Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 505-3-.72 - Teacher Leadership Program
(1)
Purpose. This rule states field-specific content standards and
requirements for approving initial Teacher Leadership preparation programs
designed to prepare individuals to serve in teacher leader roles in grades P-12
and to supplement requirements in GaPSC Rule
505-3-.01 REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS
FOR APPROVING EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROVIDERS AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION
PROGRAMS.
(2)
Admission
Requirements. A GaPSC-approved educator preparation provider in
partnership with the employing school(s)/local unit(s) of administration, as
delineated in an agreement by all partners, shall offer this program as a
Service (S) field to candidates who hold a valid, level 4 or higher Induction,
Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional teaching certificate,
leadership certificate, service certificate, or Life certificate, and:
(a) Are recommended by a school system-level
administrator (e.g., superintendent, assistant or associate superintendent, or
a designee such as the principal of the applicant's school);
(b) Have at least one year of successful
classroom teaching experience as a certified educator at the Induction,
Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional level. While at least
one year of successful classroom teaching experience is required for program
admission, this program is better suited for teachers who have completed the
induction phase of their careers, or have at least three years of teaching
experience.
(c) Meet the criteria
for specific program delivery methods:
1.
Certification-only candidates must have a Master's Degree or higher;
2. Advanced degree candidates must have a
Bachelor's degree or higher.
(3)
Completion Requirements.
(a) Certification-only candidates must meet
the following criteria:
1. Have intensive
support by a mentor experienced in instructional leadership;
2. Have an Individualized Growth Plan (IGP)
developed and utilized collaboratively by the candidate and a mentor toward
achievement of the candidate's IGP goals; and
3. Have individual work samples or other
artifacts that demonstrate the candidate has met program standards;
(b) Advanced degree candidates
must meet the following criteria:
1. Have
intensive support by a mentor experienced in instructional
leadership;
2. Have an
Individualized Growth Plan (IGP) developed and utilized collaboratively by the
candidate and a mentor toward achievement of the candidate's IGP
goals;
3. Have individual work
samples or other artifacts that demonstrate the candidate has met program
standards; and
4. Must complete the
following requirements at the appropriate level:
(i) Master's Degree level: a minimum of six
(6) semester hours (or the quarter hours equivalent) of advanced level
coursework focused on the content or content pedagogy of a certificate field
held by the educator. All six hours may be satisfied through advanced level
content or content pedagogy courses in which candidates are required to
demonstrate advanced skills related to their field of certification. This
requirement may also be satisfied through work on a thesis or research project,
or through work on a program capstone, internship, or other intensive
field-based practical exercise directly focused on the content of a certificate
field held by the educator or the educator's advancement of one or more peers'
knowledge, skill, and/or ability in the peers' field(s) of certification;
or
(ii) Specialist or Doctoral
degree level: a minimum of six (6) semester hours (or the quarter hours
equivalent) of advanced level coursework focused on the content or content
pedagogy of a certificate field held by the educator. All six hours may be
satisfied through advanced level content or content pedagogy courses in which
candidates are required to demonstrate advanced skills related to their field
of certification. This requirement may also be satisfied through work on a
thesis, research project or dissertation, or through work on a program
capstone, internship, or other intensive field-based practical exercise
directly focused on a content field held by the educator or the educator's
advancement of one or more peers' knowledge, skill, and/or ability in the
peers' field (s) of certification.
(4)
Program Approval. To receive
approval, a GaPSC-approved educator preparation provider shall offer a
preparation program described in program planning forms, catalogs, and syllabi
addressing the following standards:
1.
