During the past 10 to 15 years, nearly every state and school district across the nation has begun to dramatically overhaul their evaluation systems for teachers. Such evaluation systems are ultimately aimed at improving teachers' instructional practices. However, the evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of these systems is weak and…

A recent survey found that while 86 percent of urban school districts have teacher leader roles, only 32 percent offered specialized training for teachers stepping into those roles. Developing strong and effective teacher leaders who can guide their colleagues to success should be central to any school improvement strategy, but it requires far…

This dissertation in teacher leadership represents original, independent research that investigated bilingual language instruction of an indigenous Alaskan group of students. Ethnographic research using qualitative and quantitative data was applied to develop an understanding of correlations between the value of English and Yup'ik language and…

Research can be a powerful tool in education, but it's an even more powerful tool when that research is created, implemented, and reflected upon by the education experts themselves--classroom teachers. This research mobilized a cadre of STEM teacher leaders to help unpack the overarching research question: How does the collective leadership of…

Given the newly refined ability to distinguish between teachers and their effectiveness, and the imperative brought on by the Common Core standards (CCSS) to deliver instruction at a more sophisticated level, it is no longer reasonable or tenable to keep treating teachers the same. Instead, school systems should provide their highest-performing…

Across the education field, there is unusual consensus that strong teacher leaders are key to improving our nation's schools. Unfortunately, clear expectations for what teacher leaders should do, and strategies to prepare them to do it, are few and far between. A recent survey found that while 86 percent of urban school districts have teacher…

This paper explores the factors that may influence the social and relational development of empathy in a Year 13 classroom from a kaupapa Maori perspective, and discusses how these factors compare with a Western perspective of empathy. Understandings of empathy are widely documented in the conventional literature and, while the realities…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how long term, focused, and embedded professional development influenced teachers' self-efficacy and preparedness to implement the Common Core State Standards in a large urban school district in northern Nevada. The sample was 17 7th-12th grade social studies teachers that participated in a…

Working in challenging contexts can impact negatively on a teacher's sense of purpose and efficacy. This article explores the potential of group Life Design (LD), a narrative constructivist career counselling process, for supporting ten South African school teachers working at an under-resourced school with understanding their career aspirations…

For the last 4 years, 10 leading education organizations have collaborated on a study series that includes teacher voice in conversations and research about educator effectiveness. Initially conceptualized by teacher leaders from the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) and with their continued input, the "From Good to…

There has been a great deal of discussion in recent years focusing on the need for teachers to have leadership responsibilities and to participate in the decision-making processes within their respective schools. Unfortunately, these discussions are often filled with suggestions and recommendations that completely miss the point about teacher…

This article uses current research recommendations for teacher-led professional development as well as qualitative data from a set of grassroots conferences to propose a new model for bottom-up teacher-led professional development. This article argues that by providing a neutral space and recruiting expertise of local experts, a public sphere can…

This paper serves as a phenomenological reflection about the meaning of a co-teaching experience at the college level for two graduate teaching assistants. When two teachers combine planning and teaching efforts it is called co-teaching. As a pedagogical method for both instructors and students, co-teaching was beneficial because it modeled a…

During recent years, we have seen an increase in the complexity of school leadership as knowledge work. The new forms of knowledge available to school leadership, such as performance data and survey-based data, raise the expectation that leaders make relevant use of these knowledge resources. Theory and policy claim that new knowledge is of…

New York State is in the midst of vast education reform. This Education reform has produced an environment in which the traditional roles of school personnel have been restructured and standards of accountability have been increased. Teacher leadership has become a vital force in the success of many organizations. Additionally, the rigorous…