An exploratory case study is presented in which social network analysis (SNA) was used to explore how school teaming structures influence the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The authors theorized that PBIS leadership teams that include members with connections to all other information-sharing…

One way to meet the unique challenges in diverse classrooms is co-teaching. Friend and Cook (2010) described co-teaching as an approach that provides specialized services to individual students in a general education classroom. Specifically, co-teaching involves two or more educators working collaboratively to deliver instruction to a…

One middle school recently adopted a team teaching model as a result of principal directive in order to improve staff communication and better serve students. Because seventh and eighth grade teachers had never been teamed in this particular middle school, research was needed to investigate how teaming was implemented and how these teachers…

The introduction of middle schooling in Australia has brought about changes to the working conditions of many teachers including finding themselves in teacher teams. The formation of such teams has been identified as critical to Australian middle school reform with teacher teams underpinning several of the fundamental components of a middle school…

In classrooms and schools across the United States, educators struggle to meet the requirements of standards-based reform that was enacted by federal legislation. Secondary schools can use coteaching with mixed-ability groups of students to meet increased curriculum demands and provide mandated strategies and accommodations for students with…

(For availability, see EA 507 405.)

Biggest obstacle to Eugene, Oregon's plans to integrate middle school curricula is finding time to enable staff to develop a common vision of the future to build upon. Despite adoption of a flexible scheduling pattern, more time is needed for staff development, training, and cooperative instructional unit development. Creating teaching teams to…

Imagines the possibilities if middle school teachers worked together cooperatively for educational change. Provides data from one such collaborative effort experienced by two middle school teachers. Claims that such collaboration can be an exciting and challenging addition to many teachers' professional lives. (HB)

Discusses ways to assess how well team organizations are functioning and contributing to the total operation of the middle schools that use team structures. Considers whether teaching teams determine course content, and school support for teams; also considers teacher training in team operations and the level of understanding and commitment…

Maintains that interdisciplinary teaming in middle schools has not reached its full potential, with teams spending too much time on minor problems and housekeeping duties. Suggests ways to: improve the foundations of teaming; demonstrate greater discipline during team meetings; improve the team's ability to make decisions, solve problems, and…

Joint action among teachers appears to depend on the teachers' perceptions of their interdependence and the presence of opportunities for joint action. An urban middle school had been organized into teams on several levels with strong support from the principal. Three situations that altered these operating procedures provided evidence that…

This article presents a detailed example of how faculty and staff at one middle school implemented team-based functional behavioral assessment (FBA) planning procedures with a student exhibiting recurring minor problems. Insets list tasks and considerations for an FBA, a sample formatted antecedent-behavior-consequence summary of team member…

Discusses the interaction of several factors that contribute to the success of interdisciplinary teaching teams at the middle school level. Describes importance of planning time, team size, keeping students in teams, designating team areas, and longevity of teaching teams. Considers how these research-based principles can guide the improvement of…

Discusses ways to create and sustain strong teaching teams, including matching curriculum goals, complementary professional strengths, and exercise of autonomy. Elaborates the administrator's role in nurturing and supporting teamwork. (JPB)

This monograph discusses the characteristics, tasks, and benefits of interdisciplinary team organization in middle schools. Characteristics include teachers who share a common group of students, a common planning period, and adjacent classroom space. Team tasks are composed of scheduling, grouping students, identifying curriculum topics and…