Developing and Implementing a Professional Learning Community: The Integration of Educational Best Practices and Student

1. Developing and Implementing a Professional Learning Community: The Integration of Educational Best Practices and Student Interventions. Presented By: Bob Attee (Science Teacher), Inaya Bazzi (Literacy Specialist), and Glenn Maleyko (Principal)

2. Salina Intermediate School • Located in Dearborn, Michigan. • We border the city of Detroit. • We are a fairly affluent district, but we have pockets of poverty. • There is a large Arabic population in the East End of Dearborn.

3. Salina Intermediate continued • 4th through 8th grade 3rd year in existence. • Converted from a K-5 building • 560 students in total • 95% of the students are on free and reduced lunch • Over 60% Limited English Proficient (LEP) • The majority of the students are from Yemen • We have the highest immigrant/refugee population in the school district

4. Schools Do Make a Difference • Effective School Research of Ron Edmunds, Larry Lezotte, Wilbur Bookover, Michael Rutter, and other concluded: • All children can learn; and the school controls the factors to assure student mastery of the core curriculum

5. Schools Do Make a Difference • An analysis of research conducted over a thirty-five year period demonstrates that schools that are highly effective produce results that almost entirely overcome the effects of student backgrounds. • Robert Marzano, What works in schools, 2003.

6. Correlates of Effective Schools • Strong Instructional Leadership • Clear Focused Mission • Safe and Orderly Environment • Climate of High Expectations • Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress • Positive Home/School Relations • Opportunity to Learn & Student time on task.

7. The Power of Professional Learning Communities • The most promising strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement is building the capacity of school personnel to function as a professional learning community. The path to change in the classroom lies within and through professional learning communities. Dufour & Eaker

8. Professional Learning Community (PLC) Defined • Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes or collective inquiry and action research in order to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLC’s operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators. • Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, Many, 2006.

9. Learning Community is Characterized by • 1. Shared, Mission, Vision, and Values • 2. Collaborative Teams • 3. Collective Inquiry • 4. Action Orientation/experimentation • 5. Commitment to Continuous school improvement • 6. Results Oriented • 7. SMART goals

10. Salina Intermediate Mission • The mission of Salina Intermediate School is to increase academic achievement by implementing and evaluating a technology integrated comprehensive curriculum which enables students to become literate problem-solving critical thinkers. We have high expectations for all students, and provide a safe and nurturing environment collaboratively with parents and community to ensure that all students become responsible, productive citizens.

11. There must Be a Cultural Shift in how we do business on a day to day basis.

12. Cultural Shifts Becoming a Professional Learning Community • “To put it as succinctly as possible, if you want to change and improve the climate and outcomes of schooling both for students and teachers, there are features of the school culture that have to be changed, and if they are not changed your well-intentioned efforts will be defeated” Seymour Sarason: Taken From Robert Eaker PLC presentation.

13. A Traditional School Focuses on Teaching and a Professional Learning Community Focuses on Student Learning.

14. Cultural Shift

15. Cultural Shift Continued

16. Team Collaboration and the 3 Essential Questions • 1. What is it that we want children to Learn. • 2. How will we know when they have learned it? • 3. How will we respond when they don’t learn? • A new fourth question is How will we respond when they have learned?

17. Salina Intermediate School Improvement Plan • Goal 1: Reading • Goal 2: Writing • Goal 3: Math/ Problem Solving

18. Goal One Reading • All students will demonstrate improvement in reading comprehension in all content areas. 65% of the students will show proficiency by meeting the state standards on the 2007 MEAP reading assessment.

19. Goal Two Writing • All students will demonstrate improvement in writing across all content areas with 60% of the students showing proficiency by meeting the state standards on the 2007 MEAP writing assessment.

