Typology of Teacher Leadership Programs - Research Report RR 2019-1 - A Scan of U.S. Programs and Initiatives that Support Teachers to Take New and Varied Roles

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob

Education leaders seek ways to strengthen teacher capacity to enhance learning for all students. This report defines teacher leadership as support for improving teaching and learning beyond a teacher’s own classroom. It maps U.S. teacher leadership programs, documenting 285 state, local, university, and foundation-sponsored initiatives. Programs are categorized by forms of support—preparation, role positioning, and recognition—leading to seven types.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages53

Reading Time2 h 14 min

AccessFree to download

Typology of Teacher Leadership Programs

Abstract

Keywords

Research Report RR2019-1

Overview

Conclusion

Recommendations Future

References

Appendix

University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons | CPRE Research Reports | Consortium for Policy Research in Education
(CPRE) | | --- | --- | | 1-8-2019
Typology of Teacher Leadership Programs
Jill Harrison Berg Peter Horn
Jonathan A. Supovitz
University of Pennsylvania, [jons@upenn.edu](jons@upenn.edu)[ ](jons@upenn.edu)Jason Margolis
Follow this and additional works at: [https://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_researchreports](https://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_researchreports)
Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, Other Education Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons | | Recommended Citation Berg, Jill Harrison; Horn, Peter; Supovitz, Jonathan A.; and Margolis, Jason. (2019). Typology of Teacher Leadership Programs. CPRE Research Reports. Retrieved from [https://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_researchreports/109](https://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_researchreports/109) This report is made possible through support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_researchreports/109 For more information, [please contact](please contact repository@pobox.upenn.edu)[ repository@pobox.upenn.edu](please contact repository@pobox.upenn.edu). Typology of Teacher Leadership Programs Abstract Education leaders are perennially seeking new ways to build the capacity of teachers to enhance learning experiences for all students. Teacher leadership, which we define as teachers’ support of the improvement of teaching and learning beyond their own classroom, has long been a source of interest and experimentation (Wenner & Campbell, 2017; York-Barr & Duke, 2004). Teacher leadership recognizes teachers’ instructional expertise as an asset for educational improvement, capitalizes upon teachers’ relationships with their colleagues to support change, and may provide career advancement opportunities to improve job satisfaction and the professionalization of teaching. For these and other reasons, states, districts, funders and teachers themselves have become increasingly interested in the promise of teacher leadership. In this study, we map the landscape of teacher leadership programs across the U.S. and identify commonalities and distinctions amongst the range of programs. Using a variety of search approaches to capture publiclyavailable information, we document 285 state, local, university, and foundation-sponsored programs that use a variety of techniques to support teachers as leaders. We then categorize the forms of support, attending to program models, objectives, sponsorship, and audience. We identify three major forms of support provided by teacher leadership programs: (1) preparation of teachers with knowledge and skills that can help them to lead; (2) positioning of teachers in leadership roles to capitalize upon their expertise; and (3) recognition of teachers as leaders through awards and other forms of appreciation or acknowledgement. While some programs focus only on one of these approaches, most employed a combination of these forms of support. Based on this, we define seven types of teacher leadership programs and provide an interactive depiction of this typology, with examples, to illustrate the variation within each of the seven types. While there are undoubtedly programs that escaped our view, as well as homegrown and informal initiatives that we could not document, this systematic search is the broadest scan of the teacher leadership program landscape conducted in the Unites States to date. Keywords Teacher Leadership Programs, Credential Programs, Fellowship Programs, Award Programs, Consultancy Programs, Differentiated Work Programs, Communities of Practice, Professional Advancement Disciplines Educational Leadership | Other Education | Teacher Education and Professional Development Comments This report is made possible through support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Th

FAQs

How does the report define teacher leadership?

Teacher leadership is defined as teachers’ support of improving teaching and learning beyond their own classroom.

What scope of programs does the study document?

The study documents 285 programs across state, local, university, and foundation-sponsored efforts in the U.S.

What major forms of support do teacher leadership programs provide?

The report identifies three major forms: preparing teachers with leadership knowledge and skills, positioning teachers in leadership roles, and recognizing teachers as leaders through awards or appreciation.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob