You know it when you see it — an aspiring leader who has the passion and desire to make a difference beyond one classroom.

Help those teachers reach their potential by letting them know about Leadership Institute, ACSA’s Preliminary Administrative Services Credential program that prepares teacher leaders to take the first step toward becoming a school administrator.

In partnership with Sacramento County Office of Education, ACSA is now accepting applications for the Fall 2023 cohort of Leadership Institute, which begins in August 2023.

Program Director Dr. Michael John Roe said Leadership Institute cultivates the kind of leaders that are needed to solve the big challenges in education — candidates who not only know the day-to-day administrative tasks of running a school but those who have the ability to inspire and lead through rapid change.

Now in its seventh cohort, Leadership Institute has helped more than 325 candidates grow in these leadership abilities through face-to-face instruction, online learning, guided fieldwork and an end-of-program project. Candidates are typically teachers in the Los Angeles, San Bernardino and surrounding Riverside areas who aspire to earn their Administrative Services Credential.

Over the course of this 12-month program, candidates will engage in six courses that look at essential tasks that successful leaders employ with a focus on strategies that achieve results. Courses go in-depth on critical leadership behaviors and systems and how they must interact to create intentional change.

Leadership Institute’s instructors are current and retired superintendents who have intimate knowledge of school leadership. Students learn more than just how to pass the CalAPA, they gain insight into solving the biggest challenges in education from leaders who are facing them right now.

The Fall 2023 cohort will be taught by:

While traditional programs take around 16 months, Leadership Institute is a 12-month program suited to working professionals. Sessions take place every other Saturday, totaling 154 hours of in-class instruction and 77 hours of online chats over the course of the year. In-person meetings are held in Southern California.

Leadership Institute goes to great lengths to customize the learning experience for candidates. Before being accepted to the program, each applicant undergoes an interview where staff gets to know the candidate and their career goals. This is an essential component where the candidates’ goals are aligned with faculty who have experience in those specific areas, such as special education and equity. By completing additional classes, candidates may also apply the work from Leadership Institute courses to obtain a master’s degree.