Building a Professional Learning Community

1. Building a Professional Learning Community Rockwell Jr. High September 14, 2012

2. What is our current reality? Current Conditions Probable Future

3. Rockwell Vision The vision of Rockwell Middle School is to present opportunities for all students to grow emotionally, socially and academically in a safe and supportive educational environment.

4. What is our current reality? Action Plan for Change Preferred Future

5. Why Professional Learning Communities? “Quality teaching requires strong professional learning communities. Collegial interchange, not isolation, must become the norm for teachers. Communities of learning can no longer be considered utopian; they must become the building blocks that establish a new foundation for America's schools.” -National Commission on Teaching, 2003

6. Why Learning Communities? “Professionals do not work alone; they work in teams… to accomplish the goal – to heal the patient, win the lawsuit, plan the building.” Arthur Wise: Teaching Teams: A 21st Century Paradigm for Organizing America’s Schools

7. Why 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.” Mibrey McLaughlin (cited in Professional Learning Communities at Work by Dufour and Eaker)

8. Why Learning Communities? “The ‘PLC’ concept (by whatever name) is indisputably the state of the art for improving instruction…” Dr. Mike Schmoker: The Opportunity: From “Brutal Facts” to the Best Schools We’ve Ever Had

9. 90/90/90 Schools • 90% Free and Reduced Lunch • 90% Minority Students • 90% Proficiency

10. 90/90/90 Schools • A “laser-like” focus on academic achievement • Clear curriculum choices – focus on reading, writing and mathematics • Frequent assessment of student progress and multiple opportunities for improvement • An emphasis on nonfiction writing • Collaborative scoring of student work – common assessment practices Professional Learning Community

11. Increased student growth and achievement What we get What we want Teacher effectiveness Learning teams share: Norms and values Dialogue about learning and teaching Strategies and practices A focus on student learning Responsibility for students’ success What it looks like Growth oriented climate Sharing knowledge and skills Building resilience and creating solutions Determining priorities and creating excellence What it takes

12. What Makes Learning Communities Successful? • Data driven, academic priorities • Goals that are measurable and tied to an assessment • Teamwork that produces short term assessment results • Anchored by a guaranteed and viable curriculum

13. The Four Questions for Learning Communities • What do we want our students to know and be able to do? • How will we know if they learned it? • What will we do if they didn’t learn it? • What will we do if they are already proficient?

14. What do we want our kids to know? How do we teach it? Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum School Improvement Strategies Scope & Sequence Documents Differentiated Instruction Common Core Standards Engagement Strategies Power Standards Bloom’s Taxonomy Professional Learning Communities How do we know they know it?What do we do if they don’t? Common Assessments RTI Data Director At Risk Programs Data Analysis Title I Programs Universal Screenings Support Classes Probative Assessments (progress monitoring) Tutoring State Assessments Re-teaching Formative Assessments Special Ed. Services

15. What do we want our kids to know? How do we teach it? Where do your building initiatives fit? Professional Learning Communities How do we know they know it?What do we do if they don’t?

16. What does a PLC look like in practice? • St. Amant High School

17. Team Process • Teams will: • Plan a lesson or unit • Teach it • Assess its impact • Collaboratively Analyze results • Adjust classroom instruction • Implement student interventions • Re-assess if needed

18. Team Process Collaboration Collaborate

19. Cultural Shifts in a PLC • Fundamental Purpose • Use of Assessments • Response When Students Don’t Learn • Work of Teachers • Focus • School Culture • Professional Development

20. Cultural Shifts in a PLC In your group, create a visual representation of before and after implementation of PLC’s. Be prepared to share with the group.

21. Current Conditions Probable Future Mapping Our Journey Preferred Future Action Plan for Change P L C

22. Next Steps • Team Formation • Norms • SMART Goals • Procedures/Meeting logs • Answer the questions of a PLC • What do we want our kids to know & be able to do? • How will we know if they learned it? • What will we do if they didn’t learn it? • What will we do if they are already proficient?

23. Team Advancement Wheel Performing: Maturing Connected Flexible Closed, focused Open, effective Supportive Forming: Establishing Guarded Polite, formal Wary Storming: Conflict Managing Confronting Opting out Troubles Stuck Norming: Stabilizing Gaining skills Procedures Feedback Confronting issues

24. Team Process Collaboration Collaboration

25. Remember: The vision of Rockwell Middle School is to present opportunities for all students to grow emotionally, socially and academically in a safe and supportive educational environment. AND “The ‘PLC’ concept (by whatever name) is indisputably the state of the art for improving instruction…” Dr. Mike Schmoker: The Opportunity: From “Brutal Facts” to the Best Schools We’ve Ever Had

26. Contact Information Tesha Thomas, Ed.S. Macomb Intermediate School District 228-3559 tthomas@misd.net