were outlined for setting goals, understanding the evaluation, developing job descriptions, and setting rules and policies. Templates were provided for program assumptions, collaboration suggestions, student education plans and attendance.Dr. Sylvia Cobos Lieshoff, Training Specialist, and Ms. Jean Carter, Senior Training Specialist, opened the afternoon with a session entitled "How do I recruit and how do I manage instruction?" This was an interactive experience where participants worked independently on specific questions and then shared their findings with others at their table. Sylvia and Jean engaged the group through the solicitation of ideas, discussion and large group sharing. This experience allowed participants to network and go away with specific strategies to manage the instructional process.
"How do I know when I am there?" closed the formal presentations prior to the general question and answer session. Tom answered the question by stating that "you are never there; and, if you think you are, you have missed the point". He reviewed the days' events touching on each presentation and the importance of the information each contained. He emphasized the necessity of being critically aware of the legal and legislative mandates
of Even Start. He pointed out the importance of understanding the evaluation process and procedures to insure grant continuation. Each participant was encouraged to review the conference program to find those individual workshops that would provide greater depth in given areas than this one day experience could provide.Each participant was asked to complete a questionnaire on this new preconference session noting the positive aspects of it and areas for possible improvement. The Q&A session lasted approximately 30 minutes followed by closing remarks from Scott Himelstein, Pat McKee and Betsy King.
Results of the survey completed by the attendees indicate a strong desire to continue the New Grantee Orientation Preconference but with additional time. On the strength of the survey several topics have been identified in addition to the New Grantee experience that would provide content for professional development workshops on a regional basis. These workshops are now under consideration by the NESA Professional Development Committee for spring 2001. New Grantee Orientaion will be offered as a PreConfernce session at this year's conference.
