1. Rochester City School District Aspiring Principals Program Cohort 1 2017-2018

2. Purpose: Preparing Our Future Leaders
Develop Rochester City School District’s leaders of tomorrow through an internal district leadership pipeline

3. Rochester City School District Aspiring Principals Program
Seeks visionary, passionate leaders eager to assume principal roles and dramatically increase outcomes and opportunities for RCSD students, families and schools

4. Partnership with NYCLA
Innovative, nationally-recognized model
Standards-based
Cohort model
Residency program
Experiential
Problem-based learning
Rigorous and fast-paced

5. NYC Leadership Academy: Why
Nationally-recognized nonprofit launched in 2003
Have worked with school systems and their partners in 26 states and 2 countries to advance student achievement by strengthening school leadership capacity
Specialize in training, coaching, and supporting principals who serve high-need, hard-to-staff and turnaround schools – and building partner capacity to do this work

6. NYC Leadership Academy: About
NYCLA works in support of adults,
on behalf of children.
Research shows the clear connection between school leadership and student performance.
Principals are uniquely able to influence student achievement over multiple years, and establish a school culture that supports improved instruction.
Closing the persistent and growing achievement gap requires effective leadership, particularly in under-performing schools.

7. NYC Leadership Academy: National Recognition
Selected as national exemplar by USDOE and Alliance to Reform Educational Leadership (AREL) and awarded an Investing in Innovation (i3) Development Grant
For the last six years, Leadership Excellence Magazine has recognized NYCLA as one of the top nonprofit leadership development programs nationwide.
Received highest possible ratings on EDC Program Quality Assessment
Selected by AREL to lead national Residency Design Initiative
Selected by Wallace Foundation to:
Facilitate Wallace Pipeline grantee Professional Learning Community
Develop and disseminate guides for the field on principal preparation and coaching
Member of NY Education Reform Commission
“The NYC Leadership Academy does the best job of any leadership training program in the U.S., bar none.”
-Dr. William Ouchi, Professor of Management at UCLA

8. Program Phases Phase One: Summer Intensive July 24 – August 4, 2017
The cohort will participate in a 16 day training that simulates the actual challenges of the principalship through interactive learning experiences.
Phase Two:
School-Based Residency
August 2017 – May 2018
Participants will engage in a ten- month job-embedded residency under the mentorship of a NYCLA-trained district principal. During this time, participants will work through job-embedded assignments and evening in- person sessions

9. Summer Intensive: Curriculum Overview
Participants become the principals of a scenario school. Simulating the authentic work of the principal provides experience leading a team to a product and working under tight deadlines, an opportunity to practice distributive leadership, and the skill of self-assessing and getting feedback on their practice.
Topics:
Personal Leadership
Data Analysis
Leading for Racial Equity
Systems Thinking
Instructional Leadership
The participants become the principals of a scenario school and what brings this simulated school experience to life is a series of actual tasks that real principals do regularly, which allow participants to practice being school leaders. Simulating the authentic work of the principal gives the participants experience leading a team to a product and working under tight deadlines, an opportunity to practice distributive leadership, and the skill of self-assessing and getting feedback on their practice.
Simulated schools also offer the benefit of a controlled, low-risk environment that introduces participants to the types of challenges they will face as school leaders in real time—without immediate consequences for actual schools, teachers, or students. The simulation school highlights the interconnectedness of school issues. In living the job, participants experience how their mental models shape their perceptions and actions; how their actions play out in schools, including unanticipated consequences; how feedback loops operate; and how an understanding of system dynamics can help identify the most promising levers for change and points for intervention.
The curriculum includes a mix of activities, mini-lessons, readings from research and practice-based professional literature, and individual and group assignments for each of the units that guide the presentation of the content. Intelligent habits of mind are learned through the daily expectations placed on the learner. Facilitators call on participants to use the skills of intelligent thinking and accountable talk, and hold them responsible for individual and group learning.

10. Summer Intensive: Dates
2 weeks:
July 24 – August 4, 2017
9 AM – 5 PM
MUST ATTEND DAILY

11. Residency Overview Job-Embedded Residency Leadership Work
Lead an instructional team through inquiry cycle
Observe and provide feedback to teachers
Engage in instructional learning walks
Participate on leadership teams
Debrief regularly with mentor principal
Evening In-person Learning Sessions once a week during Residency year
The year-long school-based practicum under the mentorship of a NYCLA-trained district principal then provides aspiring principals the opportunity to practice the work of the principal while back in district schools, becoming responsible for leading change during this year and receiving feedback on their work. Aspiring principals continue to learn from and network with their peers from the summer intensive through the blended learning program which involves school-based leadership work, online coursework, in-person and virtual sessions, and on-site coaching. During the year, the participants continue to collaborate and build a network that will serve them after they have completed the program.
4-6 hours per week of online work
6-8 hours of leadership work within the school day each week
Teacher leaders in classrooms must be released 6-8 hours per week from teaching responsibilities to engage in the leadership experiences described above.
Assistant principals that do not currently have observation and instructional leadership responsibilities must be released 6-8 hours per week from their current responsibilities to engage in the leadership experiences described above.
Outside of the school-based leadership experiences, participants must commit 4-6 hours per week of their own time to complete the online coursework and readings, and to document their work on the job-embedded assignments.

