The organizations listed below are provided as examples of resources that may be helpful to the reader. Their inclusion should not imply an endorsement by the Department. There also may be many other useful resources on this topic.

The Broad Foundation works to improve k-12 urban public education through better governance, management, and labor relations. The foundation's goals are to train a broad, deep bench of current and aspiring leaders in education; to redefine the traditional roles, practices, and policies of school board members, superintendents, principals, and labor union leaders to better address contemporary challenges in education; to attract and retain the highest quality talent to leadership roles in education; to equip school systems and their leaders with modern tools for effective management; to provide tangible incentives for educators to advance academic performance; and to honor and showcase success wherever it occurs in urban education. http://www.broadfoundation.org/

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, based in Washington, D.C., supports research, publications, and action projects of national significance in elementary and secondary education reform, as well as significant education reform projects. In May 2003, the institute, along with the Broad Foundation, published Better Leaders for America's Schools: A Manifesto. The document contends that American public education faces a "crisis in leadership" that cannot be alleviated from traditional sources of school principals and superintendents. Its signers do not believe this crisis can be fixed by conventional strategies for preparing, certifying, and employing education leaders. Instead, they urge that first-rate leaders be sought outside the education field, earn salaries on par with their peers in other professions, and gain new authority over school staffing, operations, and budgets. http://www.edexcellence.net/foundation/

The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) seeks to improve education—and the lives of children and their families—through positive and visionary change. Through its School Leadership for the 21st Century Initiative, IEL has published several informative reports on the state of school leadership and the need for highly qualified leaders in America's public schools. The task force report Leadership for Student Learning: Reinventing the Principalship (October 2000) suggests that the core mission of the principalship must be redefined as leadership for student learning. To "reinvent the principalship" for 21st century schools, communities must fill the pipeline with effective school leaders, support the profession, and guarantee quality and results. Guidelines and suggested questions are included for those who wish to start conversations on reinventing the principalship in their communities by bringing together diverse constituencies and empowering leaders with knowledge and applicable ideas. http://www.iel.org/

The National Center for Education Information (NCEI) is a private, nonpartisan research organization in Washington, D.C., specializing in survey research and data analysis. NCEI is the authoritative source of information about alternative preparation and certification of teachers and school administrators. The Web site provides easy access to detailed information about policies and alternative certification routes in each state. http://www.ncei.com/

The Haberman Educational Foundation, Inc. promotes research-based models for identifying teachers and principals—particularly educators who serve students at risk and in poverty. The Foundation's "Star Online Administrator Questionnaire" and "Online Pre-Screener" identify candidates who are likely to succeed in alternative administrative certification programs. http://www.habermanfoundation.org/

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. In its publication The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium: Standards For School Leaders (1996), the ISLLC standards present a common core of knowledge, dispositions, and performances that link leadership to productive schools and enhanced education outcomes. The ISLLC standards have been used as a foundational source for the six programs in this guide. http://www.ccsso.org/

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is a nonprofit organization that provides information to state education policy leaders on many critical education issues. The ECS Web site offers data about what states are doing regarding alternative licensure and certification of principals and superintendents. Recent publications include: Licensure/Certification: What States Are Doing—Administrator License Requirements, Portability, Waivers and Alternative Certification, which contains information on license requirements, portability, waivers, and alternative certification for administrators and allows for comparing across states (April 2004), and Certification of Principals and Superintendents in the U.S., 2003, which provides information on school administrator certification requirements for each state. This document provides state-by-state information on regular path and alternate path certification requirements for school administrator certification. http://www.ecs.org/