The University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) awarded the 2014 Exemplary Educational Leadership Preparation Program Award to North Carolina State University for its Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA) program. NCU is one of only two programs in the nation to receive the award. The two-year Masters of School Administration program prepares future principals and assistant principals for work as “turnaround specialists” in North Carolina’s rural school districts. Bertie County is one of the thirteen school districts served by NELA.
As reported by Education Week’s Rural Education blog, NELA addresses several of the critical issues facing Bertie County and other rural North Carolina school districts: Nearly 50 percent of schools in North Carolina are rural and nearly half of the state’s students attend those schools, according to a recent report by The Rural School and Community Trust. The state has a high percentage of rural minority students and rural English language learners, and nearly 24 percent of its rural students live below the federal poverty line. Rural adults in North Carolina have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
According to materials published by NC State University’s School of Education, NELA is presently the only Rural-Focused Leadership Program in North Carolina.
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Education Week – Rural Education Blog | N.C. State Program Wins School Leader Award
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