The hallmark of an effective team is its ability to focus sustained attention on coordinating curriculum and improving teaching strategies in order to improve student learning. (Turning Points 2000)

Our school uses a team-based model. Students in grades 6, 7 and 8 are divided into two teams of about 90 students each. Each student benefits by being taught and overseen by the same language arts, math, social studies and science teachers. The teaching team meets daily to discuss student progress both academically and socially, to coordinate testing schedules and to discuss other issues that contribute to their work with students. In addition, students and teachers participate in occastional team-based activities outside the classroom.

The team model is based on meeting the needs of all students, focusing on coordination and collaboration of  students, parents
and teachers.  Each team benefits through interactions of:  

students with students: 

• forging student-student relationships
• cooperative and collaborative learning where students work both independently and in group settings

 students with teachers:

• forging student-teacher relationships
• conducting effective advisory groups
• sharing instructional procedures to meet each student’s needs
• teaching techniques that emphasize objectives, assessing and monitoring for understanding and a firm closure to the lesson 

teacher with teacher:

• forging teacher-teacher relationships
• pooling teacher strengths, supporting one another
• meeting dialy with team and subject area teachers
• conducting cross-curriculum lessons 

teachers with parents:

• forging teacher-parent relationships
• opening channels of communication