The Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership (PIL) Program is a statewide, standards-based continuing professional education program for school and system leaders. The comprehensive, cohort-based program is focused on developing the capacity of leaders to improve student achievement. The program is offered by the Department of Education in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Intermediate Units and other partners at eight regional sites. The AIU is part of Region 7, which also includes all school systems within Intermediate Units 1, 7, 27 and the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
This program meets the requirements of Act 45 of 2007, which directs the Department to establish a Principals' Induction Program that addresses the three core PA leadership standards and a Continuing Professional Education Program that addresses the three core and six corollary PA leadership standards.
Contact Information
Program Assistant: Darlene Hochevar; darlene.hochevar@aiu3.net
Principal's Induction Program
All principals and assistant or vice principals who are employed for the first time as an administrator on or after January 1, 2008, must complete a Principal's Induction Program within their first five years of employment. The Induction Program addresses the three core PA leadership standards:
- The leader has the knowledge and skills to think and plan strategically, creating an organizational vision around personalized student success.
- The leader has an understanding of standards-based systems theory and design and the ability to transfer that knowledge to the leader's job as the architect of standards-based reform in the school.
- The leader has the ability to access and use appropriate data to inform decision-making at all levels of the system.
Continuing Professional Education for School and System Leaders Program
Effective January 1, 2008, all school and system leaders (defined as principal, assistant or vice principal, superintendent, assistant superintendent, intermediate unit executive director, intermediate unit assistant executive director, and area vocational-technical school director) must meet their Act 48 continuing professional education requirements in programs that address the three core and six corollary PA Leadership standards.
The department offers a variety of courses at its eight regional sites, each of which is aligned to one or more of the leadership standards and is delivered by trained facilitators to cohorts of 25 to 35 experienced leaders. Each unit requires advanced reading and online work to prepare for the onsite training, as well as follow-up job-embedded activities. Instructional methods are varied and suitable for the adult learner.