Name of the Project

District of Columbia Even Start Family Literacy Initiative

Grantee Contact

Peggy Minnis, ES State Coordinator

Webb Elementary School

1375 Mt. Olivet Rd., NE, Room 145

Washington DC 20002

Tel: 202-724-4383

Fax: 202-727-3328

E-mail: PMDOTruby@aol.com

Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Coordinator

Peggy Minnis

[to be hired]

Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative Project Goals

• Develop quality performance indicators
• Improve project evaluation
• Build the capacity of local projects
• Increase community awareness and support

Project Description

The DC Family Literacy Consortium was formed in ________ to improve the way family literacy services are provided in the District of Columbia. The overall goal of this initiative is to enhance the capacity of parents in the District to support the educational development of their children through family literacy services. To achieve the above stated goals, the initiative’s plan includes the following activities:

• Develop quality performance indicators
• These indicators will be used to measure project effectiveness, standardize evaluations, and drive improvements in the provision of services.
• Improve project evaluation
• An evaluation model will be designed and used city-wide, and training will be provided for the implementation of the performance indicators and the evaluation model.
• Build the capacity of local projects
• The consortium will develop a strategic plan, aligned with the indicator plan, to maximize the expertise and resources of the consortium in order to improve project operations, increase referrals among service providers, and increase the number of participants in Even Start programs.
• Increase community awareness and support
• The consortium will hire an outreach coordinator to design and conduct a comprehensive public engagement effort to recruit new families, and to target local businesses, government and organizations to generate support for family literacy programs.

Priorities Addressed

• Using research on reading and literacy in program planning
• Implementing a professional development plan for staff
• Increasing the intensity of family literacy activities for school-age children (up to 7 years old)
• Improving local evaluation methods and practices
• Absolute Priority: Family Literacy Performance Indicators