Alabama Administrative Code
Title 290 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Chapter 290-3-3 - TEACHER EDUCATION - PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Section 290-3-3-.52.01 - Teacher Leader
Universal Citation: AL Admin Code R 290-3-3-.52.01
Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1) Rationale. To realize the mission of enhancing school leadership among teacher leaders in Alabama resulting in the improvement of academic achievement for all students, prospective teacher leaders will achieve the standards below. Prospective teacher leaders must have opportunities to work collaboratively with school administrators, colleagues, students, parents and families, and the larger community to achieve schoolwide goals. Teacher leaders adhere to the Alabama Educator Code of Ethics and model the use of the Alabama Professional Development Standards when providing learning opportunities for their colleagues. Standards for the preparation of teacher leaders reflect the Alabama Core Teaching Standards.
(a) Program
content should be primarily focused on supporting the development and improving
the practice of shared leadership.
(b) All candidates should understand and be
able to support leadership that is shared with all stakeholders to increase
student learning.
(c) All
candidates must support the concept and the practice of collective learning
with faculties and schools.
(2) Unconditional Admission to a Teacher Leader Program. Initial certification for a teacher leader shall be at the Class AA level.
(a) Criteria for
unconditional admission to teacher leader programs shall include:
1. A valid master's
level professional educator certificate in any teaching field or area of
instructional support.
2. A minimum
of three full years of full-time teaching experience in a P-12
setting.
3. A portfolio containing:
(i) Three letters of
recommendation.
(ii) Evidence of
ability to positively affect student achievement.
(iii) Evidence of collaborative leadership
potential.
(b) If an individual is unconditionally
admitted to an Alabama Class AA teacher leader program based on a
valid master's level professional educator certificate
in a teaching field or area of instructional support from another state,
completes the Class AA teacher leader program, and subsequently applies for
Class AA teacher leader certification, then the individual must hold at least a
valid Class A Professional Educator Certificate in a
teaching field or area of instructional support before applying for Class AA
certification.
(3) Program Requirements. Each State-approved program must:
(a) Include at least 30 semester hours of
course work at the sixth-year level or above and not used for prior-level
certification or degree in any teaching field or area of instructional
support.
(b) Include periodic focus
sessions for candidates to share problem-based concerns and successes and to
collaborate on issues and solutions.
(c) Include meaningful P-12 school-based
field experiences in any teacher leader course used to meet a teacher leader
standard.
(d) Include a minimum of
six semester hours reserved for a problem-based research project in a school or
school system.
(4) Collaboration. The program should continue aspects of the EPP/LEA partnerships created for the Class A Instructional Leadership program to include:
(a) Joint curriculum
design.
(b) Joint mentoring
decisions.
(c) Joint planning for
field experiences.
(d) Joint
planning for the problem-based research proj ect.
(5) Curriculum of a Teacher Leader Program.
(a)
Learner
development. Teacher leaders help to ensure that experienced and new
teachers understand how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of
learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive,
linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and design and implement
developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences for all
students. Prospective teacher leaders demonstrate the ability to assist
teachers to:
1. Regularly assess and group
performance in order to design and modify instruction to meet learners' needs
in each area of development (cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and
physical) and scaffold the next level of development.
2. Create developmentally appropriate
instruction that takes into account individual learners' strengths, interests,
and needs and that enables each learner to advance and accelerate his/her
learning.
3. Collaborate with
families, communities, colleagues, and other professionals to promote learner
growth and development.
4. Respect
learners' differing strengths and needs and use this information to further
each learner's development.
5. Use
learners' strengths as a basis for growth, and their misconceptions as
opportunities for learning.
6. Take
responsibility for promoting learners' growth and development.
7. Value the input and contributions of
families, colleagues, and other professionals in understanding and supporting
each learner's development.
(b)
Learning differences.
Teacher leaders help to ensure that experienced and new teachers use
understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to
ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high
standards. Prospective teacher leaders demonstrate the ability to assist
teachers to:
1. Design, adapt, and deliver
instruction to address each student's diverse learning strengths and needs and
create opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning in different
ways.
