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Alpine School District spotlights principal academy, data use and mentorship to boost school performance
Summary
Scott Sumner, the district's executive director for leadership results and school performance, described programs that train prospective administrators, support early-career principals and use data and technology to target school improvement; the superintendent said the district has seen “double digit gains.”
Scott Sumner, executive director of leadership results and school performance for Alpine School District, said the district’s “main focus is to help schools improve,” and described leadership-development programs, data tools and mentoring aimed at supporting principals and improving student learning.
Sumner told district leadership that the office uses a “coherence map,” technology supports and school-level data work so staff can “see where the results are, help them set priorities” and identify how to help students learn. He described a multi-stage leadership pipeline that begins with prospective administrators and includes a new principal academy for first- and second-year principals and assistant principals.
“The leadership development is really exciting because we have pre service, if you will, administrators that are just exploring the idea of being an administrator,” Sumner said, adding that the principal academy provides mentorship and a partnership so early-career leaders do not “feel isolated.” He said the district pairs mentors with new principals and offers ongoing support and supervision.
Sumner, who said he has been in the district 26 years, framed classroom instruction as the central focus of his work. “The classroom’s always my main focus,” he said. He reviewed his career path in the district: teaching U.S. history at Orem Junior High School, earning undergraduate and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University, serving as assistant principal and principal at Oak Canyon (seven years total in those roles), opening Frontier Middle School and most recently working at Lone Peak High School.
The district superintendent, speaking in the same exchange, credited that leadership work with measurable improvements. “We’re seeing double digit gains in many of our schools and achievement,” the superintendent said, and thanked Sumner for helping to build a results culture in the district.
No formal motions, votes or policy decisions were recorded in the transcript excerpt; the segment presented an overview of programs and background on Sumner’s role and career.
Sumner and district leaders highlighted the principal academy, mentor partnerships and use of school-level data and technology as the primary tools the district is using to support school improvement and early-career school leaders.
