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"Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think." – Albert Einstein

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How does Collaborative Inquiry help to build capacity and reduce the achievement gap?

*"When teachers work together to identify common challenges, analyze relevant data, and test out instructional approaches we can increase student learning."
– Katz, Dack and Earl, 2009]

*We build capacity when teachers work together to achieve more than what they could by themselves.

*We reduce the achievement gap when we examine the area of greatest need or our students and create a plan of action that will address it.

*"Inquiry is powerful because it is adaptive and driven by practice. What we learn and understand about what students know today, becomes the seeds for tomorrow’s questions. Teacher inquiry is a stance that propels our profession forward. Each day, teachers are creating knowledge about what and how their students learn. Through structured opportunities for professional dialogue, teachers have opportunities to share and reflect on growing 'practical knowledge.' New structures and technologies are also being used to mobilize knowledge and tap into learning communities that move beyond school walls."
-Capacity Building Series : Collaborative Inquiry (2014)

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Collaborative inquiry holds potential for

deep and significant change in education.

Bringing educators together in inquiry

sustains attention to goals over time, fosters teachers’ learning and practice development, an“d results in gains for students.”– Canadian Education

Association, 2014

C.I. is results through action to improve student achievement. It is about building the capacity of our teachers through evidence based learning and reflection to support students needs.

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How do we build capacity in schools through collaboration to reduce the achievement gap?  The answer is through Collaborative Inquiry (C.I.)

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How do we build capacity in schools through collaboration to reduce the achievement gap?  The answer is through Collaborative Inquiry (C.I.)

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Follow the arrows to learn more.

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In order to achieve success, here are the 7 characteristics to consider when conducting your inquiry:

1. Relevant (student learning guides inquiry)

2. Collaborative (teaching inquiry is a shared process)

3. Reflective (actions are informed by reflection)

4. Iterative (progressive understanding grows from cycles of inquiry)

5. Reasoned (analysis drives deep learning)

6. Adaptive (inquiry shapes practice and practice shapes inquiry)

7. Reciprocal (theory and practice connect dynamically)

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There are 4 stages of Collaborative Inquiry.

1. Problem Framing

2. Collecting Evidence

3. Analyzing Evidence

4. Celebrating and Sharing

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“Through collaborative inquiry, educators work together to improve their understanding of what learning is (or could be), generate evidence of what’s working (and what’s not), make decisions about next steps and take action to introduce improvements and innovations. And then they start again on emerging new issues and challenges. Notably, collaborative inquiry sees educators as key participants in understanding how to achieve excellence and equity in education.”  - Capacity Building Series – Collaborative Inquiry in Ontario

Collaborations is about a group of different people coming together to work as a team on a common goal. "The inquiry-based approaches empower teachers to advance their practice and student learning. It follows that, if we want to develop educational practice and get better at meeting the needs of students, teachers need opportunities to inquire and learn together."  Leyton Schnellert, Deborah L. Butler (2014)