Better Together: The Case for Classroom Collaboration

Collaboration in schools is not a hot topic in the national education discussion, and that’s unfortunate, because it’s a key to effective schools. Recent research examining efforts to enhance collaboration in districts and schools strongly indicates that purposefully building trust works.

Studies by the Consortium on Chicago School Research and the National Center for Educational Achievement (a division of the firm that develops the ACT college admission tests) bear this out, as do the examples of the Cincinnati, Union City, New Jersey, and Springfield, Massachusetts public school districts. The weight of this accumulating evidence suggests that it is time to change course from the ineffective reliance on the coercive “sticks” that have dominated education policy-making to a new set of approaches that promote effective teamwork and intensely collaborative practices.

Researchers have long tried to identify what makes schools effective, but only in recent years have their methodologies become sophisticated enough to provide concrete, actionable insights. What is especially exciting about these studies is that they have reached very similar conclusions while examining the question differently in varied settings – that collaboration and teamwork promotes connectivity and tolerance among students.

The culture at Stratford School is one of collaboration, care, and openness, where the school encourages the free exchange of ideas among faculty, staff, students, and parent partners. At Stratford, respect and integrity are cornerstones of character building and commitment to one-another. School leaders value their employees, students, parents, and community. Being a good neighbor builds strong community partnerships between the schools and their neighbors.

Teamwork is the focus and every role is interconnected and valued. Stratford creates a school with open doors and joyful warmth, where everyone is seen and heard. This culture of connectivity promotes social intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and community. Joyful people create better educational outcomes.

Visit Stratford School at 2046 Allen Avenue in Altadena. You can contact them directly at www.stratfordschools.com/contact-us or call them at (626) 794-1000. For more information, visit their website at www.stratfordschools.com/Altadena.