School Leadership Development

The Association of California School Administrators and New Teacher Center Partnership in Support of New Administrator Certification and Preparation

For the past seven years, the New Teacher Center has offered a two-year Alternative Clear Credential Program in California, in conjunction with the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). This is a coaching-based alternative route to full certification for new principals and other administrators. In a two-year program based on state professional standards, new administrators are paired with NTC-trained and certified coaches, all of whom are experienced school administrators with a successful track record. Twice a month, coaches and new administrators meet and work to develop the administrator’s leadership skills, guided by specific school and district needs and context. These interactions are structured by NTC coaching tools and protocols, state and national leadership standards, and the principal’s own self-assessment. The coach also observes the new administrator in action: during teacher supervision, parent meetings, professional development settings, sessions of school data analysis, and interacting in professional learning communities for the purpose of targeting school improvement.

In addition to the two-year, one-on-one coaching program, credential candidates participate in the NTC Leadership Institute series. The program embraces administrators who already have the full administrative credentials as well as new administrators who do not yet hold traditional certification.

NTC trains and certifies every coach working with the administrators who are participating in the alternative certification program. They participate in NTC’s Coaching Leaders to Attain Student Success (CLASS) program, a three-day foundational training with ongoing professional development through the California Network of School Leadership Coaches which meets three or four times per year. To be certified as an NTC Leadership Coach, coaches complete a portfolio based on a year-long relationship with a novice administrator. The portfolio analyzes the impact of the coaching program on the skills of the principal.

The ACSA-NTC Alternative Professional Clear Administrative Services Credential Program (ACCP), a two-year coaching/training experience, has graduated over 300 principals, assistant principals, and central office leaders since 2003. The program has grown from being largely a Bay-area program to include eleven local affiliate coaching programs serving credential candidates from San Diego to Mendocino County. Currently, the program serves over 200 new administrators, (both credential and non-credential candidates), through the services of 150 CLASS trained leadership coaches.

Program Elements

• CLASS Training – a 3-day foundational training in the NTC Blended Coaching Model
• CLASS Network of School Leadership Coaches – a yearly professional learning community of CLASS trained coaches that is held 3-4 times in 6 locations across California
• NTC Coach Certification – follows the CLASS and CLASS Network trainings
• Alternative Clear Credential Option – based on a 2 year coaching relationship aligned with the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSEL)
• ACCP Local Program Affiliates * offer coaching and professional development services and the option for an alternative clear credential.
  • NTC (Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Benito, Monterey Counties)
  • SACRAMENTO ACSA (Greater Sacramento and areas of California not served by a local program)
  • LEAD NETWORK (Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon Valley, and Castro Valley School Districts)
  • POWAY UNIFIED (Poway Unified School District)
  • CASST (Calaveras, Amador, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and Tuolumne Counties)
  • LAKE/MENDOCINO/COLUSA (Lake, Mendocino, and Colusa Counties)
  • San Diego
  • SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (San Luis Obispo County)
  • SANTA BARBARA COUNTY EDUCATION OFFICE (Santa Barbara County)
  • FRESNO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (Fresno County)
  • SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (San Bernardino County)
  • SOLANO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (Solano County)
• Memorandum of Understanding agreements between local affiliates and ACSA/NTC set program standards and provide common program elements across all programs.
• Local Program Coordinator Meetings held four times each year, provide program direction and maintains collaboratively based consistency and communication.
• Program Governance Committee consisting of ACSA and NTC representatives and provides statewide oversight.
• Program Evaluation held yearly, is based on data gathered from coaches and candidates, participants in CLASS Network and the ongoing collaboration of ACSA, NTC, local program affiliates, our Leadership Coaches and participating school districts and county offices of education. Yearly evaluation data informs the on-going program development and delivery of ACSA-NTC coaching services.

This long established and successful partnership and collaboration between ACSA and NTC continues to positively impact and support administrators, teachers and students throughout the state of California, and is a model for future partnerships elsewhere.

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Supervising and Supporting Principals Who Make a Difference for Students

A Workshop for supervisors of Principals

Principals are second only to teachers in their impact upon student achievement. Yet, those charged with hiring, supervising, supporting and evaluating principals often receive little or no preparation. This two-day training aims to build capacity of principal supervisors to nurture the growth of effective site leaders through Blended Coaching in formal and informal supervision and evaluation processes. More...

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