Statutes, codes, and regulations
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

Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-3-.52.01

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Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024
Section 290-3-3-.52.01 - Teacher Leader
(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.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-3-.52.01

New Rule: Filed May 13, 2010; effective June 17. 2010. Amended: Filed June 15, 2012; effective July 20, 2012. Amended: Filed March 14, 2013; effective April 18, 2013.
Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIII, Issue No. 11, August 31, 2015, eff. 9/17/2015.
Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVI, Issue No. 12, September 28, 2018, eff. 10/28/2018; operative 6/1/2019.

Author: Dr. Eric G. Mackey

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 16-3-16, 16-23-14.