Learning Forward’s step-by-step guide shows how schools and districts can increase collaborative learning time for teachers.
Time for Teacher-Led Professional Learning
Schools developing a system for teacher-led professional learning will need to ensure they have time during the school day for teacher leaders to collaborate with, observe, and develop other teachers. These resources provide research, examples, case studies, and other resources for finding and organizing this time.
General Resources
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This Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report presents six strategies that school leaders can use to find more time for teachers to have meaningful, collaborative planning sessions (e.g.,... Read more »
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This chart from Public Impact provides an overview of strategies that schools use to find time for teacher-led professional learning as well as a description of some basic requirements to implement... Read more »
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This Research & Policy Brief is intended to assist state and district leaders in selecting professional learning activities that are worth the allocation of scarce resources.
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Learning Forward gives step-by-step guidance in this workbook on developing professional learning plans, which include analyzing student learning needs, selecting content, providing implementation... Read more »
Time for Professional Learning
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This Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report presents six strategies that school leaders can use to find more time for teachers to have meaningful, collaborative planning sessions (e.g.,... Read more »
Expanding Learning
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Out of the Debate and Into the Schools: Comparing Practices and Strategies in Traditional, Pilot, and Charter Schools in the City of Boston
Research conducted by American Institutes of Research (funded by The Boston Foundation) on extended school days in Boston found that the best-performing schools allow time for teachers to plan... Read more » -
This research review from the National Center on Time and Learning describes how adding time to the school day and/or year can have a positive impact on student proficiency.
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This National Center on Time and Learning report describes how 17 highly effective schools have expanded their learning time in ways that allow for more professional learning opportunities.
Sample Schedules
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This general Web resource for teachers provides example schedules demonstrating various block scheduling options, including using paraprofessionals for lunch supervision.
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The National Association of Elementary School Principals presents options in this report to create time for professional development in elementary schools.
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Learning Forward provides example schedules demonstrating various block scheduling options and ways schools have repurposed planning time, describing each school’s techniques for scheduling and their... Read more »
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These example schedules from Public Impact show how schools can rotate their teachers’ time in subject-specific teams with digital learning or have elementary teachers specialize in their best... Read more »
Case Studies & Examples
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Charlotte, N.C.’s Project L.I.F.T.: New Teaching Roles Create Culture of Excellence in High-Need Schools This case study shows how Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools implemented new Opportunity Culture models that extend the reach of excellent teachers to more students, for more pay, within current budgets.
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The National Center on Time and Learning produced case studies of four schools that have used increased time for teacher-led professional learning to improve school performance.
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This set of case studies from Education Resource Strategies (ERS) profiles four organizations that have... Read more »
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This brief from the California Collaborative on District Reform considers how Garden Grove, a large urban district in California, implements a comprehensive system of human capital development using... Read more »
