of A Highly Effective

1
CORNERSTONES

• of A Highly Effective
• Professional Learning Community

2
Cornerstones

• Leadership
• PLCs sustain where we find committed, skilled
  leaders who continue to learn
• Collaborative learning teams
• Adult learning and student learning are directly
  related to the quality of team collaboration
• Using data
• Information (data ) informs does not
  drivedecisions/solutions

3

• What is your dream
• for the children?

4
Social Capital

• The Missing Link in School Reform by Carrie R.
  Leana. Stanford Social Innovation Review, fall
  2011.
• HUMAN CAPITAL abilities, knowledge and skills
  developed through formal education and on-the-job
  experience
• SOCIAL CAPITAL the relationships among teachers
  that promote a teachers growth and improvement
• peer helping
• atmosphere of high trust

5

• Study in NYC public schools
• 2005-2007
• 1,000 4th and 5th grade teachers in 130 elem.
  schools
• Corrected for poverty, attendance special
  education status
• Focus on math (research shocking)
• Teachers 2x more likely to ask peers for help
  than experts 4x more likely to ask peers than
  principal
• Teachers who reported frequent conversations
  w/peers re math instruction where there was
  trust among teachers the students had higher
  gains in math achievement. So, social capital was
  a significant predictor of achievement gains
  above and beyond teacher experience or ability.

6
LeadershipInspiration. Culture.

• Hope burns brightest in those who believe in
  their ability to impact the future. Leaders of
  learning communities will keep hope alive in
  their schools and districts by modeling that
  belief and calling upon all staff to do the
  same.
• Professional learning communities set out to
  restore and increase the passion of teachers by
  not only reminding them of the moral purpose of
  their work, but also by creating the conditions
  that allow them to do that work successfully.

7
Leadership

• A good leader is a learner / Asks questions /
  Seeks solutions.
• Form a guiding coalition.
• Identify known and likely implementation
  challenges.
• Problem solve (include staff input regularly)
  challenges.
• Give teachers tools to facilitate the PLC work.
• Communicate expectations.
• Focus is always on all students learning at high
  levels-whatever it takes.
• Teachers are valued, supported, empowered and
  invited to lead.
• Teachers know there are some non-negotiables.

8
Leadership

• Apply tight/loose leadership. Keep hope alive.
• Flexibility in beginning
• Non-negotiables (high expectations, focus on
  results, communication)
• Empower staff but tight on team accountability
• Teams set their goals, but whole faculty sets
  vision, collective destination for school
• Using multiple data to inform decisions is
  non-negotiable some decisions made by teams,
  some school-wide process
• Create and support shared leadership

9
Collaborative Teams Learn by Doing!

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Teams create, revise monitor curriculum align
  with NJCCCS and Common Core State Standards
  (CCSS) ongoing work, should be routine practice
• Teams use resources and their collective
  experience to improve instruction serves to
  improve teachers pedagogy

10
Collaborative Teams Learn by Doing!

• Teams focus on student learning objectives and
  track student learning. DuFour
• What do we want students to know?
• What instructional strategies will be effective?
• How will we know if students dont learn?
• What will we do if they dont?
• What will we do if they already know it?

11
Collaborative Teams Learn by Doing!

• A word about curriculum and instruction
• Things can get disconnected. Curriculum,
  instruction and assessment must be tightly
  connected. Its your primary work and teams are
  the glue!
• Teachers are knowledgeable. But they need each
  other to bounce ideas, share strategies, plan
  interventions, share kids, think about barriers
  to learning solutions, and have fun together.
  This is a culture of inquiry!

12
Collaborative Teams Learn by Doing!

• What do we want students to know and what
  instructional strategies will be effective?
• Establish common goals (school, team, classroom)
  based on adequate information
• Determine individual and team professional
  learning needs to meet those goals.
• Seek resources and tools to help you structure
  team meetings focused on curriculum, instruction
  and assessment.