2. Make appropriate and
timely provisions (e.g., pacing for individual rates of growth, task demands,
communication, assessment, and response modes) for individual students with
particular learning differences or needs.
3. Design instruction to build on learners'
prior knowledge and experiences, allowing learners to accelerate as they
demonstrate their understandings.
4. Bring multiple perspectives to the
discussion of content, including attention to learners' personal, family, and
community experiences and cultural norms.
5. Incorporate tools of language development
into planning and instruction, including strategies for making content
accessible to English language learners and for evaluating and supporting their
development of English proficiency.
6. Access resources, supports, and
specialized assistance and services to meet particular learning differences or
needs.
7. Believe that all learners
can achieve at high levels and persist in helping each learner reach his/her
full potential.
8. Respect learners
as individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds and various
skills, abilities, perspectives, talents, and interests.
9. Make learners feel valued and help them
learn to value each other.
10.
Value diverse languages and dialects and seek to integrate them into his/her
instructional practice to engage students in learning.
(c)
Learning environments.
Teacher leaders help to ensure that experienced and new teachers work with
others to create environments that support individual and collaborative
learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in
learning, and self-motivation. Prospective teacher leaders demonstrate the
ability to assist teachers to:
1. Collaborate
with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning
climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.
2. Develop learning experiences that engage
learners in collaborative and self-directed learning and that extend learner
interaction with ideas and people locally and globally.
3. Collaborate with learners and colleagues
to develop shared values and expectations for respectful interactions, rigorous
academic discussions, and individual and group responsibility for quality
work.
4. Manage the learning
environment to actively and equitably engage learners by organizing,
allocating, and coordinating the resources of time, space, and learners'
attention.
5. Use a variety of
methods to engage learners in evaluating the learning environment and
collaborate with learners to make appropriate adjustments.
6. Communicate verbally and nonverbally in
ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural
backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning
environment.
7. Promote responsible
learner use of interactive technologies to extend the possibilities for
learning locally and globally.
8.
Intentionally build learner capacity to collaborate in face-to-face and virtual
environments through applying effective interpersonal communication
skills.
9. Commit to working with
learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and
supportive learning environments.
10. Value the role of learners in promoting
each other's learning and recognize the importance of peer relationships in
establishing a climate of learning.
11. Commit to supporting learners as they
participate in decision making, engage in exploration and invention, work
collaboratively and independently, and engage in purposeful learning.
12. Seek to foster respectful communication
among all members of the learning community.
13. Thoughtfully and responsively listen and
observe.
(d)
Content knowledge. Teacher leaders help to ensure that experienced
and new teachers understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and
structures of the discipline(s) they teach and create learning experiences that
make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to
assure mastery of the content. Prospective teacher leaders demonstrate the
ability to assist teachers to:
1. Effectively
use multiple representations and explanations that capture key ideas in the
discipline, guide learners through learning progressions, and promote each
learner's achievement of content standards.
2. Engage students in learning experiences in
the discipline(s) that encourage learners to understand, question, and analyze
ideas from diverse perspectives so that they master the content.
3. Engage learners in applying methods of
inquiry and standards of evidence used in the discipline.
4. Stimulate learner reflection on prior
content knowledge, link new concepts to familiar concepts, and make connections
to learners' experiences.
5.
Recognize learner misconceptions in a discipline that interfere with learning,
and create experiences to build accurate conceptual understanding.
6. Evaluate and modify instructional
resources and curriculum materials for their comprehensiveness, accuracy for
representing particular concepts in the discipline, and appropriateness for
his/her learners.
7. Use
supplementary resources and technologies effectively to ensure accessibility
and relevance for all learners.
8.
Create opportunities for students to learn, practice, and master academic
language in their content.
9.
Access school and/or district-based resources to evaluate the learner's content
knowledge in their primary language.
10. Realize that content knowledge is not a
fixed body of facts but is complex, culturally situated, and ever evolving, and
keep abreast of new ideas and understanding in the field.
11. Appreciate multiple perspectives within
the discipline and facilitate learners' critical analysis of these
perspectives.
12. Recognize the
potential of bias in his/her representation of the discipline and seek to
appropriately address problems of bias.
