Teacher Leader Assessment 1 as Presented to Candidates: Leadership Case Study
Part I: Working in a group no larger than five people, read the following case study.
Situation: the superintendent of a low-performing, suburban-rural school district has learned about
teacher leadership and has asked the high school principal to identify a group of teachers to assume
leadership responsibilities to improve student achievement.
Teacher: Science teacher James Hendrickson has taught all levels of science in his 20-year teaching
career, but is currently teaching freshman science. He is concerned that students’ needs are not being
met. Hendrickson would like to make science more student-centered, adding hands-on, active, inquirybased strategies that would engage students. When approached by his principal to take on a leadership
role, Hendrickson knows what he’d like to tackle.
Hendrickson is passionate about teaching science and is excited about learning new ways to help
students “get it.” He eagerly accepts the appointment of leader of the freshman team of six science
teachers, novice to veterans, and is given a release bell to do research and to work with the teachers on
his team. He is committed to his school district and to quality science instruction and is thrilled that his
interest fits the district initiative to improve student achievement. Hendrickson is content in the
classroom and has no interest in becoming an administrator.
Principal: The principal appoints Hendrickson to the task of finding a way to improve student
achievement in science. The principal does not respond to requests from Hendrickson to meet, to discuss
details of the initiative, or to report progress or glitches. Hendrickson ultimately presents an
improvement plan to the principal that includes a block period three days a week. The principal looks at
the plan and says it isn’t possible. She further states that Hendrickson was to have worked up a plan to
improve student achievement without affecting the schedule and that he was to have led a ninth-grade
science initiative and that he was not asked to “lead the school.”
Colleagues: Fellow teachers are not interested in overhauling the curriculum or their teaching strategies.
Many are content with the students getting out of “it what they put in”, some with fulfilling the “letter of
the law” of their contract with the district, and many are resentful that Hendrickson has a free bell to do
whatever he wants. The ninth-grade team meets behind his back with the science department chair (who
doesn’t understand why Hendrickson is leading part of the science department) to complain about him.
Hendrickson: Hendrickson feels like he has two full-time jobs and that his own teaching is suffering while
he is trying to do research, implement changes, get everybody on board, and encourage other teachers
to make changes. He feels like he is rowing a boat while building it. Ninth-grade science teachers are all
over the building, have no common planning time, refuse to stay after school, and are “otherwise
committed” on district professional development days. Most do not respond to email. Hendrickson has
been asked to present the freshman science improvement plan to the principal and the superintendent in
six months. He is frustrated, angry, and scared, but still committed.
The task: After discussing this case among your group, using 150-250 words, address each of the
following questions. Answers may be formatted into a narrative or a combination of a narrative and a
list. Keep in mind that strong answers are well supported by course readings.
1) What problems/flaws are inherent in this situation from the beginning? How is it set up for failure?
How is it short-sighted?
2) What support/training/skills does the principal need to successfully implement teacher leadership in
her building?
3) What support/training/skills does Hendrickson need to successfully lead this initiative?
4) Keeping in mind that 75% of a good paint job lies in the prep work (e.g., three hours of planning for
one hour of teaching), present the group’s version of an ideal way for the superintendent, the principal,
and the teacher to set the stage for meaningful teacher leadership that will improve student
achievement outcomes in this case. This answer should be from 250-500 words.