ACT, ALAS Superintendent Leadership Academy Prepare Latino School Leaders

A new academy is preparing Latino leaders to become superintendents of Hispanic-serving school districts in the United States.

ACT and the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) are partnering on ALAS’ first Superintendent Leadership Academy (SLA), which began in July and concludes in June 2012. Sessions cover such topics as leadership, strategic planning, curriculum and instruction, management systems and structures, and new superintendent preparation.

“ACT is excited to be a founding partner of the 2011–12 ALAS Superintendent Leadership Academy,” said Jim Morris, ACT director for client outreach and state partnerships. “Identifying, coaching, and mentoring emerging school leaders in support of increased opportunities for the growing population of Hispanic-serving school districts is a large undertaking.”

ALAS is a nonprofit organization committed to identifying, recruiting, developing, and advancing Latino school administrators to assume high-level roles, especially in high poverty and minority-serving school systems, in an effort to improve the educational accomplishments of Latino youth.

“We are honored that ACT has joined ALAS to sponsor our first Superintendent Leadership Academy,” said Agustín Orci, ALAS executive director. “This is an initiative that focuses primarily on the educational needs of Hispanic youth and English-language learners.”

The academy addresses a shortage of leaders for school districts nationwide that serve high-poverty communities or those with significant numbers of Hispanic youth. Officials plan to implement innovative efforts that focus on improving both curriculum and instruction for Hispanic and Latino students, who often experience achievement gaps and high dropout rates.

A Pew Hispanic Center report shows that Hispanics have a much higher dropout rate than blacks or whites. Some 41 percent of Hispanics in the United States aged 20 and older do not have a regular high school diploma, versus 23 percent of blacks and 14 percent of whites of comparable age. In 2009, the high school graduation rate for Latinos was 61 percent, compared to 90 percent for Asians, 81 percent for whites, and 59 percent for African Americans.

“ACT stands ready to assist SLA, especially in the areas of curriculum and instruction,” said Morris. “We provide guidance and experience in identifying and implementing rigorous instructional practices that lead to increased college and career readiness for all students.”