In cooperation with the UNC of School Leadership Development and the Best Practices Center within the Kenan Alliance for Partnerships in Education, this website has been established as a clearinghouse of information related to exemplary programs, policy, and schools. The center will coordinate the following functions and activities: Collection of research on promising practices from state, national, and international resources, creation of a database of promising and/or best practices as requested by policy-makers and educators, development of a system of sharing information via small group, large group, and individual formats, creation of this website and other technological approaches for the collection and dissemination of information.

The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) created in 1985, is a unit of the University of North Carolina dedicated to serving school teachers in order to enhance the learning of the children of North Carolina. NCCAT's mission is to provide a dynamic environment, in an atmosphere of respect and dignity, where North Carolina teachers engage in scholarly activities structured to stimulate intellectual curiosity, create thinking, inquiry, and discussion; examine and challenge ideas; have time for reflection, inspiration, and professional networking; and develop renewed enthusiasm for teaching.

The North Carolina Teacher Academy (NCTA), created in 1993, seeks to recognize the importance of continuous learning to the growth of the career teacher by providing quality professional development in the areas of school committee leadership, instruction, core content and the use of modern technology. The Academy holds five-day residential programs on college campuses during the summer with follow-up training in the fall and spring. On-site training with school staff in reading, learning styles, and school leadership has been added to expand services.

The Mathematics and Science Education Network (MSEN), created in 1984, has its mission to improve the quality of mathematics and science teaching and learning in the schools of North Carolina. MSEN conducts programs for inservice educators aimed at improving mathematics and science instruction and curricula. The pre-college programs focus on increasing the pool of students who graduate from North Carolina high schools prepared to pursue careers requiring mathematics and science. MSEN has ten centers located on university campuses statewide.

The North Carolina Principal Fellows Program (PFP) is a scholarship loan program which assists individuals in preparing for a career as a principal or assistant principal by earning a Master of School Administration (MSA) degree at one of nine constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina. The program includes enrichment and enhancement activities provided to the Principal Fellows.

The Principals' Executive Program (PEP), created by legislative action in 1984, seeks to improve the education of K-12 student in North Carolina by increasing the commitment, enlarging the knowledge, and developing or improving the skills of public school administrators as instructional leaders and managers of personnel, property, and budgets.

The North Carolina Model Teacher Education Consortium (NCMTEC) became a part of the Center for School Leadership Development in January 1999. NCMTEC, established in 1989, is a collaborative effort which provides affordable, accessible, high-quality education and training to aspiring and practicing educators in participating school systems in eastern North Carolina. Currently, forty-four local school systems, ten colleges and universities, twenty seven community colleges, and the Department of Public Instruction are involved. NCMTEC's mission is to increase the quantity of highly qualified educators within the service area.

NC TEACH is North Carolina's exciting new statewide lateral entry teacher licensure program for talented professionals from diverse fields such as industry, government, the military, or human services who wish to make a career change into the field of teaching.

The purpose of the North Carolina State Improvement Project (NCSIP) is to establish and implement, in alignment with the comprehensive system of personnel development, program support services to significantly improve the performance and success of students with disabilities in North Carolina. The four major goals established to accomplish this purpose are:

The North Carolina Restructuring Initiative in Special Education (NC RISE) is designed to build a model for restructuring teacher education for teachers of students with disabilities in North Carolina and to use this model as a blueprint for systemic improvement in the recruitment, preparation, induction and retention of special education personnel who have the responsibility for ensuring that students with disabilities achieve to high standards and become independent productive citizens. NC RISE provides support for the development of online training modules that will assist non-licensed and out-of-field teachers to become licensed and qualified to teach special needs students.

An Executive Leadership Academy is being planned for and by superintendents to provide them with opportunities which enhance their knowledge and skills to lead North Carolina's schools into the 21st century. The mission of the Academy will be to provide: professional development for acting superintendents, personal renewal opportunities, opportunities for informal learning, and a setting for networking and professional support.