A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

National Evaluation of The Even Start Family Literacy Program, 1998

Chapter 4

What Organizations Operate the Even Start Program?

For program years 1991-92 through 1994-95, the law required that Even Start projects be operated by a local educational agency (LEA) in collaboration with a community-based organization (CBO) or other non-profit agency, or by a CBO or other non-profit agency in collaboration with an LEA. Since 1995-96, the 1994 reauthorization has required that the relationship between the collaborators be a formal "partnership."

Since 1992, approximately 80 percent of the LEA partners have been public school districts. For 83 percent of projects that submitted national evaluation data for 1996-97 the LEA partners were single school districts. The remaining LEA partners were school district cooperatives (4 percent), intermediate educational units (3 percent), or "other" organizational entities (10 percent).

The types of organizations serving as Even Start partners with the LEAs have also remained highly stable since 1992-93. In 1996-97, 23 percent of all reporting projects had local, county, or state government agency partners; postsecondary institutions and Head Start each were partners in 17 percent and 16 percent of projects, respectively (Appendix B, Exhibit B.5). Preschool or day care programs, trade schools, and volunteer groups each served as partners for 3 percent of projects.

Although public schools and government agencies represent a large portion of Even Start projects, the program as a whole includes a wide variety of organizations, both large and small, serving highly diverse target populations, and providing a wide array of educational and social services. This diversity among service providers is ideal for a national demonstration program.

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[ Where Are Even Start Projects Located? ]

[ How Are Even Start Services Funded? ]