Ending Isolation: The Payoff of Professional Culture and Teaming in High-Poverty Urban Schools

• In Event: 61.023 - Developing Human Capital Within Successful High-Poverty Urban Schools

Abstract

Purposes

Research documents the importance of the support that new and experienced teachers receive from their colleagues and their work on instructional teams (Cochran-Smith et al., 2012; Kardos & Johnson, 2007; Charner-Laird et al., 2012). However, in high-poverty, urban schools, positive professional experiences are too often the exception, rather than the norm. By analyzing the experiences of teachers working in successful urban schools, we identify both what works in organizing collegial interaction as well as the challenges school leaders face as they introduce teams to promote collaboration.

Framework

This paper draws on two frameworks. The first (Kardos et al., 2001) identifies three types of professional culture. Veteran-oriented professional cultures rely on well-established practices and discourage new teachers’ participation and contribution. Novice-oriented professional cultures are typically intense and mission-driven, but lack the wisdom of practice that experienced teachers provide. Integrated professional cultures include a mix of professional experience and benefit from the expertise and energy of all teachers.

The second framework (Edmondson, 2012) conceptualizes the role of principals in promoting “on-the-job teaming.” They serve as “crucial partners” who set “aspirational purposes,” encourage experimentation,” and ensure “psychological safety” for the teachers.

Data and Methods

Data for this paper were drawn from a larger study of six schools (traditional, turnaround, and charter schools) in one city. The schools in the sample (1) are “high-poverty” according to federal designation; (2) have achieved the highest performance rating in their state’s accountability system, and (3) offer distinctive approaches to human capital development. At each school, we interviewed the principal, other administrators and one-third or more of the teachers (142 interviews in all). We identified emergent themes using thematic summaries and then coded transcribed data, which allowed us to identify patterns of similarity and difference within and across schools.

Findings

The six schools differed in their professional culture, though none was veteran-oriented. Two—one state charter and one district turnaround charter—had novice professional cultures. Most teachers there were young, inexperienced, and committed to the school’s mission, but lacked the preparation and experience needed to succeed on their own. The other three schools—one state charter, two district turnaround, and one district traditional—had integrated professional cultures, with ongoing interaction among teachers of varied experience levels.

Teams proved to be an important and valued structure for coordinating and informing teachers’ work. In the two schools with novice-oriented professional cultures, administrators set high purposes and allocated time and responsibilities for teachers’ joint lesson planning. In the schools with integrated professional cultures, principals also set “aspirational purposes,” but generally were less prescriptive about how teachers used team time. Teachers in three schools, including both novice-oriented and integrated professional cultures, reported feeling psychologically safe as they worked, while teachers in the other schools expressed some apprehension about their work together.

Significance

This study’s findings suggest that principals can promote both individual and organizational learning in high-poverty schools. They establish aspirational purposes, allocate time for collaborative work, and monitor performance. Policymakers, practitioners, and researchers can gain insight into strategies that effectively build instructional capacity in high-needs schools.

Authors

• Susan M. Johnson, Harvard University

• Stefanie Reinhorn, Harvard University

• Nicole S. Simon, Harvard University