PHONE (573) 751-4212
The department is transitioning to the comprehensive Missouri Leadership Development System with the first- and second-year mentoring program. For more background, please visit the MLDS page.
Registration to receive a mentor is open each year from April 1 through October 31.
Need a Mentor?
“Experience suggests, and decades of research confirms, effective leadership is essential to educational success. Whether it is cultivating community support, improving teacher recruitment and retention, or attending to the personal and academic achievement of our students, there is no replacement for a knowledgeable and capable leader. Through the Missouri Leadership Development System, principals have the opportunity to grow their leadership knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
Leadership Academy 2026-27 41st Class
Leadership Academy is part of the Missouri Leadership Development System (MLDS) which cultivates effective school leaders who:
Facts about the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE)
Appropriate certification for teaching assignments is determined and monitored by the Office of Quality Schools. You can also consult the department’s Core Data and Missouri Student Information System Reference Manual (see Exhibit 10).
Purpose: This test for admission into undergraduate educator preparation programs in Missouri includes sections on English language arts, writing, mathematics, science and social science. The assessment began in September 2013 and replaced the College BASE (CBASE) test.
Test Format: Computer-Based at a Pearson Vue Center in Missouri and nationally
A Visiting Scholar Certificate is available to individuals who hold an academic degree or have related occupational experience in a secondary content area. To qualify, an individual must be employed by a Missouri public school district as part of a business-education partnership initiative designed to build career pathways systems for students. The one-year certificate is limited to grades 9-12 and may be renewed twice if required professional development and performance evaluations are completed.
The classification, Initial Professional Certificate (IPC) or Initial Career Education Certificate (ICEC), is valid for four years from the date of issuance. Any additional areas(s) of certification issued during the valid dates of this classification will fall under the same classification regardless of the certificate effective date.