PLCs Communities of Continuous Learning and Improvement

1. PLCsCommunities of Continuous Learning and Improvement EDA 600 Foundations of Educational Leadership Professor Scott MacDonell May 7/8, 2010 Jennifer Ashbery Renee Bacon Lisa Clar Katie Coon Patti Saucke

2. Silent Reflection Activity Use the large paper and markers on the table to write your thoughts and ideas pertaining to the video you just watched. You may also respond on the paper to your tablemates thoughts and ideas. You can use words, symbols, phrases, or sentences to express yourself. You may not use your voice for this reflection!

3. Identification/Selection of the Issue “God didn’t create self-contained classrooms, fifty minute periods, and subjects taught in isolation. We did – because we find working alone safer than, and preferable to, working together.” Barth, 1991

4. What is “Professional” • Someone with expertise in a specialized field. • Has pursued advanced training to enter the field. • Remains current in the evolving knowledge base of their field. • Uses emerging research and standards as the basis of their collaborative investigation of how they can better achieve their goals.

5. What is “Learning” • Suggests ongoing action and perpetual curiosity. • Schools cannot operate as though their teachers know everything they will ever need to know the day they enter the profession. • Members must engage in the ongoing study and constant practice that characterizes an organization committed to continuous improvement.

6. What is “Community” • This term suggests a group linked by common interests. • An environment that fosters mutual cooperation, emotional support, and personal growth as they work together to achieve what they cannot accomplish alone.

7. Professional Learning Community Definition: A professional learning community (PLC) is an extended learning opportunity to foster collaborative learning among colleagues within a particular work environment or field. It is often used in schools as a way to organize teachers into working groups.

8. Traditionally… Administration in leadership positions Teachers are “implementors” or “followers” PLC Model… Administration are “leaders of leaders” Teachers are “transformational leaders” PLCs – Importance for Educational Leadership

9. Group Activity Directions 1. Individual participants will identify the 3-6 most important ideas from the brochure. 2. Pair up and share individual ideas and come to consensus on the top three most important ideas. 3. Create a collaborative summary of 2-3 sentences to share with the group.

10. Big Ideas of a PLC Idea #1 – Focus on Learning • ensure high levels of learning for all students • work to address the four critical questions 1) What do we want students to learn? 2) How will we know if they have learned? 3) What will we do if they don’t learn? 4) What will we do if they already know it?

11. Big Ideas of a PLC Idea #2 – Culture of Collaboration • Time and support is given to allow teachers to work together. • Teachers work to develop common assessments, clarify essential learning, and analyze evidence of student learning.

12. Big Ideas of a PLC Idea #3 – Focus on Results • Effectiveness is measure by results - data driven. • Continuous assessment of programs, practices, and policies. • Data provided is relevant and timely.

13. 6 Essential Characteristics of a PLC • Shared mission, vision, values, and goals. • Collaborative teams focused on learning. • Collective inquiry. • Action orientation and experimentation. • Commitment to continuous improvement. • Results orientation.

14. Barriers/Challenges of PLCs Barriers to leadership sustainability through PLCs include: • Lack of support from superintendents and school boards. • Dependence on individual leaders, and not upon leadership teams, to carry the torch of leadership for an entire school. • Creating poorly designed guiding coalitions to develop and lead the cultural change. • Not providing individual teacher leaders the experiences and activities they need to practice their leadership skills. • To sustain the cultural changes of professional learning communities, a leadership development framework must include a process that provides for lateral and vertical capacity building. (Fullan, 2005)

15. Break Out Session Guide Questions: • Describe the process you will use to implement your PLC. • What data will you use to support the need for PLC? • Identify how you will regularly monitor, assess, and revise your implementation. 4) How will you sustain the success of your PLCs for the long run?

16. How leadership styles will be impacted…

17. A Leader’s Destiny A leader destined for success asks, “What can we do to improve?” A leader destined for failure says, “That’s the way it’s always been done.” Which are you? - Anonymous

18. Resources • District Leadership that Works: Striking the Right Balance(Marzano, R. & Waters, T. 2009) • The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results(Reeves, D. 2006) • Results Now: How to Achieve Unprecedented Improvements in Teaching and Learning(Schmoker, M 2006) • On Common Ground: The Power of PLC’s(Barth, R., DuFour, R.& R., Eaker, R., Eason-Watkins, B., Fullan, M., Lezotte, L., Reeves, D., Saphier, J., Schmoker, M., Sparks, D., Stiggins, R., 2005) • Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become PLCs(Eaker, R., DuFour, R. & R.)

19. Resources cont… • Revisiting PLCs at Work: New Insights for Improving Change(DuFour, R. & R., Eaker, R., 2008) • Learning By Doing a Handbook for PLCs at Work(DuFour R. & R., Eaker, R., Many, T., 2006) • Whatever it Takes(DuFour, R. & R., Eaker, R., Karhanek, G., 2004) • Improving Schools from Within(Barth, R., 1991) • www.allthingsplc.info