Overview
The importance of the role of educational leaders has been addressed in almost every educational reform initiative over the past century. Leadership programs for school executives who will guide America's third millennium schools face profound and unprecedented challenges.
In order to successfully achieve academic excellence, the school leader must be prepared to address:
- Changing demographics
- Volatile economies
- Threats to school safety
- Public demands for excellence and equity
- Requirements for fiscal and educational accountability
- Emerging technologies
- Issues of character and ethics
- The enduring expectations of educational systems in the participation of our democracy
The Progress Energy-UCF Leadership Institute is designed to meet these challenges by providing research-based professional development, serving educational leaders at both the school and district level.
The specific purpose of the Institute is to strengthen and support school leaders in their efforts to improve student achievement. Three primary strands are addressed in Leadership Institute programs:
- Data-based educational planning and decision-making for instructional improvement,
- Academically and physically safe learning environments that provide access for all students to a standards-based curriculum, and
- Sound business practices that ensure efficient and maximum use of limited resources.
The participants are benefiting from nationally recognized speakers, research-based resources, and opportunities for collaboration with other school and district leaders. District teams composed of the superintendent, school principals, and district leaders attend the Leadership Institute and then work together to determine the most effective application of content in their district. The team members are extremely appreciative of the opportunity for quality leadership development afforded them by Progress Energy.
Focusing on Excellence