Teacher leaders as professional development providers: a case study

High stakes assessments mandated by 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) have increased the focus on student achievement causing a closer examination of the link between student achievement and teacher quality. Teacher training, through professional development, has been documented to be one of the most important factors in student achievement and may be one of the few indicators of student success that a school can control. As a result of a shift in beliefs and practices regarding professional development, current research has pointed in the direction of encouraging schools to embrace a professional development model led and supported by teacher leaders. This study’s purpose was to examine teacher leaders who receive their own professional development through a University Literacy Center, and what they do as professional development providers in their schools. The teacher leaders receive their own professional development from the Rutgers Center for Literacy Development. The specific research questions designed were: What do teacher leaders who receive professional development through a Literacy Center do as professional development providers once they return to their schools? What influences their activities? What are the supports and obstacles they face in doing so? The sample was comprised of three teacher leaders from a New Jersey District and their respective three principals. A case study was used to describe factors that influence the professional development that teacher leaders provided. Data collection sources were professional development session observations, teacher leader and principal interviews, and artifacts. Data from the interviews, professional development session observations, and examinations of relevant documents were used in order to discover emerging patterns. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously, as is the preferred and effective strategy in qualitative research design. The data indicated the following factors influencing the design and implementation of the professional development: teacher leader roles and internal resources, external resources, and relationships, along with the associated challenges. Used as a vehicle to transmit, facilitate and support ongoing teachers’ learning opportunities, teacher leaders can be necessary elements in the school’s organizational structure. Additionally, professional development organizations such as the Rutgers Center for Literacy Development can use this data to inform their offerings.Ed. D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Michelle L. Rose