Leadership coaching helps education leaders take on adaptive challenges that require shifts in mindset and behavior and keeps leaders in their jobs longer and making progress. The most impactful coaches help school and system leaders identify and address inequities in pursuit of a culturally responsive learning environment for all students. The Leadership Academy has coached more than 2,500 school leaders using our proven research-based coaching model, 98% of whom can point to concrete examples of how it helped them improve their practice and their school’s outcomes.
Our foundational coach training program trains novice leadership coaches and leaders who take a coaching stance in their work. Participants will be introduced to the Leadership Academy’s facilitative, competency-based coaching model and learn the language, skills, and tools to develop leaders for transformational change. Participants will learn how to coach effectively toward practices that create the conditions for all students to thrive and accelerate school transformation and student learning. Through facilitated large and small group discussion, role plays, skill-building, and practice with feedback, participants will:
- Apply fundamental coaching skills (listening, questioning, and feedback) to support shifts in mindset and behavior.
- Unpack culturally responsive leadership practice: what it looks like and what it entails.
- Create the conditions for coaching moving forward.
We also offer opportunities for more experienced leadership coaches and leaders who regularly coach as part of their professional role to deepen their coaching practice. This work includes troubleshooting common coaching challenges (such as managing resistance) while supporting leaders in strengthening their reflective practice and sustaining leadership growth. Participants will:
- Review and practice both fundamental and advanced coaching skills and receive feedback
- Learn to embody the stance of a coach and set personal goals for coaching skills
- Learn to coach toward multiple levels of goals
- Reflect on the ways in which our identity informs how we coach and lead
- Build their capacity to support leaders in envisioning change
- Identify strategies for supporting the change process
- Deepen understanding of culturally responsive leadership