Instructional Insights

Strengthening Arkansas’ Teacher Leadership Pipeline

NIET Hits Milestone in Coaching Arkansas Educators

Submitted by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching

Arkansas educators are stepping into stronger leadership roles as the state deepens its commitment to advancing teacher quality and student outcomes under the LEARNS Act. More than 800 teachers have achieved the Lead Professional Educator Designation through training and support from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), a nationally recognized expert in educator leadership and instructional excellence. The Lead Professional Educator designation is elevating the teaching profession in Arkansas by investing in teachers’ professional skills and giving them opportunities to shape instructional improvement efforts in their school.

With over a quarter century of work in schools and districts, NIET has found that teachers are eager to expand their own skills and support their colleagues to improve through mentoring, coaching, and collaborative learning. In Arkansas, the Lead Professional Educator Designation formally recognizes that expertise and elevates teachers as leaders who drive instructional improvement within their schools.

Arkansas districts work with NIET to integrate teacher leaders into professional learning and coaching systems in their schools. This work demonstrates the benefits of individuals taking on a leadership role, creating a ripple effect of positive outcomes. As educators take on leadership roles, both students and teachers build confidence and foster learning communities that inspire teacher retention.

“NIET has been such a great partner to help us continue building teacher leaders, building a leadership team, and building how we support teachers effectively, so that we do see those gains in the classroom and student achievement,” said Cross County High School Master Teacher and NIET Fellow Stephen Prince. “A teacher has to have effective instruction in order to yield higher student achievement results, and both of those go hand in hand. NIET has helped us identify what we need to do right so we can get both of those results.”

Arkansas’ commitment to strengthening teacher leadership, combined with the support of NIET, is making an impact in classrooms statewide. This coaching milestone stands as both a success in elevating teacher quality and an indicator of how far educators will go with effective systems in place to pave the way.