The OECS Pearl Capstone Conference, held on June 12th and 13th, featured eight principals and senior teachers presenting their research. This event highlighted the achievements of the Leadership and Management Capstone Project, an initiative aimed at enhancing educational leadership and management capabilities to improve classroom instruction and student achievement.
To date, twenty-seven principals, senior teachers, and education officers from various primary
schools across the island been trained in school leadership and management. This training, provided through a comprehensive certificate course designed and implemented by the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, equipped educational leaders with the necessary skills to drive school improvement and student success.
A significant component of this training was the capstone project, with each participant eligible for a grant of up to USD $1000.00. OECS PEARL Dominica disbursed a total of XCD $75,269.60 to all participants, facilitating the execution of their innovative projects.
These projects, mostly collaborative with one individual project, focused on critical areas such as:
- Improvement in literacy
- Improvement in mathematics
- Removing barriers to parental involvement
- Current state of data usage by educators
From September 2023 to date, the Leadership and Management Certificate Course undertook
several activities aimed at enhancing the leadership capabilities of educational leaders, including:
- Sensitization of the Leadership and Management Certificate Course with participants
- Commencement of the course with a three-day face-to-face session at the UWI Open
Campus - Issuance of awards letters and grant applications to participants
- Collection of signed grant applications and procurement documents from participants
- Disbursement of grant funds to participants
- Implementation of capstone projects by participants
The OECS Pearl Capstone Conference was a testament to the dedication and hard work of our educational leaders. By presenting their research and sharing their insights, these principals and senior teachers contributed to the ongoing improvement of our educational system. The event served as a beacon of innovation and a platform for sharing best practices in educational leadership and management.