Tasha Hall-Powell ’01 ’09, a graduate of Appalachian State University’s Master of School Administration program, speaks at the 2019 fifth grade graduation held at the Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork. Hall-Powell served as principal of the academy from 2018–21 and is now one of three co-directors of school improvement for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Photo by Troy Tuttle
BOONE, N.C. — Millions in awarded grant funding will boost the development of and support for North Carolina educators in leadership programs — among them, students in Appalachian State University’s school administration program.
App State is one of six University of North Carolina System institutions selected by the System to receive recurring grants through the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program (NCPFP). The university will receive nearly $3 million in funding over six years, beginning in 2022.
“Providing quality teachers and educational leaders is the cornerstone of Appalachian’s past, present and future,” said Dr. Melba Spooner, dean of App State’s Reich College of Education (RCOE). “Our partnerships with schools through providing continuing education and professional development opportunities are critical to the work we do in preparing educators, as well as North Carolina’s students.”
Reich College is partnering with 12 state school districts and the Northwest Regional Educational Service Alliance to train and support future principals through the university’s online Master of School Administration (MSA) program, offered by RCOE’s Department of Leadership and Educational Studies.
In the MSA program, students explore a principal’s role in advancing an institution’s mission and develop leadership skills needed to evaluate systems and processes for school improvement.
The program includes leadership and professional development, in-school field experiences with partner schools and mentoring.
More on the Principal Fellows Program
The North Carolina General Assembly established this grant program in 2015 to provide funds for the preparation and support of highly effective school principals in North Carolina. Currently, the program produces approximately 40% of the state’s principals.
Learn more about the NC Principal Fellows Program.
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About the Reich College of Education
Appalachian State University offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs, with offerings that span multiple fields — from teacher preparation, counseling, and therapy, to higher education, school and student affairs administration, library science, educational leadership and more. With over 10,000 alumni employed in North Carolina public schools, there is at least one Reich College graduate in every county in the state. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
