District Leader Program

  • District The District Leader Program (DLP) provides the foundational elements of leadership to ensure that GCPS has well-qualified leaders at the district office. The focus of DLP is to orient and instruct new leaders in the knowledge and skills of effective leadership at the district level by providing leaders with an understanding of the history, culture, and expected behaviors and skills of leaders serving Gwinnett County Public Schools. School-based leaders appointed to district-level positions and external hires are invited to participate in DLP.

Program Overview

  • DLP is an induction program that offers newly appointed district-level leaders with opportunities designed to accelerate their learning in the first 100 days in the role.  DLP curriculum includes: 

    • Participation in division orientations  
    • Development a 100-day plan with the support of the leaders’ supervisor 
    • Engagement with readings and case studies and completion of exercises focused on the:
      • Superintendent’s Blueprint for the Future, 
      • Academic and Operational Accountability Structure,
      • Public Education Leadership Program (PELP) Coherence Framework, 
      • History of Gwinnett County Public Schools, and
      • Current research on effective leadership behaviors that are associated with increasing student achievement.

    Instruction and orientation of new leaders will focus on promoting: 

    • Collaborative goal setting and ensuring alignment with district goals
    • Understanding the leaders’ role as a support to schools
    • An emphasis on service and operational excellence     
    • Familiarity and understanding of the district’s Continuous Quality Improvement Framework 
District Leader Program curriculum components