CommonPlanning:ALinchpinPract iceinTransformingSecondarySchools

NettieLegtersDiaAdams

PatriceWil l iams

AcademyforEducationalDevelopment

ThispaperwaspreparedfortheU.S.DepartmentofEducation(ED),OfficeofElementaryandSecondaryEducation,SmallerLearningCommunitiesProgramunderContractNumberED‐07‐CO‐0106withEDJAssociates,Inc.inHerndon,VA.TheviewsexpressedinthispublicationdonotnecessarilyrepresentthepositionsorpoliciesofED,nordoreferencestotradenames,commercialproducts,services,ororganizationsimplyendorsementbytheU.S.government.

TABLEOFCONTENTSIntroduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1

WhatIsCommonPlanningandWhyIsItImportant? ........................................................................ 1

WhatHighSchoolReformStructuresandPracticesDoesCommonPlanningSupport? ................. 3

ElementsofEffectiveCommonPlanning........................................................................................... 11

ImplementingandSustainingCommonPlanning:ChallengesandthePathForward................... 14

Scheduling ....................................................................................................................................... 14

CollectiveBargainingAgreements................................................................................................. 16

EnsuringProductiveMeetingPractice .......................................................................................... 16

MeasuringImplementationandImpact ....................................................................................... 17

Conclusion............................................................................................................................................ 18

References ........................................................................................................................................... 19

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Introduction

Acentrallessonfromsecondaryschoolreformeffortstodateisthatstructuralreformssuchassmalllearningcommunities(SLCs),interdisciplinaryteams,andevenflexibleschedulingdonotautomaticallyorinstantlytransformsecondaryschoolsintohighperforminglearningorganizations.Realizingthepotentialofthesereformsrequiresthattheybeactivatedbygroupsofadultswiththewill,skill,andtimetotranslatetheseopportunitystructuresintopersonalized,responsive,andeffectivelearningexperiencesforstudents.Inthewordsofoneschoolreformleader,“smallschoolsarethelaunchpad,nottherocketship.”Asthesecondaryschoolreformmovementmatures,thereisgrowingunderstandingthatitisnowtimetobuildtherocketshipandtodeveloptherenewableenergysourcesneededtoachievethemoonshotofourgeneration—graduatingallyoungpeoplefromhighschoolpreparedforsuccessincollege,career,andciviclife.

CommonPlanning(CP)isareformthatisemergingasanessentialcomponentoftherocketship,andafuelsourceaswell.Whilerecognizingthatnoonereformholdsthekeytoimprovingschools,wearguethatCommonPlanningisalinchpinpracticeintransformingsecondaryschools—anunderutilizedyetcriticalsocialtechnologynecessarytocreatinglearningenvironmentsthatproactivelyidentifyandaddressthediverseandchangingneedsofadolescentlearners.ThefollowingsectionselaboratethepromiseandchallengesofCommonPlanningandofferrecommendationsforstronger,morewidespreadimplementationandrigorousstudy.

What IsCommonPlanningandWhyIs It Important?

BrooklynGenerationSchoolopenedin2007aspartofarestructuringoftheformerSouthShoreHighSchoolinBrooklyn,NewYork.Itcurrentlyservesabout230minorityandlow‐incomestudentsingrades9to11andexpectstogrowtomorethan700studentsasitaddsa12thgradeandmiddlegradesoverthenextseveralyears.Theschoolrecentlydrewnationalattentionforitsunorthodoxschedule.AtBrooklynGeneration,teachersinstructonlythreeclassesaday,get2hoursofCommonPlanningwithcolleagueseachafternoon,andhaveahighlyreducedstudentload—asfewas14studentsperclass.TheschedulewascreatedwithsupportfromtheUnitedFederationofTeachers,thelocalAmericanFederationofTeachersaffiliate,enablingteacherstoretaintheirbenefitsasunionmembersanddistrictemployees(Sawchuk,2010).AdistinguishingfeatureofBrooklynGeneration,andotherbreak‐the‐moldhighschools,istheinstitutionallyexpectedandsanctionedpracticeofadultsmeetingtogetheronafrequentandregularbasistoreviewandcraftplanstoimprovetheacademic

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engagementandachievementofthestudentstheyserve.ThispracticeofCommonPlanningrepresentsamajordeparturefromtraditionalhighschoolroutinewhereteacherstypicallyareassignedindividualtimeduringtheschooldaytopreparefortheirclassesandmeetwiththeirpeersonlyinfrequentlyinsubject‐areadepartmentorschoolwidefacultymeetings.Althoughresearchcontinuallydecriesteacherisolationandlinkscollaborationamongadultsinschoolswithhigherlevelsofteachercommitment,satisfaction,efficacy,andimprovedstudentoutcomes,CPhasremainedamarginalpracticefoundonlyinleadingedge“innovation”highschools.CommonPlanningnowisreceivingincreasedattentioninlightofitspotentialtoadvancethreesocialprocessesviewedascentraltocreatingeffectivelearningenvironmentsforadolescents:1. Personal ization: Apersonalizedlearningenvironmentischaracterizedbystrong,positiverelationshipsbetweenadultsandstudents.Adultsunderstandandareresponsivetotheneedsofindividualstudents,andstudentsexperiencetangiblecaringandsupportfromadultswhoknowthemwellandassumeresponsibilityfortheiradvancement.Highschoolshavealwayshadadultswhoextendthemselvestostudents,actingbeyondthedictatesoftheirrolesasadministratorsorclassroomteacherstoreachoutto,advocatefor,andprovideextrasupporttostrugglingstudents.Studiesindicatethattheserelationshipscanmakethedifferencebetweenwhetherstudentssucceedorfail,andfurtherindicatethatasenseofcollectiveresponsibilityforstudentachievementamongschoolstaffasaleadingfeatureofhighschoolsthatproducehigherandmoreequitableachievementoutcomesforstudents(Johnson,2007;Rhodesetal.,2000).However,fewhighschoolsareintentionallyorganizedandresourcedtoensurethattheserelationshipsandextendedrolesareestablishedandenactedasamatterofcourse.CommonPlanningprovidestime,opportunity,andexpectationthatteacherswillplacestudentneedsandprogressatthecenteroftheirworkandassumecollectiveresponsibilityforstudentlearning.Forexample,CPenablesgroupsofteacherswhoteachthesamestudentstoidentifyveryearlyintheschoolyearthosewhoarefallingbehind.TheycanthenusetheirCPtimetomeetwiththestudent(andfamilymembers)todiscussstrengths,identifychallengeareas,anddevelopanactionplancoupledwithappropriatesupportstohelpthestudentgetbackontrack.Thiscourseofactionbuildsrelationshipsandcommunicatestostudentsinnouncertaintermsthattheirsuccessisworththetimeandattentionofeveryadultwhointeractswiththeminschooleveryday.2. Instructional Coordination/Integration:WithoutCP,adultsworkinginsmallerlearningcommunitiesandteacherteamswillhavedifficultytransformingthefragmentednatureofstudents’highschoolexperiences.Staffinreforminghighschoolstypicallyengageinsummerretreatsandmonthlymeetingsdesignedtoenableadministratorsandteacherstodevelopsharednormsforbehaviorandacademicperformance,gradingrubrics,andeveninterdisciplinarycurricula.Morefrequent

