LSP Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Before applying, be sure:

1. You are currently in or have secured a full-time job as a school administrator
2. You hold a valid Preliminary Administrative Services Credential (or have applied for one).

LSP candidates must submit a Verification of Employment as an Administrator (CL-777) form prior to starting the Professional Clear Induction Program.

Upon admission to LSP, you will be placed into a Seminar section. Each Section has 8-12 students; you stay with this group for your two years in LSP, which promotes community-building and mutual support. Each Seminar section in led by a Facilitator, who is an experienced school leader.

Seminars meet 6 times a year (approximately monthly), on a weeknight (Tues, Wed, or Thursday), 6-8:30pm.

During the first year of LSP (LSP1), Seminars will cover a variety of topics that address the needs of a beginning leader—decision-making, supervision, hard conversations, etc… We also use the Storytelling protocol to promote reflection, articulating values, and developing communication skills. In LSP2, Seminars will focus on supporting you in implementing your two Change Projects (Instructional, and Time Use), and we use to the Consultancy protocol to support each other on our leadership dilemmas.

In addition to Seminars, each LSP year opens with an all-day Retreat (7 hours).

Our Leadership Connection Rubric provides a set of leadership standards and practices that are aligned to our stance on developing social justice leaders with an equity mindset. You will learn about and use our Leadership Connection Rubric to self-assess your leadership strengths and challenges, and throughout our program, we support you in reflecting about your leadership growth through the lens of the Rubric.

After completing your self-assessment through the Rubric, you will collaborate with your coach and your employer/supervisor set your goals each year.

You create and maintain an Individual Induction Plan, where you will document your leadership growth by providing written reflections and artifacts.

In addition, you will be complete a Benchmark Assessment (end of LSP1) and a Portfolio (end of program).

LSP selects, trains, and supports our own group of coaches. All are experienced school leaders with deep and broad experience; many have recently retired and are looking to support the next generation of school leaders.

We select our coaches through an application and interview process, which includes a coaching role-play/simulation. All our new coaches attend our three-day training: Coaching for Social Justice and Equity. In their first two years with us, coaches attend monthly New coaches Support meetings, where they learn and practice coaching skills and strategies and are observed and given feedback. In addition, all coaches attend the monthly Coaching Support Network, where they make connections between coaching and program requirements and collaborate and support each other, including participating in Peer Observations.

Coaches are matched to students before the start of LSP1. We match students to a specific coach based on many factors, which include but are not limited to:

• Coach’s experience at similar school level to Candidate’s (elementary, middle, high, continuing ed, pre-K, etc.)
• Coach’s experience at similar environment or context similar to the Candidate’s (district, city, charter organization, etc.)
• Coach’s experience with specialized areas similar to the Candidate’s (special education, central office coordination, curriculum specialist, etc.) 
• Considerations based on similar or complementary attributes: life experiences, identities, personalities
• Candidate’s stated preferences, as solicited by the program during our interview process

Students are provided 40 hours of coaching per year in LSP. Coaches will help to keep track and document required hours.

Coaching takes two forms: consultation and observation. We believe that coaching should be job-embedded and context-specific, so most meetings will be at the student’s work site. Consultations are one-on-one conversations, where coaches support students to reflect on their strengths, challenges, and growth. Students may also choose to have their coach observe them during a leadership experience; coaches may help plan, observe, then provide feedback. Coaching is centered on a student’s leadership goals.

We distinguish our coaching from mentoring. While a mentor may help pave your way, sometimes telling you exactly how to do your job, our coaches will instead provide guidance by asking probing questions and promoting your reflection on your leadership. In other words, our stance for coaching is that while we won’t teach you how to do your job, we will help you build and grow your leadership, which in turn will help you be more effective and impactful at your job.

In order to complete LSP, you will need to meet the following requirements:

• Attend and participate in Seminars
• Complete 40 hours of coaching each year
• Show adequate growth and mastery of leadership standards, as evidenced through multiple processes: Individual Induction Plan, with its attached assignments (e.g. Journal, Artifacts, etc); Benchmark Assessment; Change Projects (Instructional, and Time Use); Portfolio and Presentation; and assessment by LSP staff.

1. Hold a valid Preliminary Administrative Services Credential
2. Complete LSP (see above for requirements)
3. Complete two years of full-time employment as an administrator. Note: your employer will need to provide letter of verification.

Upon verifying that you have fulfilled the requirements above, we will recommend you to the CTC. You may then apply for the Professional Clear Administrative Service Credential.