Program Goal X: Collaboration, Ethics, and Relationships

The Education Department recognizes that collaboration with others, inside and outside of school, is essential for success in the teaching profession. Areas in which teachers collaborate include establishing goals for learners, developing school curricula, coordinating instruction, interpreting state and local mandates, and implementing student services (Wiseman, Cooner and Knight 1999).

Even though much of teachers' work with students is done individually, the planning is often done collaboratively. Children come to school with such complex social, educational, and medical problems that no single agency or person can possibly meet all of their needs (Welch and Sheridan 1995). This necessitates that educators cooperate with and share their knowledge and skills with colleagues and other professionals. They must also work collaboratively with parents and the community, stay informed about legal issues affecting teaching and learning, and adhere to ethical standards in their decision-making and interactions.

Collaborating with Other Professionals: Johnson, Pugach and Devlin (1990) stated that collaboration between educators is the most important issue in education today. The diversity in the student body and the increasing number of students with special instructional needs who are included in regular classrooms have made it necessary for educators to work together in order to provide the best possible education for these students. The likelihood of success is greater when all stakeholders share their expertise, ownership of problems, and solutions than if they try to deal with the problems in isolation. Skrtic, Sailor,and Gee (1996) asserted that when professionals collaborate with each other, parents, and the community, a positive learning environment is created that has a tremendous impact on the success of the students. Collaborative efforts on behalf of students with special needs often spill over to other students in the classroom, and the whole learning community benefits from the knowledge and expertise being shared. Collaboration among professionals also provides good role-modeling for the students who, when they enter the world of work, will be expected to work in teams and collaborate with others.

Collaborating with the Community: Clandinin and associates (1993) noted that collaboration between school professionals and the surrounding community assists community-building efforts both inside and outside of school. The community as a whole has a strong impact on the way children feel about themselves and their attitudes toward education. The ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity found in the community as well as the community's economic conditions are all important factors and are strongly linked to students' success in schools. The student's family background, health, and economic situation all impact students' interest in, aptitude toward, and motivation for learning (Hindle, 1993).  Since it is essential that educators understand their school's community and their students' backgrounds, parents are an invaluable resource because they know their child best  Littky, et al (2004). Activities and events in the community can serve as examples or starting points for discussions and classroom activities. Community events and issues that are important to students can be used to build curriculum and plan classroom lessons. An added benefit of collaboration with the community is that it encourages good public relations between education professionals and those outside the educational setting. Such collaboration also increases community understanding of and support for school.

One approach to achieving community collaboration is through the development of full-service community schools. As described by Joy Dryfoos (2002), such a school operates in a public school building and is open to all community members "before, during, and after school, seven days a week, all year long. It is jointly operated and financed through a partnership between the school system and one or more community agencies" (p. 394). In order to be successful, all members of the community, including young people, teachers, administrators, parents, community agencies, and business people must work together in making important decisions regarding the school and its programs. According to Dryfoos, these schools encourage students to be involved in community service and often employ a full-time community school coordinator who works in conjunction with local agencies to provide a range of services needed by community members. This model is often effective, not only in improving collaboration, but also in such important areas as academic achievement, attendance, student behavior, and parental involvement (Dryfoos, 2002).

Promoting the Development of a Learning Community: As Richard DuFour (2004) noted, the notion of promoting school improvement by developing professional learning communities is currently quite popular. However, because of our department's emphasis on the Benedictine values of concern for community and respect for all persons (de Waal, 1984), we have always emphasized the importance of developing a community of learning. We share Martin Haberman's (2004) view that for a school to become a learning community, its members must "share a common vision that learning is the primary purpose for their association and the ultimate value to preserve in their workplace and that learning outcomes are the primary criteria for evaluating the success of their work" (p. 52). Haberman adds that modeling a love of learning is the surest way to promote enthusiasm for learning among students. In describing the successful learning community at the Met High School in Rhode Island, Littky, et al (2004) stated that school staff view themselves as participants in all aspects of the learning process and model good learning habits throughout their daily interactions. Other important attributes of learning communities include the continual sharing of ideas; collaboration, such as through team teaching and working together on program development and research; valuing a sense of community or camaraderie; and egalitarianism (Haberman, 2004). Students and parents are important partners in the vision of a learning community described by Littky, et al (2004). At the Met High School, students collaborate and support one another's learning and view their peers as resources in their learning and success. Parents are asked to provide at least 10 hours of service to the school each year and are welcome to be in the school building at any time. Additionally, both students and parents participate in school decisions for creating policies, solving problems, and even in hiring. In other words, for a school to truly be a learning community, there must be a culture of collaboration, not only among school staff, but among students and parents as well.

