Changing notions of teacher autonomy: The intersection of teacher autonomy and instructional improvement in the US.

This article examines the development of instructionally focused education systems (IFESs) in the United States, where responsibility for organizing and managing classroom instruction is redistributed among central offices, school leaders, and teachers to improve instructional quality and equity. Through a comparative case study of two IFESs—Apex, a charter management organization, and Novel, a non-profit external support provider—the study finds that these systems challenge traditional notions of teacher autonomy characterized by independence and individualism. Instead, IFESs reflect a transition toward more interdependent and collaborative forms of teacher autonomy, balancing centralized instructional guidance with opportunities for teachers to exercise constrained discretion within established parameters. The findings highlight the complexity of IFES designs, which incorporate both bureaucratic and empowerment elements, and suggest that effective leadership in IFESs involves designing structures that enable teacher agency while supporting large-scale instructional improvement.