Leadership is a key component for transitioning school improvement efforts from the responsibility of a few to the responsibility of the entire educational staff, a requirement for moving the school toward continuous school improvement and sustainability in providing quality instruction for students. Key findings in research on school leadership by the Stanford Education Leadership Institute and the Finance Project were effective leadership training programs are researched based, have curricular coherence, provide experience in authentic contexts, use cohort groupings and mentors, and are structured to provide collaborative activity between the program and area schools. The DoDEA Center for School Leadership is structured upon these findings as a means to provide quality training for school administrators, teacher leaders, and above school level educational leaders. Program Goal: To provide research-based professional development in leadership to school administrators and teacher leaders. Components of the DoDEA Center for School Leadership include: the Leadership Academy; New Principal Induction Program; Assistant Principal Induction Program; ISS Leadership Program; Teacher Leader Community; administrator conferences; and the Director's Symposium.

The revised Leadership Academy was launched June 28, 2010. The Academy is a two- year program designed to increase the knowledge and skills of school administrators, and to provide leadership training for teachers aspiring to school administrative positions. Acceptance into the Academy is through an application process. The two-year program is built upon rigor, high expectations, and accountability. It is structured upon a year-one summer meeting consisting of participants from all three DoDEA areas, a mid-year area cohort meeting and a final summer meeting in year-two.

The goals for the Leadership Academy are to:

• Provide DoDEA school administrators and teacher leaders the skills and knowledge to make informed instructional decisions based on school data.
• Build the capacity of schools to have multiple staff members involved in the data-driven decision making process.
• Increase the school and school district's ability to provide professional development to staff in the data decision making process.

Beginning in the summer of 2011, teachers who desire to improve their skills as teacher leaders will have the opportunity to participate in the Teacher Leader Community.