Core Competencies
The UW Danforth Educational Leadership Program is centered around six core competencies. These principles — developed through concentrated work with district partners, top experts and leading researchers — describe the essential knowledge and skills required to successfully guide educational systems and enhance student learning.
The core competencies are:
- Shaping Culture & Leading Change: Articulates and uses clear vision of equity and achievement to mobilize students, staff, and community in support of a culture of learning for all
- Building Instructional Capacity: Improves instructional quality and support teacher learning for equitable practice
- Advocating With Students, Families & Communities: Engages students, families and communities and create partnerships in service that all young people graduate ready for college and careers
- Committing to Ethical Practices: Adheres to core values and actions demonstrate congruence with achieving equity and excellence for each and every learner
- Driving Improvement through Inquiry: Utilizes data to influence, build urgency, identify problems of practice and provide actionable feedback
- Marshaling Resources & Improving Systems: Leads use of human, financial and technical resources in service of equity, excellence and achievement results
Danforth students engage with and develop these competencies through aligned coursework and rigorous internship experiences, immersing themselves in the authentic work of effective educational leaders. The core competencies serve as the curriculum framework of the program and are aligned to national and Washington state standards. Previously based on the 2008 ISLLC Standards, the competencies have now been enhanced to reflect the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards.
Read a detailed description of the core competencies.
