Leadership Coaching and How Students and Teachers Benefit

Recognizing that transformation, especially digital transformation, is complex and sometimes “messy,” Digital Promise is launching a second cohort of our Leadership Coaching program to support K-12 leaders working towards transforming learning in their districts through technology.

Superintendents and chief technology officers from the League of Innovative Schools serve as coaches and support participating districts’ ongoing digital transformations by providing expertise and technical assistance to key district leaders. The Digital Promise Leadership Coaching program is led by Dr. Cindy Elsberry, a retired superintendent with 12 years of experience, and a former member of the League. Our coaches include Dr. Michael Nagler, Dr. Karen Sullivan, Dr. Bart Rocco, Erik Gundersen, and Matthew Miller.

Over the past few years, Digital Promise has worked with districts across the country, analyzed many frameworks, and conducted and reviewed considerable research on what makes a school and district ready for a digital transformation. Out of this body of work, we developed a theory of change for digital transformation to support and guide our work with educators on the frontlines of technology-supported innovation.

The Leadership Coaching model uses Digital Promise’s Journey Map to help districts identify if they are “Ready to Commit,” “Ready to Deploy,” and “Ready to Transform,” as well as the following nine strands, which we believe support successful digital transformations in districts.

1. Leadership and Organizational Design
2. Establishing Goals and Program Evaluation
3. Messaging and Effective Communication
4. Budget and Resources
5. Technology Infrastructure
6. Digital Curriculum and Assessment
7. Personalized Professional Learning
8. Data Use and Security
9. Family and Community Engagement

Whether districts are at the very beginning of their digital transformations or deep into them, districts from the League have navigated this path and have made a commitment to sharing their knowledge and collaborating with others. Becoming digital ready can be a daunting task with obstacles along the way. Tapping into the collective wisdom of those who have traveled the path allows districts to:

• Articulate their goals and vision for digital readiness;
• Accelerate the transition to digital learning;
• Define district needs as they move forward;
• Mitigate potential challenges before they happen; and
• Access a network of participating districts for support and collaboration.

The first cohort of districts that worked with League coaches found the experience to be personalized and transformative — and, we’re excited to make a similar impact with our new cohort.

We are looking for districts who want to “roll up their sleeves” and do this work with us, and we have a very limited number of coaching district spots remaining. Let us know if you or your colleagues are interested in working with a hand-selected group of nationally known superintendents and chief technology officers who have spearheaded key technology initiatives, faced challenges, and learned lessons that can help guide districts to highly effective teaching and learning supported by technology.

Please contact leadershipcoaching@digitalpromise.org for more information and to join us in Cohort 2!