Empowering Educators for Student Success
Welcome to Leadership for Ector’s Accelerated Performance (LEAP), a transformative initiative brought to you by the Community Training and Assistance Center, Inc., in collaboration with the Ector County Independent School District (ECISD). LEAP is committed to revolutionizing education by enhancing leadership, fostering professional growth, and ultimately improving student achievement.
LEAP, a U.S. Department of Education funded project, aligns seamlessly with educational priorities, addressing Absolute Priority 1 (Human Capital Management Systems and Performance-Based Compensation Systems), Absolute Priority 2 (High-Need Schools), Competitive Preference Priority 1 (Promoting Equity in Student Access), and Competitive Preference Priority 2 (Supporting a Diverse Educator Workforce). Through our comprehensive approach, LEAP aims to create a brighter future for all learners within ECISD.
When Students Succeed, You Succeed
LEAP rewards teachers, principals, and Acceleration ILT (A-ILT) members for improving ELAR and math instruction, leveraging performance-based compensation systems to enhance student achievement. This aligns incentives with instructional priorities, fostering a culture of excellence in education.
LEAP delivers on the promise of TSL (Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program) by using evidence-based practices to increase the number of effective teachers, teacher leaders, and principals serving at high-need schools.
TSL Funding Awarded
$8,991,700
Measuring Success Through 8 Objectives
LEAP is a comprehensive effort which aligns key elements of the HCMS—professional development, evaluation, performance-based compensation, teacher leadership pathways, and recruitment and retention—to support equitable student access to opportunity and results at 10 high-need schools.
1. Accelerate novice teachers’ abilities to be effective instructors.
Supporting Component 1: Developing and Retaining Talent
At the heart of LEAP lies the belief in the power of educators. We understand that effective teaching and leadership are pivotal in driving student success. Through targeted professional development, LEAP equips novice teachers with the skills and resources necessary to serve the diverse needs of students.
2. Strengthen principals’ abilities to provide effective instructional leadership.
Supporting Component 1: Developing and Retaining Talent
LEAP develops the instructional leadership skills of principals and their ability to manage an instructional leadership system and provide coaching and feedback to teachers.
3. Establish A-ILTs to increase schools’ instructional leadership capacity.
Supporting Component 1: Developing and Retaining Talent
LEAP establishes A-ILTs to broaden the instructional leadership capacity of the schools and provide ongoing coaching and support to ELAR and math teachers.
4. Develop the instructional ability of ELAR and math teachers and the instructional leadership ability of A-ILTs to effectively serve diverse learners.
Supporting Component 1: Developing and Retaining Talent
LEAP responds to the ECISD student population by implementing culturally responsive curriculum and instructional practices to provide students with deeper learning experiences. Teachers who have culturally responsive practices embedded in their professional development and implement these practices have significantly higher student achievement scores in reading and math.
5. Reward teachers, principals, and A-ILT members for improving ELAR and math instruction that increases student achievement.
Supporting Component 2: Aligning Incentives to Instructional Priorities
Developing and rewarding instructional improvement and instructional leadership are linked to stronger student achievement and growth. LEAP implements a performance-based compensation system that recognizes and rewards effective teachers, A-ILT members, and principals in ECISD.
6. Recruit effective principals to high-need schools.
Supporting Component 2: Aligning Incentives to Instructional Priorities
LEAP is deeply committed to promoting equity in student access and supporting a diverse educator workforce. By focusing on high-need schools where students face socio-economic challenges, LEAP works to bridge the achievement gap. LEAP provides a targeted recruitment strategy to incentivize effective principals to move to high-need schools.
7. Recruit, support, and retain diverse teachers at high-need schools.
Supporting Component 3: Building and Expanding the Capacity of a Diverse Workforce
We prioritize recruiting, supporting, and retaining diverse teachers, fostering an inclusive school culture that celebrates diversity and empowers educators and students alike. Through targeted recruitment strategies, LEAP expands on existing partnerships with regional Hispanic Serving Institutions to recruit diverse teachers into the district.
8. Provide a pipeline for diverse teachers to transition into teacher leadership positions.
Supporting Component 3: Building and Expanding the Capacity of a Diverse Workforce
LEAP creates an Advanced Teacher Leadership Academy that identifies and prepares effective, diverse teachers to become instructional leaders at their schools.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF THE ECISD TEAM?
Take the LEAP and Join Us
We can build a brighter future for education. Complete the form below to join the ECISD team. Together, let's LEAP towards excellence in education.