Keeping the Circle Strong

In 1990, the Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP), now the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) in the U.S. Department of the Interior, developed a groundbreaking early childhood/parental involvement pilot program in six sites located at BIE-funded schools.  The program was designed to provide culturally responsive education, resources and support for American Indian families with children from birth to grade three.

Since its inception, the Family and Child Education (FACE) program has expanded to 39 programs at BIE-funded schools in 10 states, with plans to expand further in Fall 2008.

The FACE model is focused on high-quality instruction for adults and children, teambuilding and networking, staff development, and evaluation.  In collaboration with the BIE, training teams from Parents as Teachers and the National Center for Family Literacy provide comprehensive pre-service and in-service professional development to FACE staff members and school administrators.  Research & Training Associates, Inc., was contracted at the beginning of the FACE program and continues to conduct ongoing program evaluation to ensure continual service improvement.

To date, the FACE program has served more than 25,000 individuals from about 10,000 American Indian families.  Parents have earned their GEDs, become employed, and learned how to support their children's language and literacy development and school success.  Children have received a host of educational services, been screened for early identification of developmental delays, learned about their culture and community, and thrived in school.

FACE continues to make a difference.  Every day.

Program Impacts

A 10-year evaluation of the FACE program found that:

• Children in grades K-3 who participated in FACE scored significantly higher on standardized reading and math tests than children who did not participate in FACE.
• Parents participating in FACE showed dramatic increases in supporting their child's learning in the home, particularly in telling stories to their child, reading to their child, listening to their child read, and teaching their child.

A FACE Impact Study commissioned by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget found that at school entry, children with special needs who did not participate in FACE are twice as likely to require special education services and Individual Education Plans (IEPs) than are children who participated in the FACE program — 30% compared with 15%.

The 2006 FACE evaluation study found that:

• About 900 adults have earned their GED while participating in FACE.  Getting their GED enables each of these individuals to gain over $200,000 more earning power during their lifetime than a high school dropout.  This translates to more than $180 million of earning power directly resulting from FACE participation.
• In FACE programs where teachers and parents used dialogic reading strategies, children participating in FACE for 2 years showed evidence of moving from a very low expressive vocabulary to an almost level playing field compared to national peers, from the 11th to the 47th percentile.
• When compared to parents nationally, FACE parents are more involved in their child's education.  FACE parents participate in school events (95%), help with homework (76%), and serve on school committees (78%).
• Parents consistently identify improved parenting skills and increased understanding of their child's development to be the most important program impact.