McREL and the Wyoming Department of Education teamed up to create the Wyoming Education Leadership Academy, an intensive leadership training effort designed to provide school administrators with the knowledge and skills they need to lead educational transformation in their districts.
— Alleta Baltes, Principal,
Ashgrove Elementary, Riverton
The effort was supported by a $981,000 grant from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and matched with state dollars. It also leveraged McREL’s regional educational laboratory contract by incorporating research-based guidance for leaders that McREL developed, in part, through laboratory funds.
The leadership academy has provided training to more than 120 school and district administrators on four key ingredients for school change:
- standards-based education,
- professional development,
- leadership, and
- technology.
According to Debra Holloway, the department’s director of teacher and leader quality, Wyoming’s partnership with McREL was a natural fit. She noted that McREL has formed relationships with a number of Wyoming education officials over the years and has a solid reputation in the state.
“Both of those factors made McREL a good choice for us. This program is our first major attempt to address professional development for education leaders on a statewide level. We wanted to be sure that it was well coordinated and research based, and we knew McREL could help us do that.”
To date, the academies have received praise from participants. “McREL’s
was the best training I’ve had in the 10 years I’ve been an
administrator,” said Alleta Baltes, an elementary school principal
from Riverton.