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planningtimeisneededthroughouttheschoolyear,however,toensureimplementationisbothconsistentandadjustedtomeetchangingconditionsandthediverseneedsoftheparticulargroupofstudents(andadults)intheschool/SLC/teamthatyear.ResearchinschoolsusingteacherteamswithCommonPlanningfindsthathighlevelsofCP(atleastfourteammeetingsperweekwitheachmeetinglastingatleast30minutes)areassociatedwithhigherstudentachievementgains,asmeasuredbystatemathandreadingtestscores,comparedwithschoolswithlessfrequentornoCP(Flowersetal.,2000).3. PeerLearningandContinuous Improvement: CommonPlanninghaslongbeencitedinschoolreformliteratureasaprimaryvehicleforteachers’ongoingprofessionaldevelopmentandforsecuringstrongimplementationoforganizational,curricular,andinstructionalreforms(Desimone,2002).Recentstudiesofhumancapitaldevelopmentinschoolsfind,notsurprisingly,thatknowledgeableandskilledteachersincreasetheskillandknowledgeofthosewithwhomtheyinteract(JacksonandBreugmann,2009).Whenwellimplemented,CPprovidesstructuredtimeduringtheschooldayforteacherstoshareinstructionalchallengesandbestpracticesandtoparticipateinsustaineddevelopmentactivitiesthatmeetthestandardsofthe“newprofessionaldevelopment”(i.e.,theactivitiesarejob‐embedded,focusedonrelevanttopics,andallowtimeforpracticeandreflectionovertime)(West,2002).TheprovisionofCommonPlanningtimehasbeenidentifiedasacoreprincipleofsuccessfulresourceallocationinhigh‐performinghighschoolsinpartbecauseithelpsbuildanactiveprofessionallearningcommunityamongstaff(MilesandDarling‐Hammond,1998).CommonPlanningalsohasbeenlinkedtolowerturnoveramongteachingstaff,andlackofCPhasbeencitedasacommonsourceofdissatisfactionamongteacherswhotransferredschools.Accordingtoonenationalstudy,havingCPtimewithotherteachersintheirsubjectareaorparticipatinginregularlyscheduledcollaborationwithotherteachersonissuesofinstructionsignificantlyreducedtheriskofteachersleavingtheirpostsbyabout43percent(SmithandIngersoll,2004).Amongteacherswhotransferredschools,two‐thirdscitedlackofplanningtimeasareasonforleaving(U.S.DepartmentofEducation,2001).Itfollowsthatamorestableteachingstaffismoreabletobuildthetrustandcommunicationnecessaryforopenreflection,inquiry,andcontinuousimprovement.

WhatHighSchoolReformStructuresandPracticesDoesCommonPlanningSupport?

Toactivatetheprocessesdescribedabove,CPpresupposesasmalllearningcommunityorteamstructureinwhichagroupofteachersteachthesamestudentsduringagivenschoolyearorovermultipleyears.TeamingandCommonPlanninghavebeendescribedmostoftenasmiddleschoolpracticeswhereteamsaremadeupofaninterdisciplinary

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groupofteachers(e.g.,ateammadeupofoneteacherineachofthefollowingdisciplines:math,English,science,andsocialstudies).Ininnovativehighschools,however,atleastthreetypesofteamsareevident:(1)SLC/grade‐levelteamsmadeupofalladultswhoworkwithstudentsinasmalllearningcommunityorwithaparticulargradelevelandwhouseCPtosetandmonitorbroadstudentengagementandachievementgoalsandpractices;(2)subject‐areateamsmadeupofteacherswhoteachthesamesubjectandwhouseCPprimarilytoguideimprovementsinpracticerelatedtocurriculum,instruction,andassessmentinaparticularsubjectarea(e.g.,differentiatedinstruction,re‐teachinginresponsetobenchmarkassessments,andcreditrecoveryoptions);and(3)interdisciplinaryteamsmadeupofteachersfromdifferentcontentareas,andoftenguidancecounselorsandothersupportstaff,whosharethesamestudentsthroughoutasemesterorschoolyearandwhouseCPtoidentifyandimmediatelyrespondtostudentswhoareofftrackorfallingofftrack.Inadditiontocollaborativeorganizationalstructures,CommonPlanningalsosupportstheuseofstudentdatatoguideinstructionalandschoolimprovement.Thewealthofstudentassessmentandotherdatanowavailabletoeducatorsinschoolshasexpandedrapidlyinrecentyears,increasingthedemandfordataliteracyandusebyteachersandprincipals(DataQualityCampaign,2009;Stringfieldetal.,2005;U.S.DepartmentofEducation,2009;Waymanetal.,2006).Growthinthesheeramountandavailabilityofrawdata,however,hasnotbeenaccompaniedbydevelopmentoftechnicalandhumansystemsnecessarytotranslatedataintoinformationandactionthatimprovesoutcomesforstudents.Systemsarenotinplacetogeneraterelevantindicatorsorpresenttheminaneasilyinterpretableandactionableformat,leadersarenotknowledgeableorheldaccountableforimprovementontheindicators,andschoolpersonnelrarelyreceiveformaltrainingondataanalysis,interpretation,anduseininstructionaldecisionmaking(Miller,2009).CommonPlanningisincreasinglypursuedasaprimaryopportunitybothfortrainingschool‐basedadultsindatasystemsandinusingdatareportstoguidesystematic,focuseddiscussionaboutstudentsandactivateappropriateresponses.(Forexamples,seedescriptionsofDiplomasNow!andtheThurgoodMarshallAcademy.)Table1summarizesthetypesofteamshighschoolscandevelop,whoservesonthem,thewaysinwhichtheycanuseindicatorandreportdata,andthekindsofinterventionsandstudentsupportstheycanactivate.SeealsotherecentreportfromtheNationalHighSchoolCenteronapplicationsoftheResponsetoIntervention(RtI)frameworkinhighschools.Thisreportfurtherelaboratesschoolwide,targeted,andintensivesupportsthatteamscanactivate(NationalHighSchoolCenteretal.,2010).

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Table1: TypesofTeamsThatUseCommonPlanninginTransformingHighSchools

Teams TeamMembers UseData To: Responses/In terventions

GradeLevel Alladultswhoworkwithstudentsinaparticulargradelevel

Setandmonitorbroadstudentengagementandachievementgoalsandpractices

SubjectArea Teacherswhoteachthesamesubject

Guideinstructionalimprovement,includingdifferentiatedinstructionandcreditrecovery

Interdisciplinary Teachersfromdifferentcontentareas,guidancecounselors,andothersupportstaffwhosharethesamestudentsthroughoutasemesterorschoolyear

Identifyandimmediatelyrespondtostudentswhoareofftrackorfallingofftrack

• School‐orgrade‐level‐wideinterventionsthattouchallstudents(e.g.,positivebehaviorandincentivesystems,interdisciplinarycurriculum,activeinstruction,extracurricularactivities,advisoriesfocusedonsocial/studyskills,andcollege/careerawareness)

• Targetedinterventionsthataddresssubgroupsofstudentsshowingsignsoffallingofftrack(extrahelpandcreditrecovery,counseling,mentoring,andfamilyinvolvement)

• Intensiveinterventionsforthesmallnumberofstudentswhorequireone‐on‐oneattentionandsocialservicesupports

