The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act and the increased emphasis of national, state, and local policy makers on program accountability lead to a greater need for professional development that focuses on the specific needs of Even Start Family Literacy providers. This is occurring concurrently with the statutory requirements that increase professional qualifications of Even Start Family Literacy practitioners. The need for professional development, designed specifically for Even Start Family Literacy practitioners, is critical to the success of Even Start as a program. The inclusion of Even Start as an "applicable" program under the Title IX, General Provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, has added to the need to establish a system of professional development that meets the definition of professional development therein. This professional development is high quality, sustained, intensive, and focused on the specific requirements of Even Start Family Literacy programs. This training goes beyond general training in family literacy and provides the foundation to administer an Even Start Family Literacy program that will have positive and lasting impacts on family literacy instruction and the teacher performance.

Staff development is required in several sections of the Statute that governs Even Start Family Literacy:

• Staff development is one of the required elements for local program implementation included in the Even Start statute;
• The individual responsible for the administration of Even Start Family Literacy services must receive training in the operation of a family literacy program;
• States are required to provide technical assistance for program improvement and replication with a portion of their state allocation for Even Start Family Literacy.

Even Start Family Literacy programs strive toward a collective goal of providing high-quality literacy programs and services for families. The National Even Start Association is committed to the Key Values and Core Body of Knowledge. The purpose of this training is to support local program managers to:

• maintain knowledge of current Even Start Statute;
• maintain understanding of current research supporting the Core Body of Knowledge relating to Even Start Family Literacy;
• understand and implement the Key Values;
• respond to the low literacy levels of adults and their children living in poverty;
• build on the principles of family empowerment; and
• participate in continuing professional development at all levels of implementation.