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Professional Development
AASA members are eligible for an exclusive membership discount on this program. Please visit AASA's website for details.
Every day, school district leaders face any number of complex challenges. In order to meet the varied needs of their district, superintendents and their teams must continually build and refine their leadership skills and strategies. The sustained social upheaval of the past several years has made this work all the more difficult, requiring even greater creativity and endurance in order to achieve a vision of excellence for each student.
The Harvard Institute for Superintendents and District Leaders provides space for you to reflect on the challenges of your own as you build the skills necessary to create positive change. The program focuses on practices that drive and sustain improvement at the system level, with an emphasis on how leaders can influence the change process to bring about specific outcomes. Through a highly interactive and integrated curriculum led by Harvard faculty, you’ll explore leadership tools and strategies that enhance your capacity to drive change and build effective leadership teams that sustain your work.
"The Harvard Institute for Superintendents and District Leaders identifies the most pressing issues facing educational leaders today and provides a platform for engagement of academic discussion with colleagues from around the world." Christy Prosser, Director of Student Information & School Safety, Jones County School System
"The Harvard Institute for Superintendents and District Leaders identifies the most pressing issues facing educational leaders today and provides a platform for engagement of academic discussion with colleagues from around the world."
Christy Prosser, Director of Student Information & School Safety, Jones County School System
The Harvard Institute for Superintendents and District Leaders is a three-day in-person program designed for superintendents, district leaders, and their teams. Through faculty-led sessions, small group discussions, and interactive case discussions, participants will refine their leadership approaches and improve their capacity to lead, while building a strong peer network to sustain the work moving forward. Individual leaders, as well as leadership teams, are encouraged to apply.
Over the course of the three-day program, you will learn how to:
The program is open to both individual educators and leadership teams working in the following roles:
This program welcomes applications from both individuals and teams. First-time applicants need to create a Professional Education account to apply.
Individuals: Click the "Apply" button at the top of this page to log into your Professional Education account and access the application page. Proceed with the individual form until submission.
Teams:
Step 1: Designate one participant or an administrative staff member as the Coordinator.
Step 2: Upon the submission of the team application, all team members will receive an email notification with a link to their personal application form. Team members should complete their forms promptly. Once all team members submit their forms, the application is considered complete and ready for review by the Admissions Committee.
Invoices: Invoices will only be available upon your acceptance.
The tuition covers all instructional materials, a daily continental breakfast, and beverages and light refreshments during our scheduled breaks between sessions.
Travel, lodging expenses, and most lunches and dinners are not included in this fee. We have blocked a limited number of rooms in select hotels in the Cambridge/Boston area. The daily rates for these hotels typically range from $250 to $375 per room, plus applicable taxes. Once your applicants are accepted into the program, they will receive detailed information about these hotel options.
Tuition assistance is available for this program 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 program application. Tuition assistance applications should be submitted at least one month prior to the final application deadline.