The Performance Partners Program, offered in previous years, was designed to support high-potential Philadelphia principals (“Performance Partners”) to achieve their most significant school goals and deepen the skills necessary to drive growth in student outcomes. With a specific focus on bolstering instructional leadership skills, each Performance Partner was paired with a high-performing principal – an alum of the Neubauer Fellowship in Educational Leadership (“Senior Fellow”) – who shared expertise, encouragement, and skills utilizing a coaching approach. Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders partnered with Skyrocket Educator Training to develop and facilitate program content and training sessions.

Performance Partners were invited to participate following a three-part selection process (application, supervisor recommendation, and interview). Senior Fellows were invited to be coaches based on demonstration of exceptional school leadership and interest in building their capacity to mentor and develop other leaders.

What we provided

Over the course of a year, the Performance Partners Program aimed to:

• Support principals (Performance Partners) to achieve significant student achievement goals by improving instructional coaching practices and systems for a targeted cohort of teachers
• Support Neubauer Fellowship alumni (Senior Fellows) to develop their coaching skills to mentor other principals and increase their leadership across school systems
• Increase participants’ commitment to Philadelphia by developing a network of support