School leaders are responsible for a wide variety of responsibilities and have few opportunities to work with and benefit from other school leaders about specific challenges in their contexts. Our Act 45 courses are designed to provide participants with not only skills and knowledge that can inform their leadership, but also allow for connections with other school leaders to share about their own experiences so that they can learn from one another.
Courses
Using Human-Centered Design to Support Student Growth and Achievement
This 50-hour Act 45 course introduces school leaders to design thinking and, more specifically, Human-Centered Design. Through in-person, asynchronous (online), and job-embedded components, participants will learn about and apply each phase of the design cycle to a challenge within their school system that will foster student growth and achievement.
Past projects include:
- Shifting to a 4-day instructional week
- Updating K-10 PBIS implementation to develop a culture of belonging
- Improving rates of chronic absenteeism
- Addressing student behavior and discipline structure
- Developing a plan to improve early literacy
- Co-designing departmental curriculum
- Changing schedules
Leadership through Design: Enhancing Student Growth and Achievement
This 25-hour, 100% virtual Act 45 course introduces school leaders to design thinking and Human-Centered Design. Through synchronous and asynchronous online time, along with job-embedded components, participants learn about and apply each phase of the design cycle to a challenge within their school system that will foster student growth and achievement.
This course is ideal for:
- School administrators outside of Western Pennsylvania
- School leaders who need the flexibility of summer online learning
- School administrators outside of Pennsylvania (continuing education credits not provided)
Learn More
These courses are currently scheduled annually (see Upcoming Events). Contact us to have a course brought to your district or region or to learn more about our other Human-Centered Design Services. Information about Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design is on our HCD Resources page.
Using HCD to Support Student Growth & Achievement Participant Quotes
“Extremely applicable to advancing solutions to my current work concerns – thank you!!!!”
“We have been using HCD for the past 2 years. Through this course I finally have an understanding of how it all fits together.”
“There was great dialogue between participants and the instructors. I learned so much during the classes.”
