Program Overview

The Onward Leaders Program (OLP) is a unique one-year program for select resident principals from both within and outside of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to develop knowledge and skills in Governance & Leadership, Mission & Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, and Operational Vitality. Through professional development programs and collaborative cohorts, Onward Leaders ensure vibrant Catholic schools for present and future generations.

  • Collaborative learning environment

    Resident principals work together in a cohort to develop knowledge and skills in Governance & Leadership, Mission & Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, and Operational Vitality.

  • Professional Mentorship & Coaching

    OLP provides one-on-one mentoring support from the OLP Team and Mentor Principal.

  • Competitive Salary & Benefits for Mentor Principals

    A competitive residency salary and benefits and a generous stipend are provided to the mentor principal.

Resident Principals

Onward Leaders resident principals work together in a cohort to develop knowledge and skills in Governance & Leadership, Mission & Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, and Operational Vitality under the guidance of the Onward Leaders Team. In order to understand the larger mission of the Department of Catholic Schools and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the residents are immersed in the mission and vision of the system. The residents participate as a cohort as a WCEA/WASC Visiting Committee and attend Regional and Deanery Professional Learning Communities with their mentor principals.

Onward Leaders meet bimonthly as a cohort to build collective capacity and collaboratively problem-solve real issues that have come up at their sites. The Onward Leaders Program Team makes a monthly structured site visit that includes reviewing budget to actuals at the site, visiting classrooms to collect data, and coaching the resident on projects and/or concerns unique to the site.

Using texts, articles, podcasts, blogs and guest speakers, the Cohort explores best practices in leading the learning at a Catholic Elementary School in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

84%

84% of parents/guardians feel the principal is visible around the school and at school events.

92%

92% of teachers think the principal shows care for students

86%

86% of teachers feel their principal instills confidence in their ability to do their job well.

Mentor Principals

Mentor Principals coach resident principals in all pillars at the school site. During the residency year, the Mentor Principal and Resident Principal work in tandem to move the school toward attaining their goals for the year. The Onward Leaders Program Team works with each Resident Principal to design an individual learning path around the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools and facilitates with the Mentor Principal authentic field experiences based on competencies in each pillar.