APQC and UHV Awarded $3 Million for Principal Training Program
This month a $3 million grant was awarded to the American Productivity and Quality Center in partnership with the University of Houston-Victoria for the development of a school leadership pilot program. Aimed to assist principals in under- performing schools, the program will provide business and management training to school administrators.
APQC is an internationally recognized nonprofit that works with organizations to identify best practices and develop sustainable methods for improvement. In recent years, it has lent its expertise to education reform. Since 2000, APQC has worked with 173 school districts in support of No Child Left Behind and Closing the Achievement Gap.
The grant for the School Leadership Pilot Program was the result of a competitive bid process for funds set aside as part of the school finance reform act. The program proposed by APQC and UHV will draw on successful practices from high-performing schools nationwide. Participants will be offered two- and three-day workshops followed by online discussions of case studies. Principals from exemplary Texas schools will be recruited as mentors.
The program, with its focus on cutting edge business and management practices, will be the first of its kind in the state of Texas. The overarching goal is to improve student achievement, raise graduation rates and increase teacher retention by transforming school leadership.
“We are excited by this opportunity to serve Texas and look forward to a strong working relationship with APQC,” said UHV President Tim Hudson. He noted that collaboration with other agencies to promote education growth is a core component of the university’s mission.
Charles Bullock, dean of UHV’s School of Business Administration, and John Stansell, dean of UHV’s School of Education and Human Development, were also pleased with the opportunity to move forward with the program. They both credited positive partnerships between the two schools and between UHV and APQC with the success of the grant’s development.
The School Leadership Pilot Program will begin in the spring of this year. For more information on APQC, visit their website at www.apqc.org.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
