Interschool Collaboration in New York City: Models for School and District Improvement

• In Event: Interschool Collaborative Learning: A Vehicle for School Improvement

Abstract

This paper examines the programs created by the NYC Department of Education (DOE) to support school improvement by creating structures that facilitate collaboration within and across schools. In a district of more than 1,800 schools, the role of the central office in supporting continuous improvement across neighborhoods and boroughs can be challenging at best. 2014 brought a new mayor and new schools chancellor. Together, they have made it a priority to re-examine how the DOE supports its schools, and in turn the communities it serves. The Office of Interschool Collaborative Learning (OICL) was created to build the capacity of school communities to support interschool collaboration, leadership development, and resources sharing through its three programs, two of which are the subject of this paper, Learning Partners Program (LLP) and Showcase Schools Program (SSP). Both programs emerged from a desire to design a system for school-based personnel to work together to build communities where adults feel valued, supported, and have multiple opportunities to engage in professional learning.

While the role of adult learning on student achievement and the import of teachers working together is well established, there is a dearth of research on the role of interschool collaboration, and specifically the role of the central office in facilitating and supporting collaboration across schools and districts. These programs represent a model for the role of the central office in supporting school improvement in large urban districts. The assets-based approach is evident through the structures created to support and foster the conditions necessary for adult learning and leadership development within and across schools.

Building off the literature on learning communities that highlights the impact that cultures of collaboration among teachers have on student learning (Bryk et al., 2015; Hargreaves, 1997a; McGregor et al., 2006; McLaughlin and Talbert, 1993; Wolf et al., 2000) and the role of district leadership in school improvement (Waters and Marzano, 2006), including creating the conditions that facilitate learning and change (Wolf et al., 2000a), this paper will trace the evolution of the program design for both LPP and SSP. The paper confirms the literature on the role that district offices play in supporting principals to deepen their instructional practice and offers a compelling example of the impact that a focus on collaboration can play in transforming district support for school improvement (Honig et al., 2010). Finally, the paper will present the limited research that exists on interschool collaboration to highlight specific areas where the other three symposia papers can build on and deepen the knowledge base.

Authors

• Victoria J. Maslow, New York City Department of Education

• Lamson Lam, New York City Department of Education