Educational Leadership: Cultivating School Culture and Community Engagement

Educational Leadership

Cultivating School Culture and Community Engagement

Introduction to Professional Standards for Educational Leaders Standard 3, 5, and 8

• Course Type: Cohort-Based, Fully-Facilitated
• Course Length: 10 Hours
• Course Access: Participants will follow a set start and end date, often determined by their school district.

This professional development course is designed for current and aspiring school leaders committed to promoting equity, inclusivity, and safety in their schools. Participants will explore the legal, cultural, and ethical responsibilities of ensuring all students have access to a fair and supportive educational environment.

The course covers critical topics such as:

• Cultural responsiveness and systemic bias
• Resource equity and special population needs
• Strategies for fostering a positive and inclusive school climate

School leaders will learn to assess and enhance their school’s cultural responsiveness, align resources with equity goals, and implement tiered support systems for academic and social-emotional growth.

Participants will also examine strategies for fostering a school climate that promotes student engagement, leadership, and a sense of safety. By the end of the course, leaders will be equipped with actionable strategies to create culturally and linguistically inclusive environments that prioritize equity, security, and student empowerment.

Course Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Understand effective communication strategies with stakeholders, including the use of social media.
• Analyze and apply data to ensure student growth, build family partnerships, and support decision-making.
• Identify the impact of high expectations on student learning and strategies for communicating these expectations to teachers.
• Explain the role of formative assessment and feedback in supporting teacher growth and instructional improvement.
• Explore core concepts of distributed leadership and practical approaches to foster shared leadership in schools.
• Investigate shared decision-making principles, including framing problems and involving stakeholders in solution generation.
• Examine relational leadership strategies for building trust, mutual accountability, and positive professional relationships.
• Develop strategies for creating collaborative frameworks and building time into schedules for planning and professional development.
• Assess resource allocation, budgeting, and the community’s role in promoting equity and enhancing learning opportunities.
• Understand the importance of digital equity, and create plans to address the digital divide and improve technology access for students.