tla Learning Showcase 2023

M-DCPS Teacher LEADership Academy

The M-DCPS Teacher LEADership Academy is a year-long, job-embedded professional development initiative that supports innovative teacher learning and practice with a focus on leadership development. Through intentional programmatic design, the M-DCPS Teacher LEADership Academy grants teacher leaders the opportunity to engage with major components of the teacher leadership development model, which align to the Teacher Leader Model Standards (TLC, 2009).

Teacher Leader Model Standards

The Teacher Leader Model Standards help to define how teacher leadership can be distinguished from, but work in tandem with, administrative leadership roles to support effective teaching and promote student learning.

The Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium, a diverse group of 10 national organizations, eight institutions of higher education, 10 practitioners, and 11 state education agencies, examined research, conducted surveys, debated, and shared experiences to produce a set of standards to stimulate discussion among stakeholders of the teaching profession about what constitutes the knowledge, skills, and competencies that teachers need to assume teacher leadership roles in their schools, districts, and the profession.

The standards consist of seven domains describing the various attributes of teacher leadership:

•   Domain I: Fostering a collaborative culture to support educator development and student learning 

 •  Domain II: Accessing and using research to improve practice and student learning

 •  Domain III: Promoting professional learning for continuous improvement

 •  Domain IV: Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning

 •  Domain V: Promoting the use of assessments and data for school and district improvement

 •  Domain VI: Improving outreach and collaboration with families and community

 •  Domain VII: Advocating for student learning and the profession

Additionally, the standards can be used to inform the development of curriculum and professional learning opportunities to support teacher leaders’ professional growth. The standards can also be used to develop programs for higher education.