Principal's Development Course

Overview

Our Principal's Development Course (PDC) will engage candidates in critical inquiry. Through the co-construction of knowledge and learning, candidates will further explore

  • complex issues related to creating and sustaining vibrant school and system cultures 
  • enhancing student learning and well–being and
  • the ethical dimensions of leadership through the experiences of other candidates.

It employs a critical, pedagogical lens to explore various module topics and strengthen professional efficacy by

  • gaining in-depth knowledge
  • generating new knowledge for practice and
  • refining professional judgement.

This program consists of a selection of 25-hour modules on a variety of topics. All modules are offered in online delivery unless otherwise noted.

To receive the Additional Quallification (AQ) certification, candidates will need to complete a total of five modules of their choice, inclusive of one compulsory module. The intent is to ensure a flexible offering with new modules being added on a regular basis. The modules do not need to be completed in any specific order.

Module Information

This program is made up of five modules and some pre-module work that will need to be completed before the program start date. The breakdown of asynchronous and synchronous hours that total the required 125 hours is shown below.

Asynchronous Hours

Synchronous Hours

Total Required Hours

115 10 125

Module 1 - Principal Legal Duties and Responsibilities

(compulsory module)

  • What are the principal's duties and liabilities in relation to the Child and Family Services Act?
  • What are the principal's legal duties and responsibilities?
  • What does it mean to be an “agent of the board?”
  • What does a principal need to know when investigating the misuse of social media?
  • What does a principal need to know when using social media?

Module 2 - Instructional Leadership for School Improvement

  • Co-leading the instructional program
  • Instructional leadership and school management
  • School culture and its impact on learning and teaching
  • Student-centred learning

Module 3 - Leading an Equitable and Inclusive School

  • Equity, inclusivity, social justice and schools
  • Mindsets and equitable schools
  • Positive school culture and leadership
  • Privilege, bias and culturally responsive and relevant leadership

Module 4 - Mentoring  and School Leadership

  • How can leaders create a culture of Mentoring?
  • To what extent can Mentoring skills enable leaders to successfully navigate hard conversations?
  • To what extent can Mentoring skills improve relationships and organizational culture?
  • What Mentoring attributes and/or skills do great leaders exhibit?

Module 5 - Building a Digital Leadership Portfolio

  • Creating a digital leadership portfolio
  • Creating a school and personal blog
  • Creating a school and personal website
  • Leading a collaborative inquiry

Module 7 - Courageous Conversations

  • Lead schools as diverse workplaces
  • Plan for and participate in courageous conversations

  • Use strategies such as an Outcome Map to engage in courageous conversations that build trusting relationships and include impressive empathy, listening for meaning and asking powerful questions

  • Continue to engage in courageous conversations which challenge traditional leadership practices and foster a school climate of inclusion, equity, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and anti-colonialism to support all staff and students

Module 8 - Leading the Kindergarten Program

  • Dealing with uncertainties in pedagogical documentation
  • Four frames of the kindergarten program
  • Play-based learning in a culture of inquiry
  • Principal as co-learner in creating the conditions for learning

Module 9 - Leading the Innovative School 

  • A shared vision of learning in a digital age
  • Creating a culture of learning
  • Innovative learning spaces
  • Monitoring virtual spaces
  • Rethinking digital citizenship
  • Supporting virtual instruction and assessment
  • Supporting virtual students and their families

Module 10 - Supporting Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex or Asexual (2SLGBTQQIA+) in Your School

  • Exploring bias and student agency
  • Fostering allies
  • Fostering personal leadership resources
  • Intersectionality

Module 11 - Leading the Special Education Program

  • Building collaborative partnerships with parents
  • Building the staff capacity to meet the needs of all students
  • The complexities of Special Education student aggression
  • The law, Special Education and the Individual Education Plan (IEP)

Module 12 - Supporting Leadership in Mathematics

  • Assessment and evaluation
  • Effective instructional approaches in effective math classrooms
  • Foundational knowledge in mathematics
  • Implications for professional learning and school improvement planning

Module 13 - The Principal's Role in Mental Health Awareness and Trauma-informed Schools

  • A tiered support model for school mental health and well-being
  • Creating mentally healthy schools
  • Establishing a common language and understanding
  • Everyday mental health practices

Module 14 - Leading the French Immersion School

  • Effective practices in French Immersion classrooms
  • French Immersion teacher retention and developing the French Immersion program
  • Inclusion in the French Immersion program
  • The evolution of French Immersion in Ontario

Module 15 - I Stand in Treaty

  • Pre-contact to the Indian Act
  • The Indian Act to Indian Residential Schools
  • The White Paper to the Apology
  • The Truth and Reconciliation Commission to Decolonization

Module 18 – Anti-Oppressive School Improvement

  • Critical Pedagogy, Anti-Oppression and Indigenous Education
  • Equity, Anti-Oppression and School Improvement – Application
  • Interrogating SIP Goals & School Learning Plan from an Anti-Oppressive Space
  • Positive School Culture and Leadership - Moving Forward

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements follow Ontario Regulation 176/10 - Teachers' Qualifications, 34.

