Mission:
The AASA Center for System Leadership is a learning organization that fosters, develops and supports superintendents of schools and other school system leaders who are leading the transformation of public education.
What is the AASA Center for System Leadership? Programs & Services News & Updates Thanks to Our Sponsors
What is the AASA Center for System Leadership?
Since its founding in 1865, the American Association of School Administrators has been the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders across America. AASA has a long history of successfully providing these leaders with knowledge and professional development opportunities specific to their unique professional needs. The AASA Center for System Leadership is carrying that tradition into the 21st century.
Frequently Asked Questions
Core Beliefs (PDF)
Framework (PDF)
Programs & ServicesThrough partnerships with AASA state affiliates and established national and regional networks, the Center addresses the leadership needs of school leaders. Use the links on the right to explore the many programs offered by the AASA Center for System Leadership, including:
Opportunities for superintendents to influence the design of educational products and services
Communities providing peer support and guidance for systems thinking leaders
Process improvement and innovation projects
Research on topics of value to superintendents
Customized program evaluation and support services
Leading Learning — A special seminar series for 1st-time superintendents in the second year of their terms
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the AASA Center for System Leadership?
The Center is the vehicle through which American Association of School Administrators (AASA) drives its leadership development activities. The major focus of these activities is to help school system leaders acquire the knowledge and skills they need in order to lead successful systemic change efforts that result in improved student learning.
Why did AASA establish the Center?AASA established the Center because the association is convinced that unless American public education is transformed systemically, it will not meet the expectation of universal success. Public education currently is designed to provide universal access and equal educational opportunity for all children. Public education is not presently designed to produce universal success for each and every child.
Is the Center a place where leaders visit?
No ... the Center is not made of mortar and bricks. It was conceived and launched to deliver services through a variety of vehicles. Primarily, the Center works with the AASA state affiliates and national and regional networks focused on systemic change in public education.
Is the Center devoted exclusively to leadership development activities?
While the Center is a leadership development vehicle, it is not engaged exclusively in leadership development activities. In addition to providing leadership development, the Center is a catalyst for research into the type of systemic change that best produces improved student learning. The Center is an advocate for systemic change both within the professional education community and within the public community at large. In this advocacy role, the Center describes the conditions that have the most efficacy in promoting systemic change in public education. The Center highlights the vital role that the superintendent of schools plays in any effort to improve student learning.
Are the Center’s leadership development activities devoted exclusively to issues of systemic change?
While the Center’s major focus is systemic thinking, it does give time and attention to other issues. For example, the Center is the vehicle through which AASA provides information to its members regarding hot topic issues and programs for new and aspiring superintendents.
How does the Center deliver its programs?
The Center is eclectic in its use of delivery systems, employing the delivery system that best suits the topic and the intended audience. The range of offerings includes print publications, electronic newsletters, strands at national and regional conferences, one- and multiple-day workshops, extended consultation for single school districts or for groups of school districts and programs for individual school system leaders.
How can I find out more about the Center?Contact AASA staff:
Claudia Mansfield Sutton, Associate Executive Director
Joe Cirasuolo, Leadership Development Consultant
Juli Finnell Jones, Director, Education and Leadership Development
Kathy DeFloria, Director, Corporate & Strategic Alliances
Research Roundtables
A program of the Institute for Leadership Research and Design
Overview and Benefits Superintendents Research Roundtables Superintendents Cabinet Research RoundtablesUpcoming Dates and Locations For More Information
Overview and BenefitsThis important program provides participants with:
unique professional development programming, the opportunity to interact with peers, and the opportunity to provide insights regarding the instructional programs, delivery systems and materials that school districts need to transform public education and improve student learning.
The participants individually and the Center through them, will play a significant role in determining what will be available from the corporate sector for instruction purposes in the years to come.
Working with AASA, with its long history and reputation for excellence, companies serving the K-12 marketplace can assemble hand-picked leaders in the field of education to get first-hand, spontaneous reactions to:
Ideas the company has for new products, which can guide product design and development.
The company’s strategic vision, marketing strategies, products and/or services.
The educational programs and materials needed in order to continue the process of improving public education.
At the same time, the company is offering a unique opportunity to Roundtable participants: the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge products and their peers’ perspectives while influencing the design of educational products and services.
Superintendents Research Roundtables
Attendees are approximately 15 Superintendents from districts throughout the United States.
Participants are selected by the AASA Center from a list of nominees provided by the sponsor.
Includes a networking reception and joint luncheon with all Roundtable participants (for the July, November and March sessions).
Superintendents Cabinet Research Roundtables
A roundtable’s approximately 15 attendees are key leaders in the central offices from districts throughout the United States, including deputy superintendents, associate superintendents, assistant superintendents and directors of curriculum, finance and other areas.
Participants are selected by the AASA Center from a list of nominees provided by the sponsor.
Includes a networking reception and joint luncheon with all Roundtable participants (for the July, November and March sessions).
Upcoming Dates and Locations
July 16, 2006 - Keystone, Colo.
Nov. 8, 2006 - Washington, D.C.
March 1, 2007 - New Orleans, La.
For More InformationFor more information on hosting a roundtable, please contact Kathy DeFloria or Juli Jones.
