Testimonials
'High-Caliber Curriculum'
NISL received $11 million in grants from The Broad Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the New Schools Venture Fund, and the Stupski Foundation to support the research, design, development, and piloting of the Executive Development program.
Effective leaders are essential in business, the military and every well-run organization. We need the same high-quality leadership in our country's most important institution — our public schools. We are pleased to support NISL's high-caliber curriculum to train principals, and we hope that other states will follow Massachusetts' lead in investing in programs to ensure high-quality leadership that will ultimately result in greater student achievement."
Eli Broad, founder of The Broad Foundation
The early indications are that this is one of [The Broad Foundation's] most successful investments in principal training."
Broad evaluation of NISL's Executive Development Program
'A Complete Paradigm Shift'
In 2005, Massachusetts became the first state to offer statewide leadership training for school principals. State leaders partnered with NISL to train cohorts of school leaders, who then delivered the program to other leaders throughout the state. That same year, Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, adopted NISL's curriculum as the core of its doctoral-level program for school administrators.
This program is as high quality a program as there is. It was extremely well researched, with millions of dollars behind it. And it really talks about a complete paradigm shift for leaders, from running a building to being an instructional leader."
David P. Driscoll, former Massachusetts Commissioner of Education
I have attended numerous workshops geared toward principals during my educational career. ...However, none of them presented the work in such a complete manner, from vision to supervision, from standards to curriculum to learning to best practices in literacy, math, and science. ...No other professional development has even come close to providing a clear, complete picture of what it means (and what it takes) to lead a school to high levels of sustainable academic achievement. NISL is an extraordinary program."
Marjorie Soto, principal, Joseph J. Hurley School, Boston, MA
We are delighted to partner with NCEE to combine NISL's unparalleled research-based pathway to principal training with Lesley's unique strengths in graduate-level professional education, distance learning, and leadership development to provide the most innovative and powerful advanced degree opportunity in school leadership available nationwide. The combined program integrates theory, practice, research, and policy to prepare principals across Massachusetts and the nation to be catalysts and leaders on the front lines of urgently needed school change."
Margaret McKenna, president emeritus of Lesley University
'Turnaround Artists'
More recently, NISL provided the curriculum and delivery for Pennsylvania's Inspired Leadership Initiative—a statewide, standards-based leadership development program for school principals.
NISL has helped us create turnaround artists, and has assisted principals in driving their schools from good to great."
Gerald Zahorchak, Pennsylvania's secretary of education
I can say, from experience: Going through this program will make you a more effective and more productive administrator."
Joseph Hepp, assistant principal, Exeter Township Senior High School, Reading
It was one of the most rewarding and informative programs that I've participated in during my seven-year tenure as an administrator."
Benita Draper-Terry, principal, Lincoln Elementary School, Bethlehem
It is rigorous, but it will provide you with the materials necessary, the skills necessary, and the confidence to be able to lead our schools."
Susan Noack, assistant principal, Lower Macungie Middle School, Macungie
Hear more about what principals in Pennsylvania have to say about their executive development training.
'A True Framework'
Across the country, thousands of principals have participated in NISL's 18-month Executive Development program. Below are samples of what some of these principals are saying about NISL.
This is the most powerful education leadership training I know of. It has led to practical collaboration among our principals. They now share best practices, think more strategically, and feel far better prepared to lead their schools to higher performance."
John C. Fryer, Jr., former superintendent of schools
Duval County Public Schools, Jacksonville, FL
Unlike some of the other programs of study we've experimented with in our district, NISL is a course of study. It has a series of units that are connected and they culminate with real-school applications that practicing principals can take back to their schools and immediately begin to apply."
Terri Stahlman, chief technology officer and former regional superintendent
Duval County Public Schools, Jacksonville, FL
The program is designed to equip principals with the tools and knowledge needed to lead their schools to become high-performing schools with high expectations and high student achievement for all. They are knowledgeable about national and international data, the thinking of key leaders in the field, a standards-based instructional system, principles of teaching and learning, and the skills to provide a high-quality education for all students. All the components of the NISL program – from the books, articles, written case studies, video case studies, to the simulations – contribute to the effectiveness of NISL. I highly recommend the NISL program to any district."
Sheila Maher, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, TX