Diverse Education Leaders Pipeline Initiative (DELPI)

The Diverse Education Leaders Pipeline Initiative state grant program (CA Senate Bill 141, 2023), approved by California Governor Gavin Newsom and sponsored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta and Senator Steven Bradford in 2023, invested $10 million in California’s educator workforce development, specifically TK-12 school site administrators. It provides one-time grants to local education agencies (LEAs) - including school districts, county offices of education, and charter organizations - to provide cost-free TK12 administrator credentialing to diverse and culturally responsive aspiring principals, vice principals, and other school site administrators.

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DELPI Program Objectives

The state-mandated objectives of the DELPI grant program are to:

Train, credential and place 300 diverse and culturally responsive TK-12 aspiring administrators.

Improve school quality and academic achievement outcomes for all students with a focus on students of color.
Increase retention for educators of color by strengthening the workplace culture in schools.
Build capacity and partnerships between LEAs, nonprofit educational service providers (NESPs), and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to meet the needs of diverse and culturally responsive administrators.
Better inform future policy decisions by tracking recruitment and retention data.

DELPI’s Statewide Reach and Early Impact

DELPI was designed to address the disparities in diverse school administrator representation that lead to inequitable student outcomes, and it’s working. DELPI’s early program results include:

Strong demand: In its first year, DELPI filled 97% of available slots, demonstrating high demand for the program.

Broad reach and scale: Ten equity-focused LEAs—selected by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing—partner with eight higher education institutions and four nonprofits to deliver high-quality, culturally responsive credentialing programs.
New diverse leaders: By 2027, DELPI will credential 367 diverse, culturally responsive administrators, offering free Preliminary Administrative Services Credentials to remove a key barrier.
High-need impact: DELPI serves high-need communities statewide (47% Northern, 45% Southern, 7% Central), investing in leaders who improve student outcomes and strengthen regional opportunity.

Why Diverse Leadership Matters

Research shows that all students have better academic and behavioral outcomes when they attend schools led by diverse and culturally responsive TK-12 administrators who reflect the rich diversity of the school communities they serve. Yet in California, diverse TK-12 administrators are grossly underrepresented. Nearly 79% of TK–12 students are students of color, while only about 30% of school leaders share that background.

Mercedes McCumber, a Sacramento principal and first-generation college graduate, credits the program with transforming her leadership:

“It changed my life… I became a stronger leader because I had the support, community, and space to grow.”

Today, her school is seeing higher enrollment, strong teacher retention, and a culture where students feel seen and supported.

Read Mercedes's Op-ed

LaShante Scott, a principal in Oakland Unified School District, has spent nearly two decades in education working to ensure equity is more than just a stated value, it’s a daily practice.

“DELPI has been a powerful space for both professional sharpening and personal restoration. It’s a rare environment where high-level strategy meets authentic community, allowing us to be vulnerable about our challenges while being rigorous about our solutions.”

Today, LaShante leads with greater transparency, courage, and purpose, demonstrating how investing in diverse leaders strengthens schools, builds trust, and creates more equitable outcomes for all students.

WHY CONTINUED INVESTMENT IS NEEDED

By 2027, DELPI will support 367 new, diverse, and culturally responsive school leaders, all earning their Preliminary Administrative Services Credential at no cost, removing one of the biggest barriers to leadership. This investment is reaching communities with the greatest need across the state, from Northern to Southern and Central California, strengthening not only schools but also broader outcomes like workforce development, economic mobility, and community well-being.

With strong early results and high demand, DELPI now requires sustained investment to continue building a diverse, culturally responsive pipeline of school administrators across California. DELPI was created to address disparities in diverse school leader representation that contribute to inequitable student outcomes and it’s already showing impact. Through a competitive process led by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, ten local education agencies were selected to lead this work, partnering with eight institutions of higher education and four nonprofit organizations to build strong, equity-centered administrator pathways.

DELPI was funded as a one-time $10 million investment in 2023. Without continued funding, California risks losing momentum in building its school leadership pipeline. Sustained investment is critical to:

Replace retiring school leaders
Retain diverse educators in the profession
Maintain strong leadership pipelines in high-need communities
Protect the state’s broader investments in education

The Ask: Invest $10 million annually for five years to sustain and expand DELPI.

HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE

If we want better outcomes for our students and the educators who serve them, we must prioritize developing diverse and culturally responsive school leaders. More importantly, our investment in school leaders cannot remain status quo if we want different results.

Please help us elevate this initiative by signing our petition and joining our campaign!

For ways to support this campaign, please consider the following:

Sign the DELPI Reinvestment Campaign Letter here
Download the social media toolkit for sharing here
Reach out directly to KeAnne Williams, DLI Manager of Advocacy: kwilliams@diversityinleadership.org

OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

Using the results of this study as a foundation, Dr. Laura McGowan-Robinson led the formation of a Coalition aimed at leveraging these and similar findings into action statewide. We believe that through combined, coordinated and aligned efforts, the Coalition will effect systems change and create stronger pathways toward equity-centered educational leadership.