7:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Continental Breakfast

7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

Continental Breakfast and Table Top Networking Sessions
Participants will have an opportunity for early morning networking during the continental breakfast.

8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent sessions will cover: developing state plans, conducting competitions for AEFLA funds in accordance with provisions for direct and equitable access, policies for distance education, achieving interagency coordination, improving reading instruction, and involving business and industry in adult education.

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Mini-Training Institutes (pre-registration required)
Making Standards Work: A Conversation with Program Directors and Teachers
Ronna Spacone, OVAE
Kathy Chernus, MPR Associates
Susan Pimentel, Standards Consultant

Louisiana is not only the birthplace of jazz, it's also one of six states making adult education content standards work by piloting training materials and processes being developed as part of OVAE's Standards-In-Action (SIA) project. This interactive mini-training institute will feature a conversation with program directors and teachers who are implementing Louisiana's standards using the SIA materials. The conversation will be structured by questions generated by the session participants. Possible areas of discussion include the substance and process of meaningful standards professional development, building curriculum and instruction around standards, and how standards are making a difference in teaching. In addition, participants will preview some of the SIA materials designed to help build teachers' understanding of standards. The preview will include hands-on experience with processes for unpacking the cognitive demand of standards and building sample activities based on those standards.

Developing an RFP to Guide Quality Adult Education Services
Judith A. Alamprese, Abt Associates Inc.

This mini-session is designed for state adult education directors and staff who are interested in developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) that can be used by applicants for AEFLA funds in planning and managing their programs' services. The session will focus on two aspects of the development of an RFP: 1) the importance of aligning a state's needs assessment and priorities for state leadership funds with the content of an RFP, and 2) structuring the directions in an RFP that will facilitate grantees' preparation of applications that are useful in implementing program services. During the mini-session, participants will examine processes for conducting a state's needs assessment and determining state leadership priorities, and how these relate to the development of the RFP. Working in teams, participants will analyze the strengths and limitations of past RFPs for adult education funds. They will learn about RFP formats that are more effective in facilitating grantees' preparation of applications that describe in detail a program's services, as well as the types of state policy that can be integrated into the RFP. Participants also will discuss strategies for guiding grantees in using their applications to plan and manage their services.

Leadership Training for State Directors and State Staff
Mary Ann Corley, California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Back by popular demand, this mini-institute session is targeted to State directors and State staff who are interested in leadership training tailored to adult education. The session will focus on the importance of creating a statewide vision and the importance of coalescing support through partnerships in government and in the field of adult education. It will assist participants in understanding the importance of connecting accountability systems and State leadership investments to realize that vision. During the session, participants will cover various decision-making models and use case studies to determine which models they would apply toward a specific situation (there are no right and wrong answers– it's a question of leadership style). Through this discussion and debate, participants learn about and discuss facilitative leadership (collaborative problem-solving and decision-making). Please note that due to the high level of interest, this session is a repeat of the mini-training institute offered at the 2007 Annual Conference for State Directors in Philadelphia.

Evaluating Local Programs
Mike Dean, OVAE and Larry Condelli, American Institutes of Research

The purpose of this workshop is to expand the capacity of States to effectively evaluate and monitor the quality and performance of local programs. Program evaluation activities are ongoing and can be found in a number of administrative functions—review of grant applications, periodic progress reports and financial reports, on-site monitoring and, more recently, desk-top monitoring of local programs. The session will identify and discuss: 1) the core goals and purposes of local program evaluation (e.g., program improvement and program accountability), 2) evaluation and monitoring models and processes (including self-assessment, third-party reviews, and desk-top monitoring), and 3) what to evaluate and why (the link between inputs-- teacher quality, content standards, curriculum, instructional modalities, program organization, etc., and outputs-- educational gain, English language acquisition, high school completion, employment, etc.).

4:00 PM

Adjourn for the Day

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Coffee Break

8:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Regional Breakout Sessions
These sessions will provide facilitated discussion among participants on technical assistance needs within the States.

9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Brunch

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Disaster Relief: Planning for Disenfranchised Populations: Lessons Learned

11:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Closing Remarks and Adjournment