State-mandated 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.
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, 10 local education agencies were selected to lead this work, partnering with 8 institutions of higher education and 4 nonprofit organizations to build strong, equity-centered administrator pathways. 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.