13. Commit to work toward each learner's
mastery of disciplinary content and skills.
(e)
Application of content.
Teacher leaders help to ensure that experienced and new teachers understand how
to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in
critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to
authentic local and global issues. Prospective teacher leaders demonstrate the
ability to assist teachers to:
1. Develop and
implement projects that guide learners to analyze the complexities of an issue
or question using perspectives from varied disciplines and cross-disciplinary
skills (e.g., a water quality study that draws upon biology and chemistry to
look at factual information and social studies to examine policy
implications).
2. Engage learners
in applying content knowledge to real world problems through the lens of
interdisciplinary themes (e.g., financial literacy, environmental
literacy).
3. Facilitate learners'
use of current tools and resources to maximize content learning in varied
contexts.
4. Engage learners in
questioning and challenging assumptions and approaches in order to foster
innovation and problem solving in local and global contexts.
5. Develop learners' communication skills in
disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts by creating meaningful
opportunities to employ a variety of forms of communication that address varied
audiences and purposes.
6. Engage
learners in generating and evaluating new ideas and novel approaches, seeking
inventive solutions to problems, and developing original work.
7. Facilitate learners' ability to develop
diverse social and cultural perspectives that expand their understanding of
local and global issues and create novel approaches to solving
problems.
8. Develop and implement
supports for learner literacy development across content areas.
9. Constantly explore how to use disciplinary
knowledge as a lens to address local and global issues.
10. Value knowledge outside his/her own
content area and how such knowledge enhances student learning.
11. Value flexible learning environments that
encourage learner exploration, discovery, and expression across content
areas.
(f)
Assessment. Teacher leaders help to ensure that experienced and
new teachers understand and use multiple methods of assessment to engage
learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the
teacher's and learner's decision making. Prospective teacher leaders
demonstrate the ability to assist teachers to:
1. Balance the use of formative and summative
assessment as appropriate to support, verify, and document learning.
2. Design assessments that match learning
objectives with assessment methods and minimize sources of bias that can
distort assessment results.
3. Work
independently and collaboratively to examine test and other performance data to
understand each learner's progress and to guide planning.
4. Engage learners in understanding and
identifying quality work and provide them with effective descriptive feedback
to guide their progress toward that work.
5. Engage learners in multiple ways of
demonstrating knowledge and skill as part of the assessment process.
6. Model and structure processes that guide
learners in examining their own thinking and learning as well as the
performance of others.
7.
Effectively use multiple and appropriate types of assessment data to identify
each student's learning needs and to develop differentiated learning
experiences.
8. Prepare all
learners for the demands of particular assessment formats and make appropriate
accommodations in assessments or testing conditions, especially for learners
with disabilities and language learning needs.
9. Continually seek appropriate ways to
employ technology to support assessment practice both to engage learners more
fully and to assess and address learner needs.
10. Commit to engaging learners actively in
assessment processes and to developing each learner's capacity to review and
communicate about her or his own progress and learning.
11. Take responsibility for aligning
instruction and assessment with learning goals.
12. Commit to providing timely and effective
descriptive feedback to learners on their progress.
13. Commit to using multiple types of
assessment processes to support, verify, and document learning.
14. Commit to making accommodations in
assessments and testing conditions, especially for learners with disabilities
and language learning needs.
15.
Commit to the ethical use of various assessments and assessment data to
identify learner strengths and needs to promote learner growth.
(g)
Planning for
instruction. Teacher leaders help to ensure that experienced and new
teachers plan instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous
learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum,
cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and
the community context. Prospective teacher leaders demonstrate the ability to
assist teachers to:
1. Individually and
collaboratively select and create learning experiences that are appropriate for
curriculum goals and content standards, and are relevant to learners.
2. Plan how to achieve each student's
learning goals, choosing appropriate strategies and accommodations, resources,
and materials to differentiate instruction for individuals and groups of
learners.
3. Develop appropriate
sequencing of learning experiences and provide multiple ways to demonstrate
knowledge and skill.
4. Plan for
instruction based on formative and summative assessment data, prior learner
knowledge, and learner interest.
5.
