When the Ford Model T hit the market over 100 years ago, it changed the world, providing reliable and affordable transportation for many. Yet the same innovation wouldn't meet today's transportation needs.
Transportation evolved. It adapted to meet growing consumer needs, using the best available methods.
Similarly, our centuries-old teaching model isn't meeting the diverse needs of today's students and teachers. States and districts are challenging the status quo by reimagining what teaching can look like and introducing innovative approaches, like teams of teachers instructing large, 100+ student classrooms; leveraging teacher residents and aspiring teachers to fill critical staffing gaps; and creating leadership roles for teachers that allow them to take on more responsibility without leaving the classroom. These changes can foster a more supportive, collaborative, and opportunity-rich environment for teachers so that they can more effectively teach their students.
NCTQ recently published Reimagining the Teaching Role, an interactive website that highlights how redesigning teaching roles and classroom structures can transform how districts attract and retain highly effective teachers—and even boost student learning. But before district leaders make big changes and knock down walls to build bigger classrooms, it's important to understand the research behind this growing trend.
This month's District Trendline dives into the evidence driving schools to reimagine the teaching role, often referred to as strategic staffing. We also highlight several districts leading the charge to create a more sustainable and desirable profession, with the goal of improving student outcomes.
Research shows that teachers and students benefit from working in or attending schools where teachers can access leadership opportunities. A 2020 meta-analysis of 21 studies found student achievement modestly improved in schools where teachers experienced different dimensions of teacher leadership. These dimensions included practices like facilitating improvements in curriculum, instruction, and assessment and promoting teachers' professional development through strategies like mentoring.1091 Similarly, a 2017 analysis of nearly 25,000 schools found that students in schools with strong teacher leadership performed in the 56th percentile in math and English language arts, compared to the 45th percentile in schools with the lowest levels of teacher leadership.
Districts have also seen improved retention from investing in teacher leadership. Teacher leaders participating in The New York City Department of Education's (NY) Teacher Career Pathways program, which empowers teachers to provide professional development and coaching to their colleagues, were almost twice as likely to stay at their school than other similar teachers. Additionally, teachers who worked alongside two or more teacher leaders in NYC were nearly 25% more likely to stay at their school the following year.1092
In general, novice teachers mentored by effective, experienced educators have higher retention rates.1093 One long-term analysis found that 86% of teachers assigned a mentor in their first year were still teaching after five years, compared to 71% of teachers who did not have a mentor.1094
Research also shows that students perform better when their teachers have access to a mentor, although it can take time to see results. A 2004 evaluation of over 400 elementary schools found that students taught by teachers who participated in a strong induction program, which included access to a well-trained mentor and opportunities to learn from experienced teachers, scored 4 to 8 percentile points higher in reading and math compared to students taught by teachers with less comprehensive mentoring.1095 However, there were no discernable impacts on student achievement until the mentee's third year.
Traditionally, mentorship has been an additional responsibility for the mentor teacher, often occurring after school. However, with reimagined roles, this mentorship is often integrated into the regular school day. As such, districts shifting to more innovative staffing models need to set reasonable expectations. Reimagined teaching roles will take time, not only to design and implement new staffing structures but also to see results.
The District of Columbia Public School's IMPACT evaluation program, which provides bonuses and potentially fast-tracked movement up the salary schedule to highly effective teachers (with even greater bonuses for teachers working in hard-to-staff schools and subjects), helped the district retain 92% of its effective workforce as of 2018.
While improving student performance is crucial, teacher leaders must also be effective with adults.
Although it is critical that teachers who take on leadership roles show evidence of improved student outcomes, being effective with students doesn't necessarily mean teachers will be effective working with their peers. This distinction is why some districts, like Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (NC), require teachers to meet rigorous standards before being designated as a teacher leader. For instance, educators in their Teacher-Leadership Pathways program must achieve 100% proficiency scores on leadership and instructional facilitation standards across multiple evaluations, provide a leadership statement, and have at least one year of student growth data, among other requirements.
