Name of the Project

Montana Family Literacy Initiative Project

Grantee Contact

Dr. Gloria A. Gregg

Montana State University

213 Reid Hall

Bozeman, Montana 59717-2880

Tel: (406) 994-6670 and Fax: (406) 994-3261

E-mail: ggregg@montana.edu

Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Coordinator

Chloe Fessler

1509 Howell Street

Missoula, Montana 59802

Tel: (406) 543-7874

E-mail: Chloemizoo@aol.com

Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative Project Goals

• To expand activities at the five original family literacy sites to include strategies to increase the intensity of local family literacy activities for school-age children through seven years old
• To develop and document six new family literacy sites that serve families in rural areas
• To expand the five original sites and the six new sites to include strategies to strengthen local evaluations for Even Start family literacy projects
• To modify the Montana Even Start Principles and Indicators of Quality and use them to evaluate the eleven sites
• To offer a State-wide, two-day family literacy training institute annually and a State-wide family literacy conference annually

Project Description

The Montana Family Literacy Initiative Project will build upon the initial grant awarded in October of 1998. The first grant focused on the development of five model family literacy programs in rural communities, developing a five year State plan to promote family literacy, producing a video highlighting the models and holding a conference to promote family literacy across the State. The current Montana Family Literacy Initiative Project will build upon the momentum created with the initial sites by adding six more sites and additional training opportunities.

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