Plan collaboratively with professionals who have specialized expertise (e.g.,
special educators, related service providers, language learning specialists,
librarians, media specialists) to design and jointly deliver an appropriate
learning experience to meet unique learning needs.
6. Evaluate plans in relation to short- and
long-range goals and systematically adjust plans to meet each student's
learning needs and enhance learning.
7. Respect learners' diverse strengths and
needs and commit to using this information to plan effective
instruction.
8. Value planning as a
collegial activity that takes into consideration the input of learners,
colleagues, families, and the larger community.
9. Take professional responsibility to use
short- and long-term planning as a means of assuring student
learning.
10. Believe that plans
must always be open to adjustment and revision based on learner needs and
changing circumstances.
(h)
Instructional strategies.
Teacher leaders help to ensure that experienced and new teachers understand and
use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep
understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to
apply knowledge in meaningful ways. Prospective teacher leaders demonstrate the
ability to assist teachers to:
1. Use
appropriate strategies and resources to adapt instruction to the needs of
individuals and groups of learners.
2. Continuously monitor student learning,
engage learners in assessing their progress, and adjust instruction in response
to student learning needs.
3.
Collaborate with learners to design and implement relevant learning
experiences, identify their strengths, and access family and community
resources to develop their areas of interest.
4. Vary the teacher's role in the
instructional process (e.g., instructor, facilitator, coach, audience) in
relation to the content and purposes of instruction and the needs of
learners.
5. Provide multiple
models and representations of concepts and skills with opportunities for
learners to demonstrate their knowledge through a variety of products and
performances.
6. Engage all
learners in developing higher order questioning skills and metacognitive
processes.
7. Engage learners in
using a range of learning skills and technology tools to access, interpret,
evaluate, and apply information.
8.
Use a variety of instructional strategies to support and expand learners'
communication through speaking, listening, reading, writing, and other
modes.
9. Ask questions to
stimulate discussion that serves different purposes (e.g., probing for learner
understanding, helping leaners articulate their ideas and thinking processes,
stimulating curiosity, and helping learners to question).
10. Commit to deepening awareness and
understanding the strengths and needs of diverse learners when planning and
adjusting instruction.
11. Value
the variety of ways people communicate and encourage learners to develop and
use multiple forms of communication.
12. Commit to exploring how the use of new
and emerging technologies can support and promote student learning.
13. Value flexibility and reciprocity in the
teaching process as necessary for adapting instruction to learner responses,
ideas, and needs.
(i)
Professional learning and ethical practice.
Teacher leaders help to ensure that experienced and new teachers engage in ongoing professional learning and use evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapt practice to meet the needs of each learner. Prospective teacher leaders demonstrate the ability to assist teachers to:
1. Engage in ongoing learning opportunities
to develop knowledge and skills in order to provide all learners with engaging
curriculum and learning experiences based on local and state
standards.
2. Engage in meaningful
and appropriate professional learning experiences aligned with his/her own
needs and the needs of the learners, school, and system.
3. Independently and in collaboration with
colleagues, use a variety of data (e.g., systematic observation, information
about learners, research) to evaluate the outcomes of teaching and learning and
to adapt planning and practice.
4.
Actively seek professional, community, and technological resources, within and
outside the school, as supports for analysis, reflection, and
problem-solving.
5. Reflect on
his/her personal biases and accesses resources to deepen his/her own
understanding of cultural, ethnic, gender, and learning differences to build
stronger relationships, and create more relevant learning
experiences.
6. Advocate, model,
and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of information and technology including
appropriate documentation of sources and respect for others in the use of
social media.
7. Take
responsibility for student learning and use ongoing analysis and refection to
improve planning and practice.
8.
Commit to developing understanding of his/her own frames of reference (e.g.,
culture, gender, language, abilities, ways of knowing), the potential biases in
these frames, and their impact on expectations for and relationships with
learners and their families.
9. See
himself/herself as a learner, continuously seeking opportunities to draw upon
current education policy and research as sources of analysis and reflection to
improve practice.
10. Understand
the expectations of the profession including The Alabama Educator Code of
Ethics, professional standards of practice, and relevant law and
policy.
