitment messages also highlight what the program can do for the whole family, and emphasize that program curricula and activities are based on family members’ goals and needs.
3. The program uses multiple methods and sources for recruitment, including written materials, public service announcements, and personal contacts made through a variety of strategies (for example, speaking at community meetings, visiting schools, operating booths or tables at public events).
4. Written materials are composed in the languages and literacy levels of the populations that the program serves and is targeting. Visual design includes graphics, large print and color to convey key messages. Materials are distributed and posted in high visibility and high traffic locations frequented by the target populations (for example, laundromats, and grocery, convenience and department stores).
5. Current and past program participants have an important and planned role in recruiting parents, especially for making personal contacts.
6. Recruitment strategies and messages reflect the cultural diversity of the community and the target families. Recruitment methods take cultural values and practices into account (for example, how and who in the family is contacted, roles of different family members).
7. Recruitment is proactive, especially in areas of high poverty. In other words, likely participants are sought out and encouraged to enroll. Repeated and varied types of contact are made to encourage participation, if necessary. Programs recognize the preparation time it may take to recruit some families, and the importance of using well-known community contacts and leaders to talk with families.
8. The program provides clear messages about expectations for participation so parents have ample knowledge to help them make the commitment to enroll. Anticipated barriers to the family’s full participation in the program are addressed during the recruitment process (for example, transportation, child care). Solutions to participation barriers are sought before the family begins participation.
9. The program has written policies for its selection criteria and process, including how criteria are weighted and ranked, which are available to all staff, parents, and collaborators. In addition to level of adult literacy, family income, and employment status, criteria may include information concerning family history, stresses and health, and other pressing family needs, which may come from referring agencies.
10. The pre-enrollment process is made as easy and comfortable as possible for families (for example, information is gathered in the home).
11. The program conducts an orientation for pre-enrolled families to: describe all program components and services, emphasize expectation of full participation by family members, and elicit feedback and answer participants’ questions. The program has a policy concerning attendance/absences and continuing eligibility, which is also covered during orientation.
12. Programs that have waiting lists of families stay in contact with them and have an auxiliary plan to provide partial services to family members (for example, home-based instruction). If the waiting period is lengthy, families are enrolled in programs with partner or collaborating agencies so that they receive some services while waiting.
13. Recruitment is everyone’s job. All program staff and collaborators know the eligibility criteria and which populations are targeted for the program, and receive some guidance or training in how to recruit effectively. The program has reciprocal relationships with collaborators and other agencies for recruitment and referral.
14. Recruitment is ongoing. The program recognizes that different levels of intensity for recruitment are required at different stages in program development. The program monitors changes in community demographics, unemployment rate and other factors, and reviews recruitment strategies regularly.

1. The program spends no resources on and does not have a recruitment plan.
2. Staff describe most parents as people who "come to us," and see no need to recruit.
3. Selection criteria have been added to the federal and state requirements that limit the eligibility of high-needs families.
4. The program avoids active recruitment in high-poverty areas.
5. Recruitment messages suggest that low literacy and inadequate parenting skills are characteristics of a particular population, i.e., one ethnic or racial group.
6. The recruitment process is formal and based on written applications; it lacks a variety of strategies and use of personal contact.
7. Recruitment is a one-time, annual event, rather than an ongoing process.
8. The program does not use parents and collaborators in an active way for recruitment.
9. A profile of families in the program shows that those most in need have not been recruited: (1) adults’ initial literacy skills and test scores are high on the average for the area (for example, high school level and above); (2) education and income statistics are high on the average for the area.
10. In any 12-month period, the turnover of families in the program is over 50%.
11. Families who drop out of the program say they were not aware of expectations, and the requirement to participate in all program components upon entry.
12. Most English as a Second Language participants have the equivalent of a high school diploma or higher education levels.

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Challenge: To keep families participating in the program long enough for them to achieve significant learning goals, make improvements in parenting skills, and increase their economic self-sufficiency.

Even Start Note: The Even Start program is designed to facilitate the development of significant literacy skills in families who are most in need of literacy services and support. If goals related to literacy improvement are not part of a family’s overall goals, it will be difficult to retain them in the program and they may be better served in another type of program. Many Even Start participants need to remain in the program for one to two years to make substantial progress. Programs must encourage participating families to attend regularly and to remain in the program a sufficient time to meet their goals. [Section 1205(11), ESEA.]

