The team planning period, which is part of the school schedule, encourages communication, coordination, and cooperation among teachers as they design the instructional program to maximize learning for students. All unit teachers are assigned to a team, and these teams meet on a daily basis for a full period. The learning coordinator is available to assist the teams in planning for the meetings. In addition, teachers with assignments such as fine arts, vocational education, and exceptional education may meet with teams as appropriate. Each team establishes a weekly team planning agenda.
Teachers begin meetings promptly and use the time profitably.
The team members establish their activities for each day cooperatively and record the team's planning efforts daily or weekly. Members are trained in the effective use of group process and in reaching a consensus. The team also evaluates and reviews whether the course of action was effective in reaching its goals. Workshops and inservice time are designed sometimes at the local school level and sometimes at the district level. They may be for university or college credit or for school district credit.