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Lucent Technologies Peer Collaboration Initiative
TPI worked with the Lucent Technologies Foundation (now Alcatel-Lucent) to design and administer the Lucent Peer Collaboration Initiative, a multi-million dollar, multi-year initiative aimed at creating a new model for teacher collaboration with the ultimate goal of changing school cultures to improve student learning. The project began in four pilot districts across the country in 1999 (Albuquerque, NM; Seattle, WA; Lancaster, PA and Broward County, FL) and then focused on supporting three New Jersey school districts.
The Lucent Peer Collaboration Initiative was built on research that suggests that schools with collaborative cultures, where teachers are encouraged to learn from each other, may be better equipped to help students achieve their full potential. Yet, the average school day affords little opportunity for teachers to interact, share, and learn from one another. The Lucent project provided teachers and administrators with training and support to create "teaching and learning communities" in which teachers and administrators regularly reflect on their educational practices and on student learning.
The Lucent Peer Collaboration Initiative has been closely studied by researchers at the Collaborative Inquiry and Development Group at the University of Southern Maine and its results have been presented at national conferences. A recent article in the American School Board Journal (September 2008) provides an overview of the initiative and key lessons learned.
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