HU Awarded $2.69M Grant to Assist Local School Districts

Hampton, Va. – The U.S. Department of Education’s School Leadership Program has awarded Hampton University a $322,489 grant for five years, totaling $2.69 million in support of the HU Leadership Academy (HULA). U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the grant. Through the grant, HU will partner with area schools to implement a multifaceted approach towards improving student achievement by improving the effectiveness of educational leadership.

“Effective school leaders create a culture of success and it permeates into all aspects of the school,” said Dr. Michael McIntosh, coordinator of HU’s Educational Leadership Program and principal investigator for the grant. “At the heart of this project will be training these administrators to become more like facilitators and less like lone rangers.”

With local school districts facing dire budgetary constraints, the grant will offer exposure to and participation in the most current, research-based practices that successfully turn around low-achieving schools. HULA will partner with Norfolk Public Schools, Portsmouth City Public Schools, Franklin City Public Schools, Danville City Public Schools, and Roanoke City Public Schools.

“This funding to establish a leadership academy is fitting because Hampton University has a strong legacy of inspiring competent and conscientious educational leaders. This project will enhance the institution’s ability to serve the contemporary needs of local area school districts by addressing one of the most pressing needs – the cultivation of strong school leaders,” said Dr. Cassandra Herring, dean of the College of Education and Continuing Studies.

The program’s goals include:

• To significantly increase the percentage of participants who become principals
• To significantly increase the number and percentage of school administrators (principals and assistant principals) who participate in professional development activities
• To significantly increase the number of school administrators who improve their skills and are retained in high-need schools for more than two years
• To regularly and systematically collect student achievement data to use as a measure to assess the effectiveness of the project

Five-year grants were awarded to six school districts, three non-profit organizations, and five universities in 12 states. HU was the only organization in Virginia to receive funding.