Leadership Opportunities: Louisiana
Retaining Effective Teachers Policy
Analysis of Louisiana's policies
State Support for Teacher Leadership: Louisiana offers a Teacher Leaders program, which allows participants to "provide a positive influence on their school and support for their peers, playing a pivotal role in leading the effort during times of transition. This program is designed to "create and implement collaboration between fellow teachers to reflect on student learning results, access and adjust planning tools to meet student needs ... and share instructional best practices to help fellow teachers improve."
Louisiana also offers an optional Teacher Leader endorsement, which gives teachers the opportunity to fill school site leadership roles such as serving as a school curriculum coordinator, chairperson or content teacher; serving as the school improvement team chairperson; serving as the lead teacher in developing and scheduling a special activity at the school site; or serving as the lead teacher in the school's preparation for a technical assistance visit.
Recently, Louisiana added two new teacher leader roles: mentor and content leader. Teachers who successfully complete the training and distinction process will earn an ancillary certificate.
Selection Criteria: Louisiana's teacher leaders are nominated by their districts based on leadership ability. Specific guidance is not offered by the state.
To qualify for the new ancillary certificates, teachers must have at least two years of "successful" teaching experience. For the mentoring certificate, teachers must enroll in an approved mentor training program. For the content leader certificate, teachers must complete a content leader training program and earn a passing score on the content leader assessment series. It is strongly recommended by the state that content leader nominees demonstrate a positive impact on student learning, as reflected in their value added measure (VAM) or transitional student growth data (Effective: Proficient or Highly Effective).
Incentives and Supports: Louisiana's teacher leaders receive additional training and professional development opportunities, as well as the chance to gather with other participants at the state's annual Teacher Leaders Summit.
Louisiana has also committed funds to provide every mentor teacher with a $1,000 stipend for three years, beginning with the 2016-2017 school year.
Content leaders receive: Nine days of content-rich, curriculum-specific trainings and access to and training on six, turn-key ELA (grades 3-10) or math (grades K-9) content modules to train fellow educators (36 hours total).
Recommendations for Louisiana
Due to Louisiana's strong policies in this area, no recommendations are provided.
State response to our analysis
Louisiana was helpful in providing the facts necessary for this analysis.
Updated: June 2019
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How we graded
9C: Leadership Opportunities
- Policy or Initiative: The state should support, through a specific and articulated policy or initiative, opportunities for teachers to assume leadership roles and/or advanced career positions that allow them to continue teaching.
- Strategic Selection: The state should require that teachers are strategically selected for leadership roles based on specific criteria, including content knowledge and classroom effectiveness.
- Incentives or Supports: The state should offer, or encourage districts to offer meaningful incentives such as: compensation (e.g., financial incentives) or nonmonetary supports (e.g., reduced class loads) for teachers who assume leadership roles.
One-quarter of the total goal score is earned based on the following:
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if there is a specific and articulated policy or initiative for teachers to assume leadership roles or advanced career positions that allow them to continue teaching in the classroom for at least some of their work time.
One-quarter of the total goal score is earned based on the following:
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if it requires teachers to be strategically selected for leadership roles based on specific criteria, including content knowledge and effectiveness.
Up to one-half of the total goal score is earned based on the following:
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if it offers or encourages monetary incentives (e.g., bonuses, extra steps on the salary schedule) for teachers who assume leadership roles.
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if it offers or encourages non-monetary supports that help provide teacher leaders with the necessary time to engage in teacher leadership activities (e.g., additional prep time or reduced class loads) or non-monetary incentives that help increase teacher leaders efficacy and impact (e.g., attending conferences or being invited to serve on teacher panels/advisory boards/etc.).
