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NIACE evaluation
of LSC-funded family programmes
Final report, March 2003
In summer 2002 the National Institute for Adult Continuing
Education (NIACE) was commissioned by the Learning and Skills
Council (LSC) to undertake an evaluation of LSC-funded family
programmes, covering both 'family literacy, language and numeracy'
and 'wider family learning'.
In relation to family literacy, language and numeracy, the
evaluation suggested that greater clarity and a shared view
among the field about the aims and objectives of this work
is required. There was little consensus among practitioners
about the purpose of family literacy, language and numeracy.
There was also little shared understanding among providers,
national agency development officers and policy officers on
the role of family literacy, language and numeracy in contributing
to the targets of the Skills
for Life national strategy for adult basic skills, and
the extent to which the emphasis of family literacy, language
and numeracy should be on parents and/or children.
Many providers also reported that they would like greater
flexibility and freedom to develop courses and models that
respond more to the needs of individual learners and local
circumstances.
The report is available from NIACE on 0116 204 4200 or at
www.niace.org.uk.
Keeping Up
with the Children: project evaluation
University of Sheffield and the National Foundation for Educational
Research for the Basic Skills Agency, April 2002
'Keeping Up with the Children' is a Basic Skills Agency
programme designed to help parents support their children's
literacy and numeracy development. Nearly 300 12-hour courses
for parents were run by 122 local education authorities between
September 2000 and March 2001. The evaluation found clear
benefits for parents. They learnt a great deal about the literacy
and numeracy strategies, how children learn and how they can
help support their own children at home. Many became more
involved with their children's schools as a result, and others
were keen to progress to further courses. Children gained
from parents' increased interest, knowledge and involvement.
The evaluation found that the adaptation of the basic model
to local strengths and needs was a key part of the success,
and should be preserved in future programmes. For example,
in some areas courses were held on school premises, which
worked well when parents perceived the surroundings as familiar
and friendly; in others they were held out of school, when
staff felt that parents would be unlikely to come into a school
building. There was evidence that the initiative was reaching
'hard to reach' parents in some areas, and the evaluation
recommends targeting such parents more specifically. The presence
at Local Education Authority level of a committed coordinator
with vision was also a key success factor.
Contact Basic Skills Agency publications on 0870 600 2400
or visit www.basic-skills.co.uk.
The NFER follow-up
study of the Basic Skills Agency's family literacy demonstration
programmes
Greg Brooks, Tom Gorman, John Harman, Dougal Hutchison, Kay
Kinder, Helen Moor and Anne Wilkin (Basic Skills Agency, 1997)
This study followed up families who had been on the Basic
Skills Agency's family literacy demonstration programmes twenty
to thirty-four months later. Their research showed that the
impact of the programme had been sustained.
Executive Summary
- In 1997 the Basic Skills Agency commissioned the National
Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to follow up
the parents and children who had participated in the Family
Literacy Demonstration Programmes in 1994/95.
- The aim was to investigate the extent to which children
had sustained the gains they had made during their courses,
and the extent to which Family Literacy continued to have
an impact on parents' ability to help their children, as
well as on their employment and education.
- A total of 154 parents and 237 children were re-contacted
between January and April 1997.
- Also, interviews were carried out with the teachers of
a subsample of the children, and with the Demonstration
Programme coordinators.
Main findings on the continuing benefits for children
- The 237 Family Literacy children re-contacted had maintained
the gains made during the courses in vocabulary, reading
and writing.
- The parents and the Demonstration Programme coordinators
were strongly of the opinion that the children were continuing
to benefit.
The interviews with teachers showed that:
- Family Literacy children were superior to their peers
in the support they received from their families, classroom
behaviour, and probable success in school; and
- Family Literacy children were equal to their peers in
other academic and motivational respects.
Thus overall
- the Family Literacy children were holding their own,
and their educational prospects were better than they
would have been without Family Literacy.
Main findings on the continuing benefits for parents
Of the 154 parents re-contacted,
- 66 (43%) were in work in l997, up from 29(19%) in l994/95;
and of these 66,
- 57 (86% of those in work) attributed their gaining employment
directly to Family Literacy.
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