Supporting the development of adaptive expertise through distributed leadership: An examination of a mathematics Specialist's work with Math 1 teachers

Abstract We investigated a district mathematics specialist's efforts to develop high school mathematics teachers' adaptive expertise through a process of distributed leadership using mathematics language routines (MLRs) to teach multilingual learner students. The mathematics specialist, a former teacher with 25 years of K–12 teaching experience in the district and a district leader for 8 years, helped design and implement a two‐year Studio Day professional development program focused on implementing MLRs with multilingual learner students in mathematics. In this case study, we qualitatively analyzed six 80‐ to 90‐min individual, semi‐structured interviews with the mathematics specialist through the lenses of adaptive expertise and distributed leadership. We share findings related to the mathematics specialist's conceptions of three aspects of adaptive expertise: flexibility, deeper level of understanding, and deliberate practice. We also delve into her conceptions of each aspect of adaptive expertise to examine the distributed leadership process using three macro leadership functions: developing collaboration and trust, supporting teacher growth, and encouraging formative monitoring of instruction and innovation. We then discuss considerations related to this district leader's efforts and conceptions—for adaptive expertise development, distributive leadership, and the use of MLRs for multilingual learners—toward the goal of creating ambitious and equitable mathematics classrooms.