Special Issue: Instructional Teacher Leadership in Action

Abstract

This special issue explores the work of instructional teacher leaders, often referred to as coaches. The proliferation of formal instructional teacher-leader roles has been motivated by education policy contexts that pressure school administrators and district leaders to identify effective ways to improve student achievement. This pressure became especially pronounced with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. One way to improve instructional practice is through the provision of high-quality professional development opportunities for teachers. Research indicates that effective professional development is instructionally focused, school embedded, ongoing, and supported by human and material resources (Cohen & Hill, 2001; Elmore & Burney, 1999; Hawley & Valli, 1999). Formal instructional teacher-leader roles provide one possible source of high-quality professional development. These teacher leaders serve as a resource for teachers: conducting workshops, coplanning, and modeling lessons, observing teaching and providing feedback, collecting and analyzing data, facilitating dialogue and reflective critique, and promoting shared practices among peers. The development of instructional teacher-leader roles has been a core component of recent education reform initiatives. Support for these positions comes from federal initiatives, including Reading First and the Math Science Partnership, private foundations such as the Small Schools Coaches Collaborative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, large-scale comprehensive school reform models such as America’s Choice and Success for All, and professional organizations like the National Staff Development Council. As a result, formal teacher-leader roles have been evident in largescale school reform efforts as seen in New York, San Diego, Boston, and Chicago