Research has demonstrated that teachers are more satisfied and more likely to remain in schools that have positive work environments.1097 Favorable working conditions for teachers, such as a school's culture and relationships among colleagues, also predict higher rates of student growth.1098
Mesa Public Schools (AZ) introduced the Next Education Workforce model in a small number of classrooms in 2019 with the specific goal of improving teacher working conditions. Although research on the model is still evolving, early evaluations have shown promising results. A 2024 analysis conducted by the Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) showed that teachers working on teams as part of the model were more likely than non-teamed teachers to say they still plan to be teaching in five years and would recommend teaching to a friend—likely indicators of a positive work environment.1099 A follow-up analysis to CRPE's study also found that teachers working in the model had significantly lower turnover (11.6%) than teachers not working in the model (23.2%).1100
But current school schedules often do not provide teachers with enough time to collaborate. A 2009 analysis found that, while most teachers reported collaborating with their peers, frequency varied significantly, from less than 30 minutes per week (12%) to more than three hours per week (24%). More recently, NCTQ's 2023 analysis revealed that elementary teachers in our sample of districts1104 received 47 minutes a day for planning time on average, which could be leveraged for collaboration. However, less than half of districts in the same sample set aside planning time for collaboration or even address it at all.
Teachers in the 2009 analysis also reported different types of opportunities to collaborate. While 75% of teachers reported collaborating with their peers to improve student outcomes, only 22% indicated they observed colleagues to provide feedback.1105 This is particularly noteworthy since teacher leaders working in these models are often asked to observe and lead others, meaning district leaders must be prepared to provide these educators with ongoing support, training, and time to actually observe and provide feedback to their peers.
One viable solution that has emerged in the debate around class size, and one that many approaches to reimagining the teaching role incorporate, is assigning more students to highly effective teachers' classrooms and compensating those teachers accordingly. In one North Carolina simulation study, the simulation predicted this approach would improve the academic performance for all students,1108 since it increased students' access to effective teachers while simultaneously decreasing class loads for other teachers—and it recognized the effective teachers with additional incentives.
Mesa Public Schools has seen significant benefits since implementing the Next Education Workforce model, highlighting the potential impacts of flexible class sizes. Classrooms in the model can range 50–150 students, and students are taught by teams of educators with differentiated expertise, typically under the direction of a highly effective lead teacher. Students taught by Next Education Workforce teams experienced 1.4 more months of reading growth than students taught in traditionally taught schools.1109
While class size restrictions are often implemented with the best of intentions, they can make it difficult for districts to innovate with these types of staffing models. However, some states have eliminated these barriers, and district leaders may benefit from leveraging waivers for restrictions like class size, as long as they couple those waived requirements with clear, established plans and guardrails for accountability.
Ector County Independent School District (TX) used Texas's District of Innovation status to receive a waiver from the state to deviate from state class size restrictions, allowing it to roll out Opportunity Culture in its schools. Due to having larger class sizes in some grades, the district has reduced the number of vacant teaching positions districtwide from over 350 to just 36 in four years, and students taught by teacher leaders working in the model gained roughly an extra 0.8 years of learning in reading and 0.3 years of learning in math.1110 The district has also engaged with an external evaluation partner, Texas Tech University, to evaluate the ongoing impact of the model districtwide.
Just as the Ford Model T ushered in a new era of transportation and access, reimagined teaching roles could revolutionize our educational system. By embracing strategies like collaborative teams and teacher leadership roles, we can create a more supportive and effective learning environment for students and teachers.
Transportation evolved. It adapted to meet growing consumer needs, using the best available methods.
Similarly, our centuries-old teaching model isn't meeting the diverse needs of today's students and teachers. States and districts are challenging the status quo by reimagining what teaching can look like and introducing innovative approaches, like teams of teachers instructing large, 100+ student classrooms; leveraging teacher residents and aspiring teachers to fill critical staffing gaps; and creating leadership roles for teachers that allow them to take on more responsibility without leaving the classroom. These changes can foster a more supportive, collaborative, and opportunity-rich environment for teachers so that they can more effectively teach their students.
NCTQ recently published Reimagining the Teaching Role, an interactive website that highlights how redesigning teaching roles and classroom structures can transform how districts attract and retain highly effective teachers—and even boost student learning. But before district leaders make big changes and knock down walls to build bigger classrooms, it's important to understand the research behind this growing trend.
This month's District Trendline dives into the evidence driving schools to reimagine the teaching role, often referred to as strategic staffing. We also highlight several districts leading the charge to create a more sustainable and desirable profession, with the goal of improving student outcomes.
