"Leadership matters at all levels of the education system. If we want quality Pre-K programs, we need to invest in developing leaders for those programs. If we want smooth transitions and alignment between Pre-K and elementary schools, we need professional development programs that bring those school leaders together with the leaders of early education programs to design a systems approach to achieve the desired results. That is why Pennsylvania asked NISL to design the Early Childhood Executive Leadership Institute, and early feedback from its implementation indicate it is achieving those goals."

Gerald Zahorchak, Superintendent, Allentown School District
(former Secretary of Education, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)

Preparing Early Childhood Leaders

Over the last ten years, the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) has been one of the leading providers of school-leadership training, equipping states and districts to change the instructional practice of over 4,000 school leaders. Even more impressive, multiple third-party research studies of our state-wide work are showing that students in schools with NISL-trained leaders are outperforming their peers from similar schools.

Three years ago, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania asked NISL to develop a program to strengthen their early childhood education workforce and better integrate the Early Childhood services with K-3 education. The result was the Early Childhood Executive Leadership Institute. This powerful program integrates the efforts of early learning and development program leaders and serves as a component of the state's credentialing program.

This collaborative training program directly addresses the newly announced Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge's call for states to build a great early childhood education workforce. NISL can provide the backbone of your leadership professional development, tailor it to your state's needs and help you design and execute an implementation and management strategy.

Learn more about how we helped Pennsylvania address this critical area and how we can support you in your RTTT-ELC application.

For more information, contact:

Sharon Brumbaugh
Director of Early Childhood Executive Leadership Programs
National Institute for School Leadership
sbrumbaugh@nisl.net or 717-723-0026

Early Childhood Leadership Institute

Preparing Early Childhood Leaders