Professional Learning Teams:

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Professional Learning Teams

• One Mid-Size Districts Story
• TASA Midwinter Conference
• January 29, 2007

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Introductions

• District Facts
• Superintendent Danny Taylor
• District Perspective
• Dr. Shelley Sweatt,
• Executive Director Curriculum Instruction
• Principals Perspectives
• Stacey Darnall, John Tower Elementary School
• Scott Slater, I.C. Evans Elementary School

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Burkburnett ISD

• The District is committed to a students-first
  approach, a tradition that has stood firm since
  the districts first schools opened in 1907.
• BISD encompasses about 188 square miles in
  Wichita and Clay counties of North Central Texas
  on the banks of the Red River and serves
  Burkburnett, NE Wichita Falls, and Sheppard Air
  Force Base.

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Student Performance and Demographics

• Total enrollment 3,709 students
• 41 of our students are military dependents
• Ethnic distribution White- 77.9,
  Hispanic-10.2, African Am.-8.1, Asian-2.2, and
  Native Am.-1.7
• Percent Economically Disadvantaged Students
  45.4

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Student Performance and Demographics

• LEP Students 1.0
• Annual Dropout Rate 0.09
• Composite SAT Score 1030
• Composite ACT Score 21
• TEA Academically Recognized District and Met AYP

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Albert Einstein observed that

• problems cannot be solved at the same level of
  awareness that created them.

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Superintendents Observations

• Achieving success for all students requires a
  consistent, systemic approach across the district
  with all players working in sync.

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Kent Peterson, University of Wisconsin, in a
NSDC publication writes

• Standard-based reform efforts to align
  content, teaching, and assessment requires a
  culture that supports and values these structural
  changes.
• Schools need both clear structures and strong,
  professional cultures to foster learning.

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• How do you secure a more objective examination of
  the school culture in which you operate?
• We believe that there are many possible routes to
  improvement, and the right one for any district
  depends on the context which is best understood
  by those within.

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• The old adage, What you dont know, cant hurt
  you is not now-and never was-true.
• After accepting the fact that BISD was in need of
  substantive reform, we made a commitment to
  develop and support professional learning
  communities district-wide.

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Professional Learning Teams In Burkburnett
ISD A Work In Progress
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• The most promising strategy for sustained,
  substantive school improvement is developing the
  ability for school personnel to function as
  professional learning communities.
• DuFour, R., Eaker, R. (1998). Professional
  learning communities at work. Bloomington, IN
  National Education Service.

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Rationale for Professional Learning Teams

• School Improvement Process
• Driven by teacher input
• Build collaborative teams
• Consistent understanding of definitions and
  process
• Focus increase individual student success
  (achievement)
• Building leadership capacity
• Provides support you cant do it alone
• Full participation (authentic engagement)
• Shared opportunity and responsibility

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• Why?
• Addresses Numerous Issues
• Staff Development Standards
• Staff concerns about relevance and quality of
  professional development in the district
• Students
• Organizational Health Inventory
• Change (how to deal with it and adapt to it)
• Teachers
• Work smarter, not harder during the school day

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• Throughout our research on professional
  learning communities, four key themes emerged(1)
  A professional learning community is not a thing
  rather, it is a way of operating. (2) Change
  requires learning, and learning motivates change.
  (3) When staff work and learn within
  professional learning communities, continuous
  improvement becomes an embedded value. (4) The
  five dimensions exist when each of the five
  dimensions are in place and working
  interdependently together.
• Morrissey, M. (2000). Professional learning
  communities An ongoing exploration. Austin, TX
  Southwest Educational Development Laboratory

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Five Dimensions of Professional Learning
Communities

• Supportive and Shared Leadership
• Shared Values and Vision
• Collective Learning and Application of Learning
• Supportive Conditions
• Shared Personal Practice
• As identified by the Southwest Educational
  Department Laboratory (SEDL)

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• A critical element in professional learning
  communities is the continuous engagement of staff
  in inquiry directed toward improving the learning
  of students. Such inquiry does not have an
  endpoint. Instead, it is a state of being, an
  ongoing process that is sustained over time and
  changes with the environment and the
  expectations. All professional members of the
  school are invested in their own learning and
  make the changes necessary to become more
  effective in addressing the needs of all
  students, helping them to achieve high standards
  of learning.
• Morrissey, M. (2000). Professional learning
  communities An ongoing exploration. Austin, TX
  Southwest Educational Development Laboratory

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The Effect on Student Achievement of School and
Teacher Effectiveness
Students entering at the 50th percentile leave,
after two years
It should be noted that researchers estimate
that students gain about 6 percentage points
simply from growing one year older and gleaning
new knowledge and information through everyday
life (Hattie, 1992 Cahen Davis,
1977). Marzano, R. (2003). What Works in Schools
Translating Research into Action (pp. 73, 74).
Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.
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As Time Passes By.

