Supporting the Initiation and Early Development of Evidence-Based Grade-Level Collaboration in Urban Elementary Schools: Key Roles and Strategies of Principals and Literacy Coordinators

This article reports findings from a 3-year longitudinal qualitative case study conducted in three urban elementary schools that examined the ways in which local leadership supported the initiation and early development of evidence-based grade-level collaboration as a mechanism for improving student literacy learning. Findings suggest eight key leadership roles—either individually enacted or jointly performed by principals and literacy coordinators. Central features of these principal–literacy coordinator relationships are identified and a shared leadership framework that details these eight leadership roles as well as strategies associated with role enactment are presented.