BPA was recently awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Education to facilitate a peer review of states' Even Start Family Literacy Program performance indicators and provide assistance to the states in improving their accountability systems. The purpose of the Even Start program is to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by offering families integrated early childhood education, adult literacy, adult basic education, and parenting education. Even Start is a highly decentralized and diverse set of family literacy programs targeted at low-income families and funded by the U.S. Department of Education through grants to states. States in turn award program grants to local agencies, and each state is responsible for designing and implementing statewide performance indicators through which it holds local programs accountable.

States were given wide latitude in developing their Even Start performance indicator systems. As a result, there is wide variation in the systems states developed, including variation in the actual indicators defined, assessment tools selected for measuring progress on the indicators, timing and processes for data collection, and definitions of the population being included in the analysis. In order to raise the level of quality and accountability throughout Even Start, the U.S. Department of Education contracted with BPA to design and facilitate a process for reviewing each state's performance indicators and performance measurement system. To accomplish this, BPA will identify and convene a group of peer experts who combine a thorough knowledge of federal policy objectives and procedures, expertise in assessing children and adults, and a deep understanding of how state and local program operators manage their programs, what changes and constraints they face, and what degree of guidance and assistance they need. The peer experts will assist BPA in developing a well-defined, theory-driven structural framework for defining and implementing Even Start performance indicators at the state level. Nine pilot states will then be reviewed, and BPA will provide targeted feedback and technical assistance to each state.

Major project tasks include: developing criteria and standards for review of Even Start performance indicators; selecting and training peer reviewers; developing common performance indicators and measures in adult literacy and child literacy; facilitating the peer review process; and providing technical assistance to states in improving their accountability systems.