Issues in Teacher Leadership

Article 1: Teacher Leadership Is Linked to Higher Student Test Scores in New Study: Will
(2017) conducted a study demonstrating the direct-correlation between teachers with a role in
decision-making with students’ high test scores. In 2011-2015, Richard Ingersoll, a professor
from University of Pennsylvania, studied this relationship from nearly one-million teachers
across America. The findings show when a teacher takes on a larger role, student interest and
engagement is higher. Ingersoll found that most teachers report report having a substantial role in
decision-making when it comes to classroom instruction, teaching techniques, and student
grading, and less often with school-wide decisions. However, teacher leadership areas that have
the strongest relationship to student achievement are related to school-wide policy. The author
suggested that teachers get more involved when it comes to the larger educational community.
Will states the study found that “teacher voice in student behavioral and discipline decisions has
more of an effect on academic success than teacher control over issues seemingly more tied to
instruction”. Therefore, teachers should be encouraged to take on larger roles within their school
and become more involved in the choices that effect education and the students we teach it to.

Article 2: The Many Faces of Leadership: Danielson (2007) conducted a study about how
teachers can find value in opportunities that extend their influence beyond their own classrooms.
One participant was William, a middle school math teacher. The findings were that when
teachers reach out within their department or team, they can gain another perspective and
solution to problems they encounter. For example, when William noticed the girls in his class
were not participating as often as the boys, he reached out to a colleague on insight. The
colleague observed and took notes. To William’s surprise, he was told he was not challenging the
girls’ enough as the boys. William was able to discuss with his team leader how he can make
changes to challenge the girls and increase their participation. The authors suggested that
teachers reach out beyond their classroom to seek professional development and serve as leaders.
Teachers should be empowered to take initiative to improve school-wide policies and programs,
teaching and learning, and communication.

Compare/Contrast Articles: These two articles suggest that teachers should step outside of their
classroom and take on larger roles in decision-making and leadership. However, whereas Will
recommends that teachers gain leadership skills by taking on larger roles, Danielson recommends
that teachers learn leadership skills through attending school-wide professional development and
university-based seminars.

Overall, these two articles have influenced me to take my leadership role beyond the classroom
and get more involved in school-wide, or district-wide, decision-making.

Works Cited:

Will, Madeline. “Teacher Leadership Is Linked to Higher Student Test Scores in New Study”.
Education Week, 26 October 2017, https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teacher-
leadership-is-linked-to-higher-student-test-scores-in-new-study/2017/10 (Links to an external
site.). Accessed 12 April 2022.

Danielson, Charlotte. “The Many Faces of Leadership”. ASCD, 1 September 2007, https://
www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-many-faces-of-leadership (Links to an external site.). Accessed 12
April 2022.