(a) There is created the Master School Principal Program to provide training programs and opportunities to expand the knowledge base and leadership skills of public school principals.
(b) The program shall be administered by the Arkansas Leadership Academy.
(c) The program shall consist of a process of no fewer than three (3) phases developed by the academy and approved by the State Board of Education, including:
(1) “Phase one”, which shall expand the knowledge base and leadership skills of the principal;
(2) “Phase two”, which shall require the principal to apply strategies and to collect evidence of improvement in student learning and school processes; and
(3) “Phase three”, which shall require the principal to publicly demonstrate the ability and skills that lead to sustained academic improvement in a school and a school district.
(d) A school principal successfully completing the program shall be designated as a master school principal by the academy.
(e)
(1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and the academy shall:
(A) Develop criteria for selection of candidates for the process;
(B) Review and modify, as deemed appropriate, the program performance areas; and
(C)
(i) Develop a rigorous assessment process based on the performance areas.
(ii) The assessment shall include, but shall not be limited to, demonstrable, performance-based evidence of the performance areas.
(2) The number of school principals participating each year may be determined by the amount of funding available for the program.