(j)
Leadership and collaboration. Teacher leaders help to ensure that
experienced and new teachers seek appropriate leadership roles and
opportunities to take responsibility or student learning, to collaborate with
learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community
members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession. Prospective
teacher leaders demonstrate the ability to assist teachers to:
1. Take an active role on the instructional
team, giving and receiving feedback on practice, examining learner work,
analyzing data from multiple sources, and sharing responsibility for decision
making and accountability for each student's learning.
2. Work with other school professionals to
plan and jointly facilitate learning on how to meet diverse needs of
learners.
3. Engage collaboratively
in the schoolwide effort to build a shared vision and supportive culture,
identify common goals, and monitor and evaluate progress toward those
goals.
4. Work collaboratively with
learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing
communication to support learner development and achievement.
5. Work with school colleagues to build
ongoing connections with community resources to enhance student learning and
well-being.
6. Engage in
professional learning, contribute to the knowledge and skill of others, and
work collaboratively to advance professional practice.
7. Use technological tools and a variety of
communication strategies to build local and global learning communities that
engage learners, families, and colleagues.
8. Use and generate meaningful research on
education issues and policies.
9.
Seek appropriate opportunities to model effective practice for colleagues, to
lead professional learning activities, and to serve in other leadership
roles.
10. Advocate to meet the
needs of learners, to strengthen the learning environment, and to enact system
change.
11. Take on leadership
roles at the school, district, state, and/or national level and advocate for
learners, the school, the community, and the profession.
12. Actively share responsibility for shaping
and supporting the mission of his/her school as one of advocacy for learners
and accountability for their success.
13. Respect families' beliefs, norms, and
expectations and seek to work collaboratively with learners and families in
setting and meeting challenging goals.
14. Take initiative to grow and develop with
colleagues through interactions that enhance practice and support student
learning.
15. Take responsibility
for contributing to and advancing the profession.
16. Embrace the challenge of continuous
improvement and change.
(6) Requirements for Class AA Certification in Teacher Leader. Readiness to serve as a teacher leader shall include:
(a) At least a
valid Class A Professional Educator Certificate or a
valid Class A Professional Leadership Certificate. See
Rule
290-3-3-.52.01(2)(b).
(b) An official transcript from a regionally
accredited institution documenting an earned education specialist
degree.
(c) A survey of special
education course is required unless that course was taken for prior level
certification. [See Rule
290-3-3-.01(51)] . An individual who completed a survey of special education course prior to
meeting requirements for unconditional admission to a Class AA program July 1,
2017, or thereafter, must take a course focused primarily on one of the
following categories: methods of accommodating instruction to meet the needs of
students with exceptionalities in inclusive settings, multicultural education,
teaching English language learners, rural education, or urban education. A
course used to meet this requirement for Class A certification may not be used
to meet the requirement for Class AA certification.
(d) Satisfactory completion of a
State-approved program with a minimum GPA of 3.25 for all courses in the
Alabama State Board of Education approved teacher leader program as verified on
an official transcript. Effective for candidates unconditionally admitted to a
Class AA teacher leader program July 1, 2017, and thereafter, satisfactory
completion of a State-approved program with a minimum GPA of 3.50 on all
courses in the Alabama State Board of Education approved teacher leader
program.
(e) Satisfactory
completion of a problem-based research project.
(7) Testing for Certification in Teacher Leader.
Applicants for initial certification in teacher leader through the completion of a Class AA program must meet the Praxis II requirements of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP) as a precondition of certification.
(8) Faculty. An institution shall meet the criteria listed below.
(a) The program shall include at least two
faculty members who hold earned doctorates and are full-time to the EPP. One
faculty member shall hold an earned doctorate in educational administration or
instructional leadership and shall be actively involved in the preparation of
instructional leaders at the Class AA level. One faculty member shall hold an
earned doctorate and be actively involved in the preparation of teachers at
least at the Class AA level for grades P-3, K-6, 6-12, or P-12.
(b) Faculty members shall teach courses
required in the teacher leader preparation program, advise candidates seeking
certification through program completion, and demonstrate a thorough
understanding of current State initiatives.
Author: Dr. Eric G. Mackey
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 16-3-16, 16-23-14.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Alabama may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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