Candidates who complete the program are teacher leaders who will facilitate the
design and implementation of sustained, intensive, and job-embedded
professional learning (as defined in the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA), 20 U.S.C. §
6301) based on identified student and teacher
needs. The teacher leader:
(i) Applies
appropriate knowledge and strategies of adult learning theories across teacher
leadership and professional learning practices;
(ii) Models lifelong learning for students,
colleagues, and community stakeholders by being reflective, by engaging in
professional development, advocating for the profession and staying current and
knowledgeable of policy, trends, and practices in education;
(iii) Collaborates with others to assist with
creating and sustaining viable professional learning communities designed to
support the collaborative work of schools;
(iv) Leverages components of distributed
leadership to conduct needs assessments to identify staff needs and provide
ongoing support with implementing strategies to address staff needs;
(v) Stays current with research on the
organizational conditions and features of effective professional learning which
are necessary for designing and implementing on-going professional learning
experiences that are based on best practices and identified teacher and student
needs;
(vi) Involves colleagues in
development, implementation, and evaluation of a coherent professional learning
plan based on school goals;
(vii)
Teaches and models changes in teacher practices that are necessary for
improvement in student learning;
(viii) Applies the knowledge and skills of
effective mentoring, coaching, and instructional leadership to provide support
for teachers' professional learning and practice;
(ix) Utilizes multiple methods, including
evidence of student learning, to assess the effectiveness of professional
learning activities; and
(x)
Designs, facilitates, and implements professional development aligned to state
and national professional learning standards (e.g., Learning Forward's
Standards for Professional Learning).
2. Candidates who complete the program are
teacher leaders who work with stakeholders to promote the development of a
school culture that fosters excellence in teaching and learning for all,
focuses on continuous improvement, and builds a collaborative work environment.
The teacher leader:
(i) Works with others to
create an environment where colleagues and students take learning risks, where
fear of initial failure is minimized, and mistakes are openly
discussed;
(ii) Uses team building
and effective conflict management, including consensus-building skills, in a
variety of contexts to build a culture of collaboration, respect, trust and
high expectations;
(iii) Works with
others to create an environment that encourages needed change using a
research-informed change model;
(iv) Supports analysis of the school's
culture and builds understanding of the impact of organizational culture in
teaching and learning;
(v) Engages
colleagues in creating a culture supportive of a collaborative learning
community that embraces a shared vision of desired results;
(vi) Considers the ethical and legal
implications of decisions made and actions executed individually and
collectively;
(vii) Demonstrates
the capacity to support the school or school district in refining, redefining,
or sharpening its vision toward continuous improvement;
(viii) Facilitates the development of an
interdependent culture of improvement and accountability grounded in the belief
that collective responsibility and commitment to the team are fundamental to
the school's success;
(ix)
Clarifies issues to sharpen the focus on the elements of student and adult
learning and school culture that are most important to the school's success;
and
(x) Works with others to build
a culture that personalizes the work and learning of colleagues and
students.
3. Candidates
who complete the program are teacher leaders who demonstrate a comprehensive
understanding of curriculum and can facilitate others in the alignment of
curriculum, instruction, and assessment to standards. The teacher leader:
(i) Possesses an in-depth knowledge of their
discipline, and is knowledgeable about the structure of the
curriculum;
(ii) Understands how
the programs of study from various disciplines and grade levels are related and
sequenced in order to design and deliver meaningful and relevant professional
learning and instructional strategies;
(iii) Demonstrates the capacity to use a
variety of processes to engage and focus teachers in collaborative planning to
improve teaching and learning;
(iv)
Demonstrates the capacity to use appropriate research-informed protocols to
audit curriculum and analyze student work to assure high expectations for all
students;
(v) Demonstrates deep
understanding of the curriculum and is able to use a variety of protocols and
organizing frameworks to engage in discussions about what students should know,
understand, and do in each instructional unit based on those
standards;
(vi) Knows how to locate
and can assist in recommending content specific resources that are important in
the curriculum implementation process; and
(vii) Leads and assists in leading others in
prioritizing, mapping, and monitoring the implementation of the
curriculum.
