1. Supports the concept of the teacher’s role extending beyond the classroom as a professional member of the school community and a primary source in meeting high expectations and standards for school and instructional effectiveness, and student achievement;
  2. Focuses on developing and enhancing the skills of the teacher as a professional and educational leader who will meet the expectations for the teacher’s leadership role in helping to address the current and evolving challenges in schools, classrooms, and communities that impact school effectiveness and student learning;
  3. Is specifically designed to train teacher leaders as collaborative planners and facilitators of strategies for continuous improvement of schools, teaching and student learning.
  4. Is intended to develop a cadre of teachers who may:
    • Assume various leadership roles in their districts, schools and communities;
    • Actively participate in school-based planning and program development; and
    • Serve as resources to the school community, catalysts for continual enhancement of school and instructional effectiveness, and as mentors/coaches, turn-key trainers, and facilitators to support continuing professional development of instructional staff.
  5. Emphasizes knowledge and skills related to human relations, effective communication and collaboration, and personal reflection for the teacher leader who must:
    • Establish and maintain productive relationships and interactions with all members of the school community;
    • Take an introspective approach toward continual professional growth and career-long learning;
    • Play a key role in continuing professional development of school staff and processes for the continual improvement of schools, instruction and student learning.
  6. Emphasizes individual/team performance-based tasks and individual/collective research for teachers as disciplined inquiry into their work (teaching), their school (school practices), and the effects of both on student learning, social-emotional development and behavior in the school community.
    • Action research and performance-based tasks/projects require teacher leader candidates to define areas of relevance to them and their schools, usually as problems to be solved, and apply their knowledge to develop, plan and implement solutions to the identified problems based on educational research and effective practices.
    • Teacher leader candidates analyze data for their schools/classrooms, and develop appropriate action plans and strategies to continually evaluate and improve educational practices in their schools and classrooms with a distinct focus on effective instructional practices and student learning and achievement.
  7. Emphasizes the knowledge, understanding and skills regarding schools as organizations and organizational development throughout all instructional and leadership seminars and activities via presentations, discussions, readings, and applications in individual and group performance tasks, school-based clinical experiences, and field-based research projects.
  8. Reinforces organizational behavior and dynamics within the context of the school as an organization to promote understanding of the teacher’s role beyond the classroom as a member of an organization and school community, and to develop the skills required to fulfill that role effectively, such as:
    • Group dynamics
    • Effective communication
    • Creative thinking and problem solving
    • Collaboration and teamwork
    • Mediation and conflict resolution strategies
    • Information processing; and
    • Decision making processes