21CSLA State Center

21st Century California School Leadership Academy (21CSLA)

Funded by the California Department of Education, 21CSLA is dedicated to the professional learning and support of California’s educational leaders—teacher, site, and district—to create more equitable learning environments that ultimately improve success for underserved students. Headquartered at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education, it is led in partnership with UCLA School of Education, the California Subject Matter Projects (CSMP) and seven Regional Academies across the state.

The 21CSLA initiative provides high quality, equity centered professional learning for educational leaders of schools and districts in California that receive Title II funds. Programs are no-cost to participants and include leadership coaching as well as an emphasis on improving instruction and achievement outcomes (including through distance learning) for English Learners, students with disabilities, low income students, and other historically marginalized students.

At the broadest level, the statewide center will structure a collaborative partnership among the California Department of Education; California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE); State Board of Education; and the seven Regional Academies.

Each Regional Academy has a lead agency, as noted in the map below.

About the 21CSLA Statewide Center Partners

Leadership Programs of the UC Berkeley GSE. Since 1999, the Leadership Programs' flagship, the Principal Leadership Institute, has prepared more than 600 educational leaders for the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond with a focus on creating more equitable schools for vulnerable and historically underserved students. The Leadership Programs offer degrees for aspiring and early career administrators including a master’s degree; the Clear Administrative Services Credential through its Leadership Support Program; and a doctorate through Leaders for Equity and Democracy.

UCLA Center X (CX). Center X, a recognized leader in improving teaching and learning through high-quality, culturally responsive educator development, comprises the UCLA PLI, teacher education, and 14 equity-driven, content-focused professional learning (PL) projects including CSMP, Adaptive Schools, and coaching. Center X strives to challenge the status quo that perpetuates educational inequity and deficit-oriented practice, and believes this work is an enduring feature of our democracy and that it occurs within and across multiple communities – of teachers, students, parents, community members, elected officials, researchers and others engaged in democratic life.

California Subject Matter Project. CSMP works to improve teaching and learning by offering comprehensive, content-focused professional learning for educators and by sustaining collaborative networks. Administered by the UC Office of the President in concurrence with the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, California State University, the CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing and many other institutions, CSMP is an active provider within the CDE’s statewide system of support effort. In the last year, 25,000 educators from 1,256 school districts across California attended CSMP programming for improving instructional practice.