The Florida Association of District School Superintendents provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art leadership development program for Florida Superintendents.

All leadership development activities are designed to assist superintendents in both the enhancement of leadership skills and the effective application of these skills for the improvement of their school system.

The following programs are included:

• New Superintendent Orientation Program - This program provides superintendents opportunities to increase their understanding of their roles as the chief executive officers of school systems, to acquire information needed to successfully fulfill their responsibilities and to gain insights from experienced superintendents on successful practices of the superintendency.
   
• Superintendent Mentoring Program - The intent of the Mentoring Program is to provide support for each new superintendent during the first year in office to bridge the gap between previous experience and the expectations of the superintendent's office. Mentor superintendents are successful, experienced Florida Superintendents who have been specifically trained to be mentors. Mentors can be of assistance in many ways such as providing an objective perspective, providing feedback and serving as a resource for effective best practices.
   
• Superintendent Special Certification Program - This program is designed to provide superintendents with the managerial and leadership information needed to successfully fulfill their responsibilities. The program includes training on the following topics:
  
  • Legal Aspects of Leading a Florida School District
  • Economic Forces Impacting Education
  • Employee Relations and Collective Bargaining
  • The Superintendent as Educational and Community Leader
  • Core Concepts of Leadership

Participants are required to successfully complete the Florida Superintendents Exam for initial certification and are required to successfully complete annual renewal training to remain certified.

• Chief Executive Officer Leadership Development Program (CEOLDP) - This program is a leadership development and performance compensation program that is comparable to chief executive officer development programs for corporate executive officers. The program includes two phases. Phase I is the content-knowledge-skills phase which is a formalized training program that focuses on information and skill development necessary for highly effective superintendents. Phase II is the competency acquisition phase in which each superintendent has a structured opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in Phase I for the continuous improvement of the school district. Each superintendent engaged in Phase II designs a Learning Project to address the improvement needs of their districts and carries out the project for one-year. During Phase II the superintendent maintains a reflective thinking journal as he/she implements the Learning Project. The superintendent is also assigned a Learning Partner to provide support and guidance during the Learning Project. 

This program also has an extensive evaluation component. A written Learning Summary is required in which the superintendent describes how he/she has become a better leader and learner.  An on-site visit is conducted to the superintendent's district to determine the impact of the Learning Project on the district and to provide the superintendent with feedback on how to proceed with continuous improvement.

District-Level Leaders Training Program

As a part of a comprehensive leadership development system, the Association provides training and other developmental experiences for executive personnel working in direct relationship with the superintendent, persons who serve on the Superintendent's Executive Leadership Team and/or who administer systems within the school district. The events are carefully correlated with the training for superintendents for continuity of purpose and for alignment of vertical teams.

Secretaries/Administrative Assistants to Superintendents and/or School Boards Training Program

Leaders need the support and assistance of key personnel in the district to be most effective. Secretaries and administrative assistants to superintendents and school boards are integral to the success of a superintendent's leadership.  The leadership development program provided by the Association recognizes this important fact and provides training for these key personnel. 

The leadership development program developed by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents is a comprehensive program designed to develop, enhance, and support effective leadership at all levels within a school district.  The underlying principle of this program is that effective leadership is essential to successful school reform.  Leaders must be supported and assisted as they strive to lead their school systems in improvement efforts.

Principal Leadership Development Programs

This program provides participating principals with information, knowledge, skills and understandings that will support and assist them as they lead and manage high quality schools that will result in enhanced student achievement.

This training focuses on the following learning objectives:

• To provide each principal participating in the program with feedback on his/her most pressing professional development needs related to the enhancement of student achievement.
• To assist principals in understanding his/her role in leading high quality schools that result in enhanced student achievement.
• To provide principals with the skills necessary to lead this process in the their schools.
• To provide participants an opportunity to learn how they can use past and future experiences, as well as other information from assessment feedback, to understand themselves and formulate appropriate learning strategies and tactics for enhancing their leadership and the quality of teaching and student learning for the enhancement of student achievement.