20 Fellows Join NC State College of Education’s Principal Preparation Programs

Twenty educators have been selected to join the NC State College of Education’s principal preparation programs. Eleven are enrolled in the North Carolina State Leadership Academy (NCSLA), while nine are part of the North Carolina State University Principal Fellows Program. Each cohort works toward a Master of School Administration while serving in local schools.

These two-year programs were modeled after the college’s nationally recognized Northeast Leadership Academy, which earned the honor of being named an Exemplary Educational Leadership Program by the University Council for Educational Administration.

According to US News & World Report, the NC State College of Education ranks No. 22 among principal preparation programs in the United States.

During the first year of the program, fellows from each cohort complete a full-time master’s schedule while teaching in their current classrooms. In the final year, they participate in a full-time, paid principal residency in a local school. At the completion of the program, each student earns a North Carolina school principal license in addition to their master’s degree.

NCSLA will be led by Brenda Champion, Ph.D., executive director of leadership academies and teaching assistant professor in the NC State College of Education. Fran Riddick, Ph.D., executive director of leadership innovation and teaching and teaching assistant professor in the NC State College of Education, will serve as the director of the Principal Fellows Program.