A Lee's Summit educator has been honored as one of 15 top school district leaders in the nation in Education Week's first annual "Leader to Learn From" report.

Kyle Pace, an instructional technology specialist, was recognized for his work using social media to improve professional development for teachers in the Lee's Summit School District.

"We congratulate Kyle for his innovative efforts in using technology to improve the effectiveness of educators in his district," said Commissioner of Education Chris L. Nicastro.

The school leaders ‒ including superintendents, principals and others ‒ were selected for the report based on their creative, yet practical, approaches to improving education in their districts. Education Week noted that research shows among all school-related factors that contribute to student learning, the impact of school leadership is second only to classroom instruction.

Nominees for the honor were submitted by Education Week readers, education reporters, school administrator groups and education experts from across the country. Education Week's editorial staff made the final selections for the report.

The leaders will be recognized in April at a forum in Washington, D.C., featuring U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Education Week is published by the Editorial Projects in Education, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Bethesda, Md.