Name of the Project

Illinois Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative

Grantee Contact

Dr. John Klit, Acting Division Administrator

Illinois State Board of Education

100 North First St., C-418

Springfield IL 62777

Tel: (217)782-3370 and Fax: (217)782-9224

E-mail: jklit@isbe.net

Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Coordinator

Sharon Full

Illinois State Board of Education

100 North First St., C-418

Springfield IL 62777

Tel: (217)782-3370 and Fax: (217)782-9224

E-mail: sfull@isbe.net

Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative Project Goals

• To develop and implement a Statewide system of accountability, collaboration, support and professional development that ensures adequate local capacity to provide improved and expanded services delivered to adults and children in family literacy programs.

Project Description

After gathering performance indicators already developed in adult basic education and early childhood education, the Illinois consortium will add family literacy indicators to a draft that will be reviewed by five focus groups around the State. The indicators and accompanying program descriptors will be used for program development and evaluation, will be incorporated in requests for proposals, and will serve as the focus for future staff development. A cadre of independent local program evaluators will be trained to use the performance indicators in local evaluations so that the State agencies involved will have consistent data with which to analyze program performance.

Priorities

• 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