1. Teacher leadership opportunities benefit educators—and students.
Several national strategic staffing models are gaining popularity, like Arizona State University's Next Education Workforce and Public Impact's Opportunity Culture model. The Next Education Workforce model uses a "core team" of teachers to instruct and manage large groups of 50 to 150 students. Opportunity Culture features "multi-classroom leaders" who coach and support teacher teams while still instructing students. Both models, along with several others, emphasize highly effective teachers leading their peers.Research shows that teachers and students benefit from working in or attending schools where teachers can access leadership opportunities. A 2020 meta-analysis of 21 studies found student achievement modestly improved in schools where teachers experienced different dimensions of teacher leadership. These dimensions included practices like facilitating improvements in curriculum, instruction, and assessment and promoting teachers' professional development through strategies like mentoring.1091 Similarly, a 2017 analysis of nearly 25,000 schools found that students in schools with strong teacher leadership performed in the 56th percentile in math and English language arts, compared to the 45th percentile in schools with the lowest levels of teacher leadership.
Districts have also seen improved retention from investing in teacher leadership. Teacher leaders participating in The New York City Department of Education's (NY) Teacher Career Pathways program, which empowers teachers to provide professional development and coaching to their colleagues, were almost twice as likely to stay at their school than other similar teachers. Additionally, teachers who worked alongside two or more teacher leaders in NYC were nearly 25% more likely to stay at their school the following year.1092
2. Mentorship programs can enhance teacher retention and improve student achievement (with time)!
Providing aspiring and novice teachers with access to a highly effective mentor is a key component of several strategic staffing initiatives.In general, novice teachers mentored by effective, experienced educators have higher retention rates.1093 One long-term analysis found that 86% of teachers assigned a mentor in their first year were still teaching after five years, compared to 71% of teachers who did not have a mentor.1094
Research also shows that students perform better when their teachers have access to a mentor, although it can take time to see results. A 2004 evaluation of over 400 elementary schools found that students taught by teachers who participated in a strong induction program, which included access to a well-trained mentor and opportunities to learn from experienced teachers, scored 4 to 8 percentile points higher in reading and math compared to students taught by teachers with less comprehensive mentoring.1095 However, there were no discernable impacts on student achievement until the mentee's third year.
Traditionally, mentorship has been an additional responsibility for the mentor teacher, often occurring after school. However, with reimagined roles, this mentorship is often integrated into the regular school day. As such, districts shifting to more innovative staffing models need to set reasonable expectations. Reimagined teaching roles will take time, not only to design and implement new staffing structures but also to see results.
3. Teachers who improve student outcomes may make for great teacher leaders—and should be paid more.
Introducing new leadership roles into schools requires differentiated pay structures to compensate teachers for taking on leadership responsibilities. Unfortunately, limited research examines the outcomes associated with paying teachers more for taking on the types of leadership roles that exist within many innovative staffing models. However, research shows that strategically paying teachers more when they are highly effective or work in certain hard-to-staff subjects and schools can significantly improve teacher retention and student outcomes (which may be why more districts are investing in differentiated compensation).1096 Early results from different staffing models provide further evidence to support the potential impacts of differentiated compensation.The District of Columbia Public School's IMPACT evaluation program, which provides bonuses and potentially fast-tracked movement up the salary schedule to highly effective teachers (with even greater bonuses for teachers working in hard-to-staff schools and subjects), helped the district retain 92% of its effective workforce as of 2018.
While improving student performance is crucial, teacher leaders must also be effective with adults.
Although it is critical that teachers who take on leadership roles show evidence of improved student outcomes, being effective with students doesn't necessarily mean teachers will be effective working with their peers. This distinction is why some districts, like Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (NC), require teachers to meet rigorous standards before being designated as a teacher leader. For instance, educators in their Teacher-Leadership Pathways program must achieve 100% proficiency scores on leadership and instructional facilitation standards across multiple evaluations, provide a leadership statement, and have at least one year of student growth data, among other requirements.
