Teacher Leader Stories

The Power of Case Methods

Judy Swanson, Kimberly Elliott, Jeanne M. Harmon

• Publisher: Corwin
• Year: 2011
• ISBN:
  9781452238807
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Leadership in Education

Empower teacher leaders through the power of case study

Many teachers are looking for the training and support they need to become leaders. Like having a conversation with a successful teacher leader, this practical guide will help teachers strengthen their leadership skills, optimize student learning, and enhance the profession. Research shows that case study is the most effective training method, and this book provides:

• 16 compelling case studies that cover a broad range of leadership experiences
• Explicit guidance on using case writing and case analysis to enrich teachers’ professional learning
• A facilitator’s guide with discussion questions for each case study

1	The Value of Case Methods

Promoting Reflection on the Precarious Real World of Leadership

WHY USE CASE METHODS TO SUPPORT TEACHER LEADERS?

While the case method of teaching and learning has become a standard in medical, legal, and business education, it is not yet a common approach in the field of education, although its use has grown in the last two decades. More than 10 years ago, Lee Shulman (1996) advocated for developing a case literature of teaching so that cases could help teachers “chunk” or organize their experiences into units they could analyze and use as a resource for disciplined reflection. The sampling of casebooks listed in Figure 1.1 reveals that significant progress has been made toward Shulman’s goal. Casebooks have been developed for a number of the needs that arise during a teacher’s career.

However, as Miller et al. (2000) noted in Teacher Leadership in Mathematics and Science: Casebook and Facilitator’s Guide, in the realm of teacher leadership case literature, the options are limited to the domains of math and science. In the foreword to that volume, Susan Loucks-Horsley observes, “Well-crafted materials for use with teacher leaders are few and far between” (p. v). Sadly, this is still the case—quality professional development tools for teacher leaders are still in short supply. With the tremendous expansion of teacher leadership in the last decade (Smylie, 2008), a broader examination of teacher leadership is called for, and case methods are particularly well suited to expanding professional learning for teacher leaders who are often isolated as “one of a kind” in an individual school.

Figure 1.1 The Growing Catalog of Casebooks in Education

Focus on Dilemma-Based Cases: Leadership Challenges Under the Microscope

Case methods make for compelling learning because “cases recount, as objectively and meticulously as possible, real events or problems so that the reader relives the complexities, ambiguities, and uncertainties confronted by the original participants in the case” (Golich, Boyer, Franko, & Lamy, 2000, p. 1). Cases tell vivid stories, which make for robust learning, because “good stories move us. They touch us, they teach us, and they cause us to remember” (Kouzes & Posner, 1999, p. 25). Yet, Lee Shulman (1986) reminds us that not all stories are cases. He notes that, “To call something a case is to make a theoretical claim—to argue—that it is a ‘case of something,’ or to argue that it is an instance of a larger class” (p. 11).Thus, a case represents a type of dilemma¹ or problem that arises with some frequency. The dilemmas themselves and the factors that contribute to their complexity provide the grist for focusing discussions, debates, and collaborative learning.

My group was quite diverse in the kinds of jobs that people had and I remember thinking that teacher leadership can be so many different things. And I also remember that I was struck that almost every one was in an area that was not the focus of the national reform agenda of either literacy or math. Teacher leadership was happening in places where policy wasn’t paying attention. These teachers were trying to define what they do because the system wasn’t supporting their work in the same way districts were in math and literacy. Case Author

By definition, dilemmas are ill-defined, complicated, and stressful situations that require leaders to make difficult choices. Because leaders can rarely solve dilemmas by applying existing knowledge (Chrislip, 2002; Heifitz, 1994), they must engage in thoughtful dialogue, careful analysis, new learning, and collaborative problem solving. Analysis of dilemma-based cases simulates this real-life decision-making process, which allows teacher leaders to practice the arts of compromise and satisficing (Simon, 1957)—accepting a choice that is not optimal, but good enough to satisfy most constituents.

Dilemma-based cases have three additional important characteristics. First, they are not meant to lead to one “right” solution (Childress et al., 2007; Miller et al., 2000). That means that the teacher leaders who analyze the cases must raise questions, critique assumptions, and consider multiple perspectives to analyze the complex circumstances in each case. This process can expose conflicting perspectives that push participants to reflect on their beliefs, which often produces changes in their thinking (Levin, 1999). Second, dilemma-based cases that focus on complex challenges in leadership can help teacher leaders develop greater appreciation for the nuanced contributions of situational factors, personalities, or power dynamics (Sykes & Bird, 1992) that facilitate or inhibit change—excellent preparation for their work within school, district, and state and national reform efforts. When you engage teacher leaders and building and district administrators together in case discussions, you create opportunities for them to align their expectations—an important step toward the creation of coherent policies and practices throughout a district that advance teacher leadership.

