Leading on Leadership: How the New York City Department of Education Implemented a Successful Teacher Leadership Program

• In Event: From Policy to Practice: Investigating Teacher Leadership as a Lever of Educational Change

Abstract

In 2012, the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) faced a problem that many districts struggle with: the schools with the most needs did not necessarily have the tools or the professional learning strategies needed to substantially improve teaching and learning. This was particularly true in the district’s middle schools, where achievement scores in reading and mathematics had regressed in several previous years and teacher turnover was higher than in elementary and high schools. To intervene at the middle school level, the district proposed a novel plan: target efforts to support the best teacher talent to the schools with the most need by creating a “career lattice,” allowing the most effective teachers to stay in the classroom while taking on leadership roles to help other teachers. Supported by a multi-million dollar U.S. Department of Education Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant, this initiative defied existing research that suggests that many performance-based compensation initiatives have struggled to achieve sustainable success.

What did NYCDOE do that made the teacher leadership program a success? This study explores the factors of success and the outcomes of this ambitious grant. In 2013-14, 78 schools and 299 teacher leaders participated in this initiative; today, 482 schools and 1,236 teacher leaders are participating. Through a strong partnership with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the design of the teacher leadership program, and the uptake by educators, the district has been able to address some of the problems that persistently challenge educators and students: equitable access to excellent educators, pathways to spread best practice, and a vision of a career path that would allow teachers to take on new responsibilities and increase their compensation while continuing to teach, while others could take on district-level leadership roles working with teacher leaders in multiple schools.

This paper is based on a mixed method study conducted by two research organizations. The first set of results will explore a case study of the NYCDOE initiative based on grant document review and interviews with front-line teacher leaders. Focus group and interview data were analyzed using a coding structure based on preliminary thematic analysis and results highlight important policy recommendations. The second set of results explore an in-depth longitudinal evaluation, conducted by the co-authors, including extensive survey work and focus groups that illustrate the importance of strengthening the ways in which teacher leaders are selected, trained, evaluated and supported. Data were analyzed using an approach to policy implementation emphasizing key variables that inform how policies are enacted within schools. Focus group transcripts, documents, and openended survey item responses were coded and survey data were analyzed descriptively to illuminate qualitative findings. The findings suggest a series of “success themes” that highlight why the initiative was successful in creating a widespread, sustainable new model of teacher leadership: extensive stakeholder engagement, rigorous selection of teacher leaders; and continuous improvement in identifying the most effective roles for teacher leaders.

Authors

• Robert M. Stonehill, American Institutes for Research

• Jenny DeMonte, American Institutes for Research

• Catherine Pratt, Eskolta