The ALA’s goal is to realize educational equity and excellence for all Arkansas students.
The ALA’s capacity-building services focus on three evidence-based areas of study: collaborative leadership, collective efficacy, and cultural competence. Services emphasize the implementation of (a) data-driven decision-making, (b) effective instructional practices, and (c) social-emotional learning. Participants apply their learning and demonstrate growth, effectiveness, influence, and impact through various avenues, such as micro-credentialing, action research, the Teacher Excellence and Support System (TESS), and the Leader Excellence and Development System (LEADS).
The ALA’s professional learning and capacity-building services align with and support the implementation of the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan and current school improvement initiatives, such as High-Reliability Schools (HRS), Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), cycles of inquiry, and the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E). The ALA also aligns with the Arkansas Vision for Excellence in Education: transforming Arkansas to lead the nation in student-focused education.
The ALA follows Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning, which were approved by the Arkansas State Board of Education. It uses adult learning principles to engage educators in a phased journey of leadership development that builds their capacity to influence school and classroom practices, peer and stakeholder involvement, and local and state policy. While it is essential for all leaders to have self-efficacy to effect change, they must also have the knowledge, skills, and capacities to equip and inspire others. The ALA’s programs help participants build these skills through active learning in a community of peers with sessions facilitated by experts and practitioners who model and reinforce desired classroom instructional strategies. The ALA also incorporates participant choice and voice by offering multiple avenues or pathways of professional growth built upon a common foundation needed for all leaders. It accomplishes this through a hybrid delivery model of virtual and in-person learning, providing participants with personalized options to leverage their leadership potential.
Collaborative leadership is a shared style of team leadership (Heck & Hallinger, 2010) that emphasizes the roles teacher leaders, students, families, and other staff play in setting the direction of the school, based on research. It also underscores the roles principals and school leaders play in providing leadership opportunities for all adults in a school building and capitalizing on the leadership strengths of others.
Collective efficacy is the shared conviction among educators that they significantly contribute to raising student achievement (Hite & Donohoo, 2021). It focuses on the roles of principals and school leaders in building teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and skills to influence student outcomes through excellent instruction and conducive learning environments for students.
Cultural competence is an understanding of one’s own culture, others’ cultures, and the influence of culture on education (National Education Association NEA; n.d.). It highlights the role teacher leaders play in understanding their students’ experiences and identities, recognizing students’ strengths, establishing community relationships, and improving instructional practices based on the individual and collective needs of all student groups. It also accentuates how principals and school leaders set the conditions and expectations for teachers and students to thrive.
The ALA is a collaborative effort of three partner organizations that share a core belief that teachers and leaders are the most important school-based factors in ensuring student success. They recognize that to improve organizations systematically, the greatest resource is leadership capital, which must be developed to ensure the highest quality learning environments are provided to all students. The partnership is committed to producing leaders who rely on an integrated, student-focused education system based on evidence-centered design, teaching and learning competencies, and performance-based student outcomes.
The Arkansas Public School Resource Center (APSRC) is a service-oriented, non-profit membership organization that offers support, technical assistance, and training for Arkansas schools. The APSRC has a rich history of creating public-private partnerships to further its goal of enhancing Arkansas students’ educational experiences.
Arkansas State University’s (A-State) College of Education & Behavioral Science is the predominant producer of teachers in the state’s eastern half and the primary producer of administrators in the state. It builds lifelong partnerships with graduates through its commitment to continuing education, with its primary focus on quality teaching.
Educational Technical Assistance Services (EDUTAS) at the University of Oklahoma Outreach/College of Continuing Education provides comprehensive professional learning and technical assistance to educators, schools, districts, states, and non-profit organizations. EDUTAS serves as a national expert in school improvement and leadership development initiatives.
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
