Review Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 5/21/2021 - 7:00 PM
Category: Teaching, Learning and Leadership
Type: Info
Subject: Executive Leadership Coaching Implementation Update
ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 2: Instructional Excellence
ACPS will ensure that all students have access to and engagement with high-quality instruction.
Policy: IA - Instructional Goals and Objectives
Funding Source or Fiscal Impact (where applicable)
File Attachment:
210521_Brief_Executive_Leadership_Coaching_Implementation_Update.pdf
210521_ACPS_AIR_Executive_Leadership_Mid-Year_Progress.pdf
Agenda Item Summary: The Board Brief provides an update on the progress of the partnership between Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and American Institutes for Research (AIR) to provide Executive Leadership Coaching support for all ACPS school leaders for the 2020-2021 school year.
Background: The primary goal of executive coaching support is to enhance leadership skills and competencies to:
- Increase academic achievement of ACPS students through ensuring equity and access, and promoting educational excellence for all; and
- Achieve School Improvement Plans (SIPs) goals and division-wide expectations and successfully implement school improvement initiatives.

In the first phase of implementation (October-early November), leadership coaches guided school leaders through a comprehensive goal-setting process to triangulate qualitative and quantitative school data, data from the Organizational Change Competencies Assessment, and school-level-teacher perception data. The data was used to establish baseline data and facilitate personalized goal setting for each school leader. The baseline data will also serve as a key measurement indicator to follow-up assessment conducted in early June 2021. AIR will analyze findings on the impact of executive leadership coaching indicators collected before implementing Shoulder-to-Shoulder executive coaching supports.

In the second phase of implementation, school leaders have received twelve of the sixteen 60-minute bi-weekly virtual Shoulder-to Shoulder coaching sessions scheduled. AIR and ACPS staff members have collaborated weekly to ensure timely adjustments in the system of support in response to staffing changes and interim school leader appointments.

In the third and final phase of implementation, the executive coaching support will shift to a blended model of targeted executive coaching support for a targeted cohort of new school leaders and the Communities of Practice professional learning sessions for all school leaders. The scope support for phase 3 will include:

- Executive Coaching sessions for a cohort of five (5) principals. Eight (8) one-hour coaching sessions will be conducted twice a month from August – November.
- Conduct one-hour bi-monthly AIR/ACPS virtual project check-in calls providing interim support via email or phone as needed.
- Plan and conduct a Communities of Practice (CoP) consisting of five (5) learning cycles and online meeting space for up to 25 participants. CoP would launch in August and conclude in December.
Recommendation: The Superintendent recommends that the School Board review the information presented within the brief and attachment.
Approvals:
Recommended By:
Signed By:
Dr. Terri H. Mozingo - Chief Academic Officer
Signed By:
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. - Superintendent