The Learning, Empowering, Assessing, and Developing (LEAD) Fairfax program in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) promotes systemic reform of leadership to significantly improve learning for all students. Key components in this process are attracting, developing, and supporting leaders who (a) have the ability to influence the action of others; (b) are knowledgeable about research-based practices in curriculum, instruction and assessment; and (c) are capable of managing people and resources effectively.

As LEAD Fairfax enters the fifth year of implementation, several challenges remain in the forefront of our thinking and planning.   Foremost among our challenges are the system’s demographic issues.  FCPS is currently the 13th largest school system in the country with a student population exceeding 166,000 students.  We have been growing at a rate of 4,000 to 6,000 students in the past - fueled by an influx of minorities and economically disadvantaged students.  These numbers have begun to level out. The LEAD staff has focused the resources and program efforts to the initial 79 designated LEAD schools containing the largest numbers of disadvantaged students within the district.  In 2003 this number grew to 81 schools with one additional school added in 2004 bringing the total number of "LEAD Fairfax" schools to 82.