Leadership Development Programs

Program Overview

“CALC” is a year-long fellowship that includes three in-person workshops and ongoing virtual support. The program is designed to help career academy leaders develop expertise in the National Standards of Practice (NSOP) and learn how to implement the Standards with equity and fidelity. Fellows will also learn and apply leadership techniques, including adaptive leadership, storytelling, and systems change management. Upon completion, Fellows will become a part of an ongoing community of practice that focuses on support, resource sharing, and research-based best practices in career academy leadership.

Benefits

Participants gain:

• An understanding of the difference between technical and adaptive challenges, coupled with the capacity to recognize complex issues that lack simple solutions and how to approach them.
• A thorough analysis of the NSOP, including recommendations from Model Academies./.;
• A communication strategy and an opportunity to develop a case story detailing their academy(ies), adaptable for diverse audiences and objectives.
• A collaborative community where members engage in shared learning and provide honest assessments.
• A plan for strategic leadership.

Partners 

First established in 2017, the Career Academy Leaders’ Collaborative is designed and led by the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) in partnership with the Education Development Center (EDC). NCAC and EDC share a joint mission of empowering and equipping students to succeed in college, careers, and the future economic landscape. Both organizations advance professional learning for leaders to enact transformational and sustainable change within their schools and communities.

Intended Participants

The Collaborative is designed for educators and partners who have some familiarity with the career academy model. Registration of leadership teams is encouraged; these could include teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, school and district administrators, and advisory board members.

Requirements

It is expected that all participating Fellows will attend all three in-person meetings in their entirety. Travel should be scheduled to allow for full participation.

How to Apply

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The Fellows – an NCAC Innovation Network

Drawing from nine years of data in which CALC Fellows identified common adaptive challenges to the NSOP, The Fellows Innovation Network provides leaders a deeper collaboratively design and develop solutions for a persistent implementation challenge.

• Leaders explore and create adaptations, innovations, and extensions to the career academy model.
• Leaders design actionable solutions to common adaptive challenges to implementation of the NSOP.
• Leaders identify that they are part of an NCAC network of inspired agents of change committed to the success of the model.

Benefits for Districts: Having local leaders take part in a generative solution design experience will:

• Provide a variety of systemic and locally adaptable solutions to implementation challenges for multiple roles with academies and pathways;
• Provide access to diverse national perspectives, data, and research on a specific challenge with minimal time and cost for individual districts;
• Elevate the district’s profile within career academy and CTE networks; and influence national strategy and policy through publication of research and testable solutions generated by Fellows.

Benefits for Participants: Data from the most recent group of Fellows suggests that what participants value most is to:

• Establish connections and community within the career academy leadership network;
• Learn replicable, scalable strategies and processes for positive, asset-based solution design for authentic and persistent problems;
• Gain protected time and structures for collaboration, reflection, and study; and
• Strengthen their “why” for remaining in career academy and pathways settings.

Logistics and Tentative Schedule:

Session 1: Location: NCAC Conference, Wednesday, October 21^st, (4 hours). In this session, Fellows will engage in a collaborative process to identify a persistent implementation challenge associated with the National Standards of Practice (NSOP) and the development and advancement of career academies.

• Session 1: Location: NCAC Conference, Wednesday, October 21^st 4 hours.
• Session 2: March 2027, (2 days, 6 hours each day)
• Session 3: June 2027 (2 days, 6 hours each day)
• Session 4: November 2027 (2 days, 6 hours each day)
• Session 5: March 2028 (2 days, 6 hours each day)
• Session 6: June 2028 (2 days, 6 hours each day)
• The Education Development Center in Waltham, MA will host sessions 2–6, though the precise dates are contingent upon the Fellows’ availability and agreement. Each meeting includes breakfasts and lunch.
• Session 7: Presentation of findings and distribution of a paper at the NCAC conference 2028

 Cost: NCAC is seeking between 15 to 20 participants. The tuition for the two-year leadership program is $4,600 and includes: all materials, breakfast and lunch. It does not include travel and accommodation expenses.

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