Professional Learning Communities

1. Professional Learning Communities A Focus on Curriculum Teams

2. Old Mission Every Student CAN learn Assessment OF Learning (Summative) Select and Sort Students Winners and Losers Focus on Teaching New Mission Every Student WILL learn Assessment FOR Learning (Formative) Pyramid of Intervention/RTI Failure is Not an Option Focus on Learning Change in the Mission of Education

3. A Shift in PLC Focus • This is not a change of direction. • Interest-Based Professional Learning Communities showed us what it takes to function as high performing teams and the positive outcomes that result from their efforts.

4. A Shift in PLC Focus – Continued . . . • The PLC focus is shifting to Curriculum Teams that exhibit the behaviors of high functioning Professional Learning Communities. • Our expectation is for another surge of growth in API/AYP through improved instructional practice, resulting in improved student achievement.

5. The Foundation of Professional Learning Communities • Three Big Ideas • Five Characteristics • Four Corollary Questions

6. PLC – Three Big Ideas • 1. Ensuring that students learn -Learning for all • 2. A Culture of Collaboration - Teamwork • 3. Focus on Results - Data-Driven Decisions

7. Big Idea #1Focus on Learning • The ultimate purpose of schools is to ensure high levels of learning for ALL students. • If this is true, then we will: • Clarify what each student is expected to learn • Monitor each student’s learning on a timely basis • Create systems to ensure students receive support if they are not learning

8. Big Idea #2Collaborative Culture “We can achieve our fundamental purpose of high levels of learning for all students only if we work together. We cultivate a collaborative culture through the development of high performing teams.” -DuFour, DuFour and Eaker

9. Possible PLC Structures • Course alike teams • Grade level teams • Vertical teams • Similar responsibility teams • (Learning Supports, SDAIE) • Interdisciplinary teams • TOT – Site/District

10. Big Idea #3Focus on Results • We assess our effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intention. • Individuals, teams, and schools seek relevant data and information and use that information to promote continuous improvement. • What does the data tell us?

11. A Shift in Response • Frequent common formative assessments to: • Inform student decisions • Assess frequently • Developed jointly by PLC teams • Collaborate on response to interventions • Monitor student proficiency • Respond when kids don’t learn

12. Pyramid of Interventions R T I Response to Intervention

13. Five Characteristics • Focus on Learning • Collaborative Culture • Collective Inquiry • Action Oriented • Results Oriented

14. 4 Critical Questions What do we want each studentto learn, know, or be able to do? Student Learning ExpectationsSMART Goals What evidence do we have of the learning? Formative Assessment How will we respond when some students don’t learn? Pyramid Of Interventions &differentiated Instruction How will we respond to those who have already learned?

15. What is Collaboration? • A systematic process in which we work together, interdependently, to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve our individual and collective results. - DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker (2002)

16. Collaboration . . . • Requires time • Requires commitment • Requires trust • Requires a mindset that collective intelligence is more powerful than individual thought

17. The relationship among the adults in the schoolhouse has more impact on the quality and character of the schoolhouse – and on the accomplishments of youngsters – than any other factor. -- Roland Barth,Learning by the Heart

18. Trusting Relationships 4 Key components • Respect • Personal regard • Personal integrity • Competence • Built through day-to-day routines and life in the school Researchers Anthony Bryk andBarbara Schneider

19. Question to Consider… • The most critical question to consider when reflecting on the collaboration in our school is not, “Do we collaborate?” • The far more important question is, “What do we collaborate about?”

20. What Evidence Do We Have That Our Team Collaboration… • Focuses on the critical questions of learning? • Leads to changes in classroom practice? • Increases the teams ability to achieve its SMART goals? • Helps individual teachers, the team at large and the school do a better job of helping all students learn at high levels?

21. Collaboration . . . One Step at a Time • Stage 1: Prioritizing team time • Stage 2: Sharing Personal Practices • Stage 3: Common, Collaborative Planning • Stage 4: Developing Common Assessments • Stage 5: Analyzing Student Learning • Stage 6: Differentiating Follow-Up • Stage 7: Reflecting on Instruction Parry Graham & Bill Ferriter www.nsdc.org

22. Learning by Doing • Capacity building… is not just workshops and professional development for all. It is the daily habit of working together, and you can’t learn this from a workshop or course. You need to learn it by doing it and having mechanisms for getting better at it on purpose. -Michael Fullan (2005)