The Vermont Principals Association
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VPA Coaching Program

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Elevating Leadership

Sustained excellence and maintaining effective school leaders at the school leadership position is vitally important for positive student outcomes. In response, the VPA offers coaching to districts and to individuals who want to elevate their leadership to a higher level.

The VPA Coaching Program is in direct alignment with three of the VPA’s top goals

  • Support, retain, and recruit school leaders with a focus on increasing diversity.
  • Provide resources/learning to school leaders to foster resilience within school communities
  • Develop learning networks and frameworks to support school leaders

Coaches

The VPA Coaching Program has 16 experienced Vermont school leaders available to provide coaching. Each of the coaches have previous mentoring experience and have completed a customized professional learning program with the Center for Creative Leadership to extend their coaching experience and coaching skills.

Mentoring vs Coaching

Both mentoring and coaching are important and effective for leadership development. Mentoring is more relationship-driven and focused on long-term growth, while coaching is more structured and focused on specific goals or challenges. Mentoring is more transactional while coaching is transformational. The VPA’s Mentoring Program is geared towards new school leaders, while the The VPA Coaching Program is geared towards experienced leaders who want to take their leadership to a new level of effectiveness. Click here to learn more about the VPA Mentoring Program, which has been providing services to new school leaders and/or new to Vermont school leaders since the passage of the Vermont School Leader Mentoring Statute in 2011. 

The VPA Coaching Program has been in development since 2023. The program incorporates the strong relationship between the Center for Creative Leadership and the VPA to provide this additional resource for ongoing leadership development. 

  • Coaching involves a structured and goal-oriented process where a coach assists an individual (the client) in achieving specific objectives or overcoming challenges.
  • Coaching relationships are often more focused on specific skills, behaviors, or performance improvement.
  • Coaches use questioning techniques, feedback, and accountability to help the client identify and address areas for development.
  • Coaching engagements are typically shorter-term and more task-oriented, with a focus on achieving measurable outcomes.

Related Resources/Research Articles

A Review of the Research, Understanding and Addressing Principal Turnover (NASSP Report Spring 2024)

Principals Have an Increasingly Tough Gig. Enter the Principal Coach (EdWeek, Winter 2023)

Cost Structure Options

The coaching fee is $200 per contact hour. This accounts for the coach’s preparation time. It does not include any related mileage for in-person visits. 

360 Assessment Survey & School Culture Survey & Coaching Debrief 

  • VPA members can utilize the NASSP Building Ranks assessment surveys plus 90 minute coaching debrief on the results and goal setting.
    • $300 in Coaching
      • NASSP members have no additional costs for the use of Building Ranks. Non-NASSP members will have an additional survey access cost.

Individual Coaching, Tier 1

  • Ten sessions: This level of coaching includes an introduction session of 90 minutes and nine, 60 minute sessions over the course of 10 months. This coaching option would be appropriate for a school leader looking to improve their skills relative to a specific challenge or opportunity and apply their new learning to other areas of their practice. This will include utilizing the above Building Ranks assessment and debrief. (10.5 total hours of coaching)
    • $2,100
      • Additional survey fee for non-NASSP members

Individual Coaching, Tier 2

  • Twenty sessions: This level of coaching includes an introduction session of 90 minutes and 19, 60 minute sessions over the course of 10 months. “This coaching option would be appropriate for a school leader interested in engaging in a deep conversation to transform their practice and their school’s performance. This will include utilizing the above Building Ranks assessment and debrief. (20.5 hours of coaching)
    • $4,100
      • Additional survey fee for non-NASSP members

District Team Coaching

  • Districts can customize support for leadership teams or as individuals. Frequency and mode of coaching meetings can be individually arranged between the VPA and the given district to best meet the expressed needs and goals of the group.

Interested in Matching or Learning More?

Feel free to connect with VPA staff, Erica McLaughlin (emclaughlin@vpaonline.org) and/or Mike McRaith (mmcraith@vpaonline.org) to learn more about the program and how you can have coaching elevate your leadership to a new level.