Principals Sought for STEM Research Leadership Project

A North Carolina university is recruiting principals for a new grant-funded program intended to help school leaders work more effectively with their math and science teachers. The program will use virtual reality and online coaching. The purpose: to help them improve their abilities to observe, analyze and communicate improvements to classroom instruction, particularly as it relates to access and equity in STEM.

"Project I4," as it's named (for "innovate, inquire, iterate and impact"), is taking place at East Carolina University's Department of Educational Leadership, which was awarded a five-year, $9.7 million innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the program.

Over the course of a year, almost 300 participants will attend a week-long learning exchange on campus in late July, along with online and on-campus classroom experiences in the fall and spring, followed by an additional on-campus workshop the following summer. Among the activities will be the use of a VR simulation of STEM classrooms to allow the principals to practice observing and giving feedback in a game setting.

Those who complete the program will earn a nine-credit microcredential, which can be applied to a 60-credit doctorate in educational leadership.

"Linking school leadership to student learning has been elusive. However, there are a few promising studies about school leaders' ability to impact student achievement by providing more timely, specific feedback to teachers," said Matt Militello, a professor in the College of Education, and the principal investigator for the research project, in a statement.

Militello added that the project and study rely on research evidence that has found that effective principals who foster fruitful observation and coaching can boost student outcomes. "If we want to help teachers improve their instruction, then we must help principals develop the knowledge and skills to do so."

Applications are being accepted until April 30, 2019.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • cloud icon with a padlock overlay set against a digital background featuring binary code and network nodes

    Cloud Security Auditing Tool Uses AI to Validate Providers' Security Assessments

    The Cloud Security Alliance has unveiled a new artificial intelligence-powered system that automates the validation of cloud service providers' (CSPs) security assessments, aiming to improve transparency and trust across the cloud computing landscape.

  • stack of gold coins disintegrates into digital particles against a dark circuit-board background with glowing AI imagery

    Report: Most Organizations See No Business Return on Gen AI Investments

    Despite $30-40 billion in enterprise spending on generative AI, 95% of organizations are seeing no business return, according to a recent report out of the MIT Media Lab.

  • stylized illustration of a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone all displaying an orange AI icon

    Survey: AI Shifting from Cloud to PCs

    A recent Intel-commissioned report identifies a significant shift in AI adoption, moving away from the cloud and closer to the user. Businesses are increasingly turning to the specialized hardware of AI PCs, the survey found, recognizing their potential not just for productivity gains, but for revolutionizing IT efficiency, fortifying data security, and delivering a compelling return on investment by bringing AI capabilities directly to the edge.

  • student holding a smartphone with thumbs-up and thumbs-down icons, surrounded by abstract digital media symbols and interface elements

    Teaching Media Literacy? Start by Teaching Decision-Making

    Decision-making is a skill that must be developed — not assumed. Students need opportunities to learn the tools and practices of effective decision-making so they can apply what they know in meaningful, real-world contexts.