1. Enrolled families begin participation with a period of preparation. This is, typically, a one to three month intake program with planned activities that covers the following: program services, attendance and continuing eligibility policies, family needs assessment, literacy skills assessment, and goal setting. Through individual and group discussions, staff and families identify: positive reasons for participation, barriers to participation and solutions to barriers, expectations of each other, and outcomes of participation. Families may observe the program in action to gain familiarity and lessen any apprehension they may feel. It is essential that families understand the level of commitment necessary to gain benefits from the program. Programs may ask parents to sign "commitment contracts" and to renew those contracts annually. The period of preparation may also result in a family being referred to more appropriate programs or services.
2. The program has written policies concerning enrollment, attendance and continuing eligibility that are designed to enhance participation, and include strategies to deal with family crises and barriers that affect participation. The program also recognizes that "enrollment" may be defined differently in other programs providing collaborating services (for example, Head Start, adult education).
3. All families participate in all core components (adult, early childhood and parenting education, and parent-child interactive literacy activities) and in home-based literacy instruction. The program directly addresses problems with participants who are frequently absent and/or reluctant to participate in certain activities.
4. The program has written exit policies that cover a variety of circumstances, for example: attainment of goals or graduation from the program, leave of absence (for example, for a family crisis or health condition), chronic absenteeism, and unacceptable or disruptive personal behavior.
5. The program provides and families participate in continuous services, including some instructional services during the summer months, although the format of services may change (for example, home-based instruction may increase if center-based services are not operating for a period of time).
6. Most families stay in the program long enough to meet significant goals they have set. Staff work with families to set attainable, meaningful goals for children and adults. Appropriate benchmarks of goal attainment and improvement in literacy, parenting and self-sufficiency are identified. Parents participate in identifying incentives and recognition for their persistence and goal attainment, and successes are celebrated.
7. The program demonstrates respect for families by building on their strengths and interests, recognizing family and cultural traditions and values, and addressing families’ critical needs. Program staff or adjunct staff reflect the ethnic diversity and language backgrounds of the participating families.
8. Improving the self-esteem of participants is recognized as essential to motivation and persistence and is supported in the program, especially through giving parents leadership roles and responsibility for planning some program and peer activities.
9. Staff address some of parents’ needs and interests by making referrals to appropriate agencies and providing outside resources.
10. The program structure, schedule and curricula encourage individualization of services for families. For example, staff meet regularly to discuss each family’s progress and needs and to adjust services, as necessary. The program matches the level of service intensity to the degree of family need.
11. The delivery of program services is flexible and convenient for families. Delivery strategies are adapted to meet changing family needs on an on-going basis. For example, more home-based services might be necessary for families with new babies, and parent and child literacy activities may be conducted at home or in neighborhood clusters, as well as in center-based settings. The program schedules activities during evenings and weekends to accommodate working parents, and there is some redundancy or repetition built into the schedule of offerings to enhance access.
12. The program collaborates with local social service agencies to ensure that Even Start participation is regarded as an eligible work and/or education activity under welfare reform, to the extent possible within state law.
13. The program sponsors activities for both parents and the whole family that encourage social interaction and the formation of relationships among participants, recognizing the importance of peer support.
14. The program frequently showcases success of current and past program participants and invites back successful graduates to motivate or mentor participants.
15. The program demonstrates high expectations for the self-sufficiency of families by giving parents responsibilities within the program or agency, arranging job or volunteer opportunities at local businesses, schools and community agencies, and using program graduates and other appropriate adults as mentors for participants.
16. The program maintains contact with families during occasional or planned absences. If a participant is unexpectedly absent, staff follow up to find out what happened. If a family drops out temporarily for personal reasons, the program periodically contacts the family. Home-based literacy instruction is increased and used to maintain continuity during times when parents are not able to attend center-based programming.
17. Services continue to be available to other eligible family members when a child or parent completes the program, or when a family member is temporarily absent from the program. A child or parent who completes the program continues to participate in appropriate activities, such as parenting education, until all family members are no longer eligible. If a whole family is on a temporary leave of absence from the program, there is a plan for transition back into the program when the family is ready to return.
18. The program conducts ongoing assessment of its services (for example, using local evaluation results) to determine patterns of retention that will inform changes in service delivery to ensure that participant needs are being addressed.

