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"A key element in family literacy is that it brings together parents and their children in an educational environment to facilitate and nurture the learning relationship between them.

  • Family literacy works to improve the educational performance of children by fostering a learning partnership between schools, teachers, and parents.
  • As parents increase their academic skills, they are better able to support their children's education while also increasing their likelihood or gainful employments.
  • As the parent's level of comfort with the school increases, the parent becomes a stronger advocate for the school within the community."
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices

The Even Start Family Literacy Program is a federally funded family literacy program of the U.S. Department of Education administered through the Iowa Department of Education and operated by local grantees. The program was developed to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by improving the education opportunities of families most in need in terms of poverty and illiteracy. These programs provide literacy services to both parents and children supporting their relationship to ensure child success. Even Start family literacy services are those services provided to participants on a voluntary basis that are of sufficient intensity in terms of hours, and of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in a family, and that integrate the four components.

Eight programs operate Even Start services in Iowa, serving 258 adults and 318 children representing 237 families (2004-05 program year) (link to EVEN START: Contacts In Your Area).

Even Start has four main Components:

  1. Adult Education: Parent literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency
  2. Early Childhood Education: An age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences
  3. Parenting Support: Training and support for parents regarding how to be the primary teacher for their children and how to be full partners in the education of their home
  4. Parent and Child Together: Interactive literacy activities between parents and their children
Federal Regulations require Even Start Programs address fifteen required activities or program components:
  1. Identification and recruitment of families most in need.
  2. Screening and preparation of parents.
  3. Flexible programs and support services.
  4. High-quality, intensive instrumental programs.
  5. High staff qualifications.
  6. Special staff training.
  7. Integrated, home-based instructional programs.
  8. Year-around (instructional and enrichment)
  9. Coordination with other relevant programs.
  10. Instructional programs based on scientifically based reading research.
  11. Regular attendance and sufficient length of participation.
  12. Reading readiness activities based on scientifically based reading research.
  13. Continuity of family literacy services to ensure that individuals retain and improve their educational outcomes. (Transition)
  14. Services to families most in need.
  15. Independent local project evaluation for program improvement.

Even Start (U.S. Department of Education Link)
http://www.ed.gov/programs/evenstartfamilylit/index.html

Legal Requirement and Reports

The Even Start Literacy Program is authorized by Title I, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Literacy Involves Families Together (LIFT) Act to provide funds through the Iowa Department of Education for the establishment of local Even Start projects. The Title I, Part B, Subpart 3 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) was first authorized in 1988 with and appropriation of $14.8 million. The program became State administered in 1992 when the appropriation exceeded $50 million. Most recently, the program was reauthorized by the Literacy Involves Families Together (Lift Act of 2000 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Even Start is a Title One program http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html
with the following governance.
icon Federal RegES Sec 1231 (2006-07-14)

Report on Indicators: 2005

icon 2005 State Summary Comments (2006-07-19)

Report on Individual Programs:

icon 2005 Charles City Indicator Program Reports Final (2006-07-19)

icon 2005 Decatur Indicator Program Reports Final (2006-07-19)

icon 2005 Dubuque Indicator Program Reports Final (2006-07-19)

icon 2005 Estherville Indicator Program Reports Final (2006-07-19)

icon 2005 Fort Dodge Indicator Program Reports Final (2006-07-19)

icon 2005 Iowa City Indicator Program Reports Final (2006-07-19)

icon 2005 Lineville-Clio Indicator Program Reports Final (2006-07-19)

icon 2005 Sioux City Indicator Program Reports Final (2006-07-19)

icon 2005 Storm Lake Individual Program Reports Final (2006-07-19)

Funding Sources

Funding for Even Start Start Comes from the U.S. Department of Education under Title One. http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html

Funding for Even Start in Iowa has gradually been reduced over the past several years:

Even Start

2006-07 445,400 (est.)
2005-06 1,014,181
2004-05 1,113,439
2003-04 1,120,106
2002-03 1,296,254
2001-02 1,317,125

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Guiding Practices

icon 2003 Even Start Guidance (2006-07-19)