Third, dilemma-based cases allow teacher leaders to follow the actions, thoughts, and decision-making processes of real teachers who faced real problems in real settings. Miller and Kantrov (1998) provide a nice image of cases as providing both windows and mirrors. They offer a window into the experiences and ideas of the educators in the case as well as a mirror that reflects the beliefs and attitudes of those who engage in collaborative conversations about the case. In the process, new knowledge and awareness is built. Most important, participants learn a way of thinking that fosters reflective practice. Developing these analytical skills helps build teacher leaders’ confidence and competence as leaders and their ability to make informed decisions.

HOW DO CASE METHODS PROMOTE TEACHER LEADERS’ PROFESSIONAL GROWTH?

Research on professional development helps us understand why case methods yield powerful learning. There is a growing consensus in the research literature about the critical features of effective professional development that produce changes in practice (Desimone, 2009). When supported by skilled facilitation, both case writing and case analysis include all five of these essential features:

• Content focus. Learning activities focus on developing content knowledge and an understanding of how individuals learn that content (i.e., pedagogical content knowledge) (Carpenter, Fennema, Peterson, Chiang, & Loef, 1989; Cohen & Hill, 2001; Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, 2001; Kennedy, 1998).

• Active learning. Participants must be actively engaged in making meaning of their experiences and new practices (Garet et al., 2001; Penuel, Fishman, Yamaguchi, & Gallagher, 2007).

• Duration. Intellectual and pedagogical change requires professional development to be of sufficient duration—at least 30 to 100 contact hours over several months to a year (Garet et al., 2001; Wenglinsky, 2000).

• Collective participation. Collegial learning is critical for interaction and discourse that helps internalize learning and its transfer into practice (McLaughlin & Talbert, 2006).

• Coherence. When learning is consistent with teachers’ knowledge and beliefs (Elmore & Burney, 1997), and consistent with school, district, and state reforms and policies (Elmore, 2002; Fullan, 1993; Guskey, 1994), professional development is more likely to produce changes in practice.

The content focus is to deepen understanding of teacher leadership and how one learns to lead. Analyzing and discussing cases, and certainly writing cases, requires active learning; participants must deeply engage with the issues and with one another to make sense of dilemmas embedded in a case. The Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession’s (CSTP) approach to case writing is of significant duration. Case writers commit to participate in writing retreats and continue to write and revise with online support until the case is ready for publication, a process that, on average, takes three to six months. As one case author pointed out, collective participation—the conversations and analysis that writers take part in as they work and learn with colleagues—strengthens the learning:

Having the case writers work in a group and talk as a group about the things that they were struggling with and to have everybody listen was key. It gave everyone the opportunity to not only tell their story, but also to explore more deeply and analytically their own experiences and the difficulties they wrestled with much more effectively than they could have done on their own.

Finally, when case writers come together, they also discover that although the particulars of their experiences may be unique, others have encountered similar issues in their leadership work. This realization creates coherence for the teacher leaders as they recognize that their shared experiences are shaped by similar school and district policies. This discovery will not in itself solve leadership challenges, but it affirms for the writers that the issues are legitimate and it provides a starting place for seeking solutions.

WHY INVEST IN TEACHER LEADERS’ GROWTH?

During the standards movement in the late 1990s, Swanson’s interest in teacher leadership grew out of the following observation:

When visiting schools I was often struck by the depth of knowledge and skill of a few exceptional teacher leaders. Their students were doing amazing work and their colleagues looked to them as models. I wanted to understand what made these teachers stand out. I found that even the teachers themselves found leadership to be an elusive quality, one that was difficult to define in the form of a collection of skills and abilities. Not only was it a challenge for these teachers to identify what they knew and did as leaders, it was also difficult for them to articulate how they had become leaders. One of the teachers explained, “It is hard to be reflective about arriving at a place we had not really intended to go.” In most cases, these teachers were leaders by chance and they had to piece together their own course of professional learning. (2001, p. 158)

