“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”

— Robert John Meehan

Resources for Collaborative Math Practices

The resources shared on this page are the culmination of work by practitioner-driven instructional leadership teams, dedicated to improving teaching and learning in mathematics by developing the collaborative culture and practices in the math departments at six elementary schools. This district-wide, elementary school initiative, known as the Collaborative Inquiry Team Alliance (CITA), is funded by the California Department of Education in partnership with UCLA and the Lawndale Elementary School District.

These shared resources, many of which are content neutral, have been identified by practitioners as crucial assets in the instructional leader’s toolkit.

The following set of resources can be used to facilitate conversations with school site staff around the value and nature of collaboration. These resources include PowerPoints (PDF versions) that can be used during staff, grade level, content area, and district meetings.

The following set of resources can be used to understand the current practice of collaboration, understand the value placed on collaboration, and gauge interest in deepening collaborative practices. These resources include surveys that can be used with school site staff before, during, and after initiating a significant focus on the development of collaborative practices.

The resources shared on this page are made possible by the hard work and commitment of CITA Teams. Not only did CITA teams compile toolkit resources for instructional leaders, they also documented their team’s work and produced captivating video narratives. To find out more about the specific work of each of the CITA Teams, please click here.