Illinois School Leader Pipeline Program

The Illinois School Leader Pipeline Program (ISLPP) was designed to identify, develop, support, and sustain diverse cohorts of aspiring school leaders as they progressed through preparation toward attainment of school leadership positions — including principal and assistant principal roles. The program was coordinated and delivered collaboratively by the Illinois Principals Association (IPA) and the Illinois Council of Professors of Educational Administration (ICPEA), with grant support from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

IPA successfully supported three cohorts of aspiring leaders through this program. Due to the removal of Year 2 funding for Cohort 3 by the Illinois state legislature prior to adjournment in 2026, the program is not currently active. Any future funding opportunities would be posted here as information becomes available.

Are you a school district interested in recruiting ISLPP program completers? Graduates from Cohorts #1 and #2 can be found here.

IPA SCHOOL LEADER PIPELINE PROGRAM FEATURED IN NASSP'S PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP MAGAZINE.

The program has drawn national attention and was featured in the December 2022 Principal Leadership magazine, published by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Written by Dan Gursky, Strengthening and Diversifying the Pipeline, showcases the goals of the program and features several of the first cohort participants.