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SUMMARY
The Office of the Auditor General has completed the final in a series
of three annual evaluations of the Family Literacy Pilot Program. This evaluation was
conducted pursuant to the provisions of Session Laws 1994, Ninth S.S., Ch. 1, §9. This
third-year evaluation report provides information regarding the Program’s
effectiveness in achieving its goals.
The Legislature established the Family Literacy Pilot Program through
legislation known as the Children and Family Stability Act of 1994. The Program is
administered by the State Board of Education through the Arizona Department of Education
(ADE) Division of Adult Education. ADE contracts with local school districts and other
community and educational organizations to provide program services.
The Family Literacy Program’s intent is to increase the basic
academic and literacy skills of undereducated parents of preschool children in order to
break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and illiteracy. The Program is based on the
belief that children’s early learning is greatly influenced by their parents.
Therefore, parents must develop and value their own literacy skills in order to support
their children’s educational success. More important, parents are their
children’s first and best teachers.
Family literacy programs incorporate adult, child, and parent education
in a manner that is theoretically more effective than programs that focus exclusively on
adults or exclusively on children. Arizona’s program uses a model that integrates
components recommended by the National Center for Family Literacy. Families receive
services in a classroom setting for at least 15 hours a week, and programs generally
operate on regular school year calendars. The Program’s four main components are: 1)
adult literacy instruction, 2) parent and child together (PACT), 3) parent education
discussion and support, and 4) early childhood education for children ages 3 to 4 years.
Adult Family Literacy
Participants Show Gains
in Literacy Skills
(See pages 9 through 14)
The Program is successful in improving adult participants’
literacy. Standard test scores increased both for adults enrolled in English for Speakers
of Other Languages (ESOL) and for those enrolled in adult basic education/general
equivalency degree preparation (ABE/GED). Twenty-six percent of the participants either
completed their GED through the Program or were in the process of taking the examinations
at the end of the school years. Although many participants are focusing on raising
families, and therefore not seeking employment, three-fourths of those participants
seeking employment have entered the workforce.
Although it is too early to measure long-term effects, the positive
adult education outcomes offer the possibility that the Program may have the intended
impact of breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty and illiteracy. As the
parents’ educational and literacy skills improve, it is expected that their children
will do better in school. Not only should the preschool children in the Family Literacy
Program do better, but their older and younger siblings should also do better.
Family Literacy Pilot Program
Participants Show Slight Improvements
in Parenting Behaviors
(See pages 15 through 19)
The model used by Arizona’s Family Literacy Program recognizes the
importance of parenting skills and focuses on developing these skills through the parent
and child together (PACT) and parenting group discussion components.
Most parents entered the Program with relatively good attitudes about
parenting. Adults enrolled in the parenting skills component of the Family Literacy
Program made gains in their skills, though not to the degree that they made gains in their
literacy skills. However, the parents who had the poorest parenting attitudes when they
entered the Program showed significant improvement in their parenting attitudes. In
addition, parents’ comments regarding their parenting behaviors indicate that their
behaviors may have changed more than the measured changes in their attitudes would
indicate.
Family Literacy Preschool
Participants Making Progress
(See pages 21 through 23)
A major objective of the Family Literacy Pilot Program is to improve
the school readiness of the 3- and 4-year-old children in the Program by providing
developmentally appropriate preschool education. A kindergarten readiness assessment
suggests that children who participate in the Program, as a result of their participation,
show a developmental rate that is an average of four months ahead of nonparticipating
children. While children are still generally behind where they should be for their age,
the Program keeps them from falling further behind and reduces the differences between
them and their non-at-risk peers. As a result of the Program, children are reducing the
degree to which they are behind and are more likely to start school prepared to learn.
Program Implementation and
Monitoring Improves in Second
Full Year of Operation
(See pages 25 through 31)
Most contractors operating sites for the Family Literacy Program have
made progress in offering quality programs since last year’s report. Site evaluations
showed that 20 of the 23 sites that were evaluated made progress in meeting statutory
requirements and correcting previous quality-related problems in such areas as integrating
components, collaborating with other providers, providing childcare, and maintaining
enrollments at required levels. The higher degree of quality and compliance reflects hard
work on the part of the sites, improved monitoring from ADE, and continued technical
assistance from the model programs.
However, three of the sites, Pinon, Leupp, and Phoenix Indian Center,
continue to have serious implementation problems. These sites have made staff changes but
continue to struggle with quality and enrollment. ADE has made efforts to improve the
programs and all three have developed plans to implement changes for improvement. These
programs have been funded for the 1997-98 school year on a month-to-month contract instead
of the quarterly payment plan used for the other programs.
If the Legislature continues the Program, it is recommended that ADE
continue monitoring efforts to ensure program quality remains. And, if the Program is
expanded to additional sites, it is recommended that model program activities designed to
provide technical assistance are continued to ensure that new sites have the assistance
they need to succeed.
Statutory Evaluation Components
(See pages 33 through 46)
Laws 1994, Ninth S.S., Ch.1, §9 requires the Office of the Auditor
General to report whether program participants have achieved goals and objectives, and
make recommendations regarding program expansion.
The Family Literacy Pilot Program positively impacts the families who
choose to enroll into and stay in the Program. The Program appears to be successful in
improving the literacy rates of the adult participants, and has some positive effects on
their parenting behaviors. In addition, preschoolers in the Program are making gains
beyond what is predicted for them.
Based on positive program outcomes and the achievement of program goals
and objectives, it is recommended that the Program be continued and expansion to
additional sites considered. Positive impacts were found even though there were serious
problems during the first two years of program implementation. As noted in our second
evaluation of the Program last year (Report No. 96-20), only 7 of 26 programs complied
with all program criteria. The second-year evaluation warned that the problems with
implementation threatened the Program’s potential for success. The fact that positive
impacts were found despite the implementation problems suggests that greater impacts may
be found in the future if the implementation problems continue to be addressed.
However, if the Program is continued or expanded, because
Arizona’s family literacy model cannot meet the needs of all adults and children in
need of literacy services, any additional monies should be directed to areas with the
greatest opportunity to make an impact. Monies should be distributed through a request for
proposal process requiring potential contractors to demonstrate high rates of economic and
educational disadvantage in their service area and a workable plan to attract and retain
the target population.
It is also recommended that model program sites be continued in order
to assist with ongoing programs’ training and technical assistance needs as they
experience staff turnover, and new sites as they begin to provide services. Model programs
should provide technical assistance, training, and basic monitoring in cooperation with
ADE staff.
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