Supporting Schools and District Improvement in Massachusetts

1. Supporting Schools and District Improvement in Massachusetts Building Professional Learning Communities to ImproveInstruction and Raise Achievement ` Summer 2013

2. CCE Facilitation Team Dan French, CCE Executive Director Meg Maccini, PLC Consultant Meg Robbins, PLC Consultant Michael Brownstein, QPA Team Richard Dubuisson, PLC Project Lead Stacy Young, PLC Team Mary Anne Connery-Simmons Carlton Carter

3. Institute Goals To create a common understanding of the PLC Expansion Project, and the support available for schools and districts To examine the purpose, structures, and protocols for building an effective PLC To experience and practice the work of effective PLCs To use the PLC structures to explore individual schools/districts focus of inquiry, develop a body of work and implementation plan for key initiatives for the rest of the year.

4. Today’s Agenda - Morning Welcome & Introductions Connections Overview of the PLC Initiative PLC Video Break Structures of Effective PLCs – Norms The Work of PLCs – Looking at Student Work Protocol Morning Reflections

5. Today’s Agenda - Afternoon Lunch Compass Points – Identifying Preferences PLC Self-Assessment Debrief & Reflections Day 1 Evaluations Closure

6. DESE Perspective David Parker Manager for Regional Support and Intervention MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA  02148

7. How we work together We use norms to create safe spaces for working together We make use of protocols to structure discussions and keep the focus on student and teacher work as a means to improving teaching and learning We model tools and practices for PLC implementation, group activities to promote learning from each other, gradual release of responsibility as we go through the work, and sharing of our learning through presentations and peer critique

8. How we work together Our Norms: • Active listening • Check your assumptions • Trust the process • Respect all voices • Start and end on time • Recognize that everyone is a learner

9. Connections Introduce your school • Talk at your tables in your school or district teams • Choose a rep who will share • Name of your school, & town plus 2 of these • Something special about your school / district or town • Something you’re hoping to take back with you at the end of the 2 days • A question you have about implementing PLCs in your school / district Debrief

10. PLC Project Overview Goal: To promote strong professional learning communities in districts and schools to drive instructional improvement and increase student learning and achievement. Guiding Questions: What role do professional learning communities play in improving instruction and student achievement? How can we leverage change in our schools and build capacity by implementing professional learning communities?

11. PLC Project Overview The Center for Collaborative Education (CCE) has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) to promote the building of strong professional learning communities (PLC) in districts and schools in order to drive instructional improvement and ultimately increase student learning and achievement. During the pilot phase of this project, CCE worked with two cohorts: One cohort of districts from Western Mass and the other Cohort from Eastern Mass. During year two of the project, we will work with cohorts of schools and districts from five different regions across the Commonwealth: Central, Western, Southeast, Northeast, and Greater Boston.

12. PLC Logic Model Building strong professional learning communities– focused on improving instruction, curriculum, and assessment – will result in increased teacher collaboration and an increase in the use of effective instructional practices in classrooms, leading to improved student achievement. Improved Student Outcomes Building vibrant Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Increased school collaboration focused on improving instruction & student learning Changes in School and Classroom Practices

13. What PLC Work Do We Engage In? Using structured protocols to help focus our work, we engage school and district teams in the following: • Looking at student and teacher work • Classroom, peer, and learning walk shared observations • Creating common assessments & rubrics • Data-based inquiry groups to identify causes and find solutions to instructional dilemmas • Lesson study • Text-based discussions on education research

14. Who We Are The Center for Collaborative Education (CCE) is a nonprofit organization, established in 1994 and based in Boston, MA. CCE partners with public schools and districts to create and sustain effective and equitable schools. We have provided technical assistance to a multitude of public school districts in Massachusetts and beyond in all aspects of school reform – leadership development, professional learning communities, school redesign, governance, curriculum, instruction, assessment, staffing, budget, schedules, and parent engagement, among others. CCE has worked with most of the urban school districts across the state on multiple school reform initiatives, across all grade spans.

