Thank you for your interest in applying to the Emerging Leaders Program. We currently have more than 300 Emerging Leaders in schools across the country impacting more than 28,000 students. We hope that you will join our community!
Below you will find information regarding the three-step admissions process. After reviewing this information, we strongly encourage you to review the ‘Requirements by Location’ page as the information varies city-by-city. For general questions about the admissions process, please contact us at ELPAdmissions@newleaders.org.
Our admissions process focuses on a few critical competencies we have found to be the most important in driving dramatic student achievement, including the belief that all students can achieve, strong instructional skills, the ability to think critically, and the skills necessary to lead others to action.
Step 1: Recommendation Form
All interested applicants will be required to secure one recommendation in order to apply formally to the program. Your recommender should be someone that is deeply familiar with your current professional work and can also speak to your career accomplishments. The Recommendation Form can be filled out online. Once you have confirmed your recommender, please send them to this link to fill out the form. Upon successful completion of this form, you will be notified via email within 24 hours to begin Step 2, the Eligibility Form.
Step 2: Eligibility Form
The Eligibility Form is an online verification tool designed to check whether a candidate meets the minimum requirements for application to the Emerging Leaders Program. Additionally, the Eligibility Form determines if you will be eligible for the Aspiring Principals Program after completing one-year of the Emerging Leaders Program (admission into the Aspiring Principals Program at that time will still be dependent upon performance in the Emerging Leaders Program (dependent on program city, please review the ‘Requirements by Location’ page)). The form is differentiated to ensure comparison of the submission to the selected program site’s requirements. You will be notified via email within one week as to whether or not you are eligible to apply. If you have questions regarding your eligibility status, please contact your local program office.
Step 3: Assessments & Activities
Candidates who are determined to be eligible to apply to the Emerging Leaders Program will be invited to participate in a series of Admissions Activities. Each of the activities is designed to measure demonstration of the New Leaders Selection Standards to determine if potential candidates may be a strong fit for the Emerging Leaders Program. Once you complete the Admissions Activities, the submissions are reviewed and you will be notified of a final admissions decision two-three weeks after the application deadline for your city. Candidates who advance are presented with an offer to join the Emerging Leaders Program in their program city. The Admissions Activities include:
- Belief and Student Results Assessment: Assesses for the belief that all students can learn and the ability to set appropriate goals and measures of success. You will be required to submit your student achievement results for this assessment.
- Instructional Assessment: Requires candidates to review an instructional video and assess the classroom instruction and suggest strategies.
- Case Study: Focuses on critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision making skills when confronting a vague or difficult challenge.
Step 4: City Decision
After completing the three activities mentioned above, you will be contacted within two-three weeks of your city’s application deadline with a final determination.
In some instances candidates may be called in to their local program office for an in-person interview to make a final determination. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and you will be notified in the event that an interview is necessary.
If accepted into the program, you will be sent an official ‘Program Agreement’ which will outline the roles and responsibilities to which you will be held accountable, both as a program participant and as a member of the Emerging Leaders community.
You will also be required to submit a ‘Principal Commitment Form,’ which is presented to your principal and asks him or her to confirm that specific conditions will be made available to ensure you may fully participate in the Emerging Leaders Program.
Deferrals to the program will be granted on a case-by-case basis.
New Leaders admits program participants of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin. For more information, please click here.
