Chapter 4: Leveraging Collaborative Teacher Leadership for Equitable School Transformation

When a new principal was hired for the diverse Title I middle school described in this chapter, there was no rapid remedy to strengthen staff culture or address learning gaps for underserved students. Historically, this school experienced staff turnover rates between 25 to 50% each year and low academic outcomes with pronounced gaps between diverse demographic groups. Specifically, students identified as English Learners, students with disabilities, homeless, and socioeconomically disadvantaged consistently scored in the bottom tiers of the state performance index in both English language arts and mathematics. Additionally, historic climate data indicated that teachers lacked self-efficacy and a sense that they had a voice in schoolwide decision making.