(1) The purpose of this section is to encourage and require the maintenance and development of effective instructional leadership in the public schools of the Commonwealth and to recognize that principals, with the assistance of assistant principals, supervisors of instruction, guidance counselors, and directors of special education, have the primary responsibility for instructional leadership in the schools to which they are assigned.
(2) For the purpose of this section, "instructional leader" shall be defined as an employee of the public schools of the Commonwealth employed as a principal, assistant principal, supervisor of instruction, guidance counselor, director of special education, or other administrative position deemed by the Education Professional Standards Board to require an administrative certificate.
(3) In order to carry out the purpose of this section, the Kentucky Board of Education shall establish a statewide program to improve and maintain the quality and effectiveness of instructional leadership in the public schools of the Commonwealth.
(4) The instructional leader improvement program shall contain the following provisions:
(a) Each instructional leader employed by the public schools of the Commonwealth shall participate in a continuing intensive training program designed especially for instructional leaders;
(b) Each instructional leader shall annually complete an intensive training program approved by the Kentucky Board of Education to include no fewer than twenty-one (21) participant hours of instruction;
(c) The Kentucky Board of Education shall prescribe specific criteria for the training program. The Kentucky Department of Education may contract for specific training with qualified agencies or institutions or approve programs offered by training providers, including local district training programs, except that the department shall ensure the requirements of paragraph (d) of this subsection are met; and (d) Annually, each local district superintendent shall report to the Kentucky Department of Education any instructional leader who fails to complete the training requirements of paragraph (b) of this subsection and shall place the leader on probation for one (1) year. The Department of Education shall verify completion of the required training. If the required training for the prior year and the current year is not completed during the probationary period, the Department of Education shall forward the information to the Education Professional Standards Board, which shall revoke the instructional leader's certificate.
(5) The Kentucky Department of Education shall ensure that training options in human resource management and conflict resolution techniques are available to education leaders throughout the state.
(6) This section shall be known as the "Effective Instructional Leadership Act."