Chapter 12: Structure and Activities During Common Planning Time: A Portrait of Two Middle Schools

This multisite quantitative descriptive study examined the structures and activities in which teachers engage during common planning time at 2 southeastern U.S. middle schools. Survey data were collected as part of the National Middle Grades Research Project on Common Planning Time—Phase II. Despite the differences in community type of the 2 middle schools, the most frequent responses to the survey items were quite similar. Teachers reported spending time on business items and discussing student behavior and student learning problems. Little time was spent on collaboration or coordination. Findings from this study may begin the dialogue regarding fidelity to the middle school concept as originally envisioned and the reality of common planning time practice.