Innovative Schools

Program Overview

School leaders are central to a school’s overall performance and must serve as the catalysts for achieving the kind of fundamental change many schools require.

The Delaware Leadership Project (DLP) is Delaware’s first state-approved alternate route to principal certification, and it is designed for those interested in leading our state’s highest-need schools. The 15 months of preparation that aspiring principals experience are specifically tailored to the complex challenge of leading schools that serve low-income communities, a critical component of the Delaware Department of Education’s Race to the Top initiative.

Program Overview

The Delaware Leadership Project is a 15-month, state-approved alternate route to principal certification training program. Aspiring principals will be paid a stipend that is competitive with their current teaching salary. It is a full time requirement for all 15 months, so aspiring principals accepted into the program will not be able to continue in their current positions. 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 leader in a high-need Delaware public school.  The program has four phases: Summer Intensive, Residency, Planning Summer, and Coaching.

Summer Intensive

For five weeks during the summer, teams of DLP aspiring principals work on a series of comprehensive, simulated school projects that reflect the realities of the schools they will soon lead. Working together in teams, aspiring principals strengthen their interpersonal skills in an environment that mimics the actual rigors of the principalship. 

Residency

Each DLP aspiring principal serves for 10 months in an administrative capacity in a high-need Delaware school under the mentorship of an experienced principal. The Residency exposes aspiring principals to all aspects of leading a school—from organizing instructional improvement efforts, to managing school operational issues, to navigating interpersonal and organizational politics. During their residencies, the aspiring principals also attend twice-weekly leadership development sessions to reflect on and deepen what they have learned in the field.

Planning Summer

After completing residencies, DLP aspiring principals make use of a Planning Summer to prepare for their transition into school leadership positions by applying what they have learned from their Residency experiences.

Coaching

Program graduates receive 2 years of coaching support from experienced administrators who have been trained in the program’s Facilitative, Competency-Based Coaching methodology.  As a confidential thought partner, each Coach creates a trusting, collaborative environment, enabling the DLP graduate to engage in critical and targeted reflection on his or her practice as an instructional leader. 

To progress to graduation, aspiring principals must meet clear school leadership performance standards in both the Summer Intensive and the Residency.