Missouri is offering a new professional development program for school leaders aimed at raising student achievement. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is partnering with the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) to offer their Executive Development Program via the Missouri Leadership for Excellence, Achievement and Development (MoLEAD) project.

"The Department is pleased to offer a program of this caliber to develop current and future school leaders in Missouri," said Margie Vandeven, deputy commissioner of learning services for the Department. "NISL has a proven track record of success demonstrating gains in student achievement in states using the program.”

One of the Department's primary goals for its Top 10 by 20 initiative is to prepare, develop and support effective educators. Top 10 by 20 calls for Missouri to rank in the top 10 performing states by the year 2020.

"MoLEAD is a state-tailored approach to NISL's program and will teach participants how to lead more effectively, strengthen classroom instruction and in turn increase student achievement," added Vandeven.

Currently 312 individuals are scheduled to participate in the project, representing nine regions of the state. Nearly 50 of the participants were selected as state trainer candidates who - if certified by NISL - will provide future MoLEAD training to sustain the program in Missouri.

MoLEAD project training is a combination of online and face-to-face sessions, hands-on experiences and mentoring opportunities. Participants include superintendents, principals and assistant principals, and teacher leaders. The curriculum will focus on instructional leadership with emphasis on new Missouri academic standards and best instructional practices. Training for these initial cohorts begins this month and is scheduled to conclude July 2014.

The Department is funding the project with federal school improvement funds.

For more information about NISL's Executive Development Program, visit nisl.net.