CELL Receives Federal Funding for $3.87 Million Indiana School Leadership Project

New statewide initiative will prepare and support current and aspiring principals through literacy leadership, mentorship, AI training and research

The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis has been awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Labor for a $3.87 million project to strengthen Indiana’s school leadership pipeline. The new initiative will prepare future principals and provide long-term, job‑embedded support for current school leaders. 

"When we invest in developing skilled, innovative leaders, we give our teachers the support they deserve and our students the opportunities they need to thrive." - Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education

The three-year Indiana School Leaders Pipeline will launch in October 2026 through the Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) program. The initiative is built through a statewide partnership among CELL, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), and the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP). Over three years, the Indiana School Leaders Pipeline will support 30 current principals and 24 aspiring principals from K-12 schools.  

The project comes as expectations for educators continue to grow. Indiana principals must lead major instructional priorities, navigate changing accountability systems and respond to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. After entering the role, school leaders often lack access to the ongoing professional learning and coaching needed to support continuous improvement. Many schools, particularly in rural communities, also face smaller pools of qualified principal candidates when leadership vacancies occur.

The Indiana School Leaders Pipeline is designed to address both challenges: helping the state develop more highly prepared future principals while providing current leaders with the training, mentorship and tools to strengthen their skills and competently remain in the profession. 

“Strong schools start with strong leaders,” said Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “When we invest in developing skilled, innovative leaders, we give our teachers the support they deserve and our students the opportunities they need to thrive. This initiative strengthens Indiana’s commitment to ensuring every student learns in a school led by someone prepared to drive results and deliver on our promise of excellence.” 

“Indiana has set clear expectations for student outcomes. What’s urgently needed now are school leaders who can implement those expectations with consistency." - Carey Dahncke, executive director, Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis

Connecting Policy and Practice

IDOE will help shape and implement the initiative by supporting participating recruitment and ensuring the leadership training aligns with Indiana’s strategic priorities. Through this partnership, participants will learn to translate statewide goals into school-level actions, including priorities related to data-driven decision making, college and career readiness, and educator development and retention. 

Literacy leadership will be a central focus across K-12 settings. Participants will apply the science of reading and science of learning research to school improvement. The work draws on data and teacher input to strengthen instructional decisions and align evidence-based practice across grade levels. 

“Indiana has set clear expectations for student outcomes. What’s urgently needed now are school leaders who can implement those expectations with consistency,” said Carey Dahncke, executive director for CELL. “Principals are the link between statewide priorities and classroom practices. Building their leadership capacity is critical to ensuring students experience the high‑quality instruction expected in every classroom.” 

Building a Stronger Leadership Pipeline

The Indiana School Leaders Pipeline will offer two pathways tailored to distinct stages of school leadership. 

Current principals and assistant principals will participate in sustained professional development. The training will focus on school leadership, instructional improvement and literacy. Experienced mentors also will support participants as they design and carry out school-based action plans. 

Aspiring principals who already serve in teacher leadership roles will enroll in the University of Indianapolis (UIndy) School Leadership and Management Master of Arts program. Participants will complete an innovative registered apprenticeship pathway resulting in a Building-Level Administrator licensure. The pathway combines graduate coursework with applied experiences in participants’ own schools. 

IASP will recruit veteran principals and former district-level administrators to serve as mentors. Those leaders will complete a Mentor Academy focused on evidence-based practices for supporting current and aspiring school leaders. They then will provide ongoing coaching and mentoring throughout the project. 

“School leadership is complex work, and principals are stronger when they have experienced colleagues to learn from and lean on,” said Todd Bess, executive director of IASP. This grant builds on IASP’s cohort-based mentoring model and what we’ve learned about the value of connecting current and aspiring leaders with experienced principals who understand the realities of the job. That kind of support helps leaders make better decisions, support their staff more effectively and lead school improvement with greater confidence.”

Preparing School Leaders for AI

The initiative will draw on UIndy’s growing work in artificial intelligence. That expertise will help shape a new AI micro-credential specifically for school leaders, with training focused on practical and ethical uses of AI in leadership work.

Participants will learn about ways to use AI to streamline administrative tasks, organize implementation data and support feedback processes. The training also will address ethical use, secure data handling and how to evaluate and apply AI-generated information. The goal is to strengthen leaders’ operational capacity and create more time for instructional leadership. 

Creating Evidence for Indiana and Beyond

Project goals include generating new evidence about which approaches have the greatest impact on school leadership, instructional practice and student outcomes. American Institutes for Research will conduct an independent evaluation of the initiative. Findings could guide future principal preparation and mentorship efforts in Indiana and support replication of successful strategies in other states. 

The Indiana School Leaders Pipeline will continue through September 2029. The project supports the federal SEED program’s “Returning Education to the States” priority by centering the work on Indiana’s education objectives and needs.