Brian Dassler’s Leadership Academy – Commissioner’s Leadership Academy Graduation

The Dr. Brian Dassler Leadership Academy is a year-long, job-embedded and research-based program for principal professional development with three anticipated outcomes: 

1. Deepen school leaders’ knowledge and skill in identifying high quality instruction along with the professional learning necessary to support teachers’ own learning; 
2. Deepen school leaders’ skills in observation, analysis, and feedback through on-site support, coaching and modeling;  
3. Develop school leaders’ skill in providing targeted feedback for teacher growth. 

The Academy’s work is grounded in the University of Washington’s Center for Education Leadership’s theory of action: student learning improves as the quality of teaching improves, and the quality of teaching improves as leaders understand what constitutes high quality instruction along with the rile they play in improving teacher practice. This program is limited to principals and principal supervisors on an application basis, with leaders participating in three institutes at a central Florida location and five school site “learning walks” with a cohort to practice instructional leadership skills.