SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today announced 81 awardees will receive $14.6 million in William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program grants.  For the list of grantees, please visit Funding Results: William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program (Link no longer active. For more information, please contact the Funding Master Plan at fmp@cde.ca.gov or 916-323-1544).

"An important factor in lifting families out of poverty is literacy.  Acquiring the skills of reading opens the door to all opportunities," said O’Connell.  "These grantees were selected because they have proven track records of increasing family literacy or they had the best plans to develop such programs." 

The purpose of the Even Start program is to break the cycle of poverty and low literacy by improving the academic achievement of parents and their young children, aged birth through seven years and adult. The program integrates early childhood education, adult education, parenting education, and interactive literacy activities.

The Even Start program is funded by the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 that was folded into the federal No Child Left Behind Act.  The program was named in honor of its original Congressional sponsor and advocate, William F. Goodling.  Grantees include institutions of higher education, local education agencies, and nonprofit organizations.  They are also required to apply jointly and have a track record of working in family literacy programs.  Funding priority for 2006-07, was given to continuing projects that met their performance indicators. 

The awards range between $120,750 and $276,000.  All grantees were required to find an in-kind match.  Funding is contingent upon federal allocation.  Grantees were selected based on multiple criteria and a rating system. The highest ranked grantees from among a pool of 141 applicants were funded.

For more information on Even Start, please visit Funding Profile (ID 856): William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program (Link no longer active. For more information, please contact the Funding Master Plan at fmp@cde.ca.gov or 916-323-1544).