Texas Even Start Administrative Manual

June 2004, (Revised January 2008, September 2008)

Eligibility/Assessment Policy

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Guidelines for eligibility for Even Start services are specified in the Even Start Statute on pages B-8 and B-9 and the Even Start Guidance on pages 23-27.

Assessment requirements are listed in Indicators of Program Quality. Assessments are required for participating adults and children.

Several assessments are used to measure gains in adult literacy. Participating adults are assessed for language and literacy development using the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE), English version, the Basic English Skills Test (BEST) Plus or Basic English Skills Test Literacy. Students are given a baseline assessment upon entry and progress assessments when they reach 60 hours of adult education instruction. Complete parameters for administration of adult literacy assessments can by found at http://www-tcall.tamu.edu/texaslearns/05admanual/1-29-07stateassessmentpolicy.pdf. [Download Adobe® Acrobat® Reader]

The Caldwell and Bradley Home Inventory Scale is used to assess parent education. It is administered to participating parents within one month of enrollment and again after four to nine months of program participation.

Participating children are assessed using instruments selected for each age group. Kindergarten, first grade and second grade students are assessed using the district selected assessment for pre-reading or reading. It is necessary to determine a means for collecting assessment information for Even Start children from the local school district, even if the Even Start grantee is not a local school district.

Participating three, four and five year olds are assessed using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Third Edition. Pre- and post- assessments are required with at least four months between assessments. Four-year-olds are administered the alphabet knowledge section of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS PreK). PALS PreK is administered in September or October and again six months later. Local programs may use the remaining sections of PALS PreK to inform instruction, but they are not required.

Children aged birth through two year olds and all newly (non-continuing, not active in the previous year) enrolled three year olds from Even Start families will be screened for developmental progress by the end of the third month of enrollment in Even Start. All children identified in high risk or delay categories will be referred for additional assessment. Screening instruments should be selected from the Bayley Infant Neurological Screener (BINS), Brigance Diagnostic Inventory, or the Denver Developmental Screening Test. Although screening is required, a second administration is recommended only for children with inconclusive results in the initial screening. Follow the recommendations provided in the assessment used by your program. This in not intended to be a blanket pre-post test requirement.

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