Supporting Documents

Abstracts

icon Central Decatur Abstract (2006-07-21)

icon Estherville Abstract (2006-07-21)

icon Fort Dodge Abstract (2006-07-21)

icon Iowa City Abstract (2006-07-21)

icon Lineville-Clio Abstract (2006-07-21)

icon Sioux City Abstract (2006-07-21)

icon Storm Lake Abstract (2006-07-21)

State Summary

icon 2005 State Summary Comments (2006-07-19)

Web Documents
Grant Application and Reporting Forms

Grant Cover Form A Grant Cover Form A

Proposed Budget Forms Proposed Budget Forms

icon Budget Forms: Final Expenditures for Current Year (2006-07-20)

icon Head Start Child Outcomes Framework (2006-07-20)

icon Equipment Inventory (2006-07-20)

Local Evaluation Guidance Local Evaluation Guidance

Statement of Assurances 2007 Statement of Assurances 2007

icon Indicators of Quality: Criteria for Sufficient Progress (2006-07-31)

icon 2006 Indicators of Quality: Program Indicators (2006-07-20)

icon Indicators of Quality: Child Indicators (2006-07-31)

icon Indicators of Quality: Family Indicators (2006-07-20)

icon Indicators of Quality: Adult Indicators (2006-07-31)

Staff Qualifications Form Staff Qualifications Form

Abstract Form Z Abstract Form Z

Contacts in Your Area

Iowa Even Start Family Literacy Grantees 2005-2006:

The Family Place: Leon
Abstract and contact information
icon Central Decatur Abstract (2006-07-21)

Year End Report
icon Decatur IPR Final (2006-10-05)

The Family Place: Lineville/Clio
Abstract and Contact information
icon Lineville-Clio Abstract (2006-07-21)

Year End Report
icon Lineville-Clio IPR (2006-10-05)

Dubuque Community School District, Family Literacy Program, Prescott Early Childhood Center
Abstract and Contact information
icon Dubuque Abstract (2006-07-21)

Year End Report
icon Dubuque IPR Final (2006-10-05)

Sioux City Community School District, Even Start Family Literacy Program
Abstract and Contact information
icon Sioux City Abstract (2006-07-21)

Year End Report
icon Sioux City IPR (2006-10-05)

Neighborhood Centers of Johnston County, Iowa City
Abstract and Contact information
icon Iowa City Abstract (2006-07-21)

Year End Report
icon Iowa City IPR (2006-10-05)

Community Day Care & Preschool of Greater Fort Dodge
Abstract and Contact information
icon Fort Dodge Abstract (2006-07-21)

Year End Report
icon Ft Dodge IPR (2006-10-05)

Estherville Lincoln Central Even Start
Abstract and Contact information
icon Estherville Abstract (2006-07-21)

Year End Report
icon Estherville IPR (2006-10-05)

Storm Lake Community School District, Families United in Learning
Abstract and Contact information
icon Storm Lake Abstract (2006-07-21)

Year End Report
icon Sioux City IPR (2006-10-05)

Supporting Links

National Even Start Association
http://www.evenstart.org/
The mission of the National Even Start Association (NESA) is to provide a national voice and vision for Even Start Family Literacy Programs. The NESA is a membership organization, comprised of a group of professionals dedicated to supporting high quality services in Even Start Family Literacy programs, and support Even Start programs in all 50 states and the territories, Tribal Even Start programs, Migrant Even Start programs and Even Start programs in prisons housing women and children.

National Center for Family Literacy
http://www.famlit.org
The mission of the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) is to create educational and economic opportunity for the most at-risk children and parents. NCFL's services include professional development for practitioners who work in children's education, adult education, English as a Second Language, and related literacy fields; model program development through our many ground-breaking initiatives; policy and advocacy support to sustain and expand literacy services for families; and the Family Literacy Alliance, a membership program. NCFL relies on the generous partnerships of many individuals, corporations and foundations to accomplish our mission.

Contact

Tom Rendon
515-242-6024
tom.rendon@iowa.gov

 

Last Updated ( Friday, 30 November 2007 )