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Professional Development
Build leadership skills and capacity in those who serve or aspire to serve in instructional leadership roles.
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All four modules run four times per year in January, March, June, and October.
The tuition for each ILC course is $399.
Groups of 10+: 25% off final invoice. Contact us for your discount code.
Click here to inquire about a custom engagement for your organization.
Mentor teachers, instructional coaches, and leaders of instructional teams and departments play critical roles in teacher development and student growth. And when we offer access to leadership roles and support the people in them, we enrich and retain our strongest teachers.
The Instructional Leadership Certificate (ILC) was created to help teacher leaders build their leadership capacities and learn to provide the developmental support their colleagues need to become better classroom teachers. Through ILC, you will build skills to lead adult learners, engage with relevant problems of practice that address common challenges of instructional leadership, and apply knowledge, skills, and insights to practice leadership in your own professional context.
Participating in Instructional Leadership Certificate (ILC) coursework is an opportunity for teachers to distinguish themselves as teacher leaders who are knowledgeable and supportive resources in their professional communities. Becoming a member of the ILC cohort allows you to gain and contribute expertise through a series of courses designed to meld HGSE faculty expertise, the latest research, and the knowledge and insights of fellow practitioners.
“The case could be made that what teachers know of schools and of life in them, their purposes, their problems, their strengths, and how to make them better, is the most appropriate knowledge base for understanding this profession.” Eleanor R. Duckworth, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Professor of Education, Emerita
“The case could be made that what teachers know of schools and of life in them, their purposes, their problems, their strengths, and how to make them better, is the most appropriate knowledge base for understanding this profession.”
Eleanor R. Duckworth, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Professor of Education, Emerita
Led by HGSE faculty members, ILC consists of four six-week online courses designed to build capacity in those who serve or aspire to serve in instructional leadership roles, such as mentors, coaches, department chairs, grade-level leaders, and professional development facilitators. All courses address three certificate throughlines: Aligning Purpose and Practice, Advanced Instructional Excellence, and Leading and Motivating Educators.
A Rigorous, Flexible Experience
The Instructional Leadership Certificate (ILC) consists of four 6-week online courses designed to build capacity in those who serve or aspire to serve in instructional leadership roles, such as mentors, coaches, department chairs, grade-level leaders, and facilitators of professional development. All courses address three certificate throughlines: Advanced Instructional Excellence, Leading and Motivating Educators, and Aligning Purpose and Practice.
The courses are asynchronous via our Canvas learning platform and are divided into six one-week modules, which consist of three to four hours of work per week that include a practice challenge for participants to apply learning in their context. There are opportunities for individual reflection and application as well as peer feedback throughout the course, and participants will be awarded 20 PD clock hours upon completion of each course.
To earn the Instructional Leadership Certificate, participants must complete all four ILC courses. Articulating the Intangibles of Teaching is the recommended foundational course, though courses may be completed in any order across a flexible schedule.
Noah Heller focuses on developing effective approaches to practice-based teacher education, teacher leadership and learning, and mathematics pedagogy.
Candice Bocala explores the connections between educator learning and organizational conditions that support collaborative work.
Victor Pereira's focus is on teacher preparation, developing new teachers, and improving science teaching and learning in middle and high school classrooms.
Katherine Rieser's research connects teacher education pedagogy with anti-racist best practices in K-12 schools.
(On Leave 2024-2025)
This program welcomes registrations from both individuals and teams. First-time registrants need to create a Professional Education account to register.
Individuals: Click the “Register” button at the top of this page to log into your Professional Education account and access the registration page. Proceed with the individual form until submission. Invoices will be immediately available upon the submission of the form.
Teams: Designate one participant or an administrative staff member as the Coordinator.
Professional Education is excited to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for your successful participation in this program. The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a nationally and internationally recognized unit of measurement for non-credit continuing education programs. As an IACET Accredited Provider, Professional Education offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.
Requirements to be eligible to earn CEUs:
Upon successfully meeting all requirements outlined above, you will be notified via email that you have A) earned the certificate of completion for the program and B) are now eligible to earn CEUs. This email will contain the link to complete the required reflection assignment if you wish to receive CEUs, along with a submission deadline and time frame for receiving your CEUs. After submitting your reflection assignment, we will notify you via email of your CEU status, and if you have met all requirements, you will be able to download and view your CEU certificate at this point in time. ILC modules are eligible for 2 CEUs.
Note: Professional Education is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes the quality of continuing education and training.
Tuition assistance is available for the courses in this certificate on a need and application basis. Tuition assistance is granted based on participant and institutional needs. Requests for tuition assistance do not affect an applicant's prospects for admission. You may access the tuition assistance application after you have submitted your course application. Tuition assistance applications should be submitted at least one month prior to the final application deadline.
Educator teams need to take a more inquiry-based approach to data analysis to address inequitable norms and patterns.