The PLA/PMP initiative emerged from a broader state-wide effort to address educational challenges, particularly focusing on teacher recruitment and retention through enhanced principal leadership in a state located in the Rocky Mountain section of the western United States

A collaborative approach was adopted to address the challenge of teacher recruitment and retention by focusing on principal leadership. Initially, a committee was formed to design a principal leadership component within the State Department of Education’s Statewide System of Support

This collaborative effort aimed to leverage the diverse expertise and perspectives of stakeholders across the state’s educational landscape to create a comprehensive and effective approach to principal leadership development resulting in the development and implementation of a PLA and PMP