1. Family participation is uneven across the components (for example, some parents may attend parent support groups regularly but not participate in adult literacy).
2. There are a number of families on active lists who receive no services.
3. Staff are not clear about the definition of enrollment or the enrollment status of a number of families.
4. The annual drop-out rate for newly-enrolled families is 50% or higher.
5. Program loses participants over the summer months.
6. There is little or no effort to contact families who have repeated absences to find out what is happening.
7. There are no policies or guidance on how to deal with families who do not participate in all components or who attend the program sporadically.
8. Parents are not achieving specific goals because goals are not clear, goals are too ambitious or unrealistic, or program activities do not connect to goals.
9. Parents have not developed close relationships with peers in the program. Among both staff and families, a sense of community has not developed.
10. The program is not meaningful to participants’ lives; they cannot describe why they are participating.
11. Program components have limited availability in terms of scheduled offerings.
12. Support services (for example, transportation, child care, counseling) are not available, limited or tenuous.
13. Staff are not fully aware of families’ needs and interests.
14. Program administrators and staff do not regularly re-examine or alter, as necessary, the service delivery model in response to changes in welfare reform legislation, local population and families’ needs, or data obtained from the local evaluation.

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Challenge: To improve the skills of Even Start staff and staff from collaborating agencies to work effectively with participating families, and to plan and execute research-based program activities that support the achievement of family goals.

Even Start Note: Staff development is required by the Even Start legislation, and is an important part of good program management and improvement, and the delivery of high-quality services. The legislation requires that staff whose salaries are paid partially or totally with Federal Even Start funds have certain qualifications, including that the majority of instructional staff have obtained an associate’s, bachelor’s or graduate degree in appropriate fields and meet any applicable state qualifications by December 21, 2004. New instructional staff must meet these qualifications when hired. [Section 1205(5), ESEA.] Through specialized training and the attainment of degrees and certifications, Even Start staff should be able to ascend a career ladder that is supported and recognized by the program.

1. Staff share certain characteristics: they are flexible team players who see themselves as lifelong learners and advocates for the cause of family literacy. They are capable and desirous of working with the most-in-need families served by Even Start.
2. Staff development is explicitly connected to the goals of Even Start. The program provides training to all staff in the Even Start family literacy model and family literacy philosophies.
3. Staff development is systematic and ongoing. There is a written plan that includes a budget and benchmarks for staff participation and enhanced skills (for example, number of credit hours or workshops offered, minimum number of hours of continuing education required, attendance, percentage who receive certifications or degrees). The plan also includes professional development goals for individual staff members and the program as a whole.
4. Staff development includes approaches grounded in research, including scientifically-based reading research, and the application of practices in real situations. Training activities build on the knowledge and skills of participating staff.
5. Staff identify training needs and are involved in planning training. Training needs are also suggested by information gathered from collaborating agencies, parents, evaluation results, community needs assessments and legislative changes.
6. The program itself is a learning environment. There is a continuous sharing of knowledge and skills among staff, and there are opportunities to reflect on the effectiveness of the Even Start program based on local evaluation results and in the greater context of community needs. Administrators and staff encourage a variety of learning approaches, including self-directed and inquiry-based learning, mentoring, action research, and peer modeling and coaching.
7. Training for early childhood staff includes principles of child development and curricular guidance in all domains, with special emphasis on language development and early reading. Training for adult education staff includes adult learning principles and teaching methods that address basic literacy skills, learning disabilities and situated learning (in other words, learning in context). Training for parenting education staff includes principles of child development, interactive literacy development, cultural diversity, and working with schools and community resources.
8. Most staff development topics concern improving instruction or enhancing relationships with families. To enhance relationships with families, some staff activities address cultural issues and communication skills, especially related to different beliefs, perceptions and attitudes among staff and participants, and include discussions or workshops with parents. Staff development includes attention to a strengths-based approach to family development, focusing on identifying and building from what a family does well.
9. Staff development addresses ways to integrate instruction across components, and includes cross-training in the disciplines involved in Even Start programs (for example, adult educators are trained in early childhood along with early childhood staff and vice versa). Training also addresses team-building for staff, and cultural awareness and family dynamics concerning participants.
10. Some staff development activities are designed to motivate staff by recognizing their contributions personally and professionally, and to promote positive attitudes and teamwork.
11. Trainers have appropriate knowledge and experience in the content areas for which they are providing instruction. Content is current and based on sound research and practice, including available scientifically-based reading research.
12. Staff development includes participants from collaborating agencies, including public school staff, and training takes place at multiple sites.
13. The program provides incentives for participating in staff development, including paid time, transportation as required, and advancement potential. Scheduling permits all staff, including part-time staff, to participate in staff development activities.
14. Evaluations of staff development activities address benefits and applications to practice, not simply satisfaction level.

