Reaching Children Communally: School Improvement through Teacher Collaboration

From a Christian understanding of both learning and community, this research examines the impact of teacher collaboration on student achievement and school culture in North American schools. Particularly in high schools, due to structural chal1enges, lack of administrative support and teacher satisfaction with the status quo, peer collaboration is not common. Five cases are examined. The first three demonstrate a positive connection between teacher collaboration and school improvement. The fourth demonstrates that teacher evaluation can also benefit from a much more participatory role for the teacher. The last case examines some of the challenges of centering col1aboration in high school subject departments and suggests ways in which the departments should work collaboratively within the learning community. The role of school leadership in promoting teacher col1aboration is also examined. Implications of the research for Langley Christian High School are identified