ABSTRACT
The term “structure” is often associated with the physical plant, or structure, of a building. Almost every school has a structure in place for involving teachers and other staff in school improvement activities. Teachers value the opportunity to meet with grade or content peers to discuss successes, diagnose ways to improve, develop a repertoire of strategies that they can use in their own classrooms, and provide critical input to school improvement plans. Teachers in a school-within-a-school model often have common planning and a time to work collaboratively on instructional improvement. One way to provide collaborative time for teachers is to schedule special classes such as music, art, and physical education so that teachers at a single grade or combination of grades have common planning. The schedule can provide time for teachers to work together on strategies for school improvement. They can create varied instructional designs, provide additional support for students, and offer more in-depth instruction.
