Supporting New Superintendents: A Program Evaluation of the Virginia Transformational Leadership Academy (VTLA)

The Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) operates the Virginia Transformational Leadership Academy (VTLA), a statewide program for first- and second-year superintendents. VTLA provides executive coaching, professional development, and peer networking opportunities with the primary goals of strengthening participants’ self-efficacy—their belief in their ability to influence outcomes in their role—and increasing their intentions to remain in the superintendency long term. This evaluation examined the preliminary effects of the 2024–2025 VTLA program on new superintendents’ self-efficacy and retention intentions, while also identifying opportunities for program improvement. Using a mixed-methods design, the evaluation drew on analysis of survey data, exit tickets completed after professional development sessions, and a series of focus groups. The study explored how the program shaped superintendents’ self-efficacy and retention intentions, the sources of support they found most impactful, and what aspects of the program could be enhanced. Findings indicate that both executive coaching sessions and professional learning sessions were perceived as either “very beneficial” or “moderately beneficial” to participants’ self-efficacy, with executive coaching exerting a slightly greater influence. Eighty percent of superintendents reported that their intentions to remain in the role had either increased substantially or increased slightly during the year, though this change cannot be attributed solely to program supports. Participants identified all four sources of self-efficacy as moderately or very impactful, with vicarious experience rated as most influential, followed by social persuasion. Qualitative themes included the value of affiliation and combating feelings of “loneliness at the top,” the importance of creating safe spaces for reflection, and the benefits of peer learning and executive coaching relationships. Recommendations for program improvement include expanding opportunities for small-group discussion and peer collaboration, establishing individualized learning pathways, maintaining a strong emphasis on executive coaching, more explicitly communicating program goals to coaches, participants, and facilitators, and incorporating key tenets of adult learning theory into program design to further support superintendent growth.