Until recently, Elkhart Community Schools lacked formal teacher leadership district-wide. The closest implementation historically was department chairs and/or school improvement team members, whose main responsibility was to transfer information between the teaching faculty and administration. In this article, the authors, who are district…

High rates of teacher turnover and persistent student achievement gaps are ongoing challenges for many Indiana schools. State and district leaders have responded with a range of initiatives and policies to strengthen teaching and learning and to increase student access to effective teachers. One of the most promising is the development of teacher…

In 2019, National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) was awarded a grant through the federal Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Program to expand and sustain work to support teachers and improve students' academic success in three Indiana school districts. TSL grants support districts' human capital management systems, specifically…

Providing teachers with data-driven feedback, aligned professional development and opportunities for advancement may help limit attrition, contribute to more effective teaching, and improve student learning. However, research shows that much of the professional development teachers currently receive does not improve either teacher or student…

An estimated 17% to 30% of new teachers in the U.S. leave the profession within their first 5 years of teaching. Some challenges that prompt new teachers to leave the field include stress, lack of appropriate support, and feeling unprepared to handle behavioral and academic issues among their students. Research supports the finding that teachers…

Our featured leaders saw big gains when their teachers began using formative assessment practice to guide student growth minute-by-minute. Read the fourth article in our five-part series for the scoop on how committing to this high-impact instructional practice paid off for a regional agency, district, and school. Learn: (1) why our featured…

The purpose of this quantitative investigation was to examine specific factors of teacher leadership qualities to determine if a difference exists between one's teacher leadership and longevity in the teaching profession. The research study focused on the differences of six teacher leadership qualities and teacher perspectives and understanding on…

With the push by government and business leaders for greater emphasis on STEM education at all grade levels, STEM leaders (i.e., educational leadership and teacher leaders) are challenged to pioneer integrative praxes that prepare students for success in a scientifically and technologically driven society. Additionally, these STEM leaders must…

This brief is the first in a series of reports examining the teacher shortage dilemma. It considers what the research says about teacher shortages and highlights recent state task force findings. Designed to guide state leaders in policy decisions, the briefs that follow examine five strategies states are using to address shortages: (1)…

In this collective case study, the preparation of Indiana's emergent bilingual district-level leaders demonstrates how they implement, negotiate, and lead language programs for their students. Most studies on leadership of emergent bilinguals focus on the building principal and not on this distinct district-level role. This district leadership…

Researchers at NIET and elsewhere have studied the effectiveness of "TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement" (TAP) in raising student achievement, improving the quality of instruction, and increasing the ability of high-need schools to recruit, retain and support effective teachers. This document provides summaries of some…

This article presents findings from a qualitative study describing how a cohort of teachers pursuing their master's degree in teacher leadership developed critical consciousness through coursework and the cohort structure. The findings--collected via observations, interviews, and document review--indicate the struggles and conflicts that teachers…

This study examines teacher leadership within the framework of a specific school reform model, focusing on an empowered school culture, including teacher involvement in curriculum and instruction, school policy decisions, and professional development activities. Using a concurrent triangulation mixed methods design, data were collected through a…

For over a decade, researchers at NIET [National Institute for Excellence in Teaching] and around the country have studied TAP™: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement. This document summarizes recent internal and external research, including three new studies demonstrating TAP's effectiveness at raising student achievement, improving the…

Teachers have the greatest school-based effect on the achievement of any child in their classrooms, but highly effective principals can positively affect the achievement of every student in their schools. The difference between a highly effective principal and an average one is equal to two-to-seven months of extra learning per year for each child…