ASCEND Leadership Academy

The Adams 14 ASCEND Leadership Academy began in the spring of 2022 as a semester-long learning series for aspiring assistant principals and instructional leaders. These interactive learning sessions are designed to complement your university education and will provide you with opportunities to develop the skills and mindsets for leadership roles within the district.

In the fall of 2024, Adams 14 will launch part one of the ASCEND Leadership Academy, which will include advanced exploration and practice in these topics via job embedded professional development and release-time activities.

Participants in the ASCEND Leadership Academy will develop knowledge, skills and strategies in the following areas:

Personal Leadership/Vision and Strategy
Instructional Leadership
Situational Leadership
Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the program structured?

Participants can expect to join a cohort in which they will engage in five professional learning sessions culminating in a final presentation given to Adams 14 administrative leaders.

Each session will include community building, direct instruction or presentation by a content area expert, and a collaborative component. In addition, each session will provide participants with tools and strategies they can use in their daily work, as well as a brief assignment or reflection form to bring to the following session. Sessions will last between 60-90 minutes and take place monthly.

The final session will invite participants to demonstrate their learning through brief presentations of their leadership journey and aspirations in the district to administrative leaders at Adams 14.

Who is eligible to apply?

The ASCEND Leadership Academy is designed for aspiring or first-year assistant principals. In order to apply, applicants must:

Serve as an early career assistant principal or aspire to serve as an assistant principal in Adams 14
Receive a recommendation from a school or district leader in Adams 14.
Submit a brief personal statement (5-7 sentences) explaining why they want to join this program and how this training will align with their professional goals along with a commitment to participate in all program activities.

Please send your application materials to Nathan Boughton at nboughton@adams14.org before the Jan. 13, 2023, deadline.

Why should I apply?

ASCEND participants will engage in rich professional development facilitated by experienced educational leaders. Key program benefits include:

Targeted skill development in the competencies relevant to school and district instructional leadership.
Opportunities to network and build relationships with district leaders in preparation for future roles.
A community of like-minded peers committed long-term development and bettering educational opportunity for the students of Adams 14.
Recognition as an exceptional educator in the district and opportunities to represent Adams 14 publicly.
Relevant learning for future leaders.

What is expected of ASCEND participants?

By joining the Adams 14 ASCEND Leadership Academy, participants will commit to:

Dedicating approximately 90 minutes every month to professional learning sessions for half of the school year.
Spending an additional 1-2 hours per month completing pre and post work connected to the monthly learning sessions.
Continuing to be effective as leaders in their classrooms and schools.
Actively implementing new ideas from the cohort learning sessions into their respective school context.
Foster a supportive cohort experience, actively contributing to a positive learning environment and modeling a willingness to grow.

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