About the Department 

The Department of Leadership Development and School Improvement within the Division of Schools exists to provide differentiated and targeted support to CIR, UIR, and UIN schools and leaders in the implementation of the LDOE School Improvement Best Practices. Additionally, mentoring novice principals focuses on principal standards, high-quality research-based training, leader evaluation, and on-the-job support. The department helps schools achieve a coherent, disciplined approach to teaching and learning that is embedded throughout school practices; improves school climate and culture; develops more effective teachers and leaders; fosters improved parent and community engagement; and creates higher expectations and results for all students. The department's work is based on EBR's Coherence Framework which is grounded in research and evidence, and informed and refined by practice. 

The department supports the state’s goal to improve low-performing schools by reviewing, evaluating, monitoring, and intervening with administrators and their Instructional Leadership Teams (ILTs) to ensure excellence in education for all students. This includes supporting school leaders in developing tools that help them assess the quality of instruction in their building, developing tools to monitor student data and student performance, and supporting additional instruction for LEAP preparation and remediation. Additionally, the department collaborates with Executive Directors and principals to plan and engage in Learning Walks, a routine where instructional leaders from the Division of Schools, the Division of Academics and Literacy, and the Louisiana Department of Education School Improvement Team visit classrooms together to reflect on teaching and learning practices. The focus is not on the efficacy of teachers, but rather on the progress of instructional change at the school.  

Essential Foundations for Successful School Improvement 

School Improvement Contacts engage in timely high-quality professional learning experiences and use high-quality, researched-based tools to provide differentiated and curriculum-focused support in partnering with school system leaders in the implementation of LDOE School Improvement Best Practices creating a culture of excellence through:

• Consulting with principals to discuss current initiatives and stakeholder needs; 

• Collaborating with Executive Directors and principals to identify specific Best Practices and schools that will receive support, developing support plans reflective of current needs, setting observable and measurable goals to meet needs, and engaging in concrete, aligned support actions; and, 

• Coaching principals to monitor the progress of goal attainment, conducting paired observations to gauge the quality of learning experiences enhanced by curriculum implementation, and collecting and using data to provide timely, high-quality instructional feedback, then system leaders will be equipped with the appropriate knowledge and tools to support school leaders in strengthening their instructional capacity to result in a transformation of learning and teaching practices. 

Through consulting, collaborating, and coaching, the School Improvement Team will build capacity in content and craft through professional development and leveraging the strengths of administrators and teachers.

The department strives to provide individualized and meaningful professional learning and support for all school leaders and aspiring leaders through the leadership pipeline programs. Based on the fundamental belief that leadership skills and knowledge can be learned and cultivated, the Department of Leadership Development and School Improvement provides professional learning experiences and resources designed to foster the growth of effective leaders. The differentiated components of the leadership programs provide opportunities for participants to develop and apply leadership skills as they support the vision and the mission of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and assist schools in achieving the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). In working to develop effective leaders who are essential to school success, the office focuses on two main leadership cohorts: the Aspiring Principals Academy and the Instructional Leaders for Tomorrow Program.