Enhancing Teacher Leadership

Establish professional development programs that involve faculty members as leaders.

Resource 1:
Teacher-Led Professional Development
Beasley,W., & Butler, J. (2002). Teacher leadership in science education reform: Learning from
Australian-led best practice in the Philippines. Australian Science Teachers Journal,
48(4), 36-41.
This article outlines a successful, large-scale, international teacher-led professional development initiative. The Australian-led project has resulted in cadres of teacher leaders in district schools in the Philippines providing continuous in-school professional development of science teachers.
This project was based on acknowledged outstanding practice in professional development and
provides “a model for Australian education authorities interested in systemic, long-term
sustainable professional development of science teachers.”

Resource 2:
Teacher Leadership in Mathematics Education Reform
Center for Development of Teaching, Education Development Center. (2008). Teacher
leadership in math education reform. Newton, MA: Author. Retrieved November 1,
2007, from http://www2.edc.org/CDT/cdt/cdt_teachlead.html
Teacher leaders play an important role in a number of professional development projects of the
Center for the Development of Teaching. Many teacher development projects have teacher
leadership components that allow teachers participating in the project to take on leadership roles.
In addition, some projects have been used in other settings to build teacher leadership. For
example:
• The Developing Mathematical Ideas (DMI) Leadership Institutes—Teacher leaders
attend the DMI in the summer at Mount Holyoke College and learn how to further the
mathematics agenda at their own schools..
• The Developing Mathematical Ideas (DMI) Network—Through summer institutes, an
electronic network, and an apprenticeship program, selected teacher leaders learn to offer
DMI seminars at various sites across the country.

Resource 3:
Resources for Teacher Leaders in Math and Science Reform
Center for Science Education, Education Development Center. (2006). Resources for teacher
leadership. Newton, MA: Author. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from
http://cse.edc.org/products/teacherleadership/default.asp
This site provides a compilation of resources for secondary school teachers who plan to assume
leadership roles in math and science reform. The resources are intended to support teachers in the following leadership activities: making presentations, writing for publications, reaching out to the community, mentoring and coaching, providing professional development, and supporting
preservice education.

Resource 4:
Houston Teachers Institute
Yale National Initiative. (2007). In Houston, teachers take the lead . New Haven, CT: Yale
University. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from
http://teachers.yale.edu/story/index.php?skin=m&page=000
Cooke, P. D. (2001, Fall). Generating teacher leadership. On Common Ground, 9, 1–5. Retrieved
November 1, 2007, from
http://education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/pgm_assessment/summit/research_resources/ge
nerating_teacher_leadership.pdf
“Houston Teachers Institute is a partnership between the Houston Independent School District
and the University of Houston. The Institute replicates, as closely as possible, the 20-year-old
model developed by Yale University and the New Haven, Connecticut public schools. In that
model, fifteen-week academic seminars are offered by university professors to public school
teachers each fall. Through this annual set of seminars the Institute builds relationships between University faculty and school teachers in order to strengthen teachers and teaching in the city’s public schools. To carry out its program, the Institute relies heavily on the participation of a small group of teachers, each of whom acts as the official representative of the Institute to his or her school, and the school’s representative to the Institute. The Institute’s teacher-leaders guide their colleagues into the Institute program and help orient and support them once they become involved as Fellows. Because of the Institute’s emphasis on teacher leadership, this program is a place where teachers are trained and encouraged to be leaders in their schools” (Cooke, 2001, p. 1).

Resource 5:
NTC Mentor Professional Development
The New Teacher Center. (n.d.). Teacher induction: Mentor professional development offering.
Santa Cruz: University of California. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from
http://www.newteachercenter.org/ti_mentor_pro_development.php
The New Teacher Center offers mentor training to experienced teachers who will then provide
mentoring and coaching to beginning teachers at their own schools.