PARADISU: Program Evaluation of the Micronesian Language Institute's Guam Family English Literacy Program

In 1992, the Micronesian Language Institute established the PARADISU program, whose purpose was to strengthen and develop the English literacy and school participation skills of, and the school survival and success of children from, Chamorro, Chuukese, and Palauan families living on Guam through direct instruction and other activities. The program served parents and out-of-school youth. This report evaluates the program in its third and final year of operation to assess its productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness. The evaluation was based on interviews of staff members and participants, observations of training sessions, review of documents, and data collected during formal evaluation. The program had four staff members. Its activities included: (1) recruiting program participants from traditionally underserved populations; (2) training participants in family literacy; (3) writing a literacy training manual; and (4) distributing a newsletter. The evaluator judged the program overall to be effective in its third year. Strengths of the program were the commitment and expertise of the staff and a training program focused on building the capacity of parents. Identified weaknesses included lack of coordinated effort within the program and with outside agencies, a chronic attendance problem, and unclear philosophy and strategy. These weaknesses, however, did not prevent effective completion of the program's goals of increasing the English proficiency of, and the understanding of the public school system by, Chamorro, Chuukese, and Palauan parents and out-of-school youth. The program was not renewed; nevertheless, recommendations for future literacy efforts are offered. These include considering the philosophy of the program; stressing cooperation, unity of purpose, and sharing of ideas; focusing greater resources on recruitment and assessment; and planning beyond the life of the program. (TM)