The Role of Teacher Leadership in How Principals Influence Classroom Instruction and Student Learning in Urban High Schools

• In Event: 52.023 - Effective Instructional Leadership: Aligning the Roles of Teachers and Principals

Abstract

In this study we examine the role of teacher leadership as a mediating variable linking principal leadership and student achievement growth in high schools of a large urban school district. To conduct this study, we utilize teacher survey and administrative data (student test-scores and demographic data), collected in 2007-2013 for high schools in the district. We compare our findings to an earlier study of the same school district and same time period, but for elementary schools. Consistent with earlier findings, our results suggest that effective principals promote teacher influence to improve school climates. This study adds to the empirical research showing the critical importance of school climate for improving instruction/learning and the role school leadership in influencing achievement through climate.

Authors

• James Sebastian, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Haigen Huang, Discovery Center, Miami University - Oxford

• Elaine M. Allensworth, University of Chicago