Collaboration, Evaluation of

Organizational collaboration is embraced across all sectors of society as a primary strategy for cultivating innovation, conserving economic resources, building relationships, addressing complex problems, and reaching essential outcomes. It is through collaboration that PK–12 educators address issues of teaching and student learning and accomplish organizational goals that fall outside the grasp of any individual teacher, principal, or school working independently. Although educational collaboration is widely recognized as having the capacity to connect fragmented educational systems and cultivate instructional innovation, effective collaboration does not emerge spontaneously and cannot be sustained without thoughtful attention to its development. The systematic examination and improvement of interorganizational and professional collaboration in educational settings has become imperative. This entry begins by providing a clear explanation of the two primary types of ...