Research rationale
Research from the past four decades widely supports leadership roles for teachers.[1] Teachers aspire to engage in leadership and professional growth opportunities,[2] and desire more participation in decisions about instruction.[3] Research suggests teacher leaders should be involved in policy and decision-making at some level.[4]
Research has not found a relationship between teacher leadership and student achievement;[5] however, the presence of teacher leadership opportunities in schools has benefits for individual teacher leaders, as well as the school-wide teacher community. Teacher leaders feel more confident, empowered, and professionally satisfied;[6] they also feel that leadership roles allowed them to grow professionally.[7] Teachers in schools with teacher leadership opportunities report that such opportunities contribute to greater teacher empowerment, professional community, and collective responsibility.[8] For their school community, teachers in leadership roles have the capacity to increase teacher collaboration, spread best practices, encourage teacher professional learning, and focus on content-specific issues.[9] Teacher leaders support professional learning communities by conducting formal professional development or assisting other teachers in classrooms.[10] By concurrently serving as teachers, teacher leaders are likely to be more effective in both roles.[11]
Teacher leaders selected for these roles should bring substantial teaching experience and knowledge of the curriculum,[12] as well as effective instruction.[13] Insofar as strong teacher leadership systems should ensure that teacher leaders also remain in the classroom as teachers, principals should provide time and space for the tasks of both teacher of record and teacher leadership roles, such as reducing class loads.
[1] Werner, J. A., & Campbell, T. (2017). The theoretical and empirical basis of teacher leadership: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 87(1), 134-171.; York-Barr, J., & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of Educational Research, 74(3), 255-316.
[2] Behrstock, E., & Clifford, M. (2009). Leading Gen Y teachers: Emerging strategies for school leaders (TQ Research & Policy Brief). National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality.; Coggshall, J. G., Behrstock-Sherratt, E., & Drill, K. (2011). Workplaces that support high-performing teaching and learning: Insights from Generation Y teachers. American Institutes for Research.; Conley, S. (1991). Review of research on teacher participation in school decision-making. In G. Grant (Ed.), Review of research in education (Vol. 17, pp. 225-265). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.; Markow, D., & Pieters, A. (2012). The MetLife survey of the American teacher: Teachers, parents and the economy. New York, NY: MetLife.
[3] Conley, S. (1991). Review of research on teacher participation in school decision-making. In G. Grant (Ed.), Review of research in education (Vol. 17, pp. 225-265). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.
[4] Can, N. (2009). The leadership behaviours of teachers in primary schools in Turkey. Education, 129(3), 436-448.; Carpenter, B. D., & Sherretz, C. E. (2012). Professional development school partnerships: An instrument for teacher leadership. School-University Partnerships, 5(1), 89-101.; Durias, R. F. (2010). Teacher leaders of color: The impact of professional development on their leadership. University of California, Santa Barbara.; Gonzales, L. D., & Behar-Horenstein, L. S. (2004). Sustaining teacher leadership in enabling to inchoate cultures. Journal of School Leadership, 14(2), 128-152.
[5] Lieberman, A., Saxl, E. R., & Miles, M. B. (1988). Teacher leadership: Ideology and practice. In A. Lieberman (Ed.), Building a professional culture in schools (pp. 148-166). New York: Teachers College Press.; York-Barr, J., & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of Educational Research, 74(3), 255-316.
[6] Beachum, F., & Dentith, A. M. (2004). Teacher leaders creating cultures of school renewal and transformation. In The Educational Forum (Vol. 68, No. 3, pp. 276-286). Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis Group.
[7] Hofstein, A., Carmeli, M., & Shore, R. (2004). The professional development of high school chemistry coordinators. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 15(1), 3-24.; Singh, A., Yager, S. O., Yutakom, N., Yager, R. E., & Ali, M. M. (2012). Constructivist teaching practices used by five teacher leaders for the Iowa Chautauqua Professional Development Program. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 7(2), 197-216.
