PROFILES
words by SARA FLOWERS
photography by JUSTIN EILER
NDSU Educational
leadership academies
spread across the state A N N C LA P PER
came to North Dakota State University as a big-thinker and doer. She co-piloted a program that has spread across the state, strengthening our communities’ schools. Clapper, associate professor of practice in NDSU’s School of Education, and Thomas Hall, retired associate professor in the School of Education, are program coordinators for the NDSU Educational Leadership program.
“You can lecture a lot on research, but the work that we do in the schools as teachers, principals and superintendents — just knowing the research is not enough. You have to put research to practice,” says Clapper.
This skills-based view of teaching helped Clapper and Hall form the NDSU program, with the help of Kansas State University’s teacher academy model. The academy is tailored for specific school districts. It blends research with application to the classroom and provides the school district with a strong method for helping teachers develop their leadership skills. All of the classes are held within the school district. At the end of the fivesemester program, teachers earn a master’s degree in educational leadership.
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a r e a wom a n
| areawomanmagazine.com