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This study sought to determine how three teachers experienced learning when engaged in ongoing reflective inquiry regarding their teaching beliefs, teaching behaviors, and the comparison of those beliefs and behaviors. Three case studies describe teachers writing educational platforms, comparing their platforms to their classroom behaviors, and engaging in efforts to align their teaching with their beliefs. Five professional learning frameworks supported the teachers in their reflective inquiry: action research, a critical friend, reflective writing, a collegial support group and clinical supervision. The critical friend met teachers in individual meetings to discuss the inquiry process, facilitated their collegial support group meetings and conducted non-evaluative clinical supervision cycles for each teacher. Data collected for the study included transcribed audio recordings of the critical friend's individual meetings with teachers, post-observation conferences, and collegial support group meetings. Additional data included the teachers' educational platforms, action research game plans, classroom observation data, and reflective journals. Data for each teacher were analyzed and triangulated to develop individual cases, and a cross-case comparison identified group themes. Although they progressed through the inquiry process in different ways and at different tempos, all three teachers experienced cognitive dissonance that led to a commitment to align their beliefs and behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to describe four successful collaborative action research (CAR) projects through the lens of teacher leaders who facilitated the school teams that conducted the CAR. For each CAR project described, the paper will report on the various phases of the CAR, the challenges of implementation as well as how the challenges were addressed by the teacher leaders, and results of the action research. Additionally, the study identifies several common characteristics of the widely varied CAR projects.

Educators in PK-12 schools were surveyed to seek their perceptions of colleagues who they considered informal teacher leaders, defined as leaders who were not appointed to a leadership role by a school or district administrator. The survey asked administrators, educational specialists, and teachers working in PK-12 schools across four states to share their perceptions of informal teacher leaders' leadership activities, personal and professional attributes, relationships with other educators, and impact. Open, axial, and selective coding were used to analyze the respondents' open-ended survey responses, and themes were developed relative to research topics. The respondents reported that the informal teacher leaders they identified engaged in important leadership activities at the individual, team, and school levels. The informal teacher leaders were described by respondents as passionate, caring, efficient, open to others, and professional. A variety of specific types of leadership knowledge and skills were attributed to the informal teacher leaders. Relationships of the informal teacher leaders with other educators were characterized as respectful, trusting, and warm, and the informal leaders' working relationships with other teachers and school administrators were considered positive. The respondents reported a variety of positive impacts of informal teacher leaders on students, teachers, and the school. Although many of the leadership activities, attributes, relationships, and impacts of informal teacher leaders parallel those of formal teacher leaders, a number of distinctions also were identified indicating some differentiation of roles and functions. Recommendations are made for educator programs, principals, and future research.

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe successful innovations in educational leadership preparation programs. Professors of educational leadership from across the nation nominated innovations of 12 programs. Based on review of descriptions of the innovations provided by nominees, further documentation on the innovations was requested from the programs. Various stakeholders in the programs with the most promising innovations were interviewed to gather additional data on those innovations. Data analysis in relation to three criteria for selection--fidelity of implementation, positive student learning outcomes, and adaptability to other programs--resulted in the identification of six successful innovations.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify (1) teacher-leaders' descriptions of their roles and activities, (2) perceptions of characteristics, knowledge, and skills of successful teacher leaders, (3) barriers to and support needed for teacher leadership, (4) the extent to which teacher leaders helped teachers understand and respond to different cultures, and (5) the rewards of teacher leadership. Phase I of the study consisted of a survey of 177 teacher leaders across eight states representing all regions of the country. In Phase II we conducted interviews with 20 of the survey respondents to supplement survey data. Findings point to the complex nature of the roles and activities of teacher leaders. The data have implications for teacher leadership preparation and the ongoing support teacher leaders will need to actualize their roles within schools.

The rapidly changing world and the increasingly complex demands placed on schools because of that change has led to an increasing awareness that the school principal alone cannot provide all of the leadership necessary for school development. More and more school districts are asking teachers to share leadership responsibilities with school administrators. At the same time, even teacher leaders who are outstanding classroom teachers and committed to assisting their colleagues and renewing their schools still need their own professional learning in order to reach their leadership potential. The authors have identified 10 areas in which teacher leaders express that they need professional learning. Most of these needs cannot be taught to teacher leaders in a single, short-term program. Rather, these needs are met through ongoing professional learning. These 10 areas are described in this article.