• Our timeline for the past two years

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Taking Our Pulse

• PLT Campus Surveys
• By PLT in January and May of each year
• District wide on-line survey by individual staff
  in May
• DIT Comments
• Spring 2006, Fall 2006

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Burkburnett ISD Professional Learning
TeamsProgress Self-Assessment ComparisonData
From Campuses 1/06 All Campuses5/06 BHS, AEC,
Evans, Hardin12/06 All Campuses
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PLT Progress CheckAdministrative Team
MeetingJanuary 9, 2006

• As a District, areas in which we are HOT
• Collegial / supportive
• Trust
• Enjoy working with each other
• Accepted
• Ideas respected
• Actively listen to each other
• Hold accountable for student learning
• Feeling of shared responsibility for student
  learning

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• Areas in which we are COOL
• Share with other teachers and teams
• We know where we are going
• We have a sense of accomplishment

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Professional Learning TeamComments from DIT
MembersSpring 2006

• Enables people to see how other departments work
• Go to other classes to observe, but time is an
  issue
• Set time to talk to your team (uninterrupted)
• Puts people on same page
• We know where were going
• Group doesnt have much in common (Teaching
  Assignments)

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• Lots of sharing of ideas
• Common planning is difficult due to different
  content areas
• (self contained vs. department)
• Allows Special Populations to meet with general
  ed teachers
• Re-emphasizes common goal
• Student learning

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Concerns

• Time/logistics for specialized positions to meet
• Resources
• Time-teachers are away from students 1 hour/week
• dependent on outside individual to provide
  enrichment (need them more often)
• Need more designated time
• Time-no common planning period

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DIT Comments Fall 2006

• Areas in Which We Are Hot
• Common lesson plans
• Item analysis of TAKS
• Counselors meeting together
• Structure and focus
• Review Benchmark and Achievement test results
• Common needs goals are recognized

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DIT Comments, Cont

• Areas in Which We are Cool
• Time
• Elementary grade levels across district need
  collaboration time
• Interferes with conference or planning period
• Team make-ups are not always conducive to
  academic planning
• Focus

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Evans PLT Enrichment2006-2007

• Character Counts This enrichment area is
  conducted by the PE Fitness paraprofessional and
  the school counselor.
• The students are engaged in activities that
  center on one of the six Pillars of Character
  that the Character Counts program emphasizes
• Respect, Responsibility, Trustworthiness,
  Citizenship, Fairness, and Caring.

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• The highlighted character trait always coincides
  with the attribute that the counselor has already
  featured on the Counselors Corner during the
  morning announcements.
• The students do activities such as puppet shows
  and role-playing to further reinforce the desired
  behavior.

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Library / Computer Lab

• This is a split enrichment area.
• The students go to the library for 30 minutes and
  then rotate to the Computer Lab for 30 minutes.
• The rationale is to avoid tying up one of these
  campus-critical areas for the entire hour.

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• In the library, the librarian is responsible for
  securing some sort of literature that reinforces
  a concept that the students are dealing with in
  one of the core instructional subjects and
  delivering that to the class.
• In the Computer Lab, our Lab Facilitator works
  with the class on content-specific activities
  that support the implementation of the
  appropriate grade level Technology Applications
  TEKS.

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Health

• The certified P.E. teacher conducts this
  enrichment area with the assistance of additional
  support personnel as needed.
• The teacher does a variety of activities to
  implement the grade level health TEKS.

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• The Burkburnett Boys and Girls Club sends their
  staff out once a week to share lessons regarding
  goal-setting and making good choices.

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• The P.E. teacher coordinates with these
  individuals to ensure that the lessons are
  age-appropriate and meaningful.
• Additionally, the Texas Bicycle Safety Coalition
  has come during this time to share lessons
  regarding bicycle safety with students.

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• Fine Arts The certified music teacher, and one
  additional person from outside the campus staff
  instruct the classes that go to this area.

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• The lessons focus on music and art, and are
  designed to expose students to elements of the
  arts that they might not otherwise come into
  contact with.
• A variety of hands-on activities are provided to
  take a particular artist or composer and go into
  depth about their contributions to their
  particular field.

