UCLA

This study explored collaboration at a teacher-developed and implemented small high school that was a product of a district's comprehensive school reform initiative. This initiative was aimed at improving outcomes for youth in communities where chronic school failure had become entrenched. Specifically, this study investigated how the phenomenon of teacher collaboration both catalyzes and fosters teachers' sense of shared responsibility for student success and well being, their perceptions of collective efficacy, and their trust in colleagues to both internalize and implement the school's mission. I used a single-case study as the mode of inquiry in order to create a detailed portrait of teacher collaboration based on how teachers both talk about and implement their work. I drew from five principle information sources: (a) all 19 faculty members completed three surveys aimed at understanding teachers' perceptions of collective efficacy, faculty trust, and shared responsibility; (b) I conducted 16, hour-long interviews to understand collaborative practices relative to trust, collective efficacy, and shared responsibility; (c) I conducted one focus group that focused on the nature of collaboration at the site; (d) I observed four collaborative teacher meetings; and (e) five teachers wrote twice-weekly reflections on their collaborative practices. I conclude this study with recommendations for teacher-led school transformation as one approach to turning around failing schools.