Each year the Office of Vocational and Adult Education's Division of Adult Education and Literacy sponsors the following training opportunities and workshops targeted specifically to state directors of adult education and other key state staff:

• Annual Meeting of State Directors of Adult Education (Spring) - The three-day conference hosts state directors from across the nation each year.

  • 2012 Meeting Agenda and Materials
  • 2011 Meeting Agenda and Materials
  • 2010 Meeting Agenda and Materials
  • 2009 Meeting Agenda and Materials
  • 2008 Meeting Agenda and Materials
  • 2007 Meeting Agenda and Materials

• NRS Training (Summer) - The National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) is an outcome-based reporting system for the State-administered, federally funded adult education program. The NRS project provides technical assistance and support to states through face-to-face training, national meetings, webinars, and online training courses. The NRS web site also contains an archive of NRS training events.

• New State Directors Management Workshop (Fall) - This 2 day workshop is for newly appointed state directors of adult education and other appropriate state staff. The workshop strives to: (1) Enhance new State directors' knowledge of program requirements and other key components and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) and applicable formula grants administration requirements from the Education Department regulations and OMB Circulars, (2) Provide new State directors with the resources and tools needed to effectively manage day-to-day State-level adult education operations consistent with federal law and relevant regulations, and (3) Facilitate development of mentoring relationships among experienced and new State directors and foster networking relationships among new directors who share similar experiences.

National Activities/Technical Assistance Initiatives

Section 243 of AEFLA, which provides for national leadership activities, authorizes OVAE to establish and carry out a “program of national leadership activities to enhance the quality of adult education and literacy programs nationwide.” Activities funded through section 243 generally are targeted to improving instruction and teacher quality, developing new models of service delivery to learners, improving accountability, and furthering research. Several national activities initiatives offer eligible state agencies the opportunity to apply for free specialized technical assistance or enable providers in their jurisdictions to apply to participate in OVAE-funded demonstration projects.