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​Principal Induction Program

All principals and assistant or vice principals who are employed for the first time in that capacity in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2008, must complete a Principal's Induction Program within their first five years of service in that position. The Induction Program addresses the three core PA leadership standards:

  • The leader has the knowledge and skills to think and plan strategically, creating an organizational vision around personalized student success.
  • The leader has an understanding of standards-based systems theory and design and the ability to transfer that knowledge to the leader's job as the architect of standards-based reform in the school.
  • The leader has the ability to access and use appropriate data to inform decision-making at all levels of the system.

The Department's program for principal induction uses a curriculum that has been developed by the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL), a division of the National Center for Education and the Economy (NCEE).*

The Principal Induction Program is comprised of the following courses which are offered at all eight regional sites one or more times per year. Participants meet with their cohort group a total of six days for Course One and ten days for Course Two. Reading and online work is frequently required to prepare for each unit, and follow-up job-application activities are embedded in the program.

Course One - World-Class Schooling: Vision and Goals: (45 PIL Hours)

  • Unit 1: The Educational Challenge
  • Unit 2: The Principal as Strategic Thinker
  • Unit 3: Rigorous and Adaptive Learning Systems

Course Two: The Research on Learning and the Implications for Teaching, Leadership, and School Organization (75 PIL Hours)

  • Unit 4: How People Learn: Implications for Teaching, Leadership, and School Organization, Part 1
  • Unit 5: How People Learn: Implications for Teaching, Leadership, and School Organization, Part 2
  • Unit 6: How People Learn: Implications for Teaching, Leadership, and School Organization, Part 3
  • Unit 7: Promoting the Learning Organization
  • Unit 8: Leadership for Effective Teaching*   

The courses must be attended in sequential order. Participants must attend all unit sessions to receive credit.

*Please note that the unit structure of NISL Course One & Two has been altered for PA participants to best accommodate the Induction program requirements.

NISL Overview Description

All Pa Inspired Leadership Program (PIL) courses are approved to meet the continuing professional education requirements for school and system leaders through the continuing education component of PIL.