Innovation, Collaboration, and Education

Presidency, The, Spring 2004 by Bassett, Patrick F

From time immemorial, there have been examples of the many benefits of collaboration. Indeed, innovations rarely occur in a vacuum. An extraordinary contemporary example is the Human Genome Project, which would have taken years-if not decades-longer to map if researchers within academia, private companies, and individuals from around the world had not shared information. Fostering collaboration and interconnectedness is particularly important for educational institutions, as we all have similar goals that can't be achieved without one another.

For independent schools (private, nonprofit schools that are governed by boards of trustees), connections to the larger world take many shapes. Thousands ofindependent school students work with community groups each year, offering service and enthusiasm, and gaining knowledge and understanding. Service then becomes woven into the curriculum, creating opportunities to connect academic material with meaningful, reallife experiences.

Perhaps one of the most mutually beneficial forms of collaboration centers on teaching and learning. This is, after all, something that we all do as educators. The University Child Development School (UCDS) (www.ucds.org), an independent school in Seattle, has tested a collaborative approach to teaching and faculty development that has produced extraordinary results, not only for UCDS students, but also for students across the city. UCDS serves 300 students from preschool through fifth grade, and its 30 full-time teachers work together on a daily basis. Rather than institute a fixed curriculum, they set benchmarks for core knowledge. They co-teach every class and conduct weekly two-hour planning meetings in which they discuss the successes and failures of specific lesson plans.

Recognizing the strength of UCDS's innovative approach to curriculum development and evaluation, the University of Washington's Applied Math Department approached the school three years ago about collaborating on a National Science Foundation grant to implement more effective math teaching in Seattle's low-performing schools. Six teachers volunteered to work with their peers at the Seattle School District's Thurgood Marshall Elementary School to implement a more collaborative teaching style for math instruction (www.nais.org/docs/pdf/NEL-SReport_2-3-04_FINAL.pdf; see page 9). Trust developed between both sets of teachers over the first year, as it became clear that UCDS's instructors wanted to trade experiences and share ideas about best practices. Their focus on encouraging feedback and pursuing benchmarks rather than a preset curriculum quickly caught on. By the end of the first year, instructors from UCDS and Thurgood Marshall were co-teaching lessons, developing new strategies for breaking down faculty isolation, and concentrating on student performance.

As a result of this partnership, fourth graders from Thurgood Marshall advanced markedly. Before the program began, none of these students had passed the state math proficiency exam; three years after the program's inception, nearly 60 percent of the school's fourth graders passed it-a figure that places Thurgood Marshall significantly above the state average.

Encouraging the Next Generation

Another illustration of the benefits of collaboration is the Breakthrough Collnborative (www.breakthroughcollaborative.org), at independent schools such as Ransom Everglades School (www.ransomeverglades.org) in Florida and San Francisco University High School (www.sfuhs.org) in California. The Breakthrough program offers motivated middle school students a tuition-free educational experience designed to prepare them for college-bound high school programs. Talented high school and college students from across the nation serve as volunteer teachers, with mentoring and assistance from faculty.

A recent Stanford University study found that Breakthrough students are applying to and attending academically rigorous high schools and then, upon gradnation, are on track to enter four-year colleges. In the Ransom Everglades Breakthrough program, 85 percent of students enroll in college preparatory programs and nearly 99 percent graduate from high school. In addition, 75 percent of the program's student teachers go on to pursue careers in education.

This last statistic is especially important, as we seek new and innovative ways to attract a new generation of teachers. Collaboration between schools and colleges and universities will encourage these types of experiences, which nurture new teachers and foster professionalism and a sense of community beyond one's immediate school. We have a responsibility to work collectively, not only for the benefits that accrue to the students we serve directly, but also to improve education for everyone, students and teachers alike.

It is odd, of course, that so little collaboration exists between schools (especially college-preparatory schools) and colleges or universities, when so much for both players depends on the success of the students they hold in common. The National Association of Independent Schools is, in fact, eager to initiate a more meaningful articulation between the educational systems, one that would encourage more innovation and customization at the school level and thereby create more independent and motivated students at the college level. If our college and university colleagues agree, we'll buy the lunch during which we can pursue these discussions.