Professional Development for Indigenous School Administrators

ILEAD- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education, Professional Development Grant Award: Fourth Iteration

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education, Professional Development Grant

On September 25, 2016 we were notified that the Center for Bilingual and Multicultural Education was awarded almost $1.3 million to recruit, educate, certify, place and induct 25 American Indian educators as school administrators. This grant in partnership with Little Big Horn College (LBHC) implements an innovative approach to preparing school administrators capable of meeting the demands for instructional leadership in schools with high populations of American Indian students while evaluating best practices in preparing and development American Indian school leaders. This project will continue the work of three highly successful Indian Education Professional Development grants that trained and certified over 100 school administrators of which over 85% have been placed and inducted throughout the Northern Plains, Alaska, and across the U.S. The approach integrates problem-based, authentic instructional methods, extended field experiences, and American Indian traditional leadership styles to contextualize leadership preparation for rural schools in and around the Indian Reservations of Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming. These elements reflect scientifically-based, best practice methods in principal preparation programs. This project combines standards-based instruction, public school improvement, and traditional cultural models of leadership; integrating the knowledge of university scholars, tribal elders and experiences of American Indian school leaders; while establishing networks of support that serve participants from program admission to mastery of their role as an educational administrator.

For more information please contact Dr. William G. Ruff at 406.994.4182 or [email protected] or visit ILEAD

MSU program to recruit, educate American Indian school leaders receives $1.3 million--Article 2016

Indian Leadership Education and Development (ILEAD) Project

The purpose of the ILEAD project is to recruit, educate, certify, and place American Indian educators into administrative positions in schools with high populations of American Indian students. American Indian educators participating in the program earn graduate degrees (Masters, Educational Specialist, and Doctoral degrees) as well as fulfilling state licensure requirements for k-12 Principal or School Superintendent. The curriculum focuses instruction on local school improvement initiatives through problem-based learning assignments. Each candidate is assigned a mentor who is an experienced administrator. Classes are delivered during the school year using computer-based instruction and summer classes are held on the MSU campus in Bozeman, Montana. Since the inception of the program, more than 100 American Indian educators have completed the program and most are currently serving as principals, school superintendents, or tribal, state, or federal education officials in Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.

September 2011 Bill Mendoza: ILEAD at MSU, page 3
September 2009 Becoming Educational Leaders, page 2
September 2009 ILEAD Gallery Walk for Indian Education, page 3
June 2009 ILEAD Congratulates First Cohort, page 3