21CSLA (21st Century California School Leadership Academy)

There is broad consensus that school leadership is both complex and central to educational improvement (e.g., Grissom et al., 2021). School leaders face continually evolving responsibilities and challenges, requiring ongoing and meaningful opportunities to learn (Grissom et al., 2026). Leading for equity—transforming education systems to improve access, opportunity, and inclusion for students and adults, especially those who are systemically marginalized and historically underserved—is particularly critical in California. The state’s student population is highly diverse across race, ethnicity, home language, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity, gender expression, and other characteristics (Ed-Data, n.d.). In the current political climate, California’s school leaders need explicit, localized, and sustained support to lead equity-centered improvement efforts in their communities.