Collaboration Forum

It goes without saying that administrators have multiple responsibilities within the school setting. However, an often overlooked responsibility involves the effective facilitation of teacher collaboration. Collaboration may be defined as individuals purposely coming together to share the respon-sibility and authority for decision making (Hord, 1986). Collaboration within a school can occur between teachers within a grade level, in a content area, or across support services and can help build trusting and collegial relation-ships. In addition, collaboration can result in more efficient use of planning time, pooled resources, and sharing of effective practices, which can increase productivity and satisfaction. Administrators are responsible for actively building a school culture that values and nurtures collaboration