Mep Project

8/2/2019 Mep Project

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Professional LearningCommunities At Work

Union Township School SystemLinda Hrevnack

Mary Ellen Patricco

Joan Pikula


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Professional Learning Community(PLC) Defined

Educators committed to workingcollaboratively in ongoing processesof collective inquiry and action

research in order to achieve betterresults for the students they serve.

PLCs operate under the assumption that

the key to improved learning for studentsis continuous, job-embedded learning foreducators.

(Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, Many 2006)


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Consider the following:

A collaborative community wherestudents are grouped into teams offour or five. Much learning takesplace as a result of the teamsbrainstorming, engaging incollaborative research and reporting

to the larger group. Teachers arefacilitators. Groups are restructuredfour times a year.


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Make the Connection

Families are invited to a workshopconference prior to Open House.

Books are available, homework

process is explained, and personalquestions answered.

Parents are invited to take an active

role in the learning process. Parents understand what they need to

do at home to help students meetsuccess.


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Let Them Learn!

Learning centers include SuccessMaker,science lab, writers corner, readingroom, math challenge and a research

lab. Students rotate through the activities on

a daily basis for three weeks.

The fourth week is reserved forassessments.

Students complete and presentalternative assessments and share

research projects.


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Let Them Learn! (continued)

Direct instruction may take place ina whole group or small groupsetting.

Much learning takes place as aresult of the teams brainstorming,engaging in collaborative research

and reporting to the larger group. Groups are reassigned four times a

year or for special assignments.


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Make Learning Relevant

Essential learning is identified.

Students read a common novel.

Lessons and coursework are

designed using the novel as a basisfor study.

Students engage in collaborative

study to determine what it is goodauthors do.

Interdisciplinary activities connectlearning to self, other text, andworld.


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Make Learning Relevant (continued)

Learning reaches across the gradelevels.

Fourth grade and second gradestudents collaborate using units ofstudy.

Students read a common novel.

Essential learning is identified andstudents work collaboratively tosolve problems, complete activities,

and present research.


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The most promising strategy for sustained,

substantive school improvement is

developing the ability of school personnel to

function as professional learningcommunities.

(DuFour 1998)


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If schools are to be transformedinto learning communities, educatorsmust be prepared first of all to

acknowledge that the guiding modelof education is no longer relevant in a

post industrial, knowledge basedsociety. Second, they must embrace

ideas and assumptions that areradically different than those thathave guided schools in the past.

(DuFour 1998)


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Todays Educational Goals

All students master rigorous content

Learn how to learn

Pursue productive employment

Compete in a global economy


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The rationale for any strategy forbuilding a learning organizationrevolves around the premise thatsuch organizations will producedramatically improved results.

(Peter Senge 1996)


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Professional LearningCommunities

The challenge for educators is to create acommunity of commitment - a ProfessionalLearning Community.

The very essence of a learning community is a

focus on and a commitment to the learning ofeach student. Embrace high levels of learning for all students Create a Vision Collective Commitments (results-oriented goals

to mark progress) Clarify what each student must learn Monitor students learning Provide systematic interventions Extend/enrich learning


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Characteristics of PLC

Shared mission, vision and values

Collective inquiry

Collaborative Teams

Action orientation andexperimentation

Continuous improvement

Results oriented


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Mission / Purpose

Why do we exist?

What are we here to do together?

The most successful schools function

as professional communities: When teachers pursue a clearshared purpose for all studentslearning.

Engage in collaborative activityto achieve that purpose.

Take collective responsibility forstudent learning.


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The VisionWhat Do We Hope To Become?

Shared Vision:

Motivates and energizes people

Creates proactive orientation Gives direction to the people within

the organization

Establishes specific standards ofexcellence

Creates a clear agenda for action


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Values

The clarification and promotion ofvalues have been cited as keyfactors both for effective schoolsand for successful principles.

While all of the building blocks ofschool improvement are significant,implementing values represents thecritical cornerstone of the process.


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Collective Inquiry / Collaborative Teams

Collective Inquiry enables teammembers to develop new skills andcapabilities that in turn lead to new

experiences and awareness.

People who engage in Collaborative

Team Learning are able to learn fromone another, thus creatingmomentum to fuel continuedimprovement.


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Action Orientation andExperimentation

Willingness to experiment, to develop and testhypotheses.

PLC members reflect on what happened andwhy, develop new theories, try new tests,

evaluate the results.

Continuous Improvement What is our fundamental purpose? What do we hope to achieve?

What are our strategies for becoming better? What criteria will we use to assess our

improvement efforts? Members of a PLC realize that all of their efforts

must be assessed on the basis of results rather

than intentions.


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Visions may inspire,

but goals foster ongoing accountability.


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Goals

Measurable milestones that can beused to assess progress inadvancing toward a vision.

It is the identification and pursuit ofexplicit goals that fosterexperimentation, resultsorientation, and commitment tocontinuous improvement thatcharacterize the PLC.


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Four Pillars of PLC

MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS

WHY?Why do we exist?

WHAT?

What must ourschool become

to accomplish

our purpose?

HOW?

How must webehave to

achieve our

vision?

HOW WILL WEMARK OUR

PROGRESS?

FUNDAMENTAL

PURPOSE

COMPELLING

FUTURE

COLLECTIVE

COMMITMENTS

TARGETS AND

TIMELINES

Clarifies

Priorities and

Sharpens Focus

Gives

DirectionsGuides

BehaviorEstablishes

Priorities


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What is the Focus?

The three BIG questions

1. What is it that we want our

students to learn?2. How will we know when each

student has learned it?

3. How will we respond whensome students dont learn?


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What is it we want our studentsto learn?

Essential Learning is

Aligned with state standards and

district curriculum goals.Must ensure students are wellprepared to demonstrate proficiencyon state, district and national

assessments.


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Resources made available byprincipal/facilitator for use in

determining essential learning

State standards Recommended standards District Curriculum Guides

Pre-requisite Skills Assessment Frameworks Data on past assessments Examples of student work

Recommendations for workplace skills Released test items from the state Recommendations from Research

(Reeves, Jacobs, Marzano, Wiggins,McTighe)


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Selecting Essential Learning

The Three Part Test

(Doug