Greetings!
Last month's Teacher Effectiveness Update highlighted research about
the impact a teacher's peers can have upon his or her effectiveness. This month's
update continues to explore the influence of professional relationships, specifically the role of collaboration among educators and within schools.
Education Week recently highlighted the 2009 edition of the "MetLife Survey of the American
Teacher: Collaborating for Student Success." The first of three sections to be released is highlighted below.
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"Collaborating for Student Success"
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Part 1 of the report, "Effective Teaching and Leadership",
offers a snapshot of what collaboration looks like in schools. Based on
responses from both teachers and principals, the survey reveals that educators
across a broad demographic spectrum believe that increased collaboration is
important for improved student achievement (and, it would appear, teacher
satisfaction). Some findings in this area include:
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Two-thirds of teachers
(67%) and three-quarters of principals (78%) think that greater collaboration
among teachers and school leaders would have a major impact on improving
student achievement."
- "Nine in ten teachers (90%) agree that other teachers
contribute to their success in the classroom, including 51% who strongly
agree."
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Teachers in schools with higher levels of
collaboration report higher levels of trust among colleagues.
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Teachers in schools with higher levels of
collaboration report greater numbers of students with a sense of responsibility
for their own education than do teachers in schools with lower levels of
collaboration.
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"Teachers in schools with
higher levels of collaboration are more likely to be very satisfied with
teaching as a career (68% vs. 54%)."
In addition to the information about collaboration among
teachers and school leaders across elementary and secondary schools, the report includes some
differences in practice:
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"At the elementary school
level, collaboration among teachers is more common within grade level."
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"At the secondary school
level collaboration among teachers is more common across grade levels, but
within subject area."
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Teachers in schools with
higher levels of collaboration are more likely than their counterparts to
observe each other in the classroom (the least frequent type of collaboration
among schools generally).
Read the full report (MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Collaborating for Success Part 1, 2010) to learn more about the role of collaboration within schools and the different types of collaborative activities that are most frequently practiced.
What do you think? Have you worked in a school with a culture of collaboration? Are some collaborative activities more beneficial than others? Did you see an impact on student success? Join the conversation on the bulletin board.
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