JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 25, 2019 – Step Up For Students (SUFS) is excited to announce the launch of the Choice Leader of Excellence Certification Program. This certification program utilizing micro-credentials as the foundation for school improvement is designed to foster professional growth and forward thinking for private school leaders around the state of Florida.

“Despite most school leaders’ desire for opportunities to hone their craft and improve key practices for teaching and learning, they simply do not have the time to research and create their own professional growth experiences. Through this new certification program, SUFS is committed to providing school leaders with personalized, job-embedded professional learning that is tailored to the culture of private education settings and results in a change of practice, not just learning,” said Dr. Carol Macedonia, Vice President of the Office of Student Learning at Step Up for Students. By earning the Choice Leader of Excellence certification, school leaders will build leadership capacity, gain statewide recognition, be better positioned to increase enrollment, and attract high-quality staff to their school.

School leaders and aspiring administrators will participate in a blended, competency-based learning journey that offers collaboration and supports along the way. Throughout the program, participants will be asked to demonstrate competency in specific areas that are aligned to the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL), including:

• Engaging Families and Communities
• Leading for Student Learning
• Caring, Supportive Community
• Human Capital Management
• Mission, Vision, and Values

Participants will earn a micro-credential upon successful demonstration of each competency. Choice Leader of Excellence certification is earned by successfully completing all eight micro-credentials in the program. For an informational overview of the specific program content developed for SUFS school leaders, see the attached “Role Card” file.

The Choice Leader of Excellence Certification Program was developed in partnership with BloomBoard, the leading platform for enabling educator advancement via micro-credentials. BloomBoard currently works with fourteen states and hundreds of districts across the country on their micro-credential initiatives. To learn more about micro-credentials, click here.

“School leaders have a significant influence on student learning and it’s imperative that we provide them with professional learning opportunities that are personalized to their individual needs,” said Sanford Kenyon, CEO of BloomBoard. “We’re excited to partner with Step Up for Students to offer private school leaders around the state an opportunity to build capacity while gaining opportunities for incentives and advancement.”

If you are a school leader who is passionate about education reform, keen to support quality instruction, and interested in increasing accountability, you are encouraged to attend one of the informational webinars where you can learn more about the specifics of the program including how it works, benefits, and enrollment.

To register for one of the upcoming webinars, click here.

• Tuesday, May 14 from 4:00pm-5:00pm EST
• Thursday, May 16 from 9:30am-10:30am EST

As the largest nonprofit scholarship funder in the state, SUFS is excited to be able to provide personalized, professional growth opportunities for leaders in choice schools. For more information about the Choice Leader of Excellence Certification Program visit www.stepupforstudents.org/leader-certification.