Building Capacity Locally: Supporting Principals and School Leaders in South Carolina

Building Capacity Locally: Supporting Principals and School Leaders in South Carolina

New video: South Carolina Principal Leadership Network Improves Leadership Capacity and Coaching Skills

At the heart of every great school is a great leader. In the context of school improvement, the role of the principal becomes even more important. Increasing access to great leadership has to be central to any turnaround effort.

To this end, in fall 2020, the U.S. Department of Education awarded NIET a $2.5 million grant, in partnership with the University of South Carolina (UofSC) and the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity (BranchED).

The aim of the three-year Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant is to build and accelerate the leadership capacity of 150 South Carolina principals and school leaders in supporting science, technology, engineering, and math education (STEM) and social-emotional learning for students. NIET has partnered with districts across South Carolina to create the South Carolina Principal Leadership Network (SCPLN). Through this initiative, 150 school leaders will participate in a two-year cohort-based program of high-quality virtual professional development in STEM and social-emotional learning, coupled with quarterly on-site coaching and networking opportunities through virtual communities of practice. The training is rooted in evidence-based practices that accelerate student achievement growth and is tailored to the needs of participating schools.

Read more about the work happening in our features below.