Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI) was designed by a cross-functional design team of experts in organizational and educational performance improvement from business, higher education, K-12 education, and educational support organizations.

Launched by funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the State of Georgia, GLISI began operations in March of 2002, when the design team appointed a committee to hire a leader for the organization. The committee hired Deb Page, a former teacher and business executive with more than 20 years of experience in leadership development, corporate training, performance consulting, and business development. She staffed GLISI with exemplary K-12 leaders and professional development experts on loan from Georgia school districts, and contractors with expertise in technology, performance-based instructional design, policy advocacy, and research and evaluation.

GLISI's "New Work." GLISI initially focused on retraining current leaders in the “new work” of school improvement. As our analysis identified the barriers to leader performance and supply, we devised and tested more systemic solutions and developed the type of leading-edge interventions and programs used in best-of-class organizations to improve performance.

From our inception, GLISI has offered a unique alternative to reform strategies that are performance mandates for leaders. Rather, we engage leaders in transforming their practice and their schools using results-focused and performance-oriented methods that build upon individuals’ strengths and collaborative relationships.