  • Ontario College of Teacher's (OCT) Certificate of Qualification and Registration
  • Principal's Qualifications (Part 1 and 2 or equivalent) and
  • Two years of successful experience as a principal or vice-principal, certified by your Supervisory officer (SO).

Program Fee

$250 per module. Includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Full payment is required for registration to be confirmed.

Full Subsidy Available!

Full subsidies are available for all PDC modules. Please view our Special Education for School Leaders Project for more detailed information or to apply.

Micro-credential Badges

What is a micro-credential badge? 

  • official recognition for completing a defined set of competency-based learning opportunities 

  • specialized learning experiences designed to recognize learning obtained from a particular module and allows for the flexibility of taking one module or taking multiple modules towards the PDC AQ micro-credential certificate while promoting lifelong learning and skill development.

Starting December 1, 2023, upon successful completion of a PDC module, you will receive your micro-credential badge in a digital format. A blockchain digital micro-credential is a tamper-proof and verifiable credential which stores information such as the issuing institution, the date the module was completed and the learning objectives. Upon receiving your micro-credential badge, it can be added to your resume, social media, LinkedIn profile and easily shared with current or prospective employers. 

Upcoming Sessions

2024-25 Schedule

Dates

Module

Deadline

September 30 - November 1, 2024 Module 1 - Principal Legal Duties and Responsibilities* September 16, 2024
September 30 - November 1, 2024

Module 7 - Courageous Conversations

September 16, 2024
November 4 - December 6, 2024

Module 11 - Leading the Special Education Program

October 21, 2024
November 4 - December 6, 2024 Module 12 - Supporting Leadership in Mathematics October 21, 2024
January 27 - February 28, 2025 Module 13 - The Principal's Role in Mental Health Awareness and Trauma-Informed Schools January 13, 2025
January 27 - February 28, 2025 Module 3 - Leading an Equitable and Inclusive School January 13, 2025
March 3 - April 11, 2025 Module 15 - I Stand in Treaty  February 17, 2025
March 3 - April 11, 2025

Module 10 - Supporting Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex or Asexual (2SLGBTQQIA+) in Your School

February 17, 2025
April 7 - May 9, 2025 Module 18 – Anti-Oppressive School Improvement March 24, 2025
April 7 - May 9, 2025

Module 1 - Principal Legal Duties and Responsibilities*

March 24, 2025
May 12 - June 13, 2025 Module 2 - Instructional Leadership for School Improvement April 28, 2025
May 12 - June 13, 2025 Module 5 - Building a Digital Leadership Portfolio  April 28, 2025
June 16 - July 18, 2025 Module 11 - Leading the Special Education Program June 2, 2025
June 16 - July 18, 2025 Module 4 - Mentoring and School Leadership June 2, 2025

*Completion of Module 1 is mandatory to receive the AQ certification.

Register

Board Partnerships

The PDC can be locally customized to meet the unique needs of your district. If you are interested in offering this program with your board, please email learning@principals.ca.  

Terms and Conditions

Academic Integrity and Engagement
Professional Learning Expectations and Standards
Accessibility and Other Policies
Our Accessibility and other policies that relate to our programs are outlined on the OPC Policies webpage.
Program/Course Resource Access
All program content and LMS access will be available to candidates/participants one week in advance of the program/course and will remain active for two weeks after the end of the program/course. Following this period, candidates/participants will no longer have access to assignments, conversations, resources or other content. Please save any information that you would like to retain during the timeframe that you have access to the LMS. 
Program Tax Receipt

A tax receipt will be generated and available on your OPC account by the end of February for the previous tax year.

To access the document:

  • Log into the OPC website.
  • Go to "My Profile" on the navy blue bar towards the top right of the browser window.
  • Click on “Program Tax Receipts”.
  • Select the appropriate year to open and print your tax receipt.
Refund Policy

Cancellation Date

Refund Amount

Up to two weeks before start date

$200

One week before start date

$100

After start date

$0

A full refund applies when a session is cancelled due to low enrollment.

For more information about the program, please contact pdc@principals.ca.