In the fall of 2003, the president of a private faith-based university was approached by administrators of a neighboring faith-based elementary school seeking assistance with staff development for teachers, curriculum development, and regional accreditation for
the school. The kindergarten through fifth grade (K–5) school, once flourishing, had experienced a declining enrollment and was in danger of closure. The board of trustees for the K–5 school attributed the situation to: 1) a lack of instructional leadership, including the dismissal of the school’s principal, 2) the use of outdated, non-standardized curricula, 3) a minimal focus on student academic achievement with few measurable outcomes, 4) a faculty
of non-credentialed teachers (only one teacher had a credential which was an out-of-state credential), and 5) a diminished support of church sponsorship.