A new research study shows how teacher learning teams working collaboratively and following a structured protocol can lead to gains in student achievement. The study, titled Moving the Learning of Teaching Closer to Practice: Teacher Education Implications of School-Based Inquiry Teams, presents give key steps to improving classroom instruction and student achievement. The study has been published in The Elementary School Journal, and has been subjected to blind, peer and scientific review.

The study pinpoints the factors that help create successful teacher learning teams at high school and elementary levels, including:

•         Stable settings to improve instruction and learning

•         Teams of teachers who teach the same elementary grade or high school subject

•         Published protocols that help teachers in their improvement efforts

•         Trained peer facilitators

•         Perseverance to guide students until they make significant progress on performance indicators