Professional Learning
Communities at Work
The Real Question
• Why are Professional
Learning Teams so critical?
• How are they linked to
student learning?
Ask Yourself?
• Do I meet the needs of all learners in my
classroom?
• Do I have enough time to plan effectively
for re-teaching so that all students learn?
• Are all my students successful and ready
for the next grade?
The Power of Professional
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.”
McLaughlin, 1995
The path to change in the classroom lies within and
through professional learning communities.
On PLCs…..
“The
best strategy for improving schools
and districts is developing the collective
capacity of educators to function as members
of a Professional Learning Community
(PLC)—a concept based on the premise that
if students are to learn at higher levels,
processes must be in place to ensure the
ongoing, job-embedded learning of the
adults who serve them”.
Rick DuFour, co-author of Leaders of Learning
Dr. Anthony Muhammad…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9QD6xMns
hA
www.newfrontier21.com
www.allthingsplc.com
Traditional School Structure
5K
Individual
Individual
Individual
1st gr.
Individual
Individual
Individual
2nd gr.
Individual
Individual
Individual
3rd gr.
Individual
Individual
Individual
4th gr.
Individual
Individual
Individual
5th gr.
Individual
Individual
Individual
6th gr.
Individual
Individual
Individual
Independent
Kingdoms
Pseudo PLC Structure
Kindergarten Group
First Grade Group
Second Grade Group
Third Grade Group
Fourth Grade Group
Fifth Grade Group
Sixth Grade Group
Individual
Kingdoms
Interdependent Collaborative Teams
Shared
Purpose
PLC
Kindergarten Team
First Grade Team
Second Grade Team
Third Grade Team
Fourth Grade Team
Shared Collective
Shared
Vision Commitments Goals
Cohesive
Foundation
Paradigm Shifts….
Old Paradigm





Every Student CAN learn
Assessment OF Learning
(Summative)
Teach and move on
Winners and Losers
Focus on Teaching
New Paradigm





Every Student WILL learn
Assessment FOR Learning
(Formative)
Pyramid of Intervention
Failure is Not an Option
Focus on Learning
Professional Learning
Community Defined
An ongoing process in which educators work
collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective
inquiry and action research to achieve better results
for the students they serve.
PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to
improved learning for students is continuous, jobembedded learning for educators.
(DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many, 2010)
The BIG IDEAS of a PLC….
1. Ensure that all students
learn at high levels.
2. Create a collaborative
culture.
3. Focus on results.
The BIG IDEAS of a PLC….
Ensure that all students learn at high levels by
focusing on four critical questions:
1.
What do we want students to learn?
2.
How will we know if they learn it?
3.
What will we do if they do not learn it?
4.
How can we enrich those who do learn it?
What Do We Want
Students To Learn?
The PLC commits to:
• a guaranteed and viable curriculumthe priority standards, skills, and essential
outcomes.
• embedded learning targets and agrees
on the depth of knowledge.
How Will We Know if
They Learn It?
The PLC:
• gathers evidence of student learning
through common assessments.
• establishes criteria to assess the quality of
student work.
• collectively analyzes the data to
determine next steps.
What Will We Do If
They Do Not Learn It?
The PLC:
• determines re-teaching/intervention
strategies different from first strategies used.
• Implements systematic interventions for
students based on need.
• Checks the collective ability of the team.
• Provides feedback to and from students.
Pyramid of Interventions
DATA WALL SAMPLE: C. Harris 3rd Fall 2011-12 ELA MAP / Spring 2011 PASS results
< 11% MAP
11-24% MAP
25%+ MAP
Interventions/
Enrichments
Interventions/
Enrichments
Interventions/
Enrichments
Student 2 150-230
NM
Student 9 275-350 NM
Student 18 450-580 M
Student 3 190-270
NM
Student 10 310--450 NM
Student 19 450-580 M
Student 4 210-300 NM
Student 11 275-380 M
Student 5 210-300 NM
Student 17 300-400 NM
Student 6 210-300 NM
Student 16 380=450 M
Student 7 210-300 NM
Student 15 275-350 M
Student 8 210-300 NM
Student 14 300-450 NM
Student 1 NM L 200-290
Student 13 275-350 M
Student 12 450-600 NM
Student 20 600-750 M
How Can We Enrich Those
Who DO Learn It?
The PLC:
• differentiates through extended learning
activities.
• assists students to a deeper
understanding of concepts by applying the
new learning.
www.foridahoteachers.org
What Will It Look Like?
Setting Up The Teams
- Teams determine Norms for Meeting
- Teams receive the expectations for meetings from principal
- Teams determine meeting times and places
Action Steps in Planning Sessions
- Look at current data to determine student weaknesses
- Select concepts or skills to be taught based on state standards – develop Smart Goals
- Create or select common assessments and set the criteria for student performance on the
assessment (percentage to meet criteria)
- Use all resources for planning of instruction (CCSS, district guides, teacher guides, state support
documents, researched lessons
- Discuss and share instructional strategies and teach the lessons
- Make adjustments in common assessments and/or instructional plans accordingly
- Regroup students for interventions or enrichment.
After the Process
- Provide feedback to students
- As a team celebrate the successes of students
Action Steps in Planning
•
Select concepts or skills to be taught based on state standards –
develop Smart Goals.
•
Create or select common assessments and set the criteria for
student performance on the assessment (percentage to meet
criteria).
•
Use all resources for planning of instruction (CCSS, district guides,
teacher guides, state support documents, researched lessons).
•
Discuss and share instructional strategies and teach the lessons.
After teaching, give common assessments – Teachers record the
data for analysis.
•
Adjust common assessments and/or instructional plans
accordingly.
•
Regroup students for interventions or enrichment.
Reassess
SMART GOALS
•
•
•
•
•
Strategic and specific
Measurable
Attainable
Results-oriented
Time bound
Which of these are SMART goals?
By the end of the school year we will:
• Develop and administer 5 common
assessments
• Implement the Common Core state standards
in 100% of our classrooms
• Increase the percentage of students achieving
and exceeding the target score (80% or
higher) on each strand of our end –of- theyear assessment from 81% last year to at least
90% this year.
www.allthingsplc.com
Go to www.allthingsplc.com to find:
•
•
•
•
•
Research articles
School success stories
PLC forms
Getting started suggestions
ALL THINGS related to PLCs!
Suggested resources:
Web-sites:
www.allthingsplc.com
www.newfrontier.com
www.leadandlearn.com
www.learningforward.com
www.ed.sc.gov
(Click: I’m looking for common core…. Common core support site; look on left column under
“resources”)
http://www.s2temsc.org
http://engageny.org
Suggested Books:
• The School Leader’s Guide to Professional Learning Communities at WorkDuFour
• Transforming School Culture- Muhammad
• Learning by Doing -DuFour
• Leaders of Learning- DuFour and Marzano