Third National Even Start Evaluation: Follow-Up Findings From the Experimental Design Study

Background: The Even Start Family Literacy Program has provided instructional services to
low-income children and their parents since 1989. A previous randomized controlled trial in the
early 1990s did not show this program to have positive impacts.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of Even Start in a group of grantees around the country.
An earlier report from this study presented impact findings based on pretest and posttest data at
the start and end of a school year. No program impacts were found. The purpose of the current
report is to present impact analyses of follow-up data collected one year after posttest data.