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Perspective | Transforming principal preparation in North Carolina

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The planning retreat of the North Carolina Principal Fellows Commission. Courtesy of NCPFP

NCPFP releases new request for proposals

For more than 30 years, North Carolina has demonstrated its commitment to education by ensuring every public-school child has access to high-quality, effective school leaders.

In 1993, the North Carolina General Assembly established the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program (NCPFP), a competitive, merit-based scholarship loan awarded to educators of exceptional academic ability, teaching or relevant experience, who possessed a strong desire to serve as a school administrator in a North Carolina public school.

Legacy Programs, 1993-2022:

Appalachian State University

East Carolina University

Fayetteville State University

North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina Central University

North Carolina State University

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Western Carolina University

In 2015, the Transforming Principal Preparation Program (TP3) policy made state funds available to principal preparation programs through a competitive grant process. Traditional public and independent institutions of higher education were eligible to apply, as were non-traditional, non-profit routes of entry.

TP3, 2016-2020:

East Carolina University

High Point University

North Carolina State University

Sandhills Regional Education Consortium

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Western Carolina University

In 2019, the TP3 began its consolidation with the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program, creating a single, unified, principal preparation program for our state. The new TP3/Principal Fellows Program combined TP3’s competitive grants-based model with the Principal Fellows’ Commission-based governance to ensure North Carolina’s top talent was recruited and rigorously prepared for leadership in our state’s highest need schools.

By pooling the funding from each of the individual programs, the consolidated TP3/Principal Fellows program is now able to utilize its resources more efficiently to recruit high-quality candidates to the most rigorous, evidence-based preparation programs. Together, the merged program produces approximately 40% of the annual principal pipeline for the state, with plans to increase its impact to serve 70% of the state’s needs by the year 2032.

The modern day view of the principalship

The role of a principal is such an important factor in shaping the educational landscape, driving school achievement, and cultivating a positive school culture. Research continues to demonstrate that strong leadership is second only to classroom instruction among school-related factors in its impact on student learning.

Despite the challenges, well-prepared principals can make a substantial difference. The stress and complexity of the principalship underscore the necessity of comprehensive training and support, which these programs provide.

Programs like the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program play a critical role in readying aspiring leaders for the demands of the job.

Request for Proposal (RFP) Cycle

The competitive nature of the proposal process drives continuous improvement. NCPFP offers a six-year grant cycle, where programs must apply (and re-apply) to participate. Out of the 23 principal preparation programs in North Carolina, the Principal Fellows currently serves eight institutions.

North Carolina Principal Fellows Programs:

Appalachian State University

East Carolina University

North Carolina Central University/Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance

North Carolina State University

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Western Carolina University

During the six-year grant cycle, the program’s commitment to excellence is led by the Commission’s vested interest in ensuring North Carolina funds the highest quality programs available. Managing state dollars, the Commission is comprised of representatives from the State Board, the UNC Board of Governors, a teacher, a principal, a local School Board representative, a superintendent, business and industry representatives, a human resource expert, and additional leaders from various and administrative associations. Click here to learn more about the NCPFP Commissioners.

Prior to receiving the grant, the Commission vets and determines the NCPFP eight recipients. The State’s desire to ensure the most rigorous preparatory programs being funded is reinforced by a comprehensive annual data collection process, which includes focus groups, surveys, interviews, and assessments, completed by both the individual universities and third-party evaluators. The data informs the practices and the application process, ensuring the program remains at the forefront of educational leadership training.

On July 15th, the NCPFP entered a very important cycle — the selection of grant recipients. The Request for Proposal (RFP) asks interested programs to submit a proposal that demonstrates their history and potential to prepare high-quality school leaders through innovative and rigorous coursework, enrichments, and internship experiences.

This year, the NCPFP is emphasizing the need for applying programs to foster partnerships with underserved areas of North Carolina (school districts with little to no Principal Fellows cohort representation) and coaching support to include post-graduation coaching from a designated coach aimed at guiding graduates to and through the principalship. Furthermore, submissions that demonstrate the creation of a portfolio that allows Principal Fellows to illustrate mastery of all NC principal standards and individual elements will receive a competitive advantage. Reinforced in this year’s RFP is the requirement for NCPFP Fellows to complete an internship hour mandate, which well exceeds the state-mandated internship hour requirement. Adding to this regular requirement are newly defined mentor principal expectations and the expectation that all programs move to an annual cohort model.

All grant application materials may be downloaded by visiting https://ncpfp.northcarolina.edu.

Any questions about this RFP or the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program may be directed to ncpfp@northcarolina.edu.