15. Project Work Create a set of professional development modules, facilitator guides, and Power Points that MA districts can use to launch and strengthen PLCs. Each module is focused on tools and resources for application. Work with cohorts of districts in a coaching/capacity-building capacity to strengthen PLCs while field testing and gaining feedback on draft professional development resources that will be available statewide. By June 2014, there will be a robust PLC website housed by ESE of modules, facilitator guides, Power Points, case studies, readings, and other resources for all districts and schools to access.

16. PLC Modules The project includes six professional development modules, along with tools (articles, protocols, videos, etc..), and facilitator’s guides to assist schools/districts in implementing PLCs. The modules are: Module 1 “Why PLCs?” Module 2 “Structures of PLCs” Module 3 “How to Build Effective Teams” Module 4 “Data-Based Inquiry” Module 5 “Non-Evaluative Classroom Observations” Module 6 “District -Level Professional Learning Communities”

17. District and School Support Five days of school-year cohort Professional Development in structuring and facilitating PLCs • 2-day Summer Institute, and 3 days in the fall & Spring • Dates in October, December, and February TBD Five days of dedicated in-district CCE coaching throughout the school year On-site coaching in a ‘train the trainer’ model and work with both District and School PLCs

18. District Commitments Demonstrated District Leadership Support (Walk the Walk) Common Planning Time 2-3 times a week (minimum once) for Teacher Teams ID of lead district liaison person Formation of active and engaged Superintendent’s PLC Leadership Team Participation in full scope of training District-school team for side by side DSAC training Commitment to provide feedback to CCE on training and resource materials

19. Turn and Talk Reflect in your journals for 2 minutes • What did you hear that resonated? • What questions were raised? • Any new ideas come up? Turn to someone at your table and share some of your ideas, questions, and thoughts Debrief

20. PLC Video Find a partner at your table Use Video Graphic Organizer as you watch video 1 person will focus on what is shown and the other will focus on what is said. After the video each person shares for 2-3 minutes Debrief

21. Break – 10 minutes

22. PLC Structures – Creating Norms How can norms provide the right foundation for our PLCs? Forming Ground Rules Protocol Practicing creating norms with your PLC groups

23. Norms Debrief How did this process work with your group? • Can you see using this with your PLC? • What are some other ways you’ve created norms? • How do you re-visit norms and make them personally relevant for each group and each individual? • How do you maintain your norms and hold everyone accountable? What challenges are there? What learning do you have to share?

24. Looking at Student WorkProtocol Protocol at the heart of PLC work Process: • 6 small groups • Group number is on your name tag • Groups 1 & 2 stay here • Group 3 in small conference room • Groups 4in middle conference room • Groups 5 & 6 in back conference room Debrief

25. Morning Reflections In your “journals” capture some of your thoughts, ideas, and questions from our work this morning. Debrief

26. Lunch – 45mins

27. Afternoon Agenda Compass Points PLC Self-Assessment Debrief & Reflections Day 1 Evaluations Closure

28. Compass Points Choose your most dominant work style: • North: • Acting – “Let’s do it;” Likes to act, try things, plunge in. • South • Caring – likes to know that everyone’s feelings have been taken into consideration and that their voices have been heard before acting. • East • Speculating – likes to look at the big picture and the possibilities before acting. • West • Paying attention to detail —likes to know the who, what, when, where and why before acting.

29. PLC Self-Assessment Within your school teams, create pairs or triads and complete the self-assessment tool together. As you answer each question, think of the supporting evidence you would provide if asked. Get back together as a full school or district team and compare answers • Were there any major gaps? • What strengths did we identify? • What were the growth areas? • What are the implications for our work? • Debrief

30. Final Reflections & Closing Complete Day 1 Evaluations and turn in HW for tomorrow, article: “Building Professional Learning Communities” Journal--Learnings and thoughts from the day Debrief and Reflections Preview day 2 agenda Thank you! See you all tomorrow!