4. Candidates
who complete the program are teacher leaders who model best practices in
pedagogy and serve as a mentor and coach for other educators. The teacher
leader:
(i) Advances the professional skills
of colleagues by demonstrating and applying expertise in observational skills
utilizing predetermined clear criteria and providing effective, descriptive
feedback;
(ii) Models and
articulates exemplary instructional practices and strategies based on
evidence-based research and high expectations for all students;
(iii) Models the effective application of
curriculum standards, instructional choices, student engagement, and monitoring
of student learning;
(iv)
Demonstrates the capacity to guide and assist teachers in designing and
planning quality and meaningful student work and learning
experiences;
(v) Promotes and
encourages teachers in developing higher order questions, thoughtful discourse,
and critical thinking in the classroom;
(vi) Guides teachers in the in-depth
understanding of lesson planning and delivery of content in clear and
meaningful ways;
(vii) Models and
assists teachers in the integration of technology to support classroom
instruction and student learning; and
(viii) Implements effective active listening
and professional discourse skills to include facilitation of critical or
difficult conversations, as appropriate;
5. Candidates who complete the program are
teacher leaders who work with others to design and implement assessment
practices and analyze data for monitoring and improving teaching and learning
through data-informed decision making. The teacher leader:
(i) Guides teachers in the identification and
selection of appropriate assessment instruments and practical assessment
strategies to improve instruction and monitor student learning;
(ii) Assists teachers in identifying
resources and providing appropriate support services for specific student
needs;
(iii) Assists teachers in
using formative and summative data to assess student progress toward and
attainment of expected outcomes;
(iv) Facilitates teachers in the collection,
analysis, use, and interpretation of varied assessment data for instructional
decisions and changes;
(v)
Facilitates the use of multiple sources of evidence to monitor and evaluate
teaching and learning; and
(vi) Is
knowledgeable of research on the appropriate use of assessment instruments and
data analysis techniques and can coach colleagues on their
implementation.
6.
Candidates who complete the program are teacher leaders who access and conduct
research, and apply research findings to improve teaching and learning. The
teacher leader:
(i) Guides colleagues to
relevant research to find the appropriate method and solutions to instructional
problems and challenges;
(ii)
Conducts and engages others in formal or informal action research to improve
educational outcomes and to help address critical educational issues;
(iii) Follows appropriate legal and ethical
procedures when conducting research;
(iv) Reads and stays informed of current
educational research, policies, trends, and innovations; and shares current
research with the school community;
(v) Analyzes a variety of valid, reliable,
and evidence based research before making decisions;
(vi) Implements original ideas based on
valid, reliable, and systematic inquiry as a critical component of informed
decision making; and
(vii) Supports
colleagues in collaborating with professional organizations involved in
educational research.
7.
Candidates who complete the program are teacher leaders who demonstrate the
ability to collaboratively advocate for the differentiated needs of students,
colleagues, families, and stakeholders to improve student learning and to guide
positive change. The teacher leader:
(i)
Facilitates group processes and builds alliances between and among stakeholders
necessary for school improvement;
(ii) Exhibits strong interpersonal skills
that establish and maintain effective working relationships;
(iii) Supports colleagues in the development
and improvement of interpersonal skills;
(iv) Works to develop and sustain trusting,
productive, and supportive relationships with all students, colleagues,
families, and other stakeholders;
(v) Promotes an atmosphere of collaboration
through the effective use of problem solving processes and protocols;
(vi) Demonstrates the capacity to understand,
explain, and assist with implementation of the school improvement
process;
(vii) Facilitates open
dialogue of ideas and information that support the school improvement process
student achievement goals, and the improvement of teaching and learning
practices;
(viii) Knows how to find
resources to promote school, family, and community relations and can utilize
them effectively;
(ix) Advocates
for student needs and for practices that promote student achievement;
and
(x) Facilitates colleagues'
understanding of the school community's broad range of backgrounds and
populations to enrich the educational experiences of all students and achieve
high levels of learning.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
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