[8] Beachum, F., & Dentith, A. M. (2004). Teacher leaders creating cultures of school renewal and transformation. In The educational forum (Vol. 68, No. 3, pp. 276-286). Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis Group.; Marks, H. M., & Louis, K. S. (1997). Does teacher empowerment affect the classroom? The implications of teacher empowerment for instructional practice and student academic performance. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19(3), 245-275.; Paulu, N., & Winters, K. (1998). Teachers leading the way: Voices from the National Teacher Forum. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.; Stone, M., Horejs, J., & Lomas, A. (1997). Commonalities and differences in teacher leadership at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Action in Teacher Education, 19(3), 49-64.
[9] Curtis, R. (2013). Finding a new way: Leveraging teacher leadership to meet unprecedented demands. Washington, DC: Aspen Institute.; Muijs, D., & Harris, A. (2003). Teacher leadership—Improvement through empowerment? An overview of the literature. Educational Management & Administration, 31(4), 437-448.; Muijs, D., & Harris, A. (2006). Teacher led school improvement: Teacher leadership in the UK. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22(8), 961-972.
[10] Can, N. (2009). The leadership behaviours of teachers in primary schools in Turkey. Education, 129(3), 436-448.; Durias, R. F. (2010). Teacher leaders of color: The impact of professional development on their leadership. University of California, Santa Barbara.; Gonzales, L. D., & Behar-Horenstein, L. S. (2004). Sustaining teacher leadership in enabling to inchoate cultures. Journal of School Leadership, 14(2), 128-152.; Gordin, L. (2010). Conceptualization and support of the role of teachers serving as team leaders in a professional learning community. Azusa, CA: Azusa Pacific University.; Margolis, J. (2012). Hybrid teacher leaders and the new professional development ecology. Professional Development in Education, 38(2), 291-315.; Margolis J., & Doring A. (2012). The fundamental dilemma of teacher leader-facilitated professional development: Do as I (kind of) say, not as I (sort of) do. Educational Administration Quarterly, 48, 859-882.; Margolis J., & Huggins K. S. (2012). Distributed but undefined: New teacher leader roles to change schools. Journal of School Leadership, 22, 953-981.; Muijs, D., & Harris, A. (2006). Teacher led school improvement: Teacher leadership in the UK. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22(8), 961-972.; Vernon-Dotson, L. J. (2008). Promoting inclusive education through teacher leadership teams: A school reform initiative. Journal of School Leadership, 18(3), 344-373.; Vernon-Dotson, L. J., & Floyd, L. O. (2012). Building leadership capacity via school partnerships and teacher teams. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 85(1), 38-49.
[11] Curtis, R. (2013). Finding a new way: Leveraging teacher leadership to meet unprecedented demands. Washington, DC: Aspen Institute.; Gonzales, L. D., & Behar-Horenstein, L. S. (2004). Sustaining teacher leadership in enabling to inchoate cultures. Journal of School Leadership, 14(2), 128-152.; Mangin M. M., & Stoelinga S. R. (2008). Teacher leadership: What it is and why it matters. In Mangin M. M., & Stoelinga S. R. (Eds.), Effective teacher leadership: Using research to inform and reform (pp. 1-9). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.; Margolis, J. (2012). Hybrid teacher leaders and the new professional development ecology. Professional Development in Education, 38(2), 291-315.; Muijs, D., & Harris, A. (2003). Teacher leadership—Improvement through empowerment? An overview of the literature. Educational Management & Administration, 31(4), 437-448.; Muijs, D., & Harris, A. (2006). Teacher led school improvement: Teacher leadership in the UK. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22(8), 961-972.; Vernon-Dotson, L. J. (2008). Promoting inclusive education through teacher leadership teams: A school reform initiative. Journal of School Leadership, 18(3), 344-373.
[12] Lieberman, A., Saxl, E. R., & Miles, M. B. (1988). Teacher leadership: Ideology and practice. In A. Lieberman (Ed.), Building a professional culture in schools (pp. 148-166). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
[13] Mangin M. M., & Stoelinga S. R. (2008). Teacher leadership: What it is and why it matters. In Mangin M. M., & Stoelinga S. R. (Eds.), Effective teacher leadership: Using research to inform and reform (pp. 1-9). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.