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Distributing Leadership can Support Instructional Change

December 14, 2009

In a 2008 study, Eric Camburn determined that configuring and activating teacher leadership positions can support the adoption of specific instructional practices advocated by the America’s Choice program. Camburn examined 31 schools early in their adoption of America’s Choice and again 2 years later. He found that teachers in the sampled America’s Choice schools were much more likely than those in comparison schools to use explicit instruction in writing, teacher conferencing, attention to literary techniques, and guided-reading strategies. Teachers’ work with teacher leaders was a strong predictor of the instructional outcome measure. And the study found a connection between these two results: Collaboration between America’s Choice teachers and their teacher leaders led to more use of the practices the program advocates. This finding suggests that design coaches and literacy coordinators continued to support teachers’ adoption of literacy practices consistent with the America’s Choice design.