The Missing Middle
Assessing Teachers, School Leadership and Classroom Practices
A few ago, I was invited by Teach for Nigeria to be part of a panel speaking about the Missing Middle; assessing teachers, school leadership and classroom practices. I am excited to share a few thoughts with you via this email.
What is the Missing Middle?
To me, “the missing middle” represents the gap between top-level education reform and actual classroom practice, leadership intent and classroom implementation, teacher appraisal systems and actual teacher development.
We often focus on high-level policies or student outcomes, but overlook the daily systems, people, and leadership that connect the two — particularly teacher development and school-based leadership.
In many African schools, teachers are assessed but not supported, trained but not coached, and expected to deliver outcomes without the structure to grow professionally.
The "middle" is where instructional leadership, collaborative planning, peer learning, and school-based professional development should thrive — but it’s often under-resourced or missing entirely.
“The missing middle is where transformation happens — or fails. It’s where teacher capacity is built, culture is formed, and student learning is directly impacted.”
“Many schools assess either too broadly (whole-school KPIs) or too narrowly (individual teacher output), missing the crucial middle layer where leadership and instructional culture are formed.”
Why the Middle Matters
Middle leadership (e.g. Heads of Departments, Coordinators, Year Heads) holds the engine room of school effectiveness.
They:
Coach teachers
Interpret policies into practice
Ensure instructional standards are maintained
Influence teacher morale, pedagogy, and student outcomes
Yet, few systems track or support their performance meaningfully.
Assessing Teachers Beyond Observation Scores
Assessment must move beyond checklist observations or student exam results.
Should include:
Growth-based evaluations (Is the teacher improving?)
Contribution to team learning
Instructional agility and student engagement
Feedback practices and lesson impact
“What’s measured improves — but what’s meaningful should be what we measure.”
Evaluating School Leadership Performance
Leadership should be assessed on:
Teacher retention and development
Clarity of instructional vision
How effectively they support teacher growth
Systems established for collaboration, coaching, and feedback
Responsiveness to classroom realities
Leadership success isn’t in reports or inspections alone — but in teacher effectiveness and student progress.
What role do school leaders play bridging the middle?
School leaders are the culture architects. They create the enabling environment for innovation or resistance.
Their role includes:
Modelling learning: When leaders are seen learning, reading, attending training, and reflecting, it gives teachers permission to do the same.
Creating safe spaces: Teachers are more likely to try new strategies if they know mistakes are seen as learning opportunities, not failures.
Building collaborative systems: Professional learning communities, peer lesson reviews, and classroom walkthroughs done with teachers rather than to them encourage evidence-based improvement.
Recognising and scaling what works: Leaders should be the first to notice small wins and create systems to spread effective practices.
“Leadership isn't just about policy enforcement; it's about creating a culture where teachers feel seen, supported, and inspired to grow.”
Other Practical Solutions
Create a Leadership Development Pathway — with KPIs for each leadership tier.
Empower middle leaders to coach, model lessons, lead data discussions.
Instructional Rounds and Lesson Study should become normed practices.
Feedback culture must be cultivated – not as criticism, but as learning fuel.
Develop integrated teacher and leadership assessment frameworks that align classroom practice with school vision.
What African Schools Must Prioritize
Move from “event-based” teacher evaluations to embedded, ongoing coaching.
Invest in training and accountability for middle leadership.
Track the alignment between what’s taught, how it’s taught, and how students experience it.
Use school-based evidence (student work, lesson artifacts, team learning reflections) to guide teacher and leadership growth.
📌 Answers to Key Questions
“Who evaluates the evaluators?”
School leadership, especially middle and senior leaders, are often tasked with evaluating teachers — but they themselves are rarely evaluated for how well they support, develop, or lead teaching.
To fix this, we must:
Establish 360-degree evaluation systems that include feedback from teachers, peers, students, and supervisors.
Assess leaders based on evidence of teacher growth, team performance, and their contribution to building a learning culture.
Introduce leadership coaching, instructional rounds, and performance management tied to pedagogical outcomes, not just administrative tasks.
“The quality of a school cannot exceed the quality of its leadership. If we want better teaching, we must also evaluate and grow those who lead teachers.”
“How do we ensure teacher assessments lead to growth, not just grading?”
We must reframe teacher assessment from a punitive, compliance-driven process to one focused on professional learning.
Key actions:
Implement formative assessments through lesson observations with feedback and goal-setting.
Pair assessments with coaching and mentoring, not just written appraisals.
Track teacher progress over time, rewarding growth, reflection, and innovation.
Include teacher voice and self-reflection in the evaluation process.
“Assessment should build confidence and competence — not just compliance. If teachers aren’t growing, the assessment system is failing.”
“Are our middle leaders trained and equipped, or are they just title holders?”
In many schools, middle leaders are appointed based on teaching excellence — not leadership readiness.
They’re given titles but not trained, expected to lead but not supported.
To address this:
Introduce a tiered leadership development framework, where leadership skills are taught at each career stage.
Assign clear deliverables for middle leaders: coaching peers, leading data conversations, supporting curriculum implementation.
Assess them on their ability to build others, not just manage timetables or supervise.
“Middle leadership is where schools either rise or stall. Equip this layer, and you transform the entire school.”
“How do we measure the influence of school leadership on classroom practice?”
The impact of leadership on teaching can be seen in:
Quality and consistency of instruction across classrooms.
Teacher retention, morale, and professional growth.
The presence of collaborative planning, reflection, and feedback cycles.
Evidence that teachers are improving, trying new methods, and aligning to school goals.
Leaders must be held accountable for:
Creating enabling conditions for quality teaching.
Ensuring teaching and learning are prioritized in every leadership decision.
Removing barriers and building systems that empower teachers.
“Great leadership leaves fingerprints on classroom walls — in the form of stronger teaching and deeper learning.”
Next Steps
At LAIT Africa, we are committed to strengthening this “middle” through:
Our Right Teacher Academy – empowering teachers with values and professional skills.
Emerging Leaders Program - building leadership capacity for new, emerging and leaders who want to scale their leadership capacity.
The Succeeding at Leading a Learning Community (SALLC) program – building capacity of school owners, heads of schools, school principals, school administrators to lead their schools to success, scalability and sustainability.
🗨️ Your Turn
How is your school bridging the missing middle? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Visit us as www.laitfoundation.org for more information.
Together, we can build schools of impact — from the middle out.
Warmly,
Dr. Abimbola Ogundere
CEO, Kids’ Court School & Court Hill College
Founder, Learning As I Teach Foundation Africa