Finally,CPisessentialforschool‐basededucatorstocollaboratewithcommunity‐basedpartnersinmeaningfulandsustainedways.Highschoolsoftenhavelonglistsofnominal“partners”thatremaininactiveinpartbecausethereisnoregulartimeduringtheworkdayandweektoplanandassessjointwork.Thetaskofdevelopingandmaintainingpartnershipsmayfalltoasinglecoordinator—frequentlyanadministratorwithmanyotherdutiesorateacherwithlimitedreleasetime.Althoughacoordinatorisimportanttodevelopingandactivatingpartnerships,heorshewillstruggletoeffectivelyintegratetheservicesofcommunitypartnersintothedailyworkoftheschoolwithoutfrequentopportunityforteachersandpartnerstomeet,plan,review,anddeepentheircollaboration.Suchintegrationisimportantnotonlytoensuringthatpartnershipshaveanimpactonstudentsandaresustained,butalsotomeetingtheneedsofmorethanahandfulofstudents.Ahighschoolprincipalpresentingatarecentconferencerecountedhisfindingthathisschoolhad11differentcommunitypartnerswhowereservingatotalof79students(manywereservingthesamestudents)inahighneedschoolof1,500.EarlyWarningIndicatorsProject/DiplomasNow!

OnTracktoGraduation:TheEarlyWarningIndicatorsProject(EWIP)isacollaborationofthePhiladelphiaEducationFund,theSchoolDistrictofPhiladelphia,JohnsHopkinsUniversity(JHU),CityYear,andCommunitiesInSchools(CIS).TheEWIPpilotedacollaborativemethodforFeltonvilleMiddleSchool—alargeinner‐citymiddleschoolwithapproximately750students,about90percentofwhomareminorityandeconomicallydisadvantaged.Theprogramisdesignedtomonitorstudents’attendance,courseperformance,andbehaviortoensureappropriateandtimelyinterventiontopromotesuccessfultransitionintohighschoolandon‐

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timegraduation.AttheheartoftheprojectarebiweeklyCommonPlanningmeetingsinwhichteacherswhosharethesamestudentsmeetwithCityYearvolunteersandCISsocialworkerstoviewthedata,identifyoff‐trackstudents,andplannecessaryinterventionsandsupports.TheEWIPfollowsathree‐tieredsystemofinterventiontoensurethateverychildisreached.Thefirsttierconsistsofschoolwideprogramsdesignedtoreach80percentofthestudents(e.g.,positivebehaviorandincentivesystems,interdisciplinarycurriculum,activeinstruction,extracurricularactivities,advisoriesfocusedonsocial/studyskills,andcollege/careerawareness).Fortheremaining20percentofstudentswhomtier1doesnotreach,therearemoretargetedprograms(extrahelpandcreditrecovery,counseling,mentoring,andfamilyinvolvement).Thosestudentsnotservedbytier2willbeofferedintensiveandindividualizedsupportsbytier3(one‐to‐onecounselingandsocialservicesupports).TheEWIPstakeholdersunderstandthatalastingimpactofthesereformsreliesonthisstructureembeddedintoeverydaylifeatFeltonville.Toguaranteesuccess,theEWIPhasinstalledthefollowingelements:EWIProject Manager—Thisindividualworksonsitetoguidetheschool‐basedwork.Heorsheworkscloselywiththeprincipalandleadershipteamandstaffandco‐leadsEWImeetings,compilesreal‐timedataandanalysisforthesemeetings,andcoordinatesearlyinterventionsthroughouttheschool.Insomeschools,thisroleisfilledbyafull‐timeorganizationalfacilitatorprovidedbytheJHUTalentDevelopmentprogram.Inothers,theEWIprojectmanagerisahalf‐timeJHUfacilitator,half‐timeadministrator,orleadteacher.EWIWorkTeams—Theseteams,madeupofadministrators,teacherteamleaders,counselors,andCISandCityYearcoordinators,meetduringthesummerforseveraldaysofintensiveworktodeveloptheschools’comprehensivesetofinterventions.Theteamsmeetquarterlyduringtheyeartoreassesstheeffectivenessoftheinterventions.EWIGradeGroupTeams—GradegroupmeetingsaresaidtobethecoreofEWIP.Thesebiweeklymeetingstypicallyrunforapproximately45minutesandprovidetimeforteacherteamstomeetandcollaboratewiththecommunitypartnersanddiscussspecificstudents.Theworkthatoccursduringthesemeetingcanbedescribedas“handson.”Studentsareidentified,andin‐schoolandout‐of‐schoolinterventionsareselectedorevaluated.EWIDataTool—AnEWIdatatoolwasdevelopedtoprovideteachersandallEWIPstakeholderswithreal‐timedatabasedonfourindicators(attendance,mathandlanguageartsgrades,behaviors,andstateassessments).TheEWIdatatoolisembeddedineverymeetingandisthebasisforalldecisionsregardingstudents’needsandtheeffectivenessofinterventionsthatareinplace.AtFeltonville,thegoalofthepilotwastoreducethenumberofstudentsdisplayingindicatorsofbeingofftracktohighschoolgraduation—thatis,studentsfailingeithertheirmathorreading/Englishlanguageartscourse,attendinglessthan80percentofthetime,orearningapoorbehaviormarkorsuspension(BalfanzandNeild,2007).AfterimplementingthecollaborativeEWIprocessforjust1year,FeltonvilleMiddleSchoolcutthenumberofstudentsofftracktograduationinhalf(Balfanzetal.,2007).TheEWIPatFeltonvillegeneratedtheleadingreformapproachcalledDiplomasNow!,which

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usesCommonPlanningtimeinconcertwithotherpracticestoimprovestudentoutcomes.DiplomasNow!formalizestheuniquecollaborationbetweenJHU’sTalentDevelopmentSecondaryprogram,CityYear,andCIS,whichusesEWI/CommonPlanningtimetoadvanceadisciplinedpracticeofdata‐driven,student‐focusedmeetingsdesignedtoactivateschool‐orgrade‐level‐wide,targeted,andintensiveinterventions.Acentralcomponentoftheapproachistheregularandsystematiccollectionandreviewofdataconcerningstudentprogress.Thedatacombinedwiththecollaborativeplanningprocessinformdecisionstomatchindividualstudentswithparticularinterventionstopreventstudentsfrombeingmisidentifiedforanintervention—forexample,placingastudentwhoscoresabovegradelevelinmathinanextra‐helpmathclassbecausesheisunfocusedoractingoutinherregularmathclass.DiplomasNow!currentlyoperatesin10middleandhighschoolsinPhiladelphia,NewOrleans,andChicago,withplansforexpansioninto60schoolswithsupportfromaU.S.DepartmentofEducationInvestinginInnovationvalidationawardandamatchinggrantfromthePepsicoFoundation.1ThurgoodMarshall Academy,Washington, DC

ThurgoodMarshallAcademy(TMA)isalaw‐themedpubliccharterhighschoollocatedinAnacostia—Washington,DC’smostimpoverishedcommunity.Theschoolopenedin2001andcurrentlyserves390studentsingrades9to12,ofwhich100percentareAfricanAmerican,70percentqualifyfortheNationalFreeandReducedLunchProgram,and11percentreceivespecialeducationservices.TMAhasbeenrecognizedforitscollaborativedata‐drivenimprovementprocess,whichinvolvesarigorousassessmentprogramcomprisingbothsummativeandformativeassessments,acustomizedbenchmarkassessmentsystemalignedtotheDistrictofColumbia‐ComprehensiveAssessmentSystem(DC‐CAS)(anassessmentofstudentsonmathandreadingingrades3,8and10;compositioningrades4,7,and10;scienceingrades5and8;andbiologyinhighschool),andregularCommonPlanningmeetings.Thebenchmarkassessmentsareadministeredto9thand10thgradersinEnglish,math,andscienceevery6to8weeksandprovidedataonstudentmasteryofspecificskills,objectives,andstandards.Teachersmeetquarterlytoanalyzethedata,lookingforpatternsandtrendsaswellassurprises.Itiscommontohearteachersexclaimoverparticularstudentsorgroupsofstudentsnailingatrickyconcept—orbombingonone.Teachersshareideasandresources,andtheydiscusscommonerrors,howstudentsmighthavemisunderstoodtheconcept,aswellashowtheymightlearnitbetterthesecondtimearound.Then,basedontheanalysisofstudentscores,eachteachercreatesaquarterlyClassroomInstructionalPlan(CIP),whichidentifiesareasthatneedtoberetaughtanddescribeshowtheywillberetaught.OutlinesfortheCIPsaredevelopedinthemeetings,andteacherscompletethemintheweekfollowingthemeetings.TheteachersrefertotheirCIPtotailorinstructionsothatitmeetstheneedsofthestudents,spiralingneededcontentandskillsintodailywarmupactivities,classwork,andhomework,andthensubmittheirCIPstotheacademicdirector,whoreferstothemduringfollowupmeetingswiththeteamsandwithindividualteachersaspartofamonthlyteacherevaluationprocess.Thesesessionsarefacilitatedbytheacademicdirectorandassistantdirectorforcurriculumandinstruction,bothofwhomhavetheknowledgeand

1Dr.NettieLegtersisaconsultantfortheDiplomasNow!program.

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expertisetoaskprobingquestionsandprovidedirectiononhowtoidentifystudentneedsandmodifyinstruction.Despitehavingamajorityofitsstudentsenterwithmathandreadingskillsequivalenttosixthgrade,measuresofschoolsuccessindicatethatThurgoodMarshallAcademyisindeedadvancingstudentachievement:• ThurgoodMarshallAcademyhasmettheacademictargetsforAdequateYearlyProgressin

bothreadingandmathfor2consecutiveyears(2008and2009).

• Inthe2009administrationoftheDC‐CAS,ThurgoodMarshallAcademyrankedfirstinmathandsecondinreadingamongall27DCopen‐enrollmenthighschools(67percentproficientinreadingand72percentproficientinmath).

• Overthepast3years,DC‐CASdataindicatemarkedimprovementinmath(40percent)andreading(28percent)scores.

• ThurgoodMarshallAcademy’sDC‐CASscoresarethreetimeshigherthanthoseofneighborhoodhighschools.

• In2009‐2010,theschoolbecamethefirsthighschoolinthecitytoexitschoolimprovementstatus.

ThurgoodMarshallrecentlywasoneof15highschoolsprofiledbyHarvardUniversity’sAchievementGapInitiativeforwaysinwhichtheschool’sleadershiphasraisedachievementandnarrowedachievementgapsthroughdata‐driveninstructionalimprovement(TheAchievementGapInitiative,2010).MS244—Bronx,NewYork

TheNewSchoolforLeadershipandJournalism(MS244)islocatedintheKingsbridgeneighborhoodintheBronx.MS244isalargeurbanmiddleschoolwithapproximately750students,ofwhommorethan76percentareLatino,17percentareAfricanAmerican,and95percentareeligibleforfreeandreducedpricelunch.DoloresPetersonhasbeentheprincipaloftheNewSchoolforLeadershipandJournalismforalmost10years.HerstrengthasaleaderisherabilitytobuildcapacityamongherstafftousedataandCommonPlanningtoimplementprogressivestrategiesforpreparingstudentsforhighschoolandbeyond.In2008,Mrs.Petersonrearrangedtheschool’smasterscheduletoincorporatecollaborativeplanningtimeamongherteacherteams.Grade‐levelteamsmeetweeklytoplanandreviewstudentdata.MS244haspartneredwithanonprofitorganization,whichsuppliestheschoolwithquarterlydatathatmonitorindividualstudents’performanceinattendance,classroomgrades,behavior,andstateexams.Eachquarter,theschoolcanseewhichstudentsareontracktohighschoolgraduationandwhichstudentsrequireinterventionsandsupportstobringthembackontrack.Accordingtoearly‐indicatorsresearch,whetherastudentisonorofftracktograduationisdeterminedbyhisorherattendancerate,mathandlanguageartsclassroomgrades,anddailybehavior.Teachersusethisdatatoviewstudentsasindividualsorlookattheaggregateofclass,gradelevel,gender,orsubgroupdatasuchasspecialeducationorEnglishlanguagelearners.Throughthisanalysis,theydetermineappropriatesupportstoimplementfor

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differentstudentsorstudentsubgroups.Afterayearofanalysis,MS244andthenonprofitsupportingitsworkfoundthat,althoughgainsweremadewithindividualstudents,theresultswereminimalandrequiredtimeandresource‐consuminginterventionsthatshowedminorprogressinsomecases.Aftercollaborationwithherteacherteamsduringanannualretreat,Mrs.Petersonconcludedthat,althoughtheyhaddetailedandcurrentdata,theywerestillmissingthewholepicture.Shefeltstronglythatonlythroughlookingatthewholechildwouldonebeabletodeterminetherootsofthechild’schallengesandeducational/socialemotionalneeds.Theprincipalandtheleadershipteam(aprofessionallearningcommunityconsistingofaviceprincipal,dean,teacherteamleaderfromeachgradelevel,guidancecounselor,andparentcoordinator)decidedtocreateapersonalstudentinterview.Thepurposeoftheinterviewwastogetaholisticviewofwhoachildisandwhatrealissuesarehinderingthechild’slearningandsocial‐emotionalgrowth.Theinterviewconsistedofquestionssuchas“Whodoyoulivewith?”,“Haveyoueverlivedwithanyoneexceptyourprimarycaregiver?”,“Doyoufeelsafeatschool?”,“Doyoufeelsafeathome?”,“Isthereanadultatschoolyoufeelyoucantrust?”,and“Whatisimportanttoyou?”Theteamthenselectedasmallgroupofstudentsconsistentlyshowingupasofftrackandbegantheone‐on‐oneinterviewswiththestudents.TheinterviewswereconductedorallyandwerelaterfeaturedasWorddocumentslinkedtothedataspreadsheetsprovidedbythenonprofit.NowMS244isabletopickuponnuancessuchas“Kiahaslowattendanceandisfailingmathbuthasexcellentbehaviorandhighlanguageartsgrades.Herpersonalinterviewrevealsayoungsiblingwithasthmaandamotherwhoworkstwojobs,whichforcesKiatospendmanydaysathomecaringforhersibling.”Beforetheinceptionoftheinterview,theschoolmighthavethoughtKianeededanattendanceincentiveprogramandaremedialmathclass,whichwouldnothaveaddressedtheseriousandmorepertinentissueofKianeedingchildandhealthcareforhersibling.Hil l sdaleH ighSchool/StanfordSchoolRedesignNetwork

HillsdaleHighSchoolinSanMateo,California,servesanethnicallyandeconomicallydiversepopulationofapproximately1,200students.ThemajorityofstudentsareLatino,andmorethan40percentspeakalanguageotherthanEnglishathome.Inresponsetolower‐than‐averagetestscoresandareputationasaschoolfor“toughtohandle”youth,Hillsdaleconvertedfromalarge,comprehensivehighschooltothreerelativelyautonomous,verticallyalignedsmallerlearningcommunitiesserving400studentseach.Beginningwiththefreshmanclassin2003‐2004,HillsdalephasedinonegradelevelperyearineachofitsSLCs.EachSLChasaJuniorInstituteforthe9thand10thgrades,andaSeniorInstitutefor11thand12thgrades.Allstudentsineachinstitute(exceptforbeginningEnglishspeakersandspecialdayclassstudents)taketheirfouracademiccoreclasses(English,socialstudies,math,andscience)fromateamofteacherswhoshareacollaborationperiodinadditiontoeachteacher’sindividualpreparationperiod.Theschoolaimstoprovideascheduleinwhicheachteacherteamhasautonomyoveradaily4‐hourblockofinstructionaltime.Hillsdalehasreducedclasssize,addedthecollaborationperiod,andhiredadditionalteachersthroughareallocationofstaffing,additionaldistrictsupport,andtemporaryfundingthroughafederalSLCgrant.

HillsdalehasusedCommonPlanningandotherstructuralchangestofosterteacher

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collaborationacrosssubjectareas,reducestudenttracking,anduseperformance‐basedassessmentstohelpallstudentsachieveathighlevels.Theschoolhaseliminatedlow‐trackscienceclassesandnowenrollsallstudentsin9thgradebiologyand10thgradechemistry.Asaresult,100percentofAfricanAmericanandLatinoninthgradestudentswereenrolledinbiologyduring2003‐2004comparedwithonly18percentin2002‐2003.Overall,HillsdaleenrollsafargreaterpercentageofAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsinbiologyandchemistryclassesthandootherschoolsinthedistrict.Inaddition,itsperformanceondistrictcommonassessments(DCAs)isnearlyequaltothatofschoolsthatenrollonlyhigh‐trackstudentsinthesecourses.

HillsdaleisoneofseveralhighschoolsfeaturedinaseriesofcasestudiesdevelopedbyStanfordUniversity’sSchoolRedesignNetwork.Thecasestudieshighlighthowlarge,comprehensivehighschoolslikeHillsdaleareimplementingsmalllearningcommunitieswithteamsandCommonPlanningtoachievesignificantimprovementsinstudentengagementandacademicpreparation(LanceandVasudeva,2007). GreatSchools Partnership (Maine)/FiveHighSchool Consort ium

In2006,aconsortiumoffivehighschoolsinMainereceiveda$2.3millionSmallLearningCommunitygrantfromtheU.S.DepartmentofEducationtoimplementSLCs,teams,andCommonPlanning.Ofthefiveschools,fourarelarge(rangingfrom950to1,500students),twoareurban/suburban,threearerural,andallhavegrowingpopulationsofEnglishlanguagelearners.Inarecentinterview,theprojectdirectoroftheconsortiumdescribedhowtheschoolshaveestablishedSLCsandteamsfortheir9thand10thgradersandcurrentlyarefocusedonextendingthemodeltotheir11thand12thgrades.CommonPlanningbeganasvoluntary“criticalfriends”groupsbutcametobeviewedasessentialtostrongSLCimplementation.NoweachschoolhasinstitutedCPamonginterdisciplinaryteamsasamandatorypractice.Eachinterdisciplinaryteammeetsonceaweekforan80‐to90‐minuteblock.Cross‐gradesubjectareateamsmeetmonthlyafterschool.Theschoolsalsohavedelayedopeningseachmonthsothatteamscanmeetfor75minutestoengageinreflection,professionaldevelopment,andCommonPlanning.Teamsareledbyteamchairpersons,andleadersandstaffaretrainedinandareexpectedtousemeetingprotocolsdevelopedbytheNationalSchoolReformFaculty(2010).Duringthemeetings,teamsreviewstudents’work,analyzedata,anddiscussspecificstudents.Theyalsocreategradingrubrics,discussprofessionalliterature,andidentifyandsharebestpractices.Someadministratorsrequiremeetingreportsand/orminutesasawayofholdingteachersaccountableforusingthetimeinameaningfulandproductiveway.Theprojectdirectoremphasizedtheneedfortrainingforteachersandadministratorsinhowtorunandparticipateinteammeetings.Withtraining,adultsinschoolscanlearntocollaborateinmeaningfulandtime‐effectiveways.Withouttraining,itisdifficulttoreapbenefitsfromCommonPlanning.Theprojectdirectoralsoobservedthatsecuringtheparticipationofseasonedteacherstypicallyrequiredadditionaleffortbecausetheverysuccessofthoseteachersintheirclassroomsmadeitdifficultforthemtorecognizetheneedforcollaboration.PartoftheGreatSchoolsPartnershiptechnicalassistancesupportsincludedopportunitiesforteacherstoreadanddiscussbookssuchasAnnLieberman’sMakingPracticePublic:Teacher

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Learninginthe21stCentury(Lieberman,etal,2010).

Schoolsintheconsortiumhavedocumentedincreasesingraduationandcollege‐goingrates.Theyalsohaveseenincreasedadultcollaborationandstudentperceptionsthatthereareteacherswhocollectivelycareaboutthemandsupporttheirlearning.Theprojectdirectoralsoobservesthatsomeofthesamecommunicationprotocolsthatadultsareusingintheirteammeetingsarefindingtheirwayintoclassroomsasteachersseekwaystomaketheirinstructionmoreeffective.

ElementsofEffectiveCommonPlanning

Althoughresearchdoesnotyetprovideastrongenoughbasetoarticulatebestpractice,ethnographicstudiespointtoanumberofconditionsandpracticesthatsupportproductiveandsustainedCommonPlanninginmiddleandhighschools(White,1997;GunnandKing,2003).AdministrativeleadershipandsupportiscitedasaprimaryessentialconditionforCP.PrincipalsandotherschoolleaderssetexpectationsforCP,recruitandformtheteams,prioritizeCPintheschoolschedule,coordinatetrainingforteachers,andsecurespaceforteammeetings.EnsuringprotectedtimeforCPisaparticularlyimportantadministrativerole,oftenrequiringcarefulstaffplanning,skilledscheduling(sometimesbyhandbecausecomputerprogramsdesignedforhighschoolschedulingtypicallydonotincludealgorithmsforteamswithCP),andevenbuilding‐ordistrict‐levelcontractnegotiations.AnalysesofrecentinterviewswithadministratorsandteachersinadistrictwhereninthgradeacademieshavebeenlaunchedineveryhighschoolidentifyastrongschedulerasakeyresourcetotheirabilitytoimplementCP(Legtersetal.,inprogress).Observationsintheseschoolsalsofoundthatteachersrespondedpositivelywhentheywereprovidedwithdedicatedspacefortheircollaborativework.Oneschoolwithwell‐establishedCPinboth9thand10thgradesprovidedteacherteamswithaseparateportableequippedwithtworooms,multiplecomputerswithInternet,andphoneswithoutsidelinesineachroom.Teachersappreciatedtheprofessionalfacility,whichenabledthemtomeetwitheachotherandwithstudentsinaspacewheretheywereunlikelytobeinterruptedandwheretheycouldreadilyaccessstudentdataandcommunicatewithstudents,parents,andcommunitypartners.AlthoughtimeandspacearenecessaryconditionsforCPtooccur,strongCPrequiresattentiontogroupprocessinwhichmembersarelinkedthroughcommongoals,establishedroutines,andregularself‐assessment.Qualitativestudiesfindthathighfunctioning“mature”teamsusetheirplanningtimeproductivelyinpartbecausetheysetandworktowardclear,challenging,yetattainablegoals(HarveyandDrolet,2004;KatzenbachandSmith,1993).Forexample,oneteampursuedasignaturegoalofeliminatingacademicfailureamongstudentsontheteamwhileincreasingtheoveralllevelofachievement,andsecondarygoalsoffocusingonthevalueofserviceasacommoncurricularthemeandimprovingstudents’organizationalskills.Theteamused

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thesegoalstoorganizetheirplanning(White,1997).Oneobserverofteamingwentasfartosaythatteamswithoutanarticulatedcommonpurposeorsetofperformancegoalsarerenderednomorethan“(P)suedo‐teams…wherethesumofthewholeislessthanthepotentialoftheindividualparts”(KatzenbachandSmith,1993).Less‐establishedteamsmightneedspecificexpectationsinitiallysetwithadministratorstoguidetheirprocess.Forexample,theprincipalandacademyadministratorintheschoolmentionedaboveworkedwithteachersduringthesummertosettheexpectationthatinterdisciplinaryteamsofteacherswhosharethesamestudentswouldusetheir30‐minuteCPfordata‐drivendiscussionsofstudentprogressatleasttwiceaweek.Inthosemeetings,teachershadthegoalofdiscussingatleastfivestudentsandmakingcontactwiththemand/ortheirfamiliesbyphoneorin‐personmeetingtotroubleshootacademicproblemsorprovidepositivefeedbackonstudents’performance.Overthecourseofthesemester,teamswereexpectedtomakecontactwitheverystudent/familyatleastonce.Teamscompletedelectroniclogstorecordtheircontactandmonitorstudentresponsestotheirinterventions(Legtersetal.,inprogress).Inadditiontogoals,strongCPhasanestablishedroutine.Ateamleaderorcoordinatorprovidesanagenda(usuallycraftedwithinputfromotherteammembers)andfacilitatesthemeeting,timeismanagedcarefully,andthemeetingendswithareviewofactionitems.Routinesandprotocolsneednotcreateastiff,joylessinteractionbutcanhelppreventCPfromdegeneratingintoapurelysocialexchangeoranunproductivegripesession.InWhite’sethnography,oneteacherdescribeshowhisteamevolvedamoreformalroutine:

(O)ur early team meetings consisted of sitting around and talkingabout sports or complaining about specific kids or about how theadministrationdidn’tknowwhattheyweredoing….Wenowthinkwehave it right.Ourmeetings nowhave a purpose and a fairly regularformat.Westillmixbusinesswith somepleasureand joking,butwegetthingsdone”(White,1997).

Whenaskedaboutwhatinstigatedtheshift,theteacherreportedthatoneinfluentialteacherontheteamhadbeennegativeabouttheplanningprocess.Itwasnotuntilthatteacherwastransferredandanewteacherjoinedtheteamthattheteamreassesseditsperformanceandtighteneditsformat.Hadtheteaminitiallybeenprovidedwithafocusedprotocol,receivedtrainingtodevelopconflictresolutionandconsensus‐buildingskills,andbeensupportedwithmonitoringandfeedback,itmighthaveachievedahigherlevelofperformancewithoutthetransfer.Partofthisteam’spractice,andthatofotherteamsobservedinthesestudies,isaroutineself‐assessmenttoreflectonthehealthofthegroupprocessandtheextenttowhichtheteamismeetingitsperformancegoals.Thisassessmentinvolvesteammemberssettingasidearegulartime(monthlyorquarterly)todiscusswheretheteamstandswithrespecttoitsgroup

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processandgoals.Suchassessmentmaybeguidedbyframeworksthatincludethefollowingpillarsofsuccessfulteaming:thepracticeoflifelongprofessionallearning,carefulnurturingofprofessionalrelationshipsamongteammembersandamongadministration,apositiveoutlooktowardteachingandtheirschool,andanintegratedandcreativecurriculum(DickinsonandErb,1997).AnimportantpointofagreementacrossthesestudiesisthatCommonPlanningisfundamentallyaculturalanddevelopmentalprocess.Assuch,successfulCPdoesnotboildowneasilyintoafixedformulaofrulesandprocedures.Studiesofmature,high‐functioningteamsindicatethatadultsmustbeskillfullyattunedtolanguage,beliefs,values,andgroupdynamicstomakeproductiveuseoftheirtimeandtoelicittheirbestasindividualsandasateam.Theconditionsandstructuresdescribedabovefacilitatethatprocess,butthepowerofCPcanberealizedonlythroughthevision,commitment,anddisciplineofthoseengagedinit.Hence,leadersinstitutingCParewellservedbypayingcloseattentiontoteamformation,training,andaccountabilitymechanisms.“Teachersarenotnaturalteamplayers,”writesanobserver,becausetheyarenottrainedorrewardedtocollaborate.Theymustlearnhowtosetgoalstogether,dealwithconflict,andmakedecisionsasagrouptobecomeproductive.TeamsalsomustbegiventhechancetoworkatCP.Longevityhasbeencitedasafacilitatingelementofstrongteamingpractice.Studiesfindthatteamscantakeupto3yearstoadvancethesocialprocessesofpersonalization,integration,andcontinuousimprovementdescribedearlier(GunnandKing,2003;White,1997).Matureteamswerefoundtospendmoretimeoncurricularandinstructionalissuesandlesstimeonmanagerialitems,forexample.Workingtogetherovertimeallowsteamstogothroughthelong‐understoodcycleofcomingtogether(forming),learninghowtodealwithdisagreementandconflict(storming),beginningtoestablishroutinesforworkandbehavior(norming),andconsistentlyandpositivelyimprovingstudentlearningoutcomes(performing)(Tuckman,1965;Scholetes,1994).Senge(1994)describesthisprocessasnecessaryformovingagroupfromaplacewheremembersaresimplyparticipatingindiscussionwheredifferentpointsofviewaremerelyexchanged,toparticipatinginadialoguewherethesharedpurposeistocreatenewpointsofviewthateffectivelyaddresstheproblemathand.Insum,qualityuseofCommonPlanningisnotasingleeventbutadevelopmentalprocessthatrequirestimetobuildstrongrelationshipsandpractices.Asoneteamleaderputit,“Ihopetheyneverdecidetochangeourteammakeupbecauseitisalotofworktobuildtrustandrespectwithfourotherpeople”(White,1997).

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ImplementingandSustainingCommonPlanning:ChallengesandthePathForward

Theworkshopsareverybeneficial,butwhat’smorebeneficialisthatwehavecommonplanningandwecangettogetherandwecanmeet.Andwhenthosehousesarepure,itworkslikeyouwouldn’tbelieve.(Ninthgradeteacher)

Thisteacher’swordsunderscorethebenefitsofCommonPlanningdescribedabove.GettingCommonPlanningto“worklikeyouwouldn’tbelieve,”however,requiresovercomingnumeroustechnical,legal,andhumanresourcechallengestoimplementation.

Scheduling

SchedulingisfrequentlycitedasoneofthemostdifficulttechnicalchallengestosecuringCPinhighschools.Traditionally,highschoolsbuildamasterschedulearoundindividualstudentcourserequirementswithlittleattentiontothegroupingofteacherswhoendupteachinganygivenstudentorgroupofstudents.Groupingstudentsandadultsinsmalllearningcommunitiesandteams,placingstudentsinthecoursestheyneed,andfurtherensuringthatgroupsofteacherswhoteachthesamestudentsshareaplanningtimeincommonpresentsamuchmorecomplexsetofpriorities.ThedemandsofschedulingaroundteamsandCommonPlanningtypicallyoverwhelmcomputer‐basedschedulingprograms,andschoolstaffoftenreportresortingtocarryingoutmuchoftheprocessbyhand.Atleastonefieldmanualreportsthattheschedulingprocessitselfalsorequiresmorecollaboration;asingleadministratorcannolongerlockhimselforherselfinaroomforafewdayswithacomputerprogramandproducethemasterschedule.Instead,schedulersmustworkcloselywiththeprincipalandSLC/teamleaderstoensurethatprioritieslikeCommonPlanningarecommunicatedandmet(Clarketal.,2006).EvenwhenascheduleiscreatedthatincludesCP,itcanbeundonebyunanticipatedchangesinstudentenrollment,staffing,anddistrict/statepolicies.Theadministratoratoneschoolthatbeganimplementinganinthgradeacademyaspartofadistrictwideinitiativedescribedhowlarger‐than‐expectedprojectedenrollmentandclass‐sizerequirementsthrewofftheirCommonPlanningeffort.“Bestlaidplans,”hesaid,andwentontorecounthowhisperfectlybalancedschedulethatallowedhisninthgradeteams45minutesofCommonPlanningeachdayunraveledwhenactualenrollmentexceededtheprojectedenrollmentuponwhichtheinitialschedulehadbeenbuilt.Theadministratorreportedworkingcloselywiththeschedulertomaintainasmuchintegrityintheteam/CommonPlanningstructureaspossible,andteachersreportedsharinginformationinformallywithteacherswhoendedupteaching“their”studentsbutdidnotshareaCommonPlanningperiod.Thechangedisruptedthemomentum

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behindCommonPlanningintheacademy,however,andadministratorsandteachersreportedfallingbackoninformalinteractionandmonthlygrade‐groupmeetingstodiscussstudentprogressandsupports.Unfortunately,themonthlymeetingswerescheduledafterschoolandattendancewascharacterizedassporadic.ThereislimitedinformationonwhetherCPismoreorlesseasilyscheduledifaschoolfollowsaparticularperiodstructure,forexample,ablockschedulemadeupoffour90‐minuteperiodsaday,anA/Bschedulewitheightyear‐longcoursesofferedin90‐minuteperiodseveryotherday,orvariousiterationsofatraditionaldaymadeupofseventoeightshorterperiods.CommentsfromthefieldandinnationalforumssuggestthatschedulingCPinablockschedulerequiresadditionalteachingresources(upto10percentaddedstaff)becauseofthefewerdegreesoffreedom2schedulersfacewiththatstructure,leadingsometoarguethatitisnotfeasibleinspiteofitsbenefits(NortheastandIslandsRegionalEducationLaboratory,1998;FreemanandMaruyama,1995;Irmsher,1996).RegularCPisevidentinhighschoolsadoptingablockorflexibleblockschedule,however,andschoolsarefindingcreativewaystoovercomeimplementationchallenges.InBaltimore’sTalentDevelopmentHighSchool(BTDHS),forexample,staffgainedpermissiontoreducethetimeforeachclassfrom90to80minutesandtoextendtheschooldayby10minutes.Thischangeenabledtheschooltoestablisha50‐minuteperiodattheendofeachdayreservedforanartsandexpressioncoursefor9thgradersandcareerexplorationcoursesfor10ththrough12thgraders.Thesecourseswereofferedthreetimesperweekandstaffedbycommunitymembersrepresentingvariouslocalorganizationsandbusinesses.Ontheother2days,teachersledstudent‐advisorygroups.Thisplangaveadministratorsandstaffineverygrade‐level,subject‐area,andinterdisciplinaryteamanopportunitytomeetmultipletimeseachweektoreviewstudentprogress,planinterventionsandactivities,andengageinprofessionaldevelopmentactivities.Servingnearlyexclusivelystudentsfrompovertyandminoritybackgrounds,BTDHSstandsoutinBaltimoreforitshighpromotion,graduation,andachievementrates.HillsboroHighSchooloutsideofPortland,Oregon,isanotherschoolthathasprioritizedweeklyCommonPlanningtime.Inthatcase,theschoolgainedpermissionfromthedistrictforstudentstoarrivelatetoschool1dayperweeksoteacherscoulddesignandassesstheimpactofschoolwideliteracyinstruction.Theschoolsawmarkedimprovementsafterthischange,witha10percentgaininthenumberofstudentsmeetingorexceedingstatewidewritingassessmentstandards(KassissiehandBarton,2009).

2 In a block schedule, teachers teach fewer classes per term (typically three instead of six or seven), and students are often scheduled in groups (e.g., with homerooms and/or teams) assigned to the same small group of four to six teachers. These structures limit the number of options (degrees of freedom) a scheduler has to place students in required and elective courses. This contrasts to traditional individualized schedules where schedulers have multiple teachers and class periods in which to place a student for any given course.

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CollectiveBargainingAgreements

Legalprovisionsincollectivebargainingagreements(CBAs)thatregulateteachers’timecanchallengeschoolsseeking“latearrival,”“earlyrelease,”lengthenedschooldays,andotheradjustmentsneededtocreateCommonPlanningtime.ArecentanalysisofeightCBAsfromdistrictsinthreestatesfindsthatCBAscanbeobstaclestoschedulingflexibility(Price,2009).TimeuserulesinCBAs,forexample,candirectlyrestrictCommonPlanningbybeingveryspecificabouttheamountoftimeteachersmayspendinstaffmeetingsandhowmanyofthosemeetingsmayoccurduringaschoolyear.Thestudyalsofound,however,thatCBAsmightbebarriersonlybecauseprincipalsandothereducatorsperceivethemtobeand,infact,aremoreflexible(orambiguous)andtypicallyofferoptionsforwaiversandmorereformprovisionsthanarewidelyknownorutilized.FollowingRaywid(2002),Pricecautionsagainstexclusiveuseofwaiversandsideagreementsbecausetheycanbereadilyeliminatedandtendtoisolatereformingschools.ManyoftheCBAsstudied,however,alsoincludedspecialreform‐relatedsectionsallowingschoolsautonomyandflexibilitywiththeirschedules.TheSanFranciscocontract,forexample,specificallyreferstoCommonPlanningtime,statingthatschoolscanbuildCPtimeintotheirschedulesbyreducingtheminimumreporttimeby5to10minutesandnotesthat“timeforcommonplanningtime…shallbeconsideredpartoftheworkweek.”Thecontractalsoauthorizestheprincipaltosethisorherschool’sownschedule(Price,2009,p.19).TheextenttowhichschoolordistrictleaderstakeadvantageofsuchprovisionsinCBAslikelydependsonthepersonalitiesandthenatureoftherelationshipbetweentheleaderandthebuilding‐ordistrict‐levelunionrepresentatives.Inoneofthehighschoolsimplementinganinthgradeacademymentionedearlier,“(t)heunionissuecamein”astheprincipalputit.Severalteachersperceivedthatthe30‐minuteCommonPlanningrequirementwasaninfringementontheirindividualplanningtime.Becausetheprincipalhadtakentimetobuildawarenessandengagedteachersinplanninganddesigningtheacademy,thecomplaintwaslimitedtojustafewteachersandtheprincipalfeltconfidentthathiscasewasbothcontractuallyandpoliticallysoundandwaspreparingtofightthegrievance.3Inanotherschoolinthesamedistrict,however,theprincipaldecidedtodisbandCPafterateacherfiledagrievance,fearfulofbeingoutofcompliancewiththeCBA.Teacherteamsintheninthgradeacademyinthatschool,however,continuedtomeetregularlyduringtheirlunchperiodbecauseCPhadbecomeavaluedpartoftheirdailypractice.

Ensur ingProductiveMeetingPractice

Evenwithsupportiveschedulesandpoliciesinplace,schoolstaffmembersareboundtostrugglewithCommonPlanning.Educatorsarerarelytrainedtocollaboratewiththeir

3Theoutcomeoftheactionwasunknowntotheauthorsatthetimeofpublication.

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peersandtypicallyareneitherincentivizednorrewardedfordoingso.Asaresult,CPmaynotbeusedproductivelyorhavetheanticipatedimpactonteachingandlearning.Participantscanbecomefrustratedandcometoperceiveteammeetingsasburdensomeextrawork.Groupsgenerallyunderestimatethetaskofdevelopingcollaborationskills(NationalStaffDevelopmentCouncil,2001).Thepastdecadehasseentheemergenceofanumberofresourcesdesignedtosupportmoreproductivecollaborationamongschool‐basedstaff.Literatureandtrainingmaterialsfocusedonthedevelopmentofprofessionallearningcommunitiesinschoolsreinforcesthevalueofcollaborationandofferstoolssuchasdiscussionprotocolsandprocessesforestablishinggroupnormsandstandardoperatingprocedures(Wellinsetal.,1991;Worcheletal.,1992;AnnenbergInstituteforSchoolReform,2004;Dufour,2004;NationalSchoolReformFaculty,2010).TheCenterforComprehensiveSchoolReformandImprovementoffersresourcesandtoolsincludingafive‐questionself‐assessmentthatteamscanusetohelpkeeptheircollaborativeeffortsontrack(LearningPointAssociates,2007).Whiletoolsandtrainingmaterialsareemerging,thefieldremainschallengedbyadearthofunderstandingabouthowtoreliably“re‐culture”adultsinschoolstoembraceandfullyparticipateincollaborativework.ArethereprocessesthatcanacceleratethedevelopmentofhighperformingteamsandproductiveCommonPlanning?Whatistheroleofincentivesandaccountabilitymechanisms,andhowdoschoolleadersimplementthesewithoutpromptingintractableresistance?Whatdoesstronggroupprocesslooklike,andhowcanteachersandschoolleadersknowwhenitisoccurringandwhenitisnot?FurtherdevelopmentfocusedonsuchquestionscouldhelpensurethatCommonPlanningisnotonlyagoodidea,butafeasibleandsustainablepracticeaswell.DevelopmentcouldincludehighqualityvideoimagesofeffectivemodelCommonPlanningmeetings,forexample,withdiscussionguidesforteams,andexplorationofhowadultsinschoolsareusing(andcouldbeusing)emailandsocialnetworkingtechnologytofacilitateproductivecollaborationinschools.

Measuring Implementationand Impact

TheevidencebasefortheeffectivenessofCommonPlanningispopulatedbypreciousfewqualitativeandquantitativestudies.Byandlarge,thesestudiesdemonstratepositiveassociationsbetweenCPanddesirableteacherandstudentoutcomes(seeMiddleLevelEducationResearch,2007forreview).Theydonot,however,establishcausality,nordotheyexaminewhatitisthatteachersdoduringtheirCPtimethatbringsaboutpositivechangesinstudentoutcomes.Extantstudiesalsoarealmostexclusivelyfocusedonmiddle‐leveleducationwithonlyafewqualitativecasestudiescitedearlierinthispaperfocusingonhighschools.ThereisgrowingrecognitionoftheneedformorerigorousanddeeperresearchonCP.In2006,theMiddleLevelEducationResearchspecialinterestgroupoftheAmerican

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EducationalResearchAssociationlaunchedanationalresearchprojectonCommonPlanningtime.Theprojecthastrainedmorethan60researchersacrossthecountryinusingcommondatacollectiontoolstocollectteacherinterviewdataandobservationsofCPteammeetings.TheprojectnowistrainingresearcherstouseasurveyinstrumenttocollectdatafromteachersaboutCPpractices,benefits,outcomes,anditsimpactonstudentsandteachers.GoalsoftheprojectincludecreatinganationaldatabaseontheuseofCPinthemiddlegradesandexpandinganddisseminatingresearchknowledgeofCP(Mertensetal.,2009).Investmentinsimilarresearchactivitiesatthehighschoollevel(orinacombinedsecondaryeffort)couldyieldmuchneededcommonmetricsforassessingimplementationandoutcomesofCommonPlanning.Withthesetools,reformersandevaluatorsneednotspendtimere‐creatingthewheel.Instead,theycanaccessimplementationrubricsandchecklistsandimagesofstrongCPthatwouldenablethemtocarryouthigh‐qualitytrainingandassessmentoftheirCPeffortsand,ultimately,achievestrongerimplementationandimpact.SuchactivitieswouldneedtobeaccompaniedbyinvestmentinstudiesofCPinvolvinglongitudinaldesign,adequatecontrols,andmultilevelanalysestomorerigorouslyestablishlinkagesbetweenCPandstudentoutcomes.

Conclusion

Attheoutsetofthispaper,wecharacterizedCommonPlanningasa“linchpin”practiceintransformingsecondaryschoolsbecauseitlinksstructuralreformswithhumanactorsinschools,therebyactivatingthesocialprocessesthatcharacterizehigh‐performinglearningenvironments.TheaccumulationofexperienceandresearchevidencetodatestronglyindicatesthatCPcanmakeadifferenceinbuildingstablestaffthatarecommitted,responsive,andcollectivelyresponsibleforinstructionalimprovementandstudentadvancement.Italsoindicates,however,thatteachersandadministratorsareunlikelytouseCPeffectivelywithoutleadership,structure,training,andsupport.CraftingareliablelinchpinmovingforwardwillrequireawarenessofthechallengestoimplementingCP,andfurtherinvestmentinresearch,resources,andtrainingtoensurethatproductiveCommonPlanningbecomesroutineandwidespread.

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