12. Performance Standards
Personal Behavior
Resilience
Communication
Focus on Student Performance
Situational Problem-solving
Learning
Accountability for Professional Practice
Supervision
Leadership Development
Climate and Culture
Time, Task, and Project Management
Technology

13. What We are Looking For Commitment to Access and Equity
Instructional knowledge/expertise
Professional integrity
Professional resilience
Willingness/ability to be self- reflective
Data informed decision- maker
Strong communication skills
Commitment to continuous learning
Relentless drive to execute goals

14. What We are Looking For
Currently serving as a Rochester City School District AP or teacher with at least one year of experience in role
At least 5 years of work experience teaching in grades K-12
NYS SBL/SBA Certification required (completed or to be completed by June 2018)
5 year commitment to Rochester City School District following completion of the phase two residency year

15. Info Sessions
Seeking 15 APP Cohort Members for
Application Launch
March 6, 2017
Application Deadline
March 24, 2017
Group and Individual Interviews
April 11-13, 2017
Information Session for: Principals, Assistant Principals, Teachers and District Staff
March 6, 2017

16. Application Process Application:
The application requires a description of education and professional experience, essays, and the submission of professional recommendations.
Group and Individual Interviews:
After reviewing the on-line applications and recommendations, we will invite candidates who advance to the next phase of the selection process to participate in group and individual interviews. Elements included in the interview process include but are not limited to teacher observations, data analysis, strategic planning and an on-demand writing sample.

17. Mentor Role:
Aspiring Principal
Mentor
Facilitator/
Coach
A mentor principal provides critical support for the aspiring principal and plays a number of roles in his/her development.

18. FAQs
We are preparing leaders for anticipated principal openings in and beyond
The summer intensive and residency year are pass/fail
Participants must attend the entire summer program
Participants must have K-12 teaching experience
Principal position is not guaranteed at end of program
Questions?

19. Frequently Asked Questions
What is NYCLA's vision?
NYCLA is committed to improving outcomes nationwide, particularly for the most vulnerable students, through high-quality school leadership.
What is NYCLA's strategy?
Our strategy is empower school districts, state departments of education, universities and nonprofits in their local contexts to build and implement high-quality school leadership development initiatives to improve student outcomes.
What is NYCLA's history?
NYCLA was founded in 2003 with the focus of preparing and supporting New York City school leaders to transform the most challenging schools and improve outcomes for all students. At the time it was predicted that many New York City schools would need new principals, particularly those that were failing, within a short period of time, and our organization collaborated with the NYC Department of Education to launch an aspiring principals program to address this need. Leveraging this experience, NYCLA expanded its scope in 2008 by providing short- and long-term consulting support in school districts, state departments of education, universities, and nonprofits throughout the country to address similar needs. Today we work in 26 states as well in Colombia and Brazil.
What makes NYCLA unique?
NYCLA designs and delivered rigorous, data-driven and standards-based leadership professional development that builds the capacity of school systems and their leaders at all levels. We focus with clients on developing programs and services that are sustainable. Each client engagement is customized to meet the needs of our diverse clients and reflects our deep understanding of adult learning.

20. What services does NYCLA offer?
NYCLA works with its clients in two ways – direct service and consulting. We work directly with clients, primarily in New York City, where aspiring and current school leaders receive training and support from our highly experienced and trained facilitators and coaches. In addition we offer a variety of customized consulting options for school districts, universities, state education departments and nonprofits to build or strengthen their own programs. See our “Programs and Services” page for more information.
Who are NYCLA's clients?
NYCLA has collaborated with more than 50 school districts, state departments of education, universities, and nonprofits in 26 states and in Colombia and Brazil. See our “Clients” page for a complete list.
How does NYCLA price its client engagements?
As each assignment is customized based on the client’s needs, NYCLA’s prices are determined on a case-by-case basis. We work with prospective clients to assess how to best address their needs within their budgetary restraints.
Who are NYCLA’s leaders?
NYCLA’s leadership team is comprised of seasoned nonprofit professionals and highly experienced education practitioners who are focus on advancing the strategic priorities of the organization and shifting leadership practice throughout the country. In addition, our coaching team has an average of 32 years of experience in public school education and draw on their personal track records to influence leadership nationwide.
What are the qualifications and how can I enroll in the New York City Aspiring Principals Program?
APP 13 application and selection is now closed. Applications for our next cohort will be available in early 2016.  For more information regarding criteria and timeline, consult our website in December  
What is NYCLA’s relationship with the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE)?
NYCLA is a standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We have been a vendor for the NYCDOE for over a decade, and the NYCDOE is our oldest and largest client.