Leadership Learning Organization Serving Pre-K Through Higher Education
History Highlights
Virginia Principals Mentoring Pilot: design and implementation of training of mentors for principals in years 0 – 3 in their positions; funding provided by the Virginia Department of Education to support partnership with Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals and Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals; led by the Virginia Foundation for Education Leadership (2023 -2025)
Executive Development Program: partnership with the Virginia Department of Education and the National Institute for School Leadership to train VFEL faculty to conduct cohorts throughout Virginia. (2013 - present).
Lead Turnaround Partner: partnership with the Virginia Department of Education to develop a new model to coordinate and assess vendor services that assisted priority schools in their efforts to increase student achievement and graduation rates. (2012 – 2014)
The Virginia Model: Mentor Coaching for School Improvement Institute: sponsor and organizer of event held in Charlottesville. (2009)
Dr. Patricia I. Wright, State Superintendent, speaking at the Virginia Board of Education meeting (April 2014)
The Virginia Model: Mentor Coaching for School Improvement: partnership with the Office of School Improvement (Virginia Department of Education), the Center on Innovation and Improvement (CII), and the Appalachian Comprehensive Resource Center led to the development of a program that provided school leaders with the knowledge, tools, and skills to make effective decisions that would result in improved student achievement. (2008)
Virginia Principals 21st Century Initiative: initiation of Principal 21C that included five leadership learning programs: 1) Breaking Ranks II for High School Leaders, 2) Breaking Ranks In the Middle for Middle School Leaders, 3) Mentoring and Coaching, 4) McREL's Balanced Leadership, and 5) Strategic Instruction Model. (2007)
Mentoring and Coaching 2006: development of a new training to reflect the needs of a high stakes testing state like Virginia; 21 school leaders were trained to be mentors and coaches. (2006)
Breaking Ranks II: VFEL faculty members provided training sessions across the Commonwealth. (2005-2007)
Redesign the American High School: lead partner in then-Governor Mark Warner’s National Governors Association $2 million grant; the Virginia Foundation for Educational Leadership was the only professional nonprofit organization included in the grant. (2005)
Governor’s Leadership P-16 Council: appointed as association member, which (1) served as a catalyst for increased collaboration among entities that influenced P-16 education, (2) examined issues related to increased high school rigor and opportunities for secondary students, and (3) received reports on the progress and success of other initiatives within the Governor’s grant to consider for additional policy recommendations. (2005)
Breaking Ranks II: funding provided by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in partnership with NASSP supported delivery of leadership train-the-trainer programs and development of a model for mentoring and coaching school leaders. (2004)
“A Think Tank on Leadership and Student Achievement – What Can a Principal Do?”: collaboration with Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) resulting in a 2-day conference attended by school principals and assistant principals, superintendents and assistant superintendents, school board members, education professors, policy makers, and other current and aspiring school leaders. (2004)