Collaboration and Federal Laws: Federal laws promote collaborative efforts in meeting the needs of students. The Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) emphasizes the necessity for collaboration among educators. parents, and community agencies in developing and implementing appropriate Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities (Villa, Thousand, Nevin and Malgeri, 1996). The Rehabilitation Act specifies that the different agencies involved in vocational rehabilitation services must cooperate to best prepare students for an independent, active life (ERIC, 1992, b).

Ethics also play an important role in an educator's life. An educator's words and actions make a substantial impression on students and play an important role in shaping their character (Nash, 1996) Therefore, it is important that educators are guided and live by a code of ethics based on the kind of ethical behavior our society values. The Code of Ethics of the Education Profession established and adopted by The National Education Association, The Code of Ethics for the Catholic School Teacher adopted by the National Catholic Education Association, The Code of Ethics for Minnesota Teachers, and the Education Department's Guiding Principles for Faculty and Students of the CSB/SJU Education Department are resources that provide such guidance.

Legal Issues: Increasingly, the courts have become involved in and have an impact on what takes place in schools (Farris, 1999). This situation requires that teachers become aware of legal issues ranging from teaching contracts and tenure to issues involving students and their rights.

McCarthy (1989) recommends that educators have knowledge about the following issues:

Educational employment and termination, including conditions of employment and teacher termination;

Teachers' rights outside the classroom, including freedom of speech, political activities, and lifestyle choices;

Academic freedom, including curriculum censorship, academic assessment, and grouping practices;

Student discipline, including punishment, regulation of student expression, search and seizure;

Teacher liability, including student injury and educational malpractice

To lessen the chance of being involved in litigation, McCarthy advises educators to always engage in actions that are fair, reasonable, and based on educational objectives. Educators should regularly review both their actions, policies, and practices to verify that they are based on the educational mission of their school. Educators should also always keep in mind that in all of their actions inside and outside of school they are role-models for students and are held to higher standards than the general public.

References:

Clandinin D. J., Davies, A., Horgan, P. & Kennard, B. (Eds). (1993). Learning to teach, teaching to learn: Stories of collaboration in teacher education. New York: Teacher College Press.

College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University Education Department (2004). Teacher education handbook. Available at http://www.csbsju.edu/education/handbook/default.htm

Costa, A. L. & Gramston, R. J. (1994). Cognitive coaching: A foundation for renaissance schools. Norwood, MA: Christopher Gordon.

Dryfoos, J. (2002). Full-service community schools: Creating new institutions. Phi Delta Kappan (January). 393-399.

DuFour, R. (2004) What is a "professional learning community?" Educational Leadership (May). 6-11.

ERIC (1992 a). Legal Foundations, Number 1: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. ERIC Clearing House on Handicapped and Gifted Children, ERIC/OSEP special project on interagency information dissemination.

Farris, Pamela J. (1999). Teaching, Bearing the torch. 2nd edition. Boston,: McGraw-Hill

Friend, M. & Cook, L. (1992). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Haberman, M. (2004). Can star teachers create learning communities? Educational Leadership (May). 52-56.

Hindle, W.R. (1993). The business-higher education link: Consider the possibilities. Educational Record (Summer). 33-38

Johnson, L. J., Pugach, M. C. & Devlin, S. (1990). Professional collaboration. Teaching Exceptional Children, 21 (1), 9 - 11.

Littky, D. et al. (2004). Moment to moment at the Met. Educational Leadership (May). 39-43.

McCarthy, M. M. (1989). Legal rights and responsibilities of public school teachers. In M. C. Reynolds (ed.) Knowledge base for the beginning teacher. New York: Pergamon Press

Nash, R. J. (1996). Real world ethics. New York: Teacher College Press

Skrtic, T. M., Sailor, W. & Gee, K. (1996). Voice, collaboration and inclusion; Democratic themes in educational and social reform initiatives. Remedial and Special Education, 17 (3), 142 - 157.

Villa, R. A., Thousand, J. S., Nevin, A. I. & Malgeri, C. (1996). Instilling collaboration for inclusive schooling as a way of doing business in public schools. Remedial and Special Education, 17 (3), 169 - 181.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological process. (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner & E.Souberman, Eds). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Welch, M. & Sheridan, S. M. (1995). Educational partnerships: serving students at risk. Ft. Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Wiseman, D.L., Cooner, D.D. & Knight, S.L. (1999). Becoming a teacher in a field-based setting. Belmonth, CA: Wadsworth