Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities Olympia High School

Ch 1 – A Guide to Action for Professional Learning Communities at Work • “The question confronting most schools and districts is not, ‘What do we need to know in order to improve?’ but rather, ‘Will we turn what we already know into action?’” p. 1

What are Professional Learning Communities? • A Focus on Learning • A Collaborative Culture With a Focus on Learning for ALL • Collective Inquiry Into Best Practice and Current Reality • Action Orientation: Learning by Doing • A Commitment to Continuous Improvement • Results Orientation

Ch 1 – A Clear and Compelling Purpose • “The very essence of a professional learning community is a focus on and a commitment to the learning of each student.” p. 13

Mission • “Why do we exist?” p. 23 • “The Olympia Community inspires, educates, and challenges each student to achieve personal success.” (District Mission Statement)

Vision • “What must we become in order to accomplish our fundamental purpose?” p. 24 • “Olympia strives to be an exemplary school district with an unparalleled reputation for maximizing student learning.” (Olympia District Vision Statement)

Values • “How must we behave to create the school that will achieve our purpose?” p. 25 • Assessment for Learning

Values Four Critical Questions of Learning If we believe Kids can learn…… • What is it we want all students to learn-by grade level, by course, and by unit of instruction? • How will we know when students have learned –that is, has acquired the knowledge, skills, and dispositions deemed essential? • How will we respond when students experience initial difficulty in their learning of the essential information? • How will we enrich and extend the learning for students who are already proficient?

Goals • “How will we know if all of this is making a difference?” p. 26 • Study current Research in science and science education to improve instruction and curriculum • Align K-12 curriculum with state and national standards • Utilize Assessments to improve student achievement to ensure all students learn and are challenged • Actively participate in Professional Development

The Professional Learning Community Continuum • Complete p. 34-35 • Discuss as a Team

Tips for Moving Forward • Move quickly to action • Build shared knowledge • Use the foundation to assist in day-to-day decisions • Use the foundation to identify existing practices that should be eliminated • Focus on yourself rather than on others • Recognize that the process is nonlinear

Ch. 3 – Creating a Focus on Learning • What is it we want all students to learn-by grade level, by course, and by unit of instruction? • Early High School Science Standards Alignment Curriculum • Goal 11 • Goal 12 • Goal 13

Ch. 3 – Creating a Focus on Learning • What is it we want all students to learn-by grade level, by course, and by unit of instruction? • Performance Expectations and Essential Knowledge • Goal 11 • Goal 12 – Physical Science • Goal 12 – Biology • Goal 13

Ch. 3 – Creating a Focus on Learning • How will we know if each student has learned it? The Power of Common Assessments • “State and provincial tests are summative assessments: attempts to determine if students have met intended standards by a specified deadline.” p. 55 • “Formative assessments are assessments for learning that measure a few things frequently.” p. 55

Ch. 3 – Creating a Focus on Learning • How will we know if each student has learned it? The Power of Common Assessments • “…so that those who are experiencing difficulty can be provided with additional time and support for learning.” p. 55 • Autopsy vs. physical exam

Ch. 3 – Creating a Focus on Learning The Power of Common Assessments • Common assessments are more efficient than assessments created by individual teachers • Common assessments are more equitable for students • Common assessments represent the most effective strategy for determining whether the guaranteed curriculum is being taught and, more importantly learning

Ch. 3 – Creating a Focus on Learning The Power of Common Assessments • Common assessments inform the practice of individual teachers • Common assessments build a team’s capacity to improve its program • Common assessments facilitate a systematic, collective response to students who are experiencing difficulty

Ch. 3 – Creating a Focus on Learning • How will we know if each student has learned it? The Power of Common Assessments • Physical Science Course Assessment • Biology Course Assessment

Ch. 4 – How Will We Respond When Some Students Don’t Learn? • “Professional learning communities create a systematic process of interventions to ensure students receive additional time and support for learning when they experience difficulty. The intervention process is timely and students are directed rather than invited to utilize the system of time and support.” p. 71

Ch. 4 – How Will We Respond When Some Students Don’t Learn? • Pete – classroom interventions • Brandi – classroom interventions • Success Club • RTI – Reading class • RTI – RLA and Math – Tu, W, T • EPAS • MAP

Ch. 4 – How Will We Respond When Some Students Don’t Learn? • How can we extend and enrich the learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency?

Ch. 5 – Building the Collaborative Culture of a PLC • Organization of Team • PLC Time for Collaboration

Ch. 5 – Building the Collaborative Culture of a PLC • Team Norms and Protocol • “..the first and most important step in building a cohesive and high-performing team is the establishment of vulnerability-based trust. Individuals on effective teams learn to acknowledge mistakes, weaknesses, failures, and the need for help. They also learn to recognize and value the strengths of other members of the team and are willing to learn from one another.” p.102

Ch. 5 – Building the Collaborative Culture of a PLC • Team Norms and Protocol • Review p.103-5

Professional Learning Communities