New Study Highlights Importance of Collaborative Inquiry
A study from the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), published last November, offers school perspectives on the benefits of New York City’s data-informed collaborative inquiry process. Since 2006, policymakers have been refining a citywide collaborative inquiry model in which teams of teachers work together to make better use of newly available data resources to meet the learning needs of struggling students in their classrooms and to make recommendations that strengthen school systems.
The report identified 10 lessons that offer policymakers and school leaders guidance in the configuration, rollout, and support of collaborative inquiry. The lessons speak directly to the conditions, structures, relationships, and leadership practice that support high teacher participation in collaborative inquiry. The lessons also describe the benefits of collaborative inquiry as reported by teachers and administrators.
Lesson topics were:
- The uniqueness of inquiry conversations to teachers
- Principal leadership styles supportive of collaborative inquiry
- Opportunities for teacher leadership through inquiry
- Inquiry and the leadership pipeline within the school
- The use of existing teacher groups to configure the inquiry work
- The importance of dedicated, protected time for inquiry
- Teacher use of data for instructional decision making
- Collaborative inquiry as professional development
- Inquiry and school-improvement goals
- Central office vision and policy supports to deepen inquiry
Data is from visits to 13 elementary and secondary schools, which included 213 interviews with administrators and teachers actively engaged in inquiry and 37 observations of inquiry team meetings.
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[...] New Study Highlights Importance of Collaborative Inquiry | AllThingsPLC Find the latest research, articles, tools and other education resources for building a PLC ? professional learning community. Collaborate with teachers and administrators on our frequently updated blog, written by PLC and education professionals. Source: www.allthingsplc.info [...]
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carlosbonner
I find this blog site to be quite interesting and inspiring to me since I am an inspiring teacher with inquiry about the profession. I have talked to many of my teacher friends and they have all had different stories to share. I think this article offered a lot of insights on the importance of collaborative inquiry. I know that it is important for teachers to work together to promote student success. This article stated that "Inquiry works creates powerful opportunities for teacher leadership." I find that statement both helpful and true because I am currently enrolled in a Teacher Leadership program and I think that this is the overall outlook this program is trying to get across to its students. Teachers should engage in PLCs and team meetings so they may share expertise, discuss data and make proper decision on interventions, work to improve student learning, and contribute to common tasks. This article helped me to know that teachers controls their own teaching and that inquiry gives teaches ownership of their own classroom. Leadership is about being committed to being a better teacher.
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angie aguilar
I teach first grade in California and found this article very helpful and quite true. We have grade level meetings where we are suppose to use our assessments to locate weaknesses in our teaching strategies to improve learning. Seldom do I feel that we have put our time to good use. It seemed that most meetings had been used to follow a specific agenda given to principals by our district that had no direct benefits in the classroom. It was a list of things to do and comment on then turn we had to turn in our information and never got back any feedback. Then two years ago the district gave our principals more control of the use of our grade level meetings. We seemed to have gone the other way. Now we meet less and when we do meet we have no direction or little direction from anyone. I like the article's point on how the assessments and information gained from them guide the teachers' choices and reflect on the relationship between their classroom practice and student performance. I thought it made a valid point about this collaborative inquiry being a yearlong project. I often find that at my school we go from topic to topic and never seem to stay too long on a specific goal. I think to look at a certain weakness and assess it is a prerequisite to making a difference in changing the past outcomes of our performances on state or school district assessments. The article gave me hope for my school. I think it broke down the roles that everyone has to have in order for collaborative inquiry to work. It involves the principal but not as one who is in control but one who oversees this work. It is encouraging to see other schools making great efforts to becoming stronger schools despite the continual change of our classroom environment.
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peace
This is a very rich and educative article, i read it with enthusiasm and i must commend this research. I am most enthused by the saying "Teacher reported stronger beliefs and practices about effective instruction and a committment to improving student learning in concert with other". This is very true because such meetings gives one a sense of belonging, it provides insights to concepts and methods of learning among our students as well as ourselves especially to new teachers like me, it also encourage true and loyal friendship that is long lasting and positively gainful.
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Fleecy
Taking the skills that I have learned throughout my teacher career and school work, I believe this study to be very accurate. The use of collaborated meetings or PLCs is a great way for teachers to learn the new technologies and be able to implement them into the classroom. The problem that sometimes occurs is that teachers will collaborate and then not use the information that they discuss in the classroom. I also believe the 10 lessons are very accurate representations of how teachers need to conduct collaborative learning, and should be implemented at all times. Teachers as well as students need guidance on how to be productive, and these guidelines are great to follow to be an effective collaborative teacher.
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aowilliams
I am a teacher in NYC. My school has created a common prep. Each grade has one so one time a week we as a kindergarten team have about an hour to plan. This time has been very helpful. We realize what topics as a grade to need to be covered more and are able to ask each other how we each approach a topic. It has been incredibly helpful!
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