REGISTRATION ALERT: EACH PARTICIPANT MUST REGISTER THEMSELVES BY LOGGING INTO THEIR ACSA MEMBER ACCOUNT OR BY CREATING A NON-MEMBER ACCOUNT. PARTICIPANTS MUST PERSONALLY AGREE TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND ACADEMY CODE OF CONDUCT.
DO NOT REGISTER ANYONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF.
SUMMARY
The Association of California School Administrators provides a full range of academies, in nine leadership specializations, to meet your needs as a school administrator, confidential employee or classified manager. Because ACSA represents all members of the district management team, we can help you build the administrative and leadership skills needed in your current job, while preparing you to take advantage of career advancement opportunities.
ACSA’s job-specific academies provide a solid foundation in the application of leadership and management fundamentals for administrators who are new or aspiring to advanced leadership positions. The academies are seen as the “fast track” into your career as a superintendent, principal, business manager, curriculum and instruction or personnel administrator, special education/pupil services director, confidential employee or classified manager. We invite you to take advantage of these exceptional high quality professional learning opportunities as ACSA continues to innovate to better meet your needs.
The academies attend to the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSEL) and the standards for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing’s (CTC) Professional Clear Administrative Services Credential (CASC) program. The ACSA Clear Administrative Credential Program is CTC-approved (see additional information at www.acsa.org/credentialing).
Early Education Leaders Academy
Intended audience
District and site administrators, including Superintendents; Assistant Superintendents; county office dministrators; preschool and early learning coordinators; special education and student services leaders; expanded learning leaders; teacher leaders; and those aspiring to early childhood or elementary leadership roles.
The Early Childhood Education Academy is a cohort-based professional learning experience designed to build leadership capacity in administrators serving young learners and their families. Through a structured sequence of sessions, participants engage in jobembedded learning that integrates research, policy, and practice to support high-quality early learning systems.
Grounded in the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSELs), the academy develops participants’ ability to lead equitable, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate programs. Emphasis is placed on aligning instructional practices, systems of support, and family engagement to improve outcomes for all students, particularly those from historically underserved populations.
Participants will engage in collaborative learning, case study analysis, and application of tools and frameworks that can be directly implemented within their local context. The academy also provides opportunities for reflection, networking, and mentorship to strengthen leadership identity and readiness for expanded roles.
Specific themes include:
Leadership for Early Learning Systems
• Developing and sustaining a shared vision for high-quality early childhood programs
• Aligning preschool through elementary systems for coherence and continuity
• Leading inclusive practices across general and special education settings
Equity, Access, and Student Outcomes
• Implementing equitable practices to address opportunity and achievement gaps
• Using data to monitor access, participation, and outcomes for diverse learners
• Supporting multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and underserved populations
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
• Ensuring developmentally appropriate, standards-aligned instruction
• Integrating play-based learning with academic rigor
• Using formative assessment to guide instruction and intervention
Family and Community Engagement
• Building authentic partnerships with families as first educators
• Designing systems for meaningful engagement and two-way communication
• Leveraging community resources to support whole-child development
Systems, Compliance, and Program Design
• Navigating state and federal requirements (e.g., CSPP, IDEA, licensing)
• Designing sustainable program structures aligned with funding and enrollment
• Monitoring program effectiveness through continuous improvement cycles
Leadership Skills and Professional Practice
• Applying adult learning theory to support staff development
• Facilitating collaboration across departments and stakeholder groups
• Strengthening communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
2026-27 meeting format
Participants experience 70 hours of professional learning over seven weekends in a virtual/Online meeting format for 10 hours per Academy weekend.