13
Tuning Protocols Defined

• 1. a professional learning process that honors
  the work we as educators are trying to do (our
  practice). They help us fine TUNE (think of
  tuning a radio to get the clearest reception or
  tuning a car so that it runs better) our practice
  using a PROTOCOL or formal process for examining
  our work in a supportive, problem-solving group.
  Lois Brown Easton
• 2. a teacher presents actual work before a group
  of thoughtful critical friends in a structured
  reflective discourse aimed at tuning the work
  to higher standards. Joe McDonald

14
Collaborative TeamsHope is Alive

• Teaching at this school is a better experience
  than I could have ever hoped for . . . . It is
  amazing. Elementary school teacher
• PAIR UP discuss for 2 minutes what makes/can
  make your school amazing.
• Be ready to share ideas something you or a
  colleague said that helps to keep us passionate.
• 
  5 minutes

15
Using Data

• Analyze Student Data in Teams
• Collect multiple data on student learning
• Summative data
• Formative data
• Social-emotional data
• Data information

16
Summative Assessment Data

• What do we want students to know how will we
  know if they learned it?
• INFORMS COLLECTIVE DECISIONS RE SCHOOL-WIDE
  GOALS
• Sources
• state tests gr. 3-8, 11
• school-wide interim assessments
• teacher-made tests, team designed tests
• Opportunity to create SMART goals that everyone
  agrees on and aims to achieves

17
Formative Assessment Data

• What will we do if students dont learn it? What
  will we do if students already know it?
• ADJUST INSTRUCTION, RETEACH/GROUP, APPLY
  INTERVENTIONS
• Sources
• Interim assessments
• Commercial
• District
• School
• Common formative - team created (weekly, monthly,
  quarterly intervals determined by team)
• Student work
• assignments, quizzes, projects, portfolios, etc.
• Teacher-made tests

18
Social-emotional Data

• How will we factor in influences beyond academic
  learning?
• AFFECTIVE CONCERNS, STRENGTHS GIFTS
• Sources
• Counselor
• Social worker, Nurse
• Anti-bullying specialist
• Other teachers (coaches, electives, tutors, etc.)
• Parents
• Surveys
• Administrators
• Other students
• Referral attendance records

19
CORNERSTONES

• Leadership. PLCs sustain where we find committed,
  skilled leaders who continue to learn
• Think of an excellent leader you know or work
  with.
• What attributes qualify this person to be a PLC
  leader?
• 
  5 minutes

20
CORNERSTONES

• Collaborative learning teams. Adult learning and
  student learning are directly related to the
  quality of team collaboration.
• Think of a collaborative team you know or work
  with.
• What attributes qualify this team to be called
  exemplary?
• 
  5 minutes

21
CORNERSTONES

• Using data. Data informs does not drive -
  decisions
• Think of a collaborative team that uses data
  (information) to improve teaching and learning.
  What are they doing right?
• 
  5 minutes

22
Resources

• NJ Tool Kit (teachpd_at_doe.state.nj.us ) all
  staff members should download a personal copy
• Teacher Leader Model Standards
• Learning by Doing (2006). Richard DuFour, et
  al., Solution-Tree.
• Team to Teach A Facilitators Guide to
  Professional Learning Teams. (2008). Anne Jolly,
  National Staff Development Council.

23
Resources

• Powerful Designs for Professional Learning, 2nd
  ed. (2008). Lois Brown Easton, National Staff
  Development Council.
• Leading Professional Learning Communities.
  (2008). Shirley Hord William Sommers, Corwin
  Press.
• www.solution-tree.com
• www.learningforward.org
• www.leadandlearn.com

24
NJDOE Online Resources

• Professional learning planning documents
• www.nj.gov/education/profdev/pd/teacher
• PLC videos and materials
• www.nj.gov/education/profdev/pd/teacher/plc

25
THINKSHEET Instructions

• Col. One
• Decide on one, two or three PLC elements you
  would like to implement in your school or
  district.
• Col. Two
• If present in the school/district, circle Yes
  and describe the successes and challenges
  experienced. If not, circle No.
• Col. Three
• Reach agreement on some short-term and long-term
  steps to take to reach your implementation goal.
  Your steps may fall into one or more of the three
  themes it is not essential to address all three.