1. Existing staff who are required to participate in certification and degree programs are not doing so.
2. New staff do not meet statutory qualification requirements.
3. Attendance is chronically low at staff development activities.
4. Staff development is not responsive to staff’s needs, and staff do not see the connection between training activities and immediate or future on-the-job needs.
5. Staff development activities are discrete and unconnected.
6. There is no budget for staff development.
7. Training is delivered predominantly through text or fact-based, large group instruction.
8. All staff development is conducted by program staff members, and does not take advantage of outside experts and practitioners, and vice versa.
9. Staff development is available for selected staff members only.
10. Administrative staff do not participate in training.
11. Scheduling does not allow all staff to attend.
12. Staff from collaborating agencies do not participate in joint trainings and learning activities.
13. Evaluations of staff development activities are negative, but nothing is done to change or improve them.
14. There is no overall assessment of the effectiveness of staff development efforts.
15. The staff development plan is not connected to program improvement goals.

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Challenge: To provide a strong foundation for success in school for children from the families enrolled in Even Start by enhancing their cognitive and language development in developmentally appropriate settings.

Even Start Note: Families with children from age birth through seven are eligible to participate in Even Start if a parent is eligible. [Section 1206, ESEA.] After the youngest child reaches the age of eight, a family may participate in Even Start for two more years until all participating parents are no longer eligible for adult basic education services under the Adult Education Act. [Section 1206(b), ESEA.] In addition, children over age seven may participate in the program if the local project collaborates with a program under Title I, Part A and Title I, Part A funds contribute to the cost of providing Even Start services to those children, as long as the program continues to focus on families with young children. [Section 1206(b)(3), ESEA.] All children in Even Start, including school-age children, should receive literacy services as long as they are eligible because children’s long-term success depends on consistent support of their development. For school-age children, this implies services that go beyond classroom participation.

