The Capstone Project and Portfolio are the culmination of the TLI curriculum and experience. It is the opportunity for fellows to integrate the concepts and skills they have learned in order to address their selected leadership challenge and impact education stakeholders, policy, and/or practice. The Capstone Project promotes exploration of personal leadership skills, problem-solving, collaboration, and self-reflection.
Each fellow in the Teacher Leadership Institute will take part in a Capstone project individually or in collaboration with others involved in the Institute and will have the opportunity for a formative review of leadership growth via the individual submission of a Portfolio.
The purpose of the Capstone Project and Portfolio is to demonstrate professional growth along the continuum of teacher leadership as captured by the Teacher Leadership Competencies through three pathways into teacher leadership:
- Instructional Leadership – in placing teachers at the center of facilitating, supporting and improving teaching and learning in their schools and districts;
- Policy Leadership – engaging accomplished teachers in creating, informing, and influencing policy at the local, state, and national levels;
- Association Leadership – preparing current and future association leaders to include an emphasis on advancing the profession of teaching and the professional interests of members into the association advocacy agenda.