Issue date: 9/29/06 Section: News

Dr. Jennings will be leading a Charter School Leadership Insitute to help Arkansas aeducators in the charter school movement.

When Hendrix College announced its Charter School in the November of 2005, the idea was for the project to have four parts. Part One would be the charter school itself, part two professional development for the educators of Arkansas, part three researcht into education. The forth part, a leadership institute, has finally come to fruition due to a grant from the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Dr. James Jennings, chair of the Education department, has been heading the research involved in getting this project off the ground.

Jennings said Hendrix was working side by side with a Charter School Research group on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. The Institute, which is officially named the Hendrix College Charter Leadership Institute, was originally planned to be open to all Arkansas principals, but due to the ADE grant it is now designed only for charter school principals. Jennings said he originally planned to ask the National Department of Education for grant money when the ADE called him and offered their support. They plan to give Hendrix $20,000 a year for three years specifically for the project.

According to a Hendrix press release, the institute is designed "to cultivate leadership needed to promote educational excellence and expand the charter school movement in Arkansas." There will be no charge for registration; however, it is open only on a first come first serve basis, and participants will be responsible for their food, lodging, and transportation.

The institute will consist of seven monthly sessions held on campus. The sessions will include short lectures, discussion, guest speakers, hands-on experiences, and projects. The purpose of which is to educate charter school principles in seventeen areas the charter school team has tdeemed vital. These aretas range from effective communication to diversity. This is not Jennings first institute. He completed a four-week workshop on the campus of Vanderbilt University in 1992. This institute was very similar to the one Hendrix will be hosting, but was held for a shorter amount of time and was not funded by the Department of Education. Jennings' expertise is in Problem Based Learning, which he views as very applicable to charter school education.

"It provides opportunities for new learning and produces a huge 'think tank/idea bank' experience for the participants," Jennings said. "Second, it fosters the transfer of knowledge through the use of authentic problems and settings. Next, it improves the participant's awareness and understanding of related research. Fourth, problem-based learning enhances the collection of resources needed to develop long-range plans. Finally, problem-based learning addresses the need for adults to be self-directing."

Finally, Jennings said, "Leaders serve as the key for success." He hopes this institute will motivate Arkansas to foster leaders in education as well as inspire leaders to act.

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