Racing to the Top - Preparing Turnaround Principals in North Carolina: Homegrown Regional Leadership Academies

Oct 15, 2026

North Carolina’s Race to the Top (RttT) grant allocated about $17.5 million to increase the number of qualified principals able to lead transformational change in low-performing schools across rural and urban areas. The state created three Regional Leadership Academies (RLAs) approved to certify principals and designed to deliver a new preparation model with early-career support and continuous professional development. The article reports an independent evaluation covering recruitment, selection, training, placement, and spending for each RLA.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages43

Reading Time1 h 48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Leadership Preparation

Regional Leadership Academies (RLAs)

Evaluation Scope: Recruitment, Selection, Training, Placement, Expenditure

“Racing to the Top” to Prepare Turnaround Principals in North Carolina: Homegrown Regional Leadership Academies Kathleen M. Brown Abstract North Carolina’s Race to the Top (RttT) grant earmarked approximately $17.5 million to “increase the number of principals qualified to lead transformational change in low-performing schools in both rural and urban areas” (NCDPI, 2010, p.10). To accomplish this, the state established three Regional Leadership Academies (RLAs) “approved for certifying principals [and] designed to provide a new model for the preparation, early career support, and continuous professional development of school leaders” (NCDPI, 2010, p.10). This article describes the independent evaluation of this initiative including the recruitment, selection, training, placement, and expenditure processes associated with each RLA. Key Terms: Principal Preparation, Turnaround Principals, Race-tothe-Top Initiative, Alternative Licensure Programs, Evaluation Developing school leaders who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to effectively lead and turnaround lowperforming schools has become a critical goal for local education agencies (LEAs) intent on dramatically improving student outcomes. Four years ago the state of North Carolina was awarded one of only twelve federal Race to the Top (RttT) competitive grants, bringing nearly $400 million to the state's public school system. Approximately $17.5 million of these funds were specifically earmarked to “increase the number of principals qualified to lead transformational change in low-performing schools in both rural and urban areas” (NCDPI, 2010, p.10) . To accomplish this in North Carolina, the state established three Regional Leadership Academies (RLAs), each of which laid out a clear set of principles about 101 leadership in general, leadership development in particular, and leadership development for high-need schools most specifically. The RLA programs were “approved for certifying principals [and] designed to . . . provide a new model for the preparation, early career support, and continuous professional development of school leaders”(NCDPI, 2010, p.10) . As such, the policy objective undertaken via North Carolina’s RLAs was to recruit and prepare over 180 “turnaround principals”serving more than 30 of the 100 counties across the state. The RLAs were created independently to meet the school leadership needs of three vastly different and very distinct regions of North Carolina (including “large, urban” and “small, rural”); thus, each RLA developed a unique program with its own partnerships, program philosophy, curriculum, coursework, and fieldwork. One RLA (Northeast Leadership Academy, or NELA) was established one year before RttT funding was available to serve as a pilot program, and two others (Piedmont Triad Leadership Academy [PTLA] and Sandhills Leadership Academy [SLA]) were created following a selection process that included proposal submission to aselection committee composed of North Carolina educational leaders. The NC RttT RLAs serve collaboratives of partnering local education agencies (LEAs) and directly address the need to recruit, prepare, and support leaders of transformational change in challenging school contexts. This approach aligns with Orr, King, and LaPointe’s (2010) research that the most comprehensive and sustainable programs are collaborations that result in the development of customized programs that met district needs by design—from start to finish. The RLAs provide talented individuals with the tools they need to lead high-need schools. Following a rigorous selection process, they provide full-time internships, contextualized leader development opportunities, intensive coaching, and ongoing support. The RLAs are designed to be consistent with literature on executive development, adult learning theory, and educational leadership (e.g., Brown, 2006; Davis, Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, & Meyerson, 200

FAQs

What was the purpose of North Carolina’s Race to the Top grant for principals?

It aimed to increase the number of principals qualified to lead transformational change in low-performing schools in both rural and urban areas.

What are Regional Leadership Academies (RLAs) designed to do?

They are approved for certifying principals and provide a new model for preparation, early-career support, and continuous professional development.

What aspects does the initiative’s independent evaluation cover?

Recruitment, selection, training, placement, and expenditure processes associated with each RLA.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by pixelkiddo