Posted on 05/13/2004 7:01:46 PM PDT by RWR8189
Kerry Claim: The administration has tried to eliminate literacy programs like Even Start. In addition to this historic level of reading funding, the Presidents Budget direct billions to additional programs supporting early childhood literacy:
Truth: Numerous national studies have found the majority of Even Start Programs to be ineffective. In two evaluations which used control groups, evaluations found no difference between families who received Even Start services and those who did not. An independent 2002 GAO study found there was no definitive national-level research about Even Starts effectiveness. ( First evaluation of Even Start, Fu Associations and Abt Associates, 1995; Second evaluation, Fu Associations and Abt Associates, 1998; Third evaluation, Fu Associations and Abt Associates, 2003; Head Start and Event Start, Greater Collaboration Needed on Measures of Adult Education and Literacy, GAO, March 2002)
The most recent study found that there was no difference between families who received Even Start services and those who did not on 38 out of 41 child and parental outcomes. The study concluded, Even Start did not change the literacy skills or parenting skills of parents, nor did it change the literacy skills of children.
With the President's fiscal year 2005 Budget, funding for reading programs will have increased nearly five-fold since 2001 for a total of $1.3 billion so that every child can read at grade level or above by the end of third grade.
We need a DBunker Buster ping list.
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