The National Even Start Association (NESA) has, since its inception, been focused on providing high quality professional development to its constituents. The foundation of NESA's system of professional development is a core body of knowledge that guides decisions regarding the content and design of professional services. The vision of NESA Professional Development Services is as follows:

The National Even Start Association provides high quality, research-based professional development to address the unique and comprehensive nature of Even Start Family Literacy programs. This system is designed to meet the needs of state and local practitioners by providing timely, and relevant professional development and technical assistance for the continuous improvement of Even Start Family Literacy programs throughout the nation.

The National Even Start Association is committed to developing and implementing high quality Even Start Family Literacy programs to support the literacy needs of children, parents, and families throughout the country. Sound professional development that is research based and that is sustained is critical to improving the skills and abilities of local Even Start Family Literacy managers to implement high quality programs. Even Start Family Literacy is a complex educational program with a focus on families living in poverty, parents with low levels of literacy, and children from a wide age range (birth through age seven). It is also a program that requires program managers and staff to work across agencies in providing literacy services to these families. The federal statute guiding the implementation of Even Start Family Literacy programs is very specific. It is my hope that this training will be the first of many to help support Even Start program managers to go beyond the minimum statutory requirements to the implementation of high-quality services that improve the educational outcomes of parents and their children.

As Even Start Family Literacy programs are implemented, they are guided by a set of Key Considerations that ensure high quality. Programs must:

• apply current research to provide high-quality instruction in each of the content areas: early childhood education, adult literacy, and parenting education;
• provide support for children and their parents to reach the state Learning Standards;
• assist parents to fulfill their roles as partners in the education of their children and supporters of their children's education;
• develop effective school-community partnerships between schools and community agencies designed to serve similar populations;
• document participant and program outcomes through data to increase the local capacity of programs;
• engage as partners to maintain a system of continuous improvement as a foundation for advancement.

The NESA Board of Directors and I have worked together to create a training program to support Even Start Family Literacy program managers in their efforts to provide quality literacy services to families. Current research in the field of early literacy integrated with the evolving research in adult literacy development and parenting education is the foundation for our work. It is only when the integration of high quality services in each of the core components supports the development of strategies in individual family members to support and replicate learning that true value is added to change intergenerational patterns.

Scott Himelstein
Chairman, National Even Start Association