[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 102 (Thursday, July 11, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   EVALUATING THE EVEN START PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM F. GOODLING

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 11, 1996

  Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, as the Member of Congress who developed 
the Even Start Program, I was understandably disappointed by the 
language discussing Even Start in the committee report accompanying the 
Labor, HHS, and Education appropriations bill for fiscal year 1997.
  The Even Start Program was first funded in 1989 and, therefore, the 
program has only been in existence for a short period of time compared 
to other major elementary and secondary education programs. Thus, I 
believe it is unfair to say there is little in the way of evaluations 
to support the request for funding for this program.
  I must admit that I, too, was disappointed with the last program 
evaluation. However, I never expected that the program would not have 
to undergo change in order to effectively carry out its goals. There is 
not a program in the Federal Government which cannot be improved. 
However, Even Start is new and we are just now learning what does and 
doesn't produce the positive results we are seeking.
  For example, the interim evaluation reports called attention to the 
fact that adults participants were not benefiting as much as their 
children. As a result, the Department of Education started to stress 
with States and program providers the need for a stronger parent 
component. Additionally, early evaluations indicted that not all Even 
Start projects were operating all three program components. Again, this 
was corrected.
  One of the findings of the most recent and final report was that the 
intensity of services was not strong in many programs and parents were 
receiving a minimal number of hours of adult education. The fiscal year 
1996 appropriations bill for the District of Columbia contained 
language modifying the existing Even Start law to require intensive 
services be provided to program participants.
  It is also easy to misinterpret data contained in evaluation studies. 
For example, the results on preschool experiences were misinterpreted. 
Children in Even Start did significantly better than the control group 
on school readiness tasks during the preschool year. Most children in 
the control group did not attend a preschool program and they did not 
learn skills needed for kindergarten by staying home. It was only at 
the end of the kindergarten year that the control group children 
learned the skills that the Even Start children had learned a year 
earlier.
  Mr. Speaker, the committee did not cut funding for this program, for 
which I am grateful. However, I would hope that any future discussion 
of the effectiveness of Even Start would take into consideration the 
information I have discussed today and not jump to the conclusion that 
this program has not proven its worth.

                          ____________________