1. Early childhood instructors and paraprofessionals are well-qualified. They are trained in: child development; child observation and assessment; early literacy and language acquisition (including second language acquisition); curricula, environments and materials for young children; parent involvement; cultural diversity and special needs; and working with other staff. Instructional staff and teaching assistants who are paid by Even Start have or are working toward obtaining appropriate state certification for early childhood or a college degree in fields related to early childhood or elementary education. Paraprofessionals who provide support for academic instruction are supervised by professional staff and have, at a minimum, a high school diploma or its equivalent.
2. Early childhood centers have received appropriate licensing from the state.
3. Children participate in sufficient hours of appropriate early childhood education to produce learning outcomes, approximately 60 hours per month for 3 to 5 year olds. This includes educational and child development activities, such as instructional home visits and guided interaction between parents and children.
4. The physical environment is safe, clean, well-lighted, comfortable, and age-appropriate in terms of furniture, equipment, materials, and access to bathrooms and clean-up facilities. Space is arranged so that children can work individually, in small groups, and as a whole group.
5. The adult-child ratio allows for frequent interaction between children and adults. Adult-child ratios are consistent with state licensing standards, and allow each child to be known well by at least one adult. Children have sustained relationships with primary teachers/caregivers. The average tenure for staff is longer than one year.
6. At least some staff speak the home language of most children.
7. The early childhood program has the explicit goal of supporting all domains of development for all children.
8. The program’s curriculum is grounded in solid research, and staff plan children’s activities using the theoretical framework upon which the curriculum is based. The early childhood program has identified foundational concepts and specific skills that all children should learn. The curriculum allows children to work at different levels on different activities, is designed to achieve long-range goals for children, and relates to local and state school standards.
9. Staff encourage direct, first-hand, interactive experiences for learning. Staff recognize that children develop knowledge and skills through active experiences and social interactions. The real world is the subject of learning activities. Classroom activities are integrated and interdisciplinary, building on children’s interests and knowledge.
10. There are many opportunities for child-initiated learning. Children’s play is respected by staff as legitimate learning time. Children participate in planning their days and are aware of basic schedules and routines.
11. The center or classroom environment is language-rich. Staff read to children daily. Books and other reading and writing materials are abundant and accessible. The staff demonstrate many ways to encourage children to talk about their experiences and represent their ideas in stories and pictures. Vocabulary development is part of all learning activities.
12. Staff explicitly teach phonological awareness skills and frequently make connections between speech and print. Staff use rhyming, poetry, music and word play with sound clusters to build sensitivity to phonemic patterns. Staff teach skills associated with conventions of print and literacy (for example, bookhandling and following print on a page).
13. Staff encourage development of reasoning and problem-solving by providing challenging learning experiences, and through skillful questioning and suggestions for furthering activities. Staff develop children’s understanding of key vocabulary associated with sequencing, comparisons and sorting, spatial relationships, and temporal relationships. Children have opportunities to learn the functions and properties of objects, and classify and group materials.
14. The environment reflects the homes and lives of children in terms of culture and language. Children’s work is displayed in classrooms.
15. Staff use positive behavior management for discipline. Adults involve children in the development of clear and consistent rules.
16. Staff have frequent opportunities and time to plan together and with staff of other Even Start components. At least weekly, staff have an opportunity to discuss their observations of children’s development and to seek guidance for instructional approaches.
17. Teachers use a variety of assessment procedures that are embedded in instruction, including observation, performance assessment, portfolios and interviews. Teachers regularly observe children and record observations for use in planning activities and assessing progress. Records of progress and development are maintained on each child and regularly shared with parents. Children are helped to understand their progress in learning. The program has a process for referring children for screening and additional support.
18. Children are relaxed and happy in the early childhood environment.
19. The program matches expected participation to the needs and development of the child, individualizing for each child. Staff have identified activities for the development of individual children based on observations. Staff provide opportunities for all children to succeed.
20. Parents provide input on children’s readiness for various activities and also observations of children’s progress. Parents are involved in planning programs for children. Staff help parents understand how home activities can reinforce and extend children’s learning.

1. Children are unhappy, unsure or tense.
2. Staff are not aware of children’s previous or other current child care arrangements or experiences.
3. Classrooms are quiet. Children are not encouraged to talk with each other.
4. Materials are minimal and/or inappropriate for the age range of children.
5. Activities are limited to traditional school readiness or group activities. All children are doing the same activities.
6. Staff do not understand goals of family literacy or have not received special training in family literacy.
7. None of the staff have degrees or specialization in early childhood education.
8. Staff have infrequent contact with parents, for example, less than once or twice a month. Parents are not encouraged to visit the center or classrooms.
9. Parents are not clear about what their children are experiencing and its value.
10. Parents are not clear about their children’s progress.
11. Staff rely on standardized assessments for gauging children’s progress.
12. Staff do not base instruction on scientifically-based reading research and rely solely on packaged materials. There is frequent use of worksheets.
13. The classroom is dominated by commercial materials, rather than children’s work.
14. There is no environmental print apparent in the classroom. There are no materials for drawing and writing.
15. Staff do not connect activities to developmental outcomes.
16. All activities are initiated by the children or all activities are structured by the teachers.
17. There is frequent turnover or change of staff so that relationships with children are not continuous.
18. Physical space is arranged like an elementary classroom (in other words, desks in rows).
19. Accommodations are not made for children with disabilities and special needs.

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Challenge: To improve the self-sufficiency of families by enabling adults to: identify their personal and educational needs; meet their goals related to those needs; increase their English-language literacy levels; enhance skills and opportunities related to employability; and improve their ability to be advocates for and teachers of their children.

Even Start Note: Basic education and literacy instruction for parents that leads to economic self-sufficiency is a core component of all Even Start programs. [Sections 1205(4) and 14101(15), ESEA.] Teen parents are eligible to participate in Even Start if they:

• are within the age of compulsory school attendance and the LEA provides or ensures the availability of the basic education component;
• are attending secondary school; or
• participate in activities under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act [Section 1203(1)].

Parents are eligible to participate under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act if they:

• lack sufficient mastery of basic literacy skills to enable them to function effectively in society;
• do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and have not achieved an equivalent level of education; or
• are unable to speak, read or write the English language.

In order to provide sufficient services to meet participants’ needs and goals and to avoid dupli