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A lack of horizontal and vertical alignment of the English language arts (ELA) curriculum exists at Lakeside High School (LHS) (pseudonym). This problem was revealed by the diverse interpretations of the ELA state standards by teachers, driven by the wide-range of teachers' beliefs about ELA instruction. Failure to establish an effective culture of collaboration in the ELA department exacerbated the situation. Consequently, this study focused on mechanisms for increasing collaboration around instructional decision-making; specifically, it explored the role of protocols in increasing collaboration among ELA teachers within a grade-level team. The participants in the study, a grade 10 team of ELA teachers at LHS, explored the role of protocols during their instructional planning time. Protocols were introduced to establish structure during teacher professional collaboration for instructional planning. Data from semi-structured pre-interviews, semi-structured post-interviews, participant observations, and journal entries from the grade 10 ELA team, were gathered to determine the role of protocols during instructional planning. It was determined that when teachers were coached on the use of protocols and their discussions were led by a knowledgeable facilitator, protocols played a role in fostering collaboration resulting in greater understanding of the ELA standards, but further research is needed to determine the actual effect they have on variability in instruction. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]