Welcome to The National Educator Program (NEP)

. The National Educator Program (NEP) works in developing leadership, sustainable school improvement, career academies, high school redesign and all forms of small learning communities.  The NEP is also engaged in helping schools help each other via the NEPwork network of schools, research, and international dialog.  We address the needs of entire districts and individual

educators through leadership training, focusing on raising student achievement, conducting professional development workshops throughout the United States, as well as sponsoring national and regional conferences on timely topics.  Stay up-to-date on NEP activities by checking  the NEP NEWS page.

Our History

The NEP was first conceived in 1997 when representatives of Stetson University, the National Education Association (NEA), Performance Learning Systems (PLS) and the Walt Disney Corporation first met in Washington, D.C.   With three years of funding from the Ford Foundation, and additional funding from from the Walt Disney Corporation, PLS and the NEA, the National Educator Program was born.  Its goal was to provide world-class staff development to classroom teachers, school administrators and district-level administration on best practices for classroom instruction and successful school change.  From 1997 to 2005 the NEP was housed at Stetson University in Celebration, Florida.  From 2006 - 2008 the NEP was housed by Performance Learning Systems and moved its base of operations to Denver, Colorado. 

On May 1, 2008 the NEP incorporated as a Limited Liability Corporation and began autonomous operations on June 1st of the same year.  Still based in Denver, the NEP operates free of grant funding, is nationally recognized, has a lab school in Brooklyn, New York, and continues to focus on best practices and helping educators increase their schools' success.

What We Do

The NEP continues to provide training, conduct research, provide consultation, create connections through our network, and serve as technical assistance provider to a number of schools and districts who are recipients of SLC grant funding from the United States Department of Education.  Some of the work we do includes:

• Comprehensive needs assessments for schools at the start of an SLC or career academy initiative, as well as into the implementation phase.
• Evaluation of school improvement initiatives (K-12).
• Training for educators at their school or district sites (K-12).
• Design and assist with implementation of career academies.
• Facilitate the NEPwork - An innovative and ground-breaking network of NEP-affiliated schools.
• Design and assist with implementation of small learning communities (SLCs).
• Design staff development plans that meet the needs individual schools have identified for themselves (K-12).
• Identify and utilize speakers who are the best available in their areas of expertise.
• Host national and regional conferences on effective leadership and on SLC successful practices.