Summarizes a case study revealing divergent judgments of a teacher career ladder in two junior high schools. Educators in the two sites strongly disagreed over how "reformed" tasks and responsibilities influenced instruction and student learning. A deductive case analysis disclosed individual/group dynamics embedded in group role perceptions.…

This monograph is based on a keynote presentation by Angus McBeath at the "Getting Districtwide Results" Conference in Long Beach, California, which was co-sponsored by the Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform and Focus on Results. The author, a former superintendent of the Edmonton Public Schools, how his school district was…

Computer-mediated conferencing has been adopted, particularly for purposes of online course provision, as a method that can deliver community. Widespread interest in a communities-of-practice approach within both informal and formal learning has strengthened perceptions of the value of creating a community online. A case study of asynchronous…

Teacher involvement in decisions may detract from teaching. This article presents three case studies (concerning a teacher-owned program, teacher involvement in selecting a new principal, and an autocratic principal's failed experiment with participation) that examine pitfalls. Sunset clauses, a good centralization/empowerment balance, and an…

Teacher leadership is increasingly being seen as a key vehicle for school improvement and renewal. However, research on this phenomenon is limited, especially outside of the US. This article presents findings from an empirical study of teacher leadership in the UK, aimed at exploring both the ways in which teacher leadership can influence school…

Purpose: The authors adapted distributed cognition theory to provide a detailed account of how school leaders use knowledge of the new programs, existing initiatives, and school contexts to guide policy implementation. Research Design: The study used distributed cognition theory to show how policy implementation studies provide an occasion to…

This article presents findings from a qualitative case study that examined the role of teacher leaders amid whole school reform. Findings suggest that leadership is ambiguous: a contested notion between principal and teacher(s) and among teachers as well. This ambiguity was manifest on the conceptual and operational levels and significantly…

As qualified teachers are central to children receiving a high-quality preschool education, many policy initiatives aimed at improving program quality are thwarted when insufficient attention is paid to the professional development of the workforce. One response to this issue has been to create teacher leadership roles so that teachers mentor…

A study examined the changing nature of teacher leadership roles in six small rural schools without formal teacher leadership roles. Interviews with 28 teachers and principals indicate that small rural schools might see teacher leadership in unique ways. Most frequently mentioned role categories involved emergence of teacher leadership due to…

"Learning to Lead Together: The Promise and Challenge of Sharing Leadership" examines the dilemmas for school leaders and administrators, and the benefits for schools and students, when principals work with teachers (and their communities) to share leadership. Most schools function within existing hierarchical structures that contradict…

Explores stressors, role changes, and paradoxes encountered by four administrators and two teacher-leaders since their high school began restructuring in 1994. Identifies decision-making anxieties, role conflict and ambiguity, and accountability apprehension as sources of stress. Restructuring was impeded by training inadequacies; bureaucratic,…

Describes a small K-6 staff's restructuring plans for its predominantly Navajo student body. The case study, concerned with planning for nongraded classes, represents a lesson in how not to plan. Although some positive curricular changes have occurred, administrative leadership was perceived as ineffective, and staff neglected to plan for cultural…

Examined learning's role in the working lives of 51 teacher-leaders in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on in-depth case studies of nine individuals. Predictable hindrances to adult learning emerged from subject interviews: lack of time, collegial tolerance, and administrative support; family pressures; and inappropriate inservice. Despite decades…

How can all students be provided with a first-class education with all the obstacles and challenges faced by today's schools? Based on his experiences growing up in the Mississippi Delta during the era of segregation, Clifton Taulbert shares time-honored principles that can transform the lives of the teachers, students, administrators, and staff…

Presents findings of a case study that examined the use of teacher leaders on an elementary school management team and perceptions of teachers and staff members. Team members were positive about using teacher leaders on a management team but found a need for clearer definitions of leadership roles and better communication between the staff and…