Process Improvement and Innovation in Education (PIIE) Initiative
A program of the Institute for Leadership Research and Design
Overview About APQC For More Information
OverviewThe AASA Center for System Leadership has partnered with APQC to seek and promote school district participation in the Process Improvement and Innovation in Education (PIIE) Initiative.
The PIIE initiative will collect and analyze benchmark data and best practices from districts across the nation. Districts will be able to compare the efficiency and effectiveness of their processes with other districts in their state and across the nation and with other districts of a similar size and with similar demographics. District instruction, instructional support and operating processes will be analyzed. Data from this effort will provide districts with information that can be used for accountability, improvement and data-driven decision making.
Participating in this initiative offers districts numerous advantages. For instance, districts will:
Receive customized benchmarking reports that provide detailed information on their districts’ cost effectiveness, cycle time, staff productivity and process efficiency in the survey areas. Reports will enable districts to compare their performance to other districts.
Learn about best practices from top performing districts.
Participate in knowledge sharing and networking.
Have information from the study that will enable them to answer accountability questions from school boards, parents, staff, state and federal government and other key constituency groups.
The AASA Center for System Leadership is working with AASA state affiliates to identify and enlist school districts to participate in the PIIE initiative. In cases where districts are recruited in partnership with state affiliates, the affiliates will share in the revenue produced by the project.
About APQCAPQC, an internationally recognized resource for process and performance improvement, helps organizations adapt to rapidly changing environments, build new and better ways to work, and succeed in a competitive marketplace. APQC focuses on:
benchmarking and best practices,
knowledge management,
metrics and measures,
performance measurement and
professional development initiatives.
APQC boasts a distinguished list of achievements including organizing the first White House Conference on Productivity, spearheading the creation and design of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1987, and jointly administering the award for its first three years.
For More InformationTo learn how you and your district can participate in this program, please contact Joe Cirasuolo at AASA.
State of the Superintendency
A program of the Institute for Leadership Research and Design
What are the challenges and opportunities superintendents face in their very visible roles in public education? Who are the men and women leading the nation's 14,000 schools districts? What is the traditional career path to the superintendency? Where might we find future superintendents?
More than 1,300 superintendents answered the 2006 State of the Superintendency Survey. Their answers will help us explore a spectrum of issues that affect education and leadership, and take a close look at just who are today’s superintendents of education.
The results of this study will produce a profile of the profession that is a resource for the men and women leading our nation’s schools, as well as those charged with preparing and supporting them. a full report will be available later in 2006.
Executive Consultant Program
A program of the Institute for Leadership Development and Systems Thinking
The AASA Center for System Leadership Executive Consultant Program links nationally recognized experts in the use of systems thinking with school districts and school system leaders.
Each executive consultant has unique expertise and offers different programs and services, including customized consulting services and educational programs — from one-day seminars that cover the rudiments of systemic change through three-day conferences for superintendents and their teams to develop plans for systemic change, to in-depth, on-site assistance for superintendents and their teams to implement their plans.
The Center promotes its cadre of executive consultants and their unique services to school district leaders, with the ultimate goal of helping school system leaders transform their systems in order to improve student learning.
Executive Consultants (as of May 15, 2006):
John G. Conyers, Ed.D. — Under John Conyers’ leadership as superintendent of Community Consolidated School District 15 (Ill.), the district was awarded the 2003 National Malcolm Baldrige Award for Excellence. Conyers has been recognized locally, regionally and nationally for his leadership role in public education, and continues to serve as a consultant to public and private organizations throughout the United States and abroad. He is a Malcolm Baldrige Examiner, a speaker and conference presenter, an author and consultant.
Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Ed.D. — Kathleen Fitzpatrick is the founding director of the Leadership for Learning Alliance, building on her 30-year career working in and with K-12 education. As a consultant she has worked with state departments of education in more than 30 states, regional educational laboratories and local school districts across the country. She has authored several publications on educational leadership, program evaluation, systemic reform, and research-based frameworks for school and system-wide improvement focused on student learning.
Lee Jenkins, Ph.D. — Lee Jenkins is president of From LtoJ Consulting Group in Scottsdale, Ariz. He is a former superintendent who now works as an author and consultant focused on standards, assessment and data based decision-making. Most recently he has worked with the Jenks Public Schools (Okla.), which was awarded the coveted Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award on April 19, 2006.
For More InformationTo learn more about working with any of the Center’s Executive Consultants, please contact Juli Jones at AASA.
Leading Learning
A program of the Institute for New and Aspiring Superintendents
In partnership with a consortium of AASA state affiliates, the Center is offering “Leading Learning,” which is an advanced leadership development seminar series. The program is designed to provide support and leadership development for first-time superintendents during the second year of their terms, and it addresses issues that have been identified as relevant to superintendents who are in this stage of their careers.
The program is made possible through the generous support of McGraw-Hill.
This is a collaborative effort of the:
AASA Center for System Leadership,
Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents,
Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents,
New Jersey Association of Superintendents,
New York State Council of School Superintendents,
Rhode Island School Superintendent Association,
University of Connecticut,
University of Massachusetts,
Rutgers University, and
the state education departments of Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island.
It is made possible in part through the generous support of McGraw-Hill Education.
For more information, please contact Joe Cirasuolo at AASA.
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