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 Are Projects' Technical Assistance Needs?

In addition to reporting the barriers to implementation and any solutions that they had implemented, project directors were asked to describe the extent of their need for technical assistance. In the context of educational services, improving participants' retention emerged once again as the area for which the largest percentage of projects (77 percent) reported at least some need for technical assistance (Exhibit 4.10). Computer assistance followed closely, cited as an area of at least some need by 72 percent of projects.

Exhibit 4.10: Projects' Need for Technical Assistance: Educational Services (1996-97)

In the area of support services, meeting the transportation needs of participants continued to be an issue for which projects needed a great deal of technical assistance (16 percent, Exhibit 4.11).

Exhibit 4.11: Projects' Need for Technical Assistance: Support Services (1996-97)

Roughly one-fifth of projects indicated a great need for technical assistance in two areas related to program operations: funding and fiscal issues (21 percent), and increasing participant involvement and retention (20 percent, Exhibit 4.12).

Some projects described, in written comments, additional areas needing technical assistance. They included: identifying appropriate assessment instruments; working with learning-disabled adults; retaining and helping families with incest or substance abuse problems; helping adults transition to the workforce; disseminating program models to newer Even Start grantees; forming collaborative relationships with other Even Start projects; and collecting qualitative assessment data.

Generally, projects reported some need for assistance in various areas although there were only a few areas where a sizable portion (about one-fifth) of projects expressed a great need for assistance: participant motivation, retention, and fiscal issues. Given the legislative mandate to serve families most in need and the prevalence of needy families in relation to funding constraints, these issues present difficult challenges for providers of technical assistance.

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