Why an emphasis on collaborative teams?
Rutherford County Schools is launching a system-wide initiative to create collaborative teams in every school in an effort to improve student learning. 

Why are we placing such emphasis on the creation of collaborative teams?  In 2001, Jim Collins best-selling book Good to Great began with the provocative statement, “Good is the enemy of great.”  His assertion was that it is easy for an organization to become complacent and lose the impetus of continuous improvement when the organization rests upon prior accomplishments.  If we look at RCS using Mr. Collins’ premise, we begin with the belief that we are a high-achieving school system.  Our belief is validated by the incredible growth of our system, which local realtors attribute to clients who want to live here and raise children here because we do, in fact, provide a quality education program.  One would be remiss in not giving credit to our dedicated teachers who are primarily responsible for these achievements.  We are good, but could being good hinder us from becoming even better as Jim Collins suggests?

What does the PLC collaborative team look like?
Educators are familiar with collaborative teams.  We develop teams for SACS accreditation, teams for school improvement plans, and use cooperative learning teams of students in the classroom.  In the 2007 book Learning by Doing, by DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many, this research statement is made: “The best team structure is simple: a team of teachers who teach the same course or grade level…The fundamental question in organizing teams is this: ‘Do the people on this team have a shared responsibility for responding to the critical questions in ways that enhance the learning of their students?’” 

In the summer of 2007, RCS principals met and reached agreement on how school level teams would be organized based upon the premise that the most effective teams share a common curricular content knowledge.  Based upon that work, RCS teams will primarily consist of teachers teaching the same subjects or, if in self-contained classrooms, the same grade levels.  It is important to remember that special education teachers, Title I teachers, and related arts teachers also have a direct impact on student learning and are essential elements of effective teams.  Teachers of single subjects may also meet with teachers from other schools who teach the same subject(s) in order to work toward the same common goals.

When discussing how best to teach a concept, related arts teachers can add reality and application to the instructional program.  For example, art and music of a specific culture will augment a social studies unit for that same culture. 

While vertical teams and mini-school teams are still necessary, the primary organizational team for RCS will be teams of teachers responsible for student learning subject-by-subject.  Our goal is for every teacher to become a member of a collaborative team.

Educational researchers are coming to a common conclusion that supports the importance of teachers working collaboratively.  Eastwood and Lewis say, “Creating a collaborative culture is the single most important factor for successful school improvement initiatives and the first order of business for those seeking to improve schools.”   There is absolutely no research to support the proposition that a teacher working alone is the best way to significantly improve a school’s instructional program.  Mike Schmoker in his book Results Now states, “Professional learning communities have emerged as arguably the best, most agreed-upon means by which to continuously improve instruction and student performance.  For reasons that will become clear, they succeed where typical staff development and workshops fail.”

You may have waited an entire career to hear this, but finally research is saying that teachers should have a more prominent role in creating an instructional program that ensures a higher level of student learning.  The collaborative team concept can move us to a higher level of student achievement!