Collaborative Planning Rubric

Collaborative planning is time devoted to teachers coming together intentionally to learn, reflect, and prepare to teach.

The collaborative planning structure includes three key practices: unit internalization, lesson preparation, and student work analysis. If teachers are able to build these skills together, they will have the information they need to improve their instruction, resulting in better learning experiences for students. The conditions in which teachers engage in these practices are crucial to their success.

This rubric can help assess your school’s current conditions for collaborative planning so that you can lay the groundwork for effective professional learning.

Want to skip the rubric?

This interactive rubric tool is designed to help you understand where to focus your improvement efforts for your collaborative planning structure.

If you want to skip the rubric and download the action plans and associated resources, click the link below.

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About the rubric

This rubric assesses the conditions necessary to build an effective collaborative planning structure. It can be completed alone or with a group of stakeholders (e.g., an instructional leadership team).

You’ll be asked to rate the current state of each condition as “emerging” (not yet put into practice), “developing” (put into practice, but not yet fully functioning),” or “deepening” (fully functioning).

After you complete the rubric, you will receive an action plan and resources along with personalized instructions to help you lay the groundwork for an effective collaborative planning structure.

Understanding your current state

Below are steps that you can take to better understand how your collaborative planning structure serves everyone in your school.

Each rubric indicator offers specific guidance about how these data sources can help inform your responses.

These steps are optional—feel free to skip ahead to the rubric. You can always return to complete the rubric again after gathering stakeholder input and then triangulate your responses to identify misalignment across stakeholders.

Artifact review

Review any relevant artifacts from your collaborative planning structure (e.g., notes from a recent collaborative planning meeting, current collaborative planning protocols, former meeting topics, teachers’ schedules).

Facilitator survey

Gather information from the facilitators of your collaborative planning meetings about how they perceive the current state of collaborative planning.

The link below will direct you to make a copy of a ready-made survey that you can use to collect this information.

Facilitator survey

Teacher survey

Gather information from teachers about how they perceive the current state of collaborative planning.

The link below will direct you to make a copy of a ready-made survey that you can use to collect this information.

Teacher survey

Conditions for effective collaborative planning

Read each indicator and check the box that best describes the current state of your school.

There is a clear, communicated vision for the purpose of collaborative planning.

Emerging: Teams have different ideas for how this time should be spent.

Developing: Some teams can articulate the purpose of this time.

Deepening: Most teams understand the purpose of this time.

Where to look

Artifact: Collaborative planning vision statement and any materials documenting the plan to communicate it

Teacher and facilitator survey: Responses to the prompt, “The vision for collaborative planning at my school was communicated to me, and I have a clear understanding of that vision.”

There is dedicated and consistent time for teachers to meet regularly.

Emerging: Teams may meet sporadically, but time is not built into the school’s calendar.

Developing: Teams meet consistently for a sufficient amount of time, but meetings are not consistent throughout the school and/or this time is often interrupted.

Deepening: Most teams meet for a sufficient amount of uninterrupted time.

Where to look

Artifact: Teacher schedules and attendance at collaborative planning meetings

Teacher survey: Responses to the prompt, “I meet with my colleagues regularly to plan collaboratively.”

Protocols and processes are in place to ensure effective use of collaboration time.

Emerging: There are no schoolwide agendas or protocols shared across teams.

Developing: There are some schoolwide agendas and protocols shared across teams, but not all teams use them effectively.

Deepening: There are purposeful schoolwide agendas and protocols shared across teams that are aligned to the vision and goals of this time, and most teams use them effectively.

Where to look

Artifact: Schoolwide protocols and example agendas

Teacher and facilitator surveys: Responses to the prompt, “My team has strong protocols and processes that maximize our time together collaboratively planning.”

All staff members understand their roles and responsibilities in the collaborative planning structure.

Emerging: Roles and responsibilities for collaborative planning do not exist or people are not aware of them.

Developing: Roles and responsibilities exist, but many staff are unaware of them or unable to execute on them.

Deepening: Roles and responsibilities for collaborative planning exist, and most staff members are able to execute them.

Where to look

Artifact: Documents specifying the key actions and timelines for leaders, facilitators, and participants involved in collaborative planning

Teacher and facilitator surveys: Responses to the prompt, “I understand what is expected of me in order to make collaborative planning effective.”

Facilitator survey: Responses to the prompt: “I have sufficient time to complete my responsibilities as a facilitator of collaborative planning.”

Facilitators are trained and well prepared to fulfill their responsibilities in alignment with the vision.

Emerging: There is no training or support for facilitators.

Developing: There is training and support for facilitators, but they do not lead to effective facilitation.

Deepening: There is sufficient training and support for facilitators, and they lead to effective facilitation.

Where to look

Artifact: Agenda and other available materials from the facilitator training

Facilitator survey: Responses to the prompt, “I feel prepared to effectively lead my team in collaborative planning.”

Teachers and facilitators are invested in collaborative planning time.

Emerging: Few teachers and facilitators are invested in this time.

Developing: Some teachers and facilitators are invested in this time, but a few question its impact and usefulness.

Deepening: Most teachers and facilitators are invested in this time and can speak to its impact on their teaching.

Where to look

Teacher and facilitator surveys: Responses to the prompts, “I am invested in collaborative planning time.” and “Collaborative planning improves my/teachers’ practice.”

Interactions between facilitators and teachers affirm teachers’ perspectives, efforts, and contributions.

Emerging: Few teachers’ perspectives, efforts, and contributions are affirmed in interactions with facilitators (specifically those who are least likely to feel affirmed).

Developing: Some teachers’ perspectives, efforts, and contributions are affirmed in interactions with facilitators (specifically those who are least likely to feel affirmed).

Deepening: Most teachers’ perspectives, efforts, and contributions are affirmed in interactions with facilitators (specifically those who are least likely to feel affirmed).

Where to look

Observation: Equity of voice, participation, and vulnerability

Teacher survey: Responses to the prompt, “My perspectives, efforts, and contributions are affirmed in interactions with facilitators.”

Facilitator survey: Responses to the prompt: “Interactions between facilitators and teachers affirm teachers’ perspectives, efforts, and contributions.”

Access results and resources

Thanks for taking the time to complete the rubric! Based on your responses, it looks like you could use support improving [total-checked-survey-resources] conditions for your collaborative planning structure.

Please enter your email address below so that we can send you your rubric results along with detailed action plans and resources for improvement.

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