Washington Instructional Leadership Academy — Seattle metro area only

Overview

Sharpen your instructional leadership skills. Through the Washington Instructional Leadership Academy, school teams will develop practices for collecting qualitative data, giving targeted feedback, and planning impactful, strategic teacher learning. Offered in partnership with the UW College of Education ConnectEd, this academy is specifically designed for leadership teams in the Seattle metro area and nearby.

What we’ll accomplish together

Through research-based theory and in-classroom experience, teams will sharpen skills to:

• Uncover inconsistencies in student learning
• Discuss instruction using qualitative evidence
• Provide strengths-based feedback to support teacher growth

Who It’s For

The Washington Instructional Leadership Academy is for school leaders—including assistant principals—and those who support them. 

Districts should sign up as teams of at least two leaders. Each team should have a district sponsor.

How it works

In the Washington Instructional Leadership Academy, you’ll be part of a collaborative learning community with a shared vision and language, solving problems of practice around teaching and learning.

This multi-session professional learning series includes 5 whole-group learning sessions and 4 small-group learning experiences in schools. Learning is grounded in the evidence-based 4 Dimensions of School Leadership™ and 5 Dimensions of Teaching and Learning™ frameworks.

During whole-group learning sessions, participants focus on:

• Deepening their understanding of the connection between how students experience instruction and equity
• Examining how implicit bias and privilege influence leadership
• Providing more effective, targeted feedback to teachers
• Planning strategic teacher learning that can have an impact right away

Embedded learning occurs throughout the year in local partner schools. These sessions offer an opportunity to apply new knowledge and skills in small group settings. Activities include:

• Conducting learning walkthroughs
• Observing how students experience classroom instruction
• Collecting concrete, unbiased qualitative data

What will be different?

• With a common language for effective instructional practice, leaders create responsive teacher learning opportunities across the school system and environments where all students thrive
• Leaders develop skills for analyzing teaching and deepening public practice towards an instructional vision
• Students gain richer classroom experiences as teachers grow