NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ Louisiana’s education department is sharing in more than $16 million that the U.S. Department of Education is providing to develop leaders who can improve low-performing schools.

A news release from the federal department says Louisiana’s department is getting $2.2 million of the money.

The rest is being divided among seven programs in six other states.

The grants are aimed at developing what the U.S. department calls a “leadership pipeline” that selects, prepares, places, supports and retains school leaders or leadership teams at low-performing schools.