As the focus of school reform shifted from the standards movement to increased accountability for student achievement, teacher leadership gained new prominence (Mangin & Stoelinga, 2008; York-Barr & Duke, 2004). Nationwide, school districts wanted to capitalize on teachers’ specialized knowledge to assist with developing curriculum and leading professional development, as well as improving school climate, culture, and classroom instruction. Formal leadership positions (e.g., mentors, lead teachers, coaches) have been designed to play strategic roles in district-wide school reform efforts. Portin and his colleagues at the University of Washington (Portin et al., 2009) found that teacher leaders often act as a bridge between the classroom and district or state expectations for instruction. Federal initiatives have also contributed to the proliferation of teacher leadership positions (e.g., instructional coaches for Reading First and math/science partnerships).

Despite this expansion of teacher leadership roles, the education field has not established an agreed-upon definition of teacher leadership or set clear guidelines for professional practice (see Resource B). Even when titles are identical, roles and responsibilities are rarely the same. Lack of recognition and support for teacher leaders also continues to be an issue. Although many states acknowledge the expertise and leadership of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) with either additional financial compensation or credit toward specialized endorsements, only a few states (e.g., Louisiana, Georgia, and Illinois) have instituted endorsements to reward teachers who take on leadership roles outside their classrooms (Olson, 2007).

Most often, when exceptional teachers move into leadership positions, administrators assume they have the necessary leadership skills for these roles—whether or not they have had previous training or experience relevant to the new expectations (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009). In a 2003 survey of teacher leaders conducted by the Center for Teacher Leadership at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, 82% of respondents reported that they had not received any training (Dozier, 2007). The experiences of many of the teacher leaders represented in this book underscore the accuracy of these findings.

What Do Teacher Leaders Need?

Smylie (2008, p. ix) reports that the number of books, articles, and technical reports on teacher leadership has increased by nearly 50% during the past 10 years. Yet we still have much to learn about the nuances of how teacher leaders take on influential roles and how districts can best support their work (Lieberman & Friedrich, 2007). Current studies indicate that teacher leaders have substantial needs for institutional support, professional development, and professional learning communities if schools are to maximize their contributions.

Institutional support. Johnson and Donaldson (2007) found that without institutional support, many teacher leaders have to develop their own coping strategies. Without administrators who understand the cultural norms, anticipate the potential obstacles, and help broker relationships with staff, teacher leaders often struggle to establish legitimacy. Smylie and Hart (2000) also contend that the research is clear that principals play a critical role in the development of teacher leaders. Principals can create structures and time for teachers to collaborate and foster productive social relations and a culture of critical reflection. When there is coherent alignment between district priorities, school reform agendas, and teacher leaders’ assignments, teachers are less resistant to working with teacher leaders, especially when the focus is on instruction and student learning (Stoelinga, 2008). Yet there is evidence that while most agree that principal support is critical, the demands of running a school often take precedence, leaving little time to actively promote teacher leadership (York-Barr & Duke, 2004), and when district support is lacking—if teacher leaders do not receive training, if norms of private practice perpetuate, and if the district does not allot sufficient time to professional development—teacher leaders’ efforts to improve teachers’ practices have little effect (Lord, Cress, & Miller, 2008).

Professional development. We’ve come a long way in recent years using the talents of many “accidental” teacher leaders who have been thrust into or find themselves in leadership roles without any training. However, the growing reliance on teachers to lead instructional improvement suggests a need to be more intentional about preparing future teacher leaders. Unlike teachers’ classroom knowledge, which one can categorize into two broad domains of subject matter and...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Introduction
• 1. The Value of Case Methods: Promoting Reflection on the Precarious Real World of Leadership
• 2. Effective Approaches to Case Analysis and Case Writing
• 3. School-Level Leadership Dilemmas
• 4. District-Level Leadership
• 5. State- and National-Level Leadership
• 6. How to Use Cases to Support Teacher Leadership: Case-by-Case Facilitation Guides
• Resource A. Recommended Books, Websites, and Readings
• Resource B. Just What Is Teacher Leadership?
• Resource C1. Teacher Leadership Skills Framework
• Resource C2. Teacher Leader Self-Assessment
• Resource C3. School and District Capacity to Support Teacher Leadership
• Resource D. Case-Writing Seminar Part 1: Sample Agenda
• Resource E. Case-Writing Seminar Part 2: Sample Agenda
• References
• Index