Frequently Asked Questions about Collaboration

The implementation of collaboration time in all Central Valley schools for the 2006/07 school year with a one hour late start schedule on Thursdays has raised a variety of questions. Many of these questions and answers appear below.

Q. Why do schools need collaboration time?
A.  Currently, school scheduling limitations do not allow for uninterrupted, regular time for teams of teachers to work together. Collaboration time gives teachers time to analyze student work, identify and act on student learning needs in a timely manner.

Q. Don’t you have enough time before and after school for collaboration?
A. No. Teacher planning time before and after school is used to meet with students and parents, tutor students, align curriculum with state standards, prepare lessons, correct papers and make copies. After school, many teachers lead extended day classes or serve as athletic coaches or advisors to student activity groups.

Q. Will transportation be available on Thursdays?
A. Yes. Central Valley buses will run one hour later on Thursdays. Students who normally ride the bus to school will simply go to their bus stop one hour later than their scheduled time on other days.

Q. My kindergarten student only goes to school for a few hours each day. How will this teaching time be impacted on Thursdays?
A. Half-day Kindergarten classes are normally 2 ½ hours per day. On Thursdays, the morning and afternoon Kindergarten classes will run for two hours. Bus service for half-day kindergarten students will be adjusted to meet the shortened Thursday schedule.

Q. What about the breakfast program?
A. We will continue to offer this important meal program one hour later on Thursdays in eligible Central Valley schools. 

Q. What if I need to drop my child off at the regular time?
A. We understand that the one hour late start schedule means families will need to make child care arrangements for Thursday mornings, but know many families routinely make similar arrangements for early dismissal times throughout the school year. For families who need a little extra time to make these arrangements, Central Valley schools will be providing supervised study time for students on Thursday mornings. This time will be quiet time for students to work on homework, reading, writing and math through independent study.

Q. Will before-school activities be impacted?
A. Probably. Scheduling of before-school activities is the responsibility of individual schools. Schools will be evaluating Thursday morning schedules for 2006/07.

Q. How will schools demonstrate that collaboration time is working?
A. Weekly collaboration time is structured, facilitated discussion. Agendas are set and notes are taken. Principals in each Central Valley school will be reporting on the use and impact of collaboration time on student learning to their communities.

Q. Isn’t collaboration time already built into the high school schedule?
A. Yes. During the 2004/05 school year, Central Valley High School and University High School both implemented “Collaboration and Student Access Time” two mornings each week. This schedule follows a one hour late start schedule on both days. Students may arrive at school at the regular time and have access to half their teachers on one day and the other half of their teachers on the second day. Teachers use the day when they do not have student access as collaboration time, working in departmental teams. Although the schedules of all district elementary and middle schools will be changing on Thursday mornings, the high school schedules will remain the same.

Q. Why don’t we have teachers come earlier or stay later rather than kids losing an hour of school time?
A. Central Valley School District teachers are contracted to work a 7.5 hour day. During their limited time before and after school, teachers are busy planning and preparing to teach, correcting papers and meeting with students and parents. The one hour late start will allow teachers time to collaborate to enhance student learning and teaching. If teachers were to come to work earlier or stay later, this would lengthen the 7.5 hour work day and require a change to the current three-year contract with Central Valley Education Association (CVEA).

Q. What about the lost instructional time for kids?
A. Public schools are required by state law to have students in class for a specific number of instructional hours. Central Valley’s one hour late start schedule change in 2006/07 will still place our district well within these instructional time requirements. Over the past several years, we have added instructional time to the school day beyond state requirements. During the current 2005/06 school year, the district eliminated three non-student staff development days (called “Learning Improvement Days” or “in-service days”), thus adding three more student instructional days to the school year. And, three years ago, all elementary schools were able to move to a common dismissal time for all students. This increased the instructional day for primary students (grades 1-3) by 20 minutes per day.

Q. Are there other school districts in the area doing collaboration time?
A. Yes. In fact, Central Valley School District is one of the last to implement collaboration time in the Spokane area. Spokane Public Schools, Cheney Public Schools and Nine Mile Public Schools all follow the one-hour late start model for collaboration. Although it has initially been difficult for some parents to accommodate the schedule change, over time they have adjusted and collaboration is highly successful in these neighboring school districts. These school districts have found that collaboration time for school staff has enhanced the quality of instruction and resulted in improved student learning.

Q. Why can’t we have early dismissal rather than late start to stay consistent with conferences?
A. The purpose and intent of collaboration time for teachers focuses around the necessity to have all levels of teachers available at the same time of day to allow discussions across all grade levels in the district. Many teachers serve as coaches or advisors involved in extended day or after-school activities, which would eliminate them from participating in collaboration time after school. Central Valley School District has no control over countywide after-school schedules for Spokane area activities in which our schools participate. Therefore, teachers and students must participate at the scheduled times. Our high schools are currently on a late-start schedule on Thursdays, so a schedule change for these schools is not necessary.

Q. How have parents been included in this decision?
A. Much of the planning for collaboration time has been done by principals, teachers and administrators. However, the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC) with one parent representative from every school also studied collaboration during the past 2005/06 school year. Eleven parents checked out the book, “Whatever it Takes” which describes collaboration and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The topic was covered several times as an agenda item although no set time period was discussed. In addition, written updated were shared regularly at School Board meetings. These updates were in alignment with the goals found within the Nine Characteristics of High Performing Schools adopted by Central Valley School District in August 2004. Literally hundreds of hours of discussion have occurred regarding Professional Learning Communities in our district. With the adoption of the Nine Characteristics, many buildings have kept their communities apprised of the movement to achieve these goals.