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Ed. Leadership &
Professional
Studies
Background
The West Georgia Leadership Academy was established through a generous grant from the Georgia Power Company. A part-time Executive Director was employed in April of 2001. The primary purpose of the Leadership Academy is to facilitate the improvement of student achievement in schools in the University of West Georgia's service area. The initial work of the Leadership Academy is focusing on beginning principals in the West Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency area and the NW Georgia Regional Educational Service area. These two areas include approximately two hundred schools and twenty-three K-12 school systems. The Leadership Academy believes that by helping these new principals become more effective leaders that there will be school improvement and a much better chance for student achievement to improve.
Collaborative Partners
To optimize the Leadership Academy's efforts and influence, collaborative partners have been enlisted. Presently, the West Georgia RESA, NW Georgia RESA, Georgia Department of Education's Leadership Academy, the Georgia Power Company and twenty-three local school systems have joined the Leadership Academy in its efforts to help schools. The Leadership Academy believes that collaboration among these present stakeholders in the West Georgia area will result in more efficient use of resources and will facilitate a more effective working relationship among these stakeholders.
Areas of Emphasis
Through a collaborative model, the Leadership Academy intends to concentrate its initial efforts on two groups of principals in the West Georgia RESA and NW Georgia RESA areas. Those principals in their first year of the principalship will be invited to participate in ongoing professional development designed to help them better lead their schools to improved student achievement. The participants will identify the topics that most challenge them in their job and a highly interactive program will be planning around those topics. In addition, all first year principals will be offered an "executive coach" to assist them in their professional growth. The second target group will be principals in their second or third year of experience. These principals will also be invited to participate in ongoing professional development of current and relevant leadership issues. Both groups will be invited to attend a summer leadership institute on campus.
Advisory Board
There will be an advisory board made up of principals and other educational leaders from the twenty-three school systems to assure that the practioners' views and concerns are reflected in the work of the Leadership Academy.