Issues in Teacher Leadership

Review of Academic Articles

“Teachers and Leaders: America's Engineers of Learning and Growth” was published by
the U.S. Department of Education (anonymous) in 2017 on the impact of the quality of
classroom teachers on students’ academic success. The article is an overview of U.S. DoE
initiatives and proposed and ongoing policies designed to improve the quality of teachers; it does
not specifically mention who participated in the research or where research was conducted, but it
can be concluded that it was done in schools and involved gathering and analysis of assessment
data.
The article’s findings begin with data on teacher recruitment and retention, focusing on
the high turnover rate (nearly 50% within the first five years of employment) and the resulting
cost to society (estimated at $7 billion). Later it describes a study that revealed teacher
preparation was observed to have a greater impact on student learning gains than poverty. The
thrust of these is to emphasize the importance of policies to recruit and retain qualified teachers.
The anonymous authors suggest government policies and initiatives to recruit and retain
better teachers: Teach to Lead, a cooperative effort with NBPTS to expand opportunities for
teacher leadership in the classroom via grants; the RESPECT Project (Recognizing Educational
Success, Professional Excellence, and Collaborative Teaching) for attracting and retaining new
teachers; and the Teacher and Principal Pathways program, to create or expand pathways into the
teaching profession, especially in STEM subjects.

“Teacher Leadership Is Linked to Higher Student Test Scores in New Study” by Madeline
Will (2017). The author describes analysis of data from a survey titled “New Teacher Center’s
Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning” which asked questions about teaching, learning,
and working conditions in schools; the survey gathered data over a four year period from nearly
1 million teachers in 25,000 schools throughout 16 states. The aim of the survey was to
determine the effects of teachers having leadership roles in decision making on student
achievement. The survey’s lead author was Richard Ingersoll, a professor of education and
sociology at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
The findings were that schools with the highest levels of instructional and teacher
leadership rank at least 10 percentile points higher in both math and English/language arts on
state tests compared to schools with the lowest levels. Also, holding teachers to high standards
and having an effective school improvement team corresponded to 21 percentile-point and 14
percentile-point differences in schools’ math proficiency, respectively. Having consistent teacher
evaluations was also associated with approximately an 11 percentile-point difference in math
proficiency.
The author suggests that giving teachers greater leadership roles in decision and policy
making leads to improved student learning outcomes and greater job satisfaction and thus
retention.

“Using Visual Materials in Teaching Vocabulary in English as a Foreign Language

Classrooms with Young Learners” by Dorela Kaçauni Konomi (date unknown, likely late
1990s/early 2000s).
https://conference.pixel-online.net/NPSE/files/npse/ed0003/FP/0311-SERA209-FP-NPSE3.pdf
The aim of this study was to show the efficacy of visual aids such as pictures, realia, graphic
organizers, videos, and other sources in helping young learners understand and retain key
vocabulary words and terms. The participants were grade 3 and grade 6 students in English
classes in the city of Korçë, Albania (pop. 75,000).
The findings were that using visual materials enhanced the teachers’ credibility with
students and generated greater interest among students in learning new words, and that a tangible
benefit of visual aids as educational tools in conjunction with text is that they engage students
better than text alone and make students more responsible for their own learning.
The author suggests that, compared to a text-only approach, using a variety of visual aids
in teaching vocabulary increases student engagement and enthusiasm and allows students to
better retain and use new vocabulary.

Compare/Contrast Articles: These three articles suggest with varying directness that teachers
taking on greater leadership responsibilities can materially improve student achievement.
However, whereas the first article is generalized, mentioning research outcomes but not citing
specific data, the second and third articles focus on results of specific studies or surveys. The
first article’s aim appears to be to promote government policies and is a form of political
advocacy (former U.S. President Barack Obama is mentioned); the second article is a
second-hand report of research performed by a third party; the third is a traditional academic
research paper with labeled components (abstract, methodology, data analysis, conclusion). The
third article does not directly address the roles of teachers as leaders; however, it does suggest
that teachers who take on a leadership role in designing curriculum and who in that role increase
use of visual aids, will likely achieve better student learning outcomes.

How Articles Inform My Teaching Practice: Visual aids are an integral part of my teaching
practice and pedagogical approach, for vocabulary as well as core concepts such as literary
devices and narrative elements. My incorporation of visuals extends to how students express
their learning, including graphics and posters illustrating their grasp of key ideas. I endeavor to
take a leadership role in advocating among my grade-level colleagues for use of visuals in
instruction, and sharing effective resources for utilizing visuals such as Padlet and word clouds.

Citations:
Anonymous (U.S. Department of Education) (2017). Teachers and Leaders: America's Engineers
of Learning and Growth. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
https://www.ed.gov/teachers-leaders

Will, Madeline (2017). Teacher Leadership Is Linked to Higher Student Test Scores in New
Study. Bethesda, MD: Education Week.
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teacher-leadership-is-linked-to-higher-student-test-sc
ores-in-new-study/2017/10
Konomi, Dorela Kaçauni (date unspecified). Using Visual Materials in Teaching Vocabulary in
English as a Foreign Language Classrooms with Young Learners. Korçë: Fan Noli University.