ASU selected to participate in $47-million initiative to improve training for principals
College of Education to redesign principal preparation
program in collaboration with state and local school districts
ALBANY, Ga. (October 13, 2016) – The Wallace Foundation selected Albany State University to participate in a national $47-million initiative to develop models over the next four years for improving university principal preparation programs. The initiative will examine state policy for efforts to strengthen quality training statewide.
“This award is a significant development for Albany State University and the school systems in Southwest Georgia,” said Thomas Thompson, dean of the ASU College of Education. “With the high level of poverty and diminishing opportunities for gainful employment in this region, particularly among our population of teenagers and young adults, access to high quality public education via highly effective elementary and secondary schools is crucial; and it all starts with the quality of leadership provided by the principals in our children’s schools. This project will ensure that southwest Georgia has an adequate supply of effective principals who are ready to lead when given the opportunity.”
Albany State University will redesign the Educational Leadership program, offered by the ASU College of Education. The institution is one of seven universities selected by the Wallace Foundation and one of two historically black colleges or universities (HBCU) in the nation to receive funding, this year, for the initiative. ASU is also the only college or university representing the State of Georgia.
“The redesign of Albany State University’s Educational Leadership program is a wonderful opportunity for the institution to improve the effectiveness of educators in the region and the state,” said ASU President Art Dunning. “Our faculty and staff members are dedicated to ensuring that exceptional training is provided to all Educational Leadership program participants. The grant from the Wallace Foundation will allow ASU to raise the bar for the university and for the state of Georgia.”
ASU will receive assistance for the redesign from Gwinnett County Public Schools (GA) Quality-Plus Leader Academy and the New York Leadership Academy, two organizations who have previously gone through the process with the Wallace Foundation. The university will partner with the Dougherty County School System, Pelham city schools, Calhoun county schools and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to ensure that the training is revamped with local school needs in mind. The university, along with district partners and state partners will receive $7.75 million over a four year period to complete necessary requirements.
“We have proposed a program that is performance-based where we take the training out of the ivory towers and into the school systems where our students will be paired with mentors and coaches that will allow them to apply the principles of excellent school leadership,” said Deborah Bembry, professor and chair of the Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership. Bembry is the principal investigator for the project. “With the university, districts and state working together, we will produce a model of principal preparation that can be used across the state and even the nation.”
The Wallace Foundation was interested in finding university programs that serve districts with large numbers of disadvantaged students, whose schools could particularly benefit from effective school leadership. After a selection process that included site visits and assistance from experts in state policy and education, the foundation selected these six other universities: Florida Atlantic University, North Carolina State University, San Diego State University (California), the University of Connecticut, Virginia State University and Western Kentucky University.
“We know from research that school principals require excellent training with high-quality, practical experiences to become effective leaders—but most are simply not getting this,” said Will Miller, president of The Wallace Foundation. “Because many school districts don’t have the capacity to train as many principals as they need or to train future principals at all, the best way to reach more aspiring school leaders is through the university programs that typically provide needed certification. We are confident that the selected universities want to raise the bar for their programs, work in partnership with their local school districts and serve as models for other universities.”
The Wallace Foundation University Principal Preparation Initiative builds on 15 years of Wallace-supported research and experience about what makes for effective principals and their “pre-service” training at universities. The foundation hopes the initiative can contribute over the long term to the development of a new national approach to preparing effective principals, one focusing on evidence-based policies and practices in three areas:
- Developing and implementing high-quality courses of study with practical, on-the-job experiences.
- Putting in place strong university-district partnerships.
- Developing state policies about program accreditation, principal licensure or certification, and other matters (funded internships, for example) to promote more effective training statewide.
“The more we talk with education leaders no matter at what level of the education system, from state to university to district, the more we hear it is the right time to conduct a university-focused initiative like this,” said Jody Spiro, director of education leadership at Wallace. “We are seeking to learn how these seven universities accomplish their program redesign as an important first step in improving how principals are prepared for the demanding job of leading school improvement across the country.”
A luncheon to celebrate the redesign of the program and to recognize Albany State University College of Education faculty members, local and state initiative partners and Wallace Foundation representatives will be held Monday, Oct. 24 in the Student Center Ballroom.
About Albany State University …
Albany State University, in Southwest Georgia, has been a catalyst for change in the
region from its inception as the Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute to its
designation as a university. Founded in 1903 to educate African-American youth, the
university continues to fulfill its historic mission while also serving the educational
needs of an increasingly diverse student population. A progressive institution, Albany
State University seeks to foster the growth and development of the region, state and
nation through teaching, research, creative expression and public service. Through
its collaborative efforts, the university responds to the needs of all of its constituents
and offers educational programs and service to improve the quality of life in Southwest
Georgia. For more information, see https://www.asurams.edu. Follow the university on Twitter at @AlbanyStateUniv and on Facebook at Albany State University Official Page.
The Wallace Foundation seeks to improve education and enrichment for disadvantaged children and foster the vitality of arts for everyone. The foundation has an unusual approach: funding efforts to test innovative ideas for solving important public problems, conducting research to find out what works and what doesn’t and to fill key knowledge gaps – and then communicating the results to help others. Wallace, which works nationally, has five major initiatives under way:
- School leadership: Strengthening education leadership to improve student achievement.
- Afterschool: Helping selected cities make good afterschool programs available to many more children.
- Building audiences for the arts: Enabling arts organizations to bring the arts to a broader and more diverse group of people.
- Arts education: Expanding arts learning opportunities for children and teens.
- Summer and expanded learning: Better understanding the impact of high-quality summer learning programs on disadvantaged children, and enriching and expanding the school day in ways that benefit students.
Find out more at www.wallacefoundation.org.