20. Steps for Reaching the Reading Goal

21. Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy Model • Further implementation and enhancement of the Model. http://www.arliteracymodel.com/ • Some Components in the model include, Read Aloud, Shared Reading, Guided Reading, Independent Reading, and Literature Discussion Groups. • We use the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to monitor student comprehension and progress in all grades and all content levels. • http://salina-int.dearbornschools.org/frames/literacy.htm

22. Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy Model • “Grounded in the belief that true change occurs at the school level.” Dorn and Soffos, 2001 • Consists of Ten Features • Meets the standards set by the No Child Left Behind of 2001 • Implementing our goals are embedded in PICL

23. Ten Features of the Comprehensive Literacy Model • Curriculum for Literacy • High Standards • Model Classrooms • Coaching and Mentoring • Accountability • Intervention • Team Meetings • School Plan • Technology • Spotlighting

24. Read Aloud Shared Reading Familiar Reading Guided Reading Reader’s Workshop Word Study Assisted Writing Writer’s Workshop Literacy Corners Content Workshop Curriculum for Literacy Components

25. Shared Reading A:\ A:\ Whole Group Instruction Strategy Introduction

26. Reader’s Workshop Explicit Instruction Mini-lessons Anchor Charts

27. Reading Workshop Mini-Lesson

28. Guided Reading Teacher Support On-going Assessments

29. Literature Discussion Groups ResponseLogs

30. Literature Discussion Groups

31. Coaching and Mentoring Coach to Teacher Teacher to Teacher

32. Accountability North Central Accreditation School Report Comprehensive Literacy Model School Reporting Form Assessment Walls Data Reporting

33. Professional Development Team Meetings Teacher Discussion

34. ELL support • We have developed a newcomer literacy academy that integrates reading across the curriculum in grades 6th through 8th. • The 4th and 5th grade students receive ELL support during their literacy block from our Bilingual Literacy and Technology Specialists. • ELPA, LAS, Terra Nova, MLPP, and DRA Results are used for appropriate student placement in the newcomer literacy center.

35. Implementation of the Special Education Co-teaching • Co-teaching in 4th and 5th grade in mathematics. • Co-teaching in 6th through 8th grade in science and social studies. • We are looking to expand the model into the other content areas in the near future. Example mathematics (middle school) and Language Arts.

36. Implementation of the Assessment for Learning Program • We have planned an assessment for learning PD program for the entire school year • Meet in Departmental teams to develop and Refine Common Assessments. • We began the process of implementing and creating common assessments during the 2004-05 school year.

37. Implementation of the Assessment for Learning Program • We plan to use the results to guide our instruction in all content areas.

38. The Building Wide Writing Across the Curriculum Program • All teachers including elective teachers submit student writing samples that is reviewed by the Literacy Team. • We created a common writing rubric in the various content areas. • Extensive Inter-rater Reliability Training. • The development of appropriate writing prompts for all content areas.

39. Implementation of the Problem Solving Prompts • All teachers including elective teachers submit student writing samples that are reviewed by the Literacy Team • We created a common writing rubric in the various content areas. • Extensive Inter Rater Reliability Training • The development of effective prompts for all content areas.

40. Goal Three Math • All students will demonstrate improved math problem solving in all content areas with 80% of students showing proficiency by meeting the state standards for the 2007 MEAP math assessment.

41. Desired Learning Results • Students will be able to formulate and solve word problems involving mathematical algorithms and justify solutions verbally or in writing using a variety of strategies as measured by building math assessments and content area common assessments. • Students will be able to read, interpret and construct graphs, charts and other forms of graphic organizers that will illustrate their ability to problem solve and critically analyze situations as measured by building math assessments and content area common assessments. • Students will be able to create multimedia projects that will allow them to show their learning and ability to solve problems using higher order thinking skills as measured by building and ISTE rubrics.

42. Steps for Reaching the Mathematical Problem Solving Goal

43. Implementation of the Problem Solving Prompts • All teachers including elective teachers submit student writing samples that are reviewed by the Literacy Team • We created a common writing rubric in the various content areas. • Extensive Inter Rater Reliability Training • The development of effective prompts for all content areas.

44. The Integration of Technology Across the Curriculum • Student Multimedia presentations and projects • Development of Graphic Organizers (example Inspiration, PowerPoint, iLearn, others)

45. Computers in the Home Based on Income Children Ages 6-17 60% gap low to high income Bracket US Census Bureau 2001.

46. Schools level the playing field by giving computer access to students who have none in the home. US Census Bureau (2001)

47. Technology should be used to support strategies proven by research to promote more effective learning. ISTE Standards project 2002.

48. Salina MEAP Science Proficiency Results A 68.3% increase

49. Based on work of: Dave Bydlowski (Wayne County RESA)and Laura Seymour (Dearborn Public Schools) Developing Multimedia Projects

50. Multimedia Project Development • 1. Identify the content benchmarks (or GLCE’s) that you will be teaching to this year.