Aldine ASPIRE Academy

Aspiring School Principal Instructional Readiness Experience

Leadership Matters in Aldine ISD

Vision: This work is directly aligned to Aldine’s New Way Forward, specifically through the priority of Mission-Driven Leadership. We know that strong school leadership is key to ensuring all students in the district receive a rigorous, enriching educational experience that prepares them for success in college, career, and life. School leaders set a vision and maintain the systems and culture required to ensure instructional excellence, and Aldine ISD is committed to creating a strong pipeline of highly effective instructional leaders who are able to bring this vision to life for our students.

Purpose: The ASPIRE Academy exists to build a bench of high-performing leaders who are developing a strong foundation in the role specific behaviors outlined in Aldine’s Leadership Definition. Through a year-long cohort model, ASPIRE members receive support attaining the essential knowledge, skills, and job-embedded practices to advance to campus leadership.

• Cohort Meetings: 
  • Purpose: ASPIRE cohort meetings foster a deep-dive into the leadership behaviors beginning at leader of self and working towards leader of the campus level. These monthly experiences offer an opportunity to learn about and elevate personal leadership while building camaraderie and developing a strong network of leaders throughout the district. Sessions focus on Aldine’s Leadership Definition Competencies with opportunities for collaboration, problem solving, and community of practice engagement. 
  • Objectives 
    • Grow and develop the leadership behaviors necessary to successfully lead a campus. 
    • Live into the Leader of Leaders behaviors with a heavy focus on Leader of the Campus for all areas of Leadership Matters 
      • CONNECT: We value relationships 
      • INSPIRE: We believe in the growth of self and others 
      • IMPACT: We are responsible for student success 
• Mentoring: 
  • Purpose: The mentorship provides ASPIRE cohort members with an opportunity to expand their leadership network. 
  • Objectives 
    • Through coaching and feedback, ASPIRE cohort members grow and develop in specific behaviors identified as areas of opportunity based on Aldine’s Lead Forward Survey. 
      • CONNECT: Cultivates relationships through empathy, social/cultural awareness 
      • INSPIRE: Supports growth in others through feedback, coaching, and equitable access to leadership opportunities 
      • INSPIRE: Explores new and impactful ways of working, takes actions to evolve, and encourages others to do the same 
      • IMPACT: Seeks feedback to improve performance 
• Project-Based Learning: 
  • Purpose: The leadership behaviors, knowledge and skills gained through the year-long cohort will be demonstrated through the implementation of role specific behaviors within daily practice and through the implementation of an individualized project aligned with a professional growth goal and/or a department goal in which the cohort member supports or supervises. Through individualized projects, cohort members will engage in observations and actions to improve the department as evident by student learning and academic achievement.
  • Objectives 
    • Through their learning and experiences in this program, cohort members will be able to lead a project on their campus, including the identification and benchmarking progress towards a professional growth goal or department goal. 
      • IMPACT: Makes student-driven decisions supported by relevant data 
      • IMPACT: Believes own work directly impacts student outcomes and takes ownership of initiatives with a sense of urgency and purpose 
      • INSPIRE: Creates an open environment that encourages risk-taking and candid communication 

Academy Identification and Requirements 

ASPIRE cohort members are identified annually during the Spring Semester from an internal pool of assistant principal candidates. Lead Forward Survey data and other data points are used to determine strengths and areas of opportunity in alignment with role specific behaviors for each candidate. 

A strong candidate for the ASPIRE Academy is someone who: 

• Has a minimum of 3 years experience in a leadership role outside of the classroom 
• Is assigned to lead a team or department on their current campus 
• Is in excellent standing with the district 
• Received recommendation based on the Lead Forward Survey 
• Has a master’s degree 
• Holds a principal certification 
• Desires to serve as a principal in 2 to 3 years