Free Webinar Series to Explore Principal Preparation for Leadership, Learning
Beginning this fall, AACTE will host a series of four free webinars on preparing effective principals through collaborations among higher education institutions and school districts.
The webinars will feature participants in the Wallace Foundation’s Principal Pipeline Initiative, a multiyear effort to strengthen the preparation and support of principals in six high-need urban districts: Prince George’s County (MD), Charlotte-Mecklenburg (NC), Denver (CO), New York City, Hillsborough County (FL), and Gwinnett County (GA).
The initiative, for which AACTE has served as a communications partner, builds on over a decade of research that identified four key parts of a pipeline to develop successful principals: rigorous job requirements, high-quality preparation, selective hiring, and on-the-job evaluation and support.
Registration is now open for the following webinars, which will be offered at no cost, thanks to ongoing support from the Wallace Foundation:
- Laying the Foundation – September 10, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern
- Building the Partnerships – October 15, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern
- Assessing and Enhancing Commitment – November 12, 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern
- Expanding the Framework – January 13, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern
Learn about the design of the Principal Pipeline Initiative and the six urban districts engaged in the partnership. Discuss the initiative’s vision, challenges in implementation, lessons learned, and ongoing successes.
Explore how districts collaborate with higher education and other providers of school leader residencies, professional development, and traditional preparation programs. District supervisors, principals, and higher education partners will lead the discussion.
Discuss issues that have arisen for districts and partners around planning and implementation, data collection, assessment protocols, mentoring and assessment, and the impact of the initiative on them, their schools, and their students.
Discuss the evolving impact of national standards, professional associations, and district and other partners on principal preparation. Consider the influence of regulatory and policy expectations along with lessons learned from the Wallace initiative. Explore next steps and implications for other partnerships.
In addition to these webinars, AACTE is planning a preconference session for the 2016 Annual Meeting (to be held in February in Las Vegas, NV) to further address support for aspiring and practicing principals and the teachers with whom they work; stay tuned for details.
To register for any of the free webinars, visit aacte.org/webinars.
Angela Maynard Sewall is emeritus dean of the College of Education and emeritus professor of educational leadership at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Tags: AACTE online resources, events, principal preparation, school-university partnerships, urban education
