Day 1: Clarifying Instructional Vision and Leadership Focus
Participants begin by grounding their work in the NCSM Essential Actions and examining their leadership identity and responsibilities as mathematics leaders. The day focuses on developing a shared understanding of high-quality, culturally relevant mathematics instruction—what it looks like in classrooms, how students experience it, and what evidence leaders should attend to.
Participants will:
- Develop and refine a vision for high-quality mathematics instruction
- Identify evidence of student thinking, access, and discourse
- Apply equity and cultural relevance lenses to instructional leadership
- Clarify a priority mathematics transformation they are responsible for leading
This work establishes a common instructional foundation that anchors the rest of the Academy.
Day 2: Using Evidence, Improvement Cycles, and Coaching to Support Change
Building on the instructional vision from Day 1, participants focus on the leadership practices that support implementation. The day emphasizes continuous improvement, evidence-gathering, and coaching structures that help leaders move beyond good intentions toward sustained instructional change.
Participants will:
- Design practical measures aligned to their instructional vision
- Practice gathering informal evidence through observation and conversation
- Explore how leadership actions support or hinder implementation
- Develop coaching strategies to support teacher learning and PLC work
- Use structured reflective conversation protocols to guide professional dialogue
By the end of Day 2, participants will have concrete tools for supporting teachers and teams through instructional change.
Day 3: Walkthroughs, Synthesis, and Leadership Action Planning
The final half-day brings everything together. Participants apply their learning through non-evaluative classroom walkthrough routines, analyze instructional evidence, and engage in structured debrief conversations to identify patterns and leadership implications.
Participants will:
- Practice classroom walkthroughs aligned to the Essential Actions
- Analyze instructional evidence to identify trends and next steps
- Engage in structured reflective debriefs
- Develop a 90-day leadership action plan aligned to their instructional vision
- Make a public commitment to specific leadership actions
Participants leave the Academy with a clear, actionable plan and the tools to continue the work in their own systems.