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ERIC Number: ED498203
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 36
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Colorado Even Start 2005-2006 Progress Report
Anderson, Beckie
Colorado Department of Education
The purpose of Even Start, as outlined in federal legislation, is to help break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and low literacy by providing a unified family literacy program for low-income families. Even Start has three related goals: (1) to help parents improve their literacy or basic education skills; (2) to help parents become full partners in educating their children; and (3) to assist children in reaching their full potential as learners. An Even Start family literacy program is an integrated adult education, early childhood education, and parent education program that facilitates parents and children spending time together in literacy activities. This Progress Report provides information about the 11 Colorado Even Start programs, and the educational and self-sufficiency gains made by the families they serve. It includes six years of program data collected using the Colorado Family Literacy State Performance Measures. New data is presented on parents' behavior related to children's literacy development. The report concludes with a look toward the future for Even Start and family literacy services in Colorado. For the past nine years, the Colorado Department of Education has supported a statewide evaluation of Colorado Even Start programs. The following evaluation findings are highlights from 2005-2006: (1) Colorado Even Start programs met 85% of the targeted goals contained in the state performance measures; (2) Colorado Even Start programs served 382 families with 595 children; (3) Of Even Start parents studying to pass the General Educational Development (GED) exam and teen parents working toward obtaining a high school diploma, 70% attained their goals this year, a 15% increase from last year and the highest percentage in the four years the statistic has been calculated; (4) The average graduation rate for teen parents in Even Start over the past seven years is 83%; (5) The percent of preschoolers in Even Start who are enrolled in an additional early childhood education program has steadily increased over the past five years from 45% to 81%; (6) This year 78% of primary-grade children in Even Start were reading at or above grade level, or demonstrated one year's growth in literacy skills within one year (last year, 76% of kindergartners through third-graders met this goal); (7) Using a new assessment, the Parent Education Profile, 74% of rated parents demonstrated progress in using language with their children; 73% of the rated families placed an increased priority on learning with their children at home; and (8) Eighty-nine percent of unemployed Even Start parents seeking work, obtained employment this year. The report concludes with two recommendations, one to the Colorado Department of Education for fiscal support of the Even Start program in view of reduced federal funding, and one to the Colorado State Legislature for provision of funding to the Family Literacy Education Fund. These recommendations reflect action upon recommendations of the previous version of this report. Two appendixes include: (A) Colorado Even Start 2005-2006 Progress Report Data Collection Form; and (B) Colorado Even Start Directory. [For the 2004-2005 report, see ED498200.]
Colorado Department of Education. State Office Building, 201 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80203. Tel: 303-866-6600; Fax: 303-830-0793; Web site: http://www.cde.state.co.us
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Adult Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Colorado State Dept. of Education, Denver.
Identifiers - Location: Colorado
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: General Educational Development Tests
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A