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About the Principal Leadership Institute

UCLA Principal Leadership Institute Students

UCLA’s Principal Leadership Institute program (PLI) prepares educators to be social justice leaders in Los Angeles schools who:

  • Advocate for quality learning opportunities;
  • Improve teaching and learning;
  • Promote educational achievement for all students;
  • Create democratic and culturally-responsive learning environments;
  • Build partnerships with parents and community groups.

program grants

Completion of the program provides:

  • Master of Education degree
  • California Tier 1 Administrative Credential

application deadline

2022 Cohort 23 Application deadline:
FEBRUARY 1, 2022

scholarships awarded

Based on need

profile of cohort 22

Applicants Accepted: 36
Enrolled: 36
Age Range: 28 – 48

communities served

2021-2022 COHORTS 1-21

High Poverty: 87%
Low Poverty: 13%

diversity

Ethnicity of Students – 2021-2022 COHORT 22

Gender of Students
Female: 83%   Male: 17%

Ethnicity of Faculty – 2021-2022 COHORT 22

Gender of Faculty
Female: 58%   Male: 42%

alumni leadership roles '21 - '22

DATA FOR COHORTS 1-21 (813 alumni)

District level roles 19%
Principals 16%
Assistant Principals 12%
Full-time K-12 Classroom teachers 20%
Other school-based educational leaders 14%
Higher Education  3%
Other educational roles outside of K-12 4%
Leave Education/Taking Time Off  6%
Retired 3%
Unknown 3%

Leading for Justice

The  application filing period will open in September 2021 and will close February 1, 2022.

Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) Alumni

Participating in UCLA Principal’s Leadership Institute provided me the opportunity to understand that most of the challenges we face in education are structural rather than instructional. The UCLA Professors pulled back a veil obscuring inequity hidden within the blueprints of the school system and with each class provided a new set of tools to rework the structure in collaboration with parents, students, and teachers. After graduation, their coaching network continues to support me personally and professionally as I advocate to change the rules for our students and community. Thank you PLI!”

Eilene Vasquez

The time I spent in PLI has profoundly changed the way I approach educational leadership. Before joining PLI, I had a heart for Social Justice, but I lacked the language, theoretical framework, and tools to be an effective catalyst for change. Now, I feel confident in my ability to identify inequitable practices in schools and have gained the courage to take action that will powerfully lead to positive student outcomes for all.”

Andrew Kim

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