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Making it work

• Creating a master schedule for our campus that
  embedded, uninterrupted Professional Learning
  Team time into the school day.
• Setting the expectations for use of time
• See handouts of master schedule and PLT log

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In a nutshell
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Implementation at Tower ElementaryThe HOW we
made it work!

• What students do during PLTs Welcome to the
  Learning Zones
• All Zones are true academic, enrichment learning
  opportunities for all students.
• Each Zone consists of one (1) class
• Each class rotates through the Zones every week,
  taking 5 weeks to get through all of the Zones

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• 4 of the 5 Zones lessons are planned and taught
  by certified teachers on campus
• The one Zone which is not taught by a certified
  teacher is our Tech Zone. However, it is taught
  by our highly trained, computer lab
  paraprofessional.
• All Zone lessons are extensions of the TEKS

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Cranium Zone

• The am and pm sections of this zone are taught by
  two different people due to scheduling
  arrangements.
• The am section consists of math enrichment
  activities taught by our math specialist
• The pm section is taught by our Title I reading
  and math specialist who focuses on logical and
  deductive reasoning games as well as math and
  phonics based enrichment activities.

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Discovery Zone

• Writing enrichment activities taught by our
  gifted and talented teacher

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Lit Zone

• Literature based enrichment activities taught by
  our librarian

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Tech Zone

• Technology Enrichment Activities taught by
  computer lab specialist

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Right Zone

• Character Education/Career lessons taught by
  school counselor such as
• Bullying
• Drug Free pledges
• Career opportunities and choices
• Stranger Danger
• Self confidence and esteem issues

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Year-to-Year Movement Toward Professional
Learning Teams at I. C. Evans

• School Year 2001-2002
• Learning Families- Cross grade level study
  groups. Teams selected a topic and researched it
  throughout the school year. A Professional
  Development day in April featured teachers
  presenting their findings as a culminating
  activity.

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School Year 2002-2003

• Content Area Study Groups- Cross grade level
  teams studied trends, methodology, and
  best-practice in one particular subject area,
  made campus recommendations, and worked to ensure
  alignment K-5.

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School Year 2003-2004

• Grade Level Retreats- I took grade levels
  off-campus for a day of reflection and
  team-building activities.

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School Year 2004-2005

• Collaboration Days- On one Friday each month
  during the school year, all grade level teachers
  were covered from 100-300 to provide time for
  them to talk with each other about instructional
  issues.

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You cannot have students as continuous learners
and effective collaborators, without teachers
having the same characteristics.

• Michael Fullan (1993)Professional Learning
  Communities
• by Rick DuFour and Robert Eaker

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Professional Learning for TeachersLaying the
Foundation

• Our staff development in August at the HS helped
  lay the foundation for building the time for PLTs
  into our daily routines.
• This helped open all of our eyes to the idea of
  job embedded, protected time which would allow us
  to utilize BISDs very best resources OUR
  teachers.
• 4 Questions posed to and answered by our teachers

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Why do we need to collaborate on instruction (and
curriculum)?
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Why should we use Professional Learning Teams?
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How can this make a DIFFERENCE for US?
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How can this make a difference for our STUDENTS?
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School Year 2005-2006

• Professional Learning Teams I

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School Year 2006-2007

• Professional Learning Teams II

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Every decision we make should be based on what
will most positively impact student performance
and ultimately raise levels of student
achievement. This will be achieved by

• Analysis of student achievement data
• Disaggregating benchmark results
• Targeting areas of need through
• Modified teaching
• Individual student goals
• Other strategies for improvement
• Effective planning of lessons, centers, sponge
  activities, etc that require higher-level
  thinking from our students

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• Developing strong team efforts to better attack
  our challenges
• Not allowing failure to be an option
• Implementation of our systematic response for
  What do we do if they dont know it (what we want
  them to know)?

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PLT Time for teachers

• 3 core questions
• What do we want our students to learn?
• How will we know if they have learned it?
• What will we do if they have not learned it?
• Focusing on
• Student Learning

