According to research on the career cycle of teachers, leadership experience is one of the factors that may influence how teachers think about their career goals. This has implications for schools and districts that seek to retain and recognize the most successful teachers. One urban school district sought to expand leadership roles by creating an innovative program called the Leadership Opportunities Initiative (LOI). Negotiated between the school district and the local teachers' union, the initiative provided opportunities for teachers to propose their own ideas for projects that they would then implement in their schools. This study sought to explore how teachers experience a district-level initiative like the LOI and how such an initiative could influence the way that teachers think about teacher leadership or their own career paths.

The investigation explored the experiences of 15 teachers who participated in this district designed leadership opportunity. Results from this research indicate that the LOI teacher leadership model produced projects and experiences that were influenced by three core areas: 1) school culture factors, 2) individual teacher factors and 3) program design factors. This study has produced little evidence that the LOI influenced how teachers conceived of their career goals or plans. While some teachers had positive experiences with their projects and appreciated the recognition and reward, successful projects often took place in schools where there was already an existing culture of teacher leadership practices. The LOI did not seem to significantly change the ways that teachers thought about teacher leadership in their schools or about their career plans.

This thesis ends with recommendations for future research and considerations for districts or states that are seeking to expand their teacher leadership programs. Key recommendations include: 1) develop intentional and deliberate professional learning opportunities for aspiring and practicing teacher leaders based on established leadership standards, 2) define the scope and purpose of teacher leadership projects and consider selecting projects that closely align with district or state goals, 3) evaluate programs regularly to better gauge the needs and interests of second-stage teachers, and 4) provide opportunities for teachers to learn about leadership roles and career options.