4. Happy teachers lead to thriving students.
Just like a high-performance engine can't run smoothly without the right fuel and maintenance, teachers and students cannot thrive in an environment that doesn't support their needs. At the core of reimagining the teaching role is a desire to improve the working conditions that teachers encounter daily: their workload, their relationships with leadership and their peers, the culture of their school, and more.Research has demonstrated that teachers are more satisfied and more likely to remain in schools that have positive work environments.1097 Favorable working conditions for teachers, such as a school's culture and relationships among colleagues, also predict higher rates of student growth.1098
Mesa Public Schools (AZ) introduced the Next Education Workforce model in a small number of classrooms in 2019 with the specific goal of improving teacher working conditions. Although research on the model is still evolving, early evaluations have shown promising results. A 2024 analysis conducted by the Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) showed that teachers working on teams as part of the model were more likely than non-teamed teachers to say they still plan to be teaching in five years and would recommend teaching to a friend—likely indicators of a positive work environment.1099 A follow-up analysis to CRPE's study also found that teachers working in the model had significantly lower turnover (11.6%) than teachers not working in the model (23.2%).1100
5. Collaboration has its benefits, but only if teachers have time to do it.
When teachers collaborate on instruction, both they and their students show positive results.1101 A 2007 analysis of over 450 teachers and 2,500 elementary school students found that frequent teacher collaboration in activities like selecting instructional materials and evaluating curriculum significantly predicted their school's math and reading achievement.1102 Another analysis of over 9,000 teachers in Florida also found that more collaboration time was associated with higher student achievement and that teachers improved in their roles faster.1103But current school schedules often do not provide teachers with enough time to collaborate. A 2009 analysis found that, while most teachers reported collaborating with their peers, frequency varied significantly, from less than 30 minutes per week (12%) to more than three hours per week (24%). More recently, NCTQ's 2023 analysis revealed that elementary teachers in our sample of districts1104 received 47 minutes a day for planning time on average, which could be leveraged for collaboration. However, less than half of districts in the same sample set aside planning time for collaboration or even address it at all.
Teachers in the 2009 analysis also reported different types of opportunities to collaborate. While 75% of teachers reported collaborating with their peers to improve student outcomes, only 22% indicated they observed colleagues to provide feedback.1105 This is particularly noteworthy since teacher leaders working in these models are often asked to observe and lead others, meaning district leaders must be prepared to provide these educators with ongoing support, training, and time to actually observe and provide feedback to their peers.
6. Sometimes bigger classes can be better!
The impact of class size on student learning has been debated for decades. While the STAR study in the 1980s found that small class sizes of 15–17 students led to improved student achievement in kindergarten through third grade,1106 more recent research has shown that some efforts to reduce class size actually have a negligible impact on achievement and can contribute to teacher shortages by increasing demand for teachers and leading districts to hire less-qualified staff.1107One viable solution that has emerged in the debate around class size, and one that many approaches to reimagining the teaching role incorporate, is assigning more students to highly effective teachers' classrooms and compensating those teachers accordingly. In one North Carolina simulation study, the simulation predicted this approach would improve the academic performance for all students,1108 since it increased students' access to effective teachers while simultaneously decreasing class loads for other teachers—and it recognized the effective teachers with additional incentives.
Mesa Public Schools has seen significant benefits since implementing the Next Education Workforce model, highlighting the potential impacts of flexible class sizes. Classrooms in the model can range 50–150 students, and students are taught by teams of educators with differentiated expertise, typically under the direction of a highly effective lead teacher. Students taught by Next Education Workforce teams experienced 1.4 more months of reading growth than students taught in traditionally taught schools.1109
While class size restrictions are often implemented with the best of intentions, they can make it difficult for districts to innovate with these types of staffing models. However, some states have eliminated these barriers, and district leaders may benefit from leveraging waivers for restrictions like class size, as long as they couple those waived requirements with clear, established plans and guardrails for accountability.
Ector County Independent School District (TX) used Texas's District of Innovation status to receive a waiver from the state to deviate from state class size restrictions, allowing it to roll out Opportunity Culture in its schools. Due to having larger class sizes in some grades, the district has reduced the number of vacant teaching positions districtwide from over 350 to just 36 in four years, and students taught by teacher leaders working in the model gained roughly an extra 0.8 years of learning in reading and 0.3 years of learning in math.1110 The district has also engaged with an external evaluation partner, Texas Tech University, to evaluate the ongoing impact of the model districtwide.
Just as the Ford Model T ushered in a new era of transportation and access, reimagined teaching roles could revolutionize our educational system. By embracing strategies like collaborative teams and teacher leadership roles, we can create a more supportive and effective learning environment for students and teachers.