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I. C. Evans ElementaryProfessional Learning
TeamMeeting Minutes
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• I. C. Evans Elementary
• Professional Learning Team
• Meeting Minutes
• First Grade Team Team Leader __________________
  Date_________
• Campus Goal 1 Appropriate STUDENT LEARNING will
  occur at every level as a result of collaborative
  teams working interdependently and holding
  themselves mutually accountable for measurable
  student performance outcomes.
• Work Unit Goal Students will learn decoding
  and comprehension skills and develop and
  enjoyment for reading measured by Benchmarks, EOY
  TPRI, and EOY STAR testing add and subtract one
  digit numbers measured by common math assessments
  develop a vision for the future utilizing
  lessons of the past measured by Benchmarks and an
  EOY project learn and exhibit characteristics of
  good citizenship measured by behavior charts and
  a behavior checklist learn to express themselves
  orally and through written communication measured
  by a WFTB writing sample and a class
  presentation.
• Members Present Focus of Meeting (CIRCLE ONE
  OR MORE)
• What do we want all kids to learn?
• How will we teach
• How will we know when theyve learned it?
• How will we respond when they dont?
• How do we enrich and extend the ones who do?
• Research/Professional Learning Source
• (CHECK ONE OR MORE)
• Specific Topic of Study __ Professional
  Journal ________________
• __ Other Article ______________________
• __ WebSite __________________________
• __ Expertise Within the Building ________
• __ Expertise From Outside _____________

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• Meeting Notes
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
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  ____________________________________
• Implications for Practice / Recommendations
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  _______________________________________
• Before Next Meeting, Who is to Accomplish What
• ______________________ -
• ______________________ -
• ______________________ -
• ______________________ -
• Next Team Leader

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Tower ElementaryProfessional Learning Team
Minutes

• 3rd Grade Team Date________________
• Our Goals 90 on math TAKS test AND
• 90 of students reading at or above grade
  level by end of year
• Action Steps
• 1. Reteach skills students dont get the first
  time
• 2. Communicate w/parents about students
  weaknesses ( strengths)
• 3. Take student surveys and create TEKS driven
  lessons on their interests throughout the year.

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• ? Check these boxes below when the items target
  the goal or action step(s).
• Members Present
• (please sign) Research Discussed
• _____________________ Interventions
• _____________________ Best Practices
• _____________________ Benchmarking
• _____________________ Etcetera
• _____________________ __________________________
  __?
• _____________________ __________________________
  __?
• _____________________ _________________________
  ___?
• Meeting Agenda/Notes __________________________
  __?
• ____________________________?
• ____________________________? Analysis of
  Interventions In Place
• ____________________________?
• Low Progress Students Identified/Discussed _____
  _______________________?
• ______________________________ __________________
  __________?
• ______________________________
  ____________________________?

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Appendix
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Descriptions of PLC Dimensions

• Supportive and Shared Leadership
• Administrators, along with teachers, question,
  investigate, and seek solutions for school
  improvement
• Shared Values and Vision
• Unwavering focus on student learning

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• Collective Learning and Application of Learning
• Engage school staff at all levels in processes
  that collectively seek new knowledge and ways of
  applying that knowledge to their work. The
  collegial relationships that result produce
  creative and appropriate solutions to problems,
  strengthening the bond between principal and
  teachers and increasing their commitment to
  improvement efforts. Such schools move beyond
  discussions of revising the schedule or
  establishing new governance procedures to focus
  on areas that can contribute to significant
  school improvement curriculum, instruction,
  assessment, and the schools culture.
• Morrissey, M. (2000). Professional learning
  communities An ongoing exploration. Austin, TX
  Southwest Educational Development Laboratory

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• Supportive Conditions
• Creating supportive structures, including a
  collaborative environment, has been described as
  the single most important factor for successful
  school improvement and the first order of
  business for those seeking to enhance the
  effectiveness of their school.The structural
  conditions include use of time, communication
  procedures, size of the school, proximity of
  teachers, and staff development processes.
• Morrissey, M. (2000). Professional learning
  communities An ongoing exploration. Austin, TX
  Southwest Educational Development Laboratory

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• Shared Personal Practice
• Schools and school systems that are improving
  directly and explicitly confront the issue of
  isolation by creating multiple avenues of
  interaction among educators and promoting
  inquiry-oriented practices while working toward
  high standards of student performance.

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Benefits of Professional Learning Teams

• provide a consistent focus with ongoing training,
  assistance, and support.
• create a collective commitment among teachers to
  deepen their content knowledge and thoughtfully
  apply research-based instructional strategies and
  assessments.

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• provide opportunities for teachers to regularly
  share, reflect, and work together.
• allow teachers to decide what knowledge and
  skills they need in order to help students learn,
  and how they can best gain that expertise.
• provide a way for teachers to grow and learn in a
  supportive atmosphere.

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• honor the knowledge and skills of teachers and
  provide a way for teachers to contribute to the
  body of knowledge about teaching and learning.
• provide teachers with a process for addressing
  student diversity, individualizing instruction,
  and holding high expectations for all students.

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• provide faculties with professional learning
  based on data-driven student needs.
• provide us with opportunities to grow
  professionally at our local school site.
• engage teachers in spending a greater amount of
  time in quality professional learning and
  development.

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• Professional Learning Teams
• Tower Elementary
• Update September 13, 2006
• This 2nd year of Professional Learning Teams at
  Tower seem to be running smoothly. The teachers
  have a clearer understanding of how to use their
  time, although sometimes I still get questions
  that baffle me???!!! Each team set goals for
  their grade level at the beginning of the year in
  our district professional learning.
• Each teams new PLT log for this year has their
  goal for them at the top of it. Hopefully, this
  may serve as a constant reminder that their focus
  should be on things which help reach that goal
  and on STUDENT LEARNING.
• We have revamped our Zones somewhat this year in
  response to teacher input throughout the year.
  We added a Character Education Zone, and our new
  ALPS teacher is truly teaching some enrichment
  activities in the realm of creative writing.
• I am anxious to see if their minutes reflect
  different conversations with their new PLT log
  form.

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• I. C. Evans Elementary
• PLT Update- 10-2-06
• PLTs have settled into a pretty good routine.
  The coverage has worked well with the students
  going to three different stations while the
  teachers are in their meetings. I am monitoring
  the Team Logs of each meeting. I did not sit
  down with every team last week. I hit two or
  three teams last week and will sit in with the
  other PLTs this week.
• I am monitoring a couple of grade levels to make
  sure they fully grasp the importance of keeping
  the focus on instructional issues. They are
  still spending time on planning study trips, etc.
  I will try to guide them toward using their PLT
  time for the bigger issues.
• My plan is to sit in with about half of the teams
  one week and then sit in with the other half the
  next.
• We are not meeting next week because it is a
  short week with the Professional Learning Day on
  Monday 10-9-06.

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References

• DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Dufour, R. (eds).
  (2005). On common ground The power of
  professional learning communities. Bloomington,
  IN National Educational Service.
• DuFour, R., Dufour, R., Eaker, R., Karhanek, G.
  (2004). Whatever it takes How professional
  learning communities respond when kids dont
  learn. Bloomington, IN Solution Tree.
• DuFour, R., Eaker, R. (1998). Professional
  learning communities at work Best practices for
  enhancing student achievement. Bloomington, IN
  National Education Service.
• Hord, S.M. (2003). Learning together, leading
  together Changing schools through professional
  learning communities, Critical Issues in
  Educational Leadership Series, II. Southwest
  Educational Development Laboratory.
• Hord, S.M. (1997). Professional learning
  communities Communities of continuous inquiry
  and improvement. Austin, TX Southwest
  Educational Development Laboratory.

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• Morrissey, M. S. (2000). Professional learning
  communities An ongoing exploration. Austin, TX
  Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
• Jolly, A. (2005). A facilitators Guide to
  professional learning teams Creating on-the-job
  opportunities for teachers to continually learn
  and grow. Greensboro, NC SERVE.
• National Staff Development Council. (2003).
  Moving NSDCs staff development standards into
  practice Innovation configurations. Oxford, OH
  Author
• National Staff Development Council. (2001).
  Standards for staff development (rev.). Oxford,
  OH Author.
• Schmoker, M. (2006). Results now How we can
  achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching
  and learning. Alexandria, VA Association for
  Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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• Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline the art
  and practice of the learning organization. New
  York Doubleday Currency.
• Senge, P. (2000). Schools that learn A fifth
  discipline fieldbook for educators, parents, and
  everyone who cares about education. New York
  Doubleday Currency.

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Contact Information

• Burkburnett ISD
  
  416 Glendale
  
  Burkburnett, Texas 76354
• Danny W. Taylor, Superintendent
  
  dw.taylor_at_burkburnettisd.org
  940.569.3326
• Dr. Shelley Sweatt, Executive Director,
  Curriculum Instruction shelley.sweatt_at_burkburne
  ttisd.org
  940.569.3326 X 5
• Stacey Darnall, Principal, John Tower
  Elementary 5200 Hooper
  
  
  Wichita Falls, Texas 76306
  stacey.darnall_at_burkburnettisd.org
  940.855.3221
• Scott Slater, Principal, I.C. Evans Elementary
  1015 S.
  Berry
  Burkburnett,
  Texas 76354
  
  scott.slater_at_burkburnettisd
  .org
• 940.569.3311
•