Family & Community Adult Education Family Literacy
Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium

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Massachusetts Even Start Indicators of Program Quality: Performance Criteria
April 2003

Adult Outcome 1: Achievement in the areas of reading, writing, English language acquisition, problem solving and numeracy.

Performance Criteria:

At least 50% of the total ABE learners will advance one or more levels at the end of each semester in reading and in math as measured by approved statewide assessment instruments.

30% of all adults who have completed a 100 hour block of adult education and who pre-tested at 0-8.9 on the TABE will demonstrate a one grade level gain as measured by the TABE.

Rationale: Massachusetts is currently revising its own performance criteria for adult education outcomes based on 2002 assessment results. Until these are revised we will rely on the national performance criteria for Even Start (which aggregates data from statewide reports) and our statewide Even Start evaluation findings. In the statewide Even Start evaluation, 60% of the families noted improvements in reading and math; 87% in basic English.

Adult Outcome 2: Receipt of a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma.

Performance Criteria:

25% of the participating Even Start parents who have a goal of a high school diploma or equivalent will earn a high school diploma or equivalent during the program year.

Rationale: This percentage is consistent with the statewide Even Start evaluation data.

Adult Outcome 3: Entry into a post secondary school, job-retraining program or employment or career advancement, including the military.

Performance Criteria:

10% of Even Start parents who have a goal of enrolling will in a post secondary school, job -retraining program or employment or career advancement, including the military will achieve this goal by the end of the program year.

Rationale: The 10% criterion is identified in national performance criteria for Even Start. Massachusetts' statewide criteria are lower ranging from 7% military to 4% post-secondary.

Child Outcome 4: Improvement in ability to read on grade level or reading readiness.

Performance Criteria:

Using the Work Sampling Developmental Checklists, Even Start children will improve their personal scores by 25%.

Or

Using the Work Sampling Developmental Checklists, 80% of the items will be rated at the level "2" or above for Even Start children, at each grade level.

Rationale: About 25% of the states report using the Work Sampling Development Checklists to measure children's progress in meeting this Even Start outcome. We selected this instrument because it has high reliability and validity and has been used in several national research projects to measure child development. The Checklist measures literacy across six developmental domains: Personal and Social Development, Language and Literacy, Scientific Thinking, Mathematical Reasoning, Physical Development and Health and Social Studies. In Massachusetts, teachers of children in Even Start (ages preschool through third grade) must complete the Checklist in the fall and spring of each year.

Child Outcome 5: School attendance.

Performance Criteria:

80% of the children who are in kindergarten or the elementary grades will attend 90% of the total school days offered.

60% of the children who are in preschool or an infant and toddler program will attend an average of 36 hours or more per month in early childhood and PACT activities combined.

Rationale: These are trends in the data reported by other states; closely parallels percentages created by Connecticut. These percentages may be modified after we examine the 2002 SMARTT attendance data trends.

Child Outcome 6: Grade retention and promotion.

Performance Criteria:

80%-90% of the children who are in kindergarten will advance to the next grade level or be placed in appropriate education services.

Of the 5 to 8 year olds whose parents have participated in Even Start for a minimum of 80 hours, there will be an overall promotion rate of 90% or greater.

Rationale: The first criterion of 80-90% is based on Massachusetts' statewide evaluation results; the second criterion is identified in national performance criteria for Even Start (which aggregates data from statewide reports).

Other Outcome(s) for the Family:

Performance Criteria:

75% of the Even Start parents will support children's learning and increase language rich parent child interactions by

• reading to their children daily
• communicating with their children's teacher(s) at least 4 times per year
• demonstrating understanding of education program expectations
• providing a home environment that supports children's learning and development in the home

Rationale: The criterion is based on statewide evaluation data reported by Even Start teachers and parents themselves on the Parent Self-Assessment Form, an instrument used in the statewide Even Start evaluation and Family Literacy Challenge grants. The national performance criteria for this outcome is 80%.

Treatment Thresholds

To participate in the Even Start evaluation, families must have participated in Even Start for 4 months or longer. Participants must have a participation rate of 60% or higher to be included in the sample of families for which the attainment of performance criteria will be analyzed.