Overview
The Uncommon Impact Partnership aims to support NYCDOE schools in increasing student achievement by expanding the capacity of its instructional leaders and providing aligned teacher supports. Over the past five years, Uncommon Schools, Relay Graduate School of Education, and District-Charter Partnerships (DCP) have collaborated with superintendents, principals and teachers to offer professional development opportunities across the City.
Structure
Relay Graduate School of Education National Principals Academy:
DCP partners with the Relay Graduate School of Education National Principals Academy to provide leadership development to school and district leaders that aims to strengthen their instructional and cultural leadership skills. Through individualized, job-embedded practice, Relay fellows learn how to analyze student data, effectively develop educators through observations and feedback meetings, and create positive school culture. Components of the fellowship include:
- A two-week summer intensive course;
- Four weekend intersessions during the school year; and
- Ongoing coaching and targeted feedback from Relay instructional leaders.
Ten school leaders from Community School Districts 5 and 18 were selected for the 2019-2020 Principal Supervisors Academy. In addition, district leaders in participating Community School Districts receive coaching from Relay leadership coaches as they support their principals in the implementation of the practices learned at Relay.
The Uncommon Impact Professional Development Collaboration:
DCP works with Uncommon Schools to provide professional learning sessions to educators at schools whose leaders have attended Relay. Through the Uncommon Impact Partnership, superintendents and Uncommon Schools select an overarching topic for a series of workshops open to district teachers and led by Uncommon staff. In the 2018-2019 school year, teachers from 10 districts attended a series of workshops focused on “Close Reading” for middle and high schools, and “Great Habits, Great Readers” for elementary schools. Middle and high school educators explored student analysis of complex texts while elementary school educators delved into helping emerging readers build strong reading habits. This school year, educators from district 5 and 18 will attend workshops around aggressive monitoring in English and math.
For more information, please contact DCPartnerships@schools.nyc.gov.