44690. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) Skilled school and school district leaders are critical for building a strong and stable workforce, and for making the important shifts in practice envisioned by the local control funding formula and the Common Core State Standards.
(2) Strong leadership is a key predictor of pupil achievement, and highly skilled leadership is critical to successful improvement efforts for local educational agencies and schools.
(3) The roles of principals and other school leaders have evolved considerably since the California School Leadership Academy was first established more than three decades ago, with a broad range of knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to successfully support success for the diverse learners served in California public schools.
(4) Focused investments in leadership development for principals and other school leaders will benefit pupils and staff at California’s public schools and, ultimately, improve outcomes for pupils.
(b) The 21st Century California School Leadership Academy is hereby established.
(c) (1) The department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall establish a process, administered by the department, to organize and offer professional learning opportunities, and to select, subject to approval by the executive director of the state board, providers of high-quality professional learning for administrators and other school leaders to receive grants in a manner that ensures the availability of professional learning through the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy, free of charge, to local educational agencies that receive federal Title II funds on a statewide basis.
(2) In designing professional learning opportunities and in selecting grantees pursuant to this section, the department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall ensure that professional learning provided through the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy includes all of the following:
(A) Training and coaching for principals and other school leaders in critical areas identified by the department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, in consultation with the executive director of the state board.
(B) Training mentors for novice principals and teachers.
(C) Training coaches to support leaders in high-need settings.
(D) Training for central office leaders, principals, and other school leaders, including teacher leaders, involved in school improvement efforts.
(3) Professional learning opportunities may include, but are not necessarily limited to, coaching and training around supporting effective standards-aligned instruction and other instruction that promotes critical thinking, inclusive practices, social-emotional learning, restorative practices and other alternative behavioral programs, implementing effective language acquisition programs for English learners, strategies for addressing performance gaps among pupil groups, leveraging wraparound services to support healthy development of pupils, civic engagement, building collegial environments, effectively engaging parents and guardians, and using resources provided by the department related to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress system established pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 60640) of Chapter 5 of Part 33 of Division 4, such as formative or interim assessments, to improve outcomes for pupils.
(4) In designing and offering professional learning opportunities and in selecting grantees pursuant to this section, the department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall ensure that professional learning is provided through the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy in a manner that is consistent with the statewide system of support pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 52059.5) of Chapter 6.1 of Part 28 of Division 4.
(d) Grantees eligible to be selected pursuant to this section shall be limited to local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit educational services providers.
(e) Priority for professional learning through this program may be given to school districts and county offices of education eligible to receive differentiated assistance pursuant to Sections 52071 and 52071.5 and schools identified for comprehensive support as described in Section 1003(e)(1)(B) of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
(f) (1) Grants shall be awarded for a term not to exceed three years.
(2) The department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall evaluate the professional learning opportunities offered or funded through the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy for their effectiveness. The department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall establish criteria and measures to assess the performance of the grantees in performing the duties specified in this section. When performing these activities, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence may enter into appropriate contracts to assist with program evaluation, as necessary.
(3) At the conclusion of each grant term, the department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence may renew the selection of the grantees or reopen the selection process in a manner consistent with subdivision (c).
(4) Before renewing the selection of a grantee, the department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall evaluate the grantee’s performance relative to the criteria and measures established pursuant to paragraph (2) and the grantee’s success in fulfilling the purposes of this section.
(g) Grantees receiving funds pursuant to this section shall provide program information to, and as needed by, the department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence as a condition of receiving the funds, including participating in any external evaluation coordinated by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 52, Sec. 56. (AB 181) Effective June 30, 2022.)
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