Principals Instructional Leadership Academy

The Principals Instructional Leadership Academy is designed for new principals and/or individuals aspiring to become principals (teacher leaders with potential or interest in moving to a building-level administrative position). This is a three-year cohort program that engages participants in on-going, job-embedded learning experiences resulting in enhanced leadership knowledge and capacity. Inquiry-based learning strategies will be employed throughout the program. Participants will be developing action research plans on a yearly basis that will improve both their leadership skills and some aspect of the school in which they are leading/working.

Training components are inter-related and connections will be made as progress is made through training stages. Peer-coaching/mentoring teams will be formed and coaching/mentoring support will be provided to all teams by the consultants providing the services.

Ashland University credit is optional.

What We Offer/Performance Promises:

• Four quarterly training sessions per year (6 hours per session = 24 hours).
• Current topic study/progression for the three years includes:
  • Year One Focus Topics: Personal Leadership Style and Behavior; Leading Instructional Environment Assessment (data-driven auditing); and Leading Curriculum Development.
  • Year Two Focus Topics: Learning-centered Instructional Leadership; Student-focused Classroom Assessment Leadership; and Distributed Instructional Leadership.
  • Year Three Focus Topics: Leading Grading & Reporting for Student Learning; Communicating Vision of Instructional Improvement; and Leading Results-Driven, Standards-Based, and Job-Embedded Professional Development Communities.
  • Each year an action research plan will be developed, implemented, and studied for results. The plans will address both personal leadership improvement goals and school-improvement goals.
• One retreat will be scheduled during the year with a national expert in one of the sessions studied during the year. This retreat will be scheduled for 9-12 hours depending upon national trainer’s availability.
• Peer-coaching teams will be developed within the cohort. These paired groups will commit to networking with each other throughout the program. Teams will be provided coaching/mentoring support from ESCFC consultants.
• Participants will work on inquiry-based projects during each of the three years of the program. These projects will be data-driven, research-based, and action-oriented.lanning meeting with district/school to examine specialized training and job-embedded support needed to meet student achievement goals.

Key Benefits:

• High quality professional learning experiences that are on-going (three years), results-driven (action research oriented based), and job-embedded (inquiry-based learning projects developed base on research, implemented, data supported, and results-reported).
• Enhanced knowledge and understanding of leadership style and behaviors.
• Enhanced knowledge, understanding and skills related to leading the instructional decision-making processes within a school setting.
• Opportunity to build strong networking relationships with a cohort of educators.
• Opportunity to engage in learning and dialogue with national experts.
• Peer-coaching experiences to enhance skills in coaching/mentoring and working with others.
• Application of knowledge and skills gained within job-setting.

For more information contact: Dr. Ted Knapke, Ted.Knapke@fcesc.org.