The following sections contain descriptions of the best practices developed and implemented by the demonstration sites of the Highly Qualified Leaders Project (HQLP). Here is an opportunity to learn from your cohorts how and why they designed their projects the way they did. A reader in the field of education may choose to adapt or adopt these practices or simply use the information to stimulate worthwhile leadership support activities in their community.

These are practice-friendly descriptions provided in a user-friendly, toolkit format.

You may search through the toolkits using any of the following methods:

• search by LEADERSHIP CAREER CONTINUUM
• search by LEADERSHIP ROLE
• search by LEADERSHIP TOPIC
• search by DISTRICT OR ORGANIZATION

Each toolkit includes the following details: Need and Intent; Target Population; Synopsis or Case Study; Program Components and Materials; Implementation Guide and/or Process; and, Tips for Implementation. Each description ends with contact information for the site coordinator. You may call or write to this person with any questions you may have as you determine the steps you will take to implement your own program. Please also explore the resources offered in the Educational Leadership Resources and Links section.

The projects are grouped in four ways: by district or organization; by topic (distributive leadership, support for new principals, etc.); by role (aspiring principal, principal, teacher leader, school committee, etc.); and by a career continuum framework. This framework is in keeping with recommendations set forth by the Chief State School Officers (Recruitment and Candidate Pool; Induction; Preparation and Pre-Service; Licensure, Certification & Program Accreditation; and Mid-Career Professional Development) and highlights these same five categories as a way to distinguish unique needs along the career continuum.

Our goal is to foster the development of strategic, systemic, intelligent, collaborative, and deliberate programs/supports for educational leadership development within individual districts and throughout the state. With the fourteen best practices provided here and developed under the Highly Qualified Leaders Project, we believe we are well on the way to fully realizing this goal. During the 2006-2007 school year, we will be working with the Wallace Foundation to support projects that address expanding these focus areas as well as forming stronger linkages/policies to garner additional support for education leadership in Rhode Island.