Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders

The Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders ("School Leaders") trains and supports principals and School system Leaders across district, charter, and faith-based schools in Philadelphia. Our research-based and results-driven leadership development experiences provide Leaders with the necessary tools, skills, and networks to elevate performance, advance equity, and improve School and student outcomes.the neubauer fellowship in educational leadership, School Leaders' flagship program, is a transformative two-year leadership experience for principals with a proven track record of improving Philadelphia's schools. The program develops leadership skills to elevate School performance and student outcomes in schools and across the city.using a unique cross-sector, cohort-based approach, fellows receive best-in-class professional development and build deep relationships with a network of outstanding peers who share strategies and problem-solve with one another. The fellowship provides resources and guidance to sharpen principals' leadership capacities and produce measurable, meaningful results. The fellowship selection process is competitive and ensures a diverse mix of talent and perspectives to enhance the learning environment. The rigorous competency-based selection process includes an application, interviews, instructional analysis, data reviews, and School visits. The two-year neubauer fellowship includes the following program components: -an intensive six-day summer institute in year 1 -quarterly institutes to build capacity in four leadership levers (competencies): lead authentically, develop people, advance equity, drive results -individualized monthly coaching to support strategy implementation and leadership growth -application of learning to a year-long problem of practice -opportunities to host and visit other fellows' schools -intimate "dinners with decision-makers" with prominent business, government, and non-profit Leaders who face complex, unpredictable challenges as a format to learn leadership lessons from other fields -a $4,000 stipend over the two years of the fellowship -ongoing and differentiated learning opportunities, connections, and resources as senior fellows (alumni)the neubauer fellowship serves 150 School and system Leaders who collectively impact nearly 100,000 students every day. Based on an external evaluator's multi-year evaluation, we are pleased to share the following results: leader retention -neubauer fellows are retained at higher rates in the School, principal role, School system, and city of Philadelphia. This is true after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. -neubauer fellows are more likely to move into leadership roles. Student attendance -schools led by neubauer fellows had a higher percentage of students attending 95% or more of instructional days than schools not led by program participants. -percentages increased in years after beginning the neubauer fellowship (compared to prior years). Teacher perceptions (teacher survey questions aligned to our leadership levers) -schools led by neubauer fellows had a higher percentage of teachers with most favorable perceptions of principals' communication of mission and vision, talent management, instructional improvement, and expectations of students. -participation in School Leaders' programs appears to improve teacher perceptions of these characteristics. Strategic teacher retention -neubauer fellows retain teachers strategically. They have higher retention of higher-performing teachers and lower retention of lower-performing teachers. -neubauer fellows had higher retention rates for "distinguished" teachers in years during/after the fellowship than would have been expected based on prior rates. The most recent student achievement and growth data (before the covid pandemic) showed that schools led by neubauer fellows, on average, demonstrated higher performance on many metrics and sustained improvement in academic achievement and academic growth when compared to schools led by other Leaders.

The Leaders of Leaders program supports School system Leaders who supervise principals. The program provides the tools needed to effectively supervise and develop principals, improve principal practice, and increase student outcomes. Leaders of Leaders includes both neubauer fellowship alumni as well as other individuals who serve as principal supervisors in Philadelphia's district, charter, or faith-based School systems. The program includes: -capacity building sessions to strengthen principal supervisor competencies and strategies -individualized executive coaching to improve practice -in-the-field peer observations to share promising practices and feedback among colleagues -opportunities for participants to strategize solutions for real-time issues

The performance partners program supports promising Philadelphia principals ("performance partners") to achieve their most significant School goals and deepen the skills necessary to drive growth in student outcomes. Each performance partner is paired with a high-performing principal - a neubauer fellowship alum - who serves as a coach throughout the year. With a specific focus on bolstering instructional leadership skills, principals deepen skills to coach teachers and provide feedback, resulting in improved teacher practice and student outcomes.

Senior fellow programming:we continue to support the development of neubauer fellowship alumni through our senior fellow programming, which includes differentiated learning opportunities, connections, and resources. This year, we offered four year-long learning arcs for senior fellows (alumni): senior fellows learned alongside the newest neubauer fellowship cohort to:-build executive leadership and talent management skills.-lead for liberation: assess the current state of student and adult culture, teaching, and learning and identify concrete goals and action plans to improve. We also offered two learning tracks exclusively for senior fellows:-learning acceleration supports principals and their instructional leadership teams in developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to accelerate, rather than remediate, learning for all students, in a year when the covid19 pandemic continued to disrupt academic growth.-restorative practices: restorative practices in action cultivates the mindsets and skills necessary for School Leaders and their teams to nurture leadership in students through the restoration of student voice, ownership, and empowerment in support of a sustainable and equitable School community.