June 17, 2003

The Accelerated School Administrator Program (ASAP) was named one of the top 100 programs in the nation by District Administration the Magazine for K-12 Education Leaders.

The publication chose the program as a top 100, "the best of the best" in the Internet category. ASAP is a Council for Educational Change professional development initiative for aspiring principals. It was developed and is operated by partner Etraffic Solutions, Inc.

"We are very pleased to be in this significant group," said Dr. Mary Ellen Bafumo, ASAP Program Director. "The program delivers quality principal development, using state-of-the-art technology. The online modules cover every vital area that a principal candidate must know and practice to energize a school and raise student achievement. When candidates finish our program, they are ready to hit the ground running."

Since the program began, its website www.asapportal.com has had more than three quarter of a million hits. A number of graduates have already been hired as principals by one of the nation's largest school districts.

The link to the story is available at www.districtadministration.com.

Some special features of the program include:

• using proficiency rather than time to determine readiness.
• focusing on developing principals who are student-centered and achievement-oriented.
• utilizing technology that can be accessed 24/7 and allows self-pacing .
• providing resource materials through website linkages (eLibrary).
• offering mini-modules to develop knowledge and skills such as data-driven decision-making and communications.

In addition to "on-call/online" mentors, there is a help desk to support navigating and getting the most out of the site. "We've gotten tremendous feedback—user-friendly, organized, comprehensive," noted Wayne Poncia, Director with Etraffic Solutions. "Users love its scope and convenience—24/7—no time away from school."

Presently, an Accelerated School Administrator Program component for teachers titled “Critical Skills and Content for Teachers”, is under development.

The Council for Educational Change is a statewide nonprofit organization. Their mission is to raise student achievement through educational improvement. Please visit their website, www.changeeducation.org, for more information.