Innovative Schools

Frequently Asked

Questions

 

Who is involved with the Delaware Leadership Project?

The Delaware Leadership Project (DLP) is a program developed and operated by Innovative Schools. The DLP is an adaptation of the NYC Leadership Academy’s internationally recognized Aspiring Principal Program. The Innovative Schools staff leading this initiative are experienced educators who have served in Delaware's public schools as principals and in district leadership positions.

To read the team members’ full bios, click here. To learn more about the NYC Leadership Academy team, click here.

What are selection criteria for DLP aspiring principals?

Admission to the Delaware Leadership Project is highly selective. Overall, successful candidates will have:

• A master’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited college or university
• A minimum of 3 years teaching experience at the level for which the graduate will serve as a principal or assistant principal, except at a charter or middle school
• Evidence that the candidate has been able to make strides in closing the achievement gap
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
• A graduate school GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Willingness to commit in writing to working in the Delaware public school system for three years upon graduation from the program
• Capacity to discuss and analyze projects that were unsuccessful
• Willingness to expose oneself as a public learner
• Ability to work in groups successfully
• Commitment to improving a particular skill or set of skills
• Ability to recognize school challenges typically involving a set of interconnected, underlying issues.

How can someone who is interested in applying learn more?

As part of the recruitment process, Innovative Schools hosts information sessions. Dates are posted on our website.

When will the program begin?

The summer intensive program begins in June.  Those who successfully complete the program will be eligible for hire in May of the following year.  

If I’m not a candidate for the program, are there other ways I can get involved?

Yes! If you are a Delaware superintendent or charter school principal, you are encouraged to recommend candidates for the program. 

Principals currently serving in a public school can apply to serve as a mentor principal and residency site. Mentor principals will receive specialized training to help guide the residency of Delaware Leadership Project participants placed at their school, and a small stipend.

District office staff, retired principals, and other interested educators can get involved in the program by applying to serve as a Coach for participants who have completed the program. These individuals will also receive specialized training and a small stipend. 

How long is the program?

DLP is a 15- month training program.  DLP aspiring principals will be paid while participating.  It is a full time requirement for all 15 months — applicants accepted into the program will not be able to continue in their current position. Following graduation from the program, aspiring principals will receive 2 years of coaching support and will be asked to commit 3 years of service as a Delaware principal and/or assistant principal. 

What is the 5-week summer intensive?

The summer intensive will use problem-based learning to simulate the types of situations future school leaders will experience as principals. The comprehensive problem scenarios are based on Delaware public school realities, curricular choices, and current restructuring efforts. Through coaching from expert practitioners, and collaborative problem-solving methodologies, aspiring principals will develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to confront pressing challenges and lead for instructional effectiveness. 

Does the intensive last all summer?

Yes. The summer intensive will run five days per week (Monday through Friday).  DLP aspiring principals should plan to attend for a full day.

What is the year-long residency?

After the intensive summer preparation, DLP aspiring principals will enter residencies with mentor principals. The residency year is modeled on the medical training model. In this model, medical residents treat patients under the guidance of an experienced physician. 

During the course of the year they will hone their skills as they help address school-based, instructional challenges identified collectively by the aspiring principals, mentor principals, and local instructional supervisors. DLP aspiring principals will be at the school site four days each week. The fifth day will be devoted to working sessions and, one day each month, to day-long school visits. 

Weekly work sessions on the fifth day and one evening each week will provide opportunities for aspiring principals to spend time planning strategies to address the instructional issues identified in the residency schools; to receive coaching and to engage in consultation with peers, specialists, and expert practitioners; and to work further on developing their capacities as leaders of a broad-based instructional improvement effort. 

School visits will allow for benchmarking of best practices; for observations of different teaching styles and strategies; for comparisons of and exposure to a range of leadership styles; and for visits to schools at various stages in the improvement process.

Will DLP aspiring principals be placed in a residency with their current principal?

Probably not. Mentor principals and residency sites will be selected based on their ability to model and reflect on strong instructional leadership and their interest in hosting an aspiring principals for the year. While a few aspiring principals may by circumstance end up working with their current principal, most will not.

How will placement for the residency be determined?

Placement will be determined using a matching process that will take into account the preferences and strengths of the host principals, and the developmental needs of the DLP aspiring principals as identified by Delaware Leadership Project staff.

What will DLP aspiring principals do at the completion of the program?

Aspiring principals who successfully complete the summer intensive and year-long residency will have a planning summer, which will involve preparation for assuming the leadership of a particular school. Each DLP aspiring principal will develop an approach, or “entry logic,” to his or her new position and will learn as much as possible about the school he or she will be leading. Aspiring principals will continue to work together to prepare for their roles and will also work extensively with local instructional supervisors. After aspiring principals have assumed a principal or assistant principal position in a Delaware public school, they will receive 2 years of coaching support.

Employment Status of Aspiring Principals

Will some people be asked to leave the program before completing it?

 

While we do not plan to ask anyone to leave the program, we reserve the right to do so if necessary. We hope that everyone who is accepted into the program will complete it.  In the unfortunate event that an aspiring principal is clearly not going to be able to fulfill a school leadership role upon completion of the program, that person will be asked to leave. There will be no surprises; we will use scoring rubrics throughout the program and aspiring principals will have a clear sense of their performance.  

Will aspiring principals be paid?

Yes, aspiring principals will be paid. Candidates who are invited for an interview will receive more information at that time.

Will DLP aspiring principals be guaranteed a position as a principal assistant principal?

No. DLP aspiring principals will be eligible to apply for positions. DLP staff will provide interview and placement assistance. Each year there are approximately 20 leadership vacancies in the state that are not filled through promotion. We anticipate that those who successfully complete the program will have little difficulty obtaining principal positions.

Where will graduates be placed as principals or assistant principals?

Prior to the start of each cohort, Innovative Schools will work closely with the Delaware Department of Education, superintendents, and charter school leaders to determine their needs. These needs will be taken into account when aspiring principals are being selected. Districts and charter schools interested in hiring an aspiring principal will be able to interview all graduates. Hiring will be based on mutual consent. 

Will DLP aspiring principals automatically return to the district or charter school they served in prior to the start of the program?

No, not automatically.  It will depend on what the leadership needs in the state are at the time the aspiring principal completes the program, and mutual consent hiring.

What if a DLP aspiring principal decides to work outside Delaware?

The Delaware Leadership Project represents a substantial investment of resources — money, time, and expertise — in the development of future leaders for Delaware public schools. DLP seeks to admit individuals of great integrity who will fulfill their 3-year commitment to work in Delaware public schools.

How long is the commitment?

Each aspiring principal will be asked to make a commitment to work in Delaware public schools for a minimum of 3 years following graduation from the program.

What success has NYC Leadership Academy had with their Aspiring Principal Program?

NYC Leadership Academy’s Aspiring Principal Program (APP) was started in 2003 and to date has produced 423 graduates. Currently, APP graduates represent 17 % of NYC public school system’s close to 1,700 principals. Many of these individuals have been elevated to serve in district leadership positions and many are now mentors to aspiring principals. 

According to an independent study conducted by the Institute for Education and Social Policy at New York University, APP has demonstrated the capacity to reverse the decline of low-performing schools and narrow the gaps with higher-performing peer schools in elementary and middle-school English language arts. 

To view the link to the NYU independent study, click here.