CUSD Admin Induction

CUSD Clear Administrative Services Credential Induction Program

Our mission is to cultivate, support, and retain reflective and collaborative educators who embrace the District’s goal of engaging students in meaningful, challenging, and innovative educational experiences to increase post-secondary options for all students.

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) requires California administrators with a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential to enroll in an approved two-year Induction program to clear this credential. Candidates in this program must be a full-time CUSD Administrator.

Michael Gomez - Executive Director, Induction Programs mrgomez@capousd.org

Riki Belshe - Program Coordinator rlbelshe@capousd.org

To obtain verification of previous program completion, contact Riki Belshe rlbelshe@capousd.org

The Capistrano Unified School District does not discriminate against any person, based on his/her actual or perceived characteristics of race or ethnicity, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or genetic information, or any other characteristic identified in Education Code 200 or 220, Government Code 11135, or Penal Code 422.55, or based on his/her association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. (5 CCR 4610).

Admin Induction Experience

Mission and Vision Statement

Our mission is to prepare our students to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Our vision reflects an unwavering commitment to student success.

Induction Programs Mission Statement

CUSD’s Educator Preparation Unit encompasses Teacher Induction and the Clear Administrative Services Credential (CASC) Induction. The unit operates a coherent, job‑embedded system grounded in California-adopted professional standards (CSTP and CPSEL) and a research-based cycle of inquiry. Governance, staffing, timelines, professional learning, and credentialing processes are aligned across programs so candidates experience consistent expectations, high-quality coaching, and evidence-based recommendation decisions.

CASC Induction Vision Statement

The Administrator Induction Program is guided by a research-based vision of educational leadership that emphasizes ethical practice, instructional leadership, and systems thinking aligned to the California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSEL). This vision is consistently embedded throughout program structures, mentoring, and leadership development experiences, ensuring coherence and sustained professional growth. The program prepares beginning administrators to effectively lead California public schools by supporting the implementation of California’s adopted standards, curricular frameworks, and evidence-based leadership practices that promote inclusive school cultures, continuous improvement, and positive outcomes for all students. The Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) Clear Administrative Services Credential (CASC) Induction Program is grounded in CUSD’s research-based implementation of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model, recognizing that “supportive and shared leadership is a defining characteristic of professional learning communities” and that school and district leaders play a critical role in sustaining collaborative cultures focused on learning (Hord). As part of a comprehensive educator development system that includes Teacher Induction, student teachers, and interns, the program provides coherent, job-embedded support that connects individual leadership growth to district priorities and systemwide improvement.

CASC Research Base

The CASC Induction program is designed as a two-year, job-embedded experience grounded in CPSEL and WestEd’s Descriptions of Practice. Through an Individual Induction Plan (IIP), administrative Candidates establish measurable leadership goals, engage in authentic leadership actions, collect evidence of practice, and reflect on growth over time. Leadership development research affirms that preparation is most effective when it is “grounded in professional standards, tied to authentic leadership work, and supported by structured reflection and feedback” (WestEd, 2019). The CASC program puts this research into practice by anchoring learning in real leadership contexts while maintaining clear expectations for evidence and reflection.