High School Instructional Leaders Program FAQ
What is the High School Instructional Leaders Program?
The High School Instructional Leaders Program is a program for outstanding teachers and administrators who want to share their expertise and talents with other teachers in their schools. Participants receive training in instructional coaching from the University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership so that they can coach and support other teachers in their schools.
How often do participants attend Archdiocesan meetings?
Teacher leaders attend four full day meetings during the school year at different schools across the Archdiocese.
What is the time commitment for program participants?
In addition to attending program meetings, participants are expected to implement their learnings by providing instructional coaching to other teachers in their departments. The amount of coaching that each participant provides varies depending on his/her role at his/her school and expectations set by administrators at the school level. At a minimum, participants are expected to coach one case study teacher on a regular basis.
Are participants compensated for their time?
Most schools choose to compensate their participants who are department chairs for the additional responsibilities the role requires, but this is determined at the local level.
What training and professional development will I receive as an instructional leader?
Instructional leader trainings currently focus on the following competencies: (1) Understanding how to work with adult learners, (2) Developing a vision, language, and understanding of student engagement and purpose (3) Providing effective strengths-based targeted feedback to another teacher based on his/her instructional goals.
In the future, we hope to also offer training in the following areas: (1) Facilitating professional learning communities (2) Leading analysis of common student data in departments/content areas
What do current participants say about the program?
“The HS Instructional Leaders program has been an amazing opportunity for our school’s instructional leaders to reflect on what makes for effective teaching and how best to coach our teachers toward ever better teaching. The program has given us deeper insight into the purpose of teaching evaluations, frameworks, and observations and has let us practice giving more constructive feedback.”
“The HS Instructional Leaders program allowed me to learn an effective method for observing my colleagues. I most valued the opportunity to work with other department chairs from nearby Catholic schools. The collaborative discussions made learning the content enjoyable and encouraged me to implement learning walks in my building.”
How can I find out more about the program?
If you’d like to learn more, please feel free to reach out to Kaitlyn O’Leary at the Office for Catholic Schools at kaitlyn.oleary@seattlearch.org.