Focus On Improving Instruction

Collaborative Planning:  Focus On Improving Instruction

 

  What is the purpose of the contract provision for 12 hours of collaborative planning time?
The reform efforts currently underway in MPS are focused on improving instruction. They rest firmly on the creation of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) where teachers talk about their practice: share student work, look at data regarding instruction and curriculum, and collaboratively learn and practice new instructional strategies. Meaningful conversations regarding instruction and student learning are essential to the continued development of professional practice.

This contract section creates time, with pay, for these collaborative discussions.
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  What should be included in the plan?
Each school’s plan should include the dates and times for the 12 hours of collaborative planning this school year, along with the specific topic(s)/activities and expected outcomes for each session.
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  Why is collaborative planning essential to improving student achievement?
There are many factors schools cannot change such as the economic conditions of our students. As educators, we need to focus on the one area that we can control and change – our own instructional practices.

Collaborative planning has great potential for adding effective strategies to all teachers’ toolboxes because it allows educators to learn from each other. Instead of bringing in “experts” who do not know what our student’s need, collaborative planning facilitates authentic discussions among educators who know what is and is not working in our classrooms.

The collaborative planning provision is an intentional step toward conversations among the real experts. It should result in improving instructional practices – not more talk about the problems.
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  How should the collaborative planning time hours be used?

Collaborative planning time is meant for staff members to work together to reflect on data and student work in order to improve instruction, as described in the Characteristics of a High Performing Urban Classroom booklet. Teachers should be actively engaged in discussions with each other in activities such as:

  • Examining student work
  • Developing classroom assessments based on standards (CABS)
  • Evaluating student performance on CABS, benchmark assessments, or standardized tests
  • Aligning the curriculum
  • Developing and/or analyzing curriculum maps
  • Analysis and reflection on learning walk data
  • Sharing and modeling best practices
  • Reviewing progress on the educational plan
  • Discussing educational literature
  • Making plans to adjust instruction based on the results of any of the above
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  Who decides the structure of the small groups?
The learning team should also determine the grouping based on the content of the conversations. Some topics may be best approached among diverse groups. Others may lend themselves to arranging the groups by grade levels, departments, units, special education, etc.
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  Can collaborative planning time be used for inservice?
No. This time is for conversations among educators – not presentations to the faculty.

In these conversations, teachers are active participants, energizing one another, and exchanging information in order to plan specific ways to improve instruction. In “traditional” inservices, teachers are often passive recipients.
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  Can a presentation be a segment of a collaborative planning session?
On a very limited basis, yes. It is appropriate for learning teams to plan for a brief opening presentation to kick off small group conversations.

For example, for the first ten minutes of a planning session, learning team members might review recent test results. This initial presentation could be done in small groups or with the entire faculty. For most of the session, teachers in small groups could share strategies they have found effective in addressing areas where student performance has been weak. At the end, the entire faculty could re-convene for brief reports from each group.
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  Can any of the 12 hours be used for individual planning?
No! The new contract provision is intended to help build professional learning communities. This time is designated exclusively for conversations and sharing among teachers.
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  Can any of the 12 hours be used for “monitoring conferences?”
Yes. A dialog about student data and how to improve achievement is an appropriate use of this time. The learning team may include these and similar conversations in the plan.

Time may also be allocated for groups of teachers – the fourth grade teachers, the science department, special education teachers, etc. – to get together to discuss and prepare for such conferences.

However, the time is not for individual teachers to prepare for monitoring conferences on their own.
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  Should teachers assigned to a school part-time be included?
Yes. All teachers at each school should be involved in the collaborative planning – including those assigned on a part-time basis such as elementary (art, music, and physical education specialists).

If teachers are assigned part-time, their 12 hours should be prorated among their schools.

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  How do teachers assigned to two (or more) schools participate in the 12 hours of collaborative planning time?
The purpose of the provision is to engage all teachers in meaningful conversations. Teachers in two or more schools are expected to participate in a total of 12 hours.

These teachers should coordinate their hours of participation with the principal in each of their schools, similar to how faculty meeting attendance is handled. Decisions as to which hours to participate in at each school should provide the teacher with the best opportunities for collaborative planning.
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Questions?

If teachers have further questions about collaborative planning, they should contact an MTEA staff member at 414-259-1990.

If principals have questions, they should contact the MPS Labor Relations Department at 475-8280.

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