Five Keys to Effective Teacher Learning Teams

A five-year study of Title I schools identified these five keys for creating effective teacher learning teams:

• Job-alike teams of three to seven teachers who teach the same grade level, course, or subject.
• Published protocols that guide–but do not prescribe–the teacher team’s improvement efforts.
• Trained peer facilitators–point people–to guide their colleagues over time.
• Stable settings dedicated to improving instruction and learning.
• Perseverance until there’s progress on key student performance indicators.

The author, professor emeritus Ronald Gallimore reminds educators that these five keys are critical, but that other schoolwide factors also play a role.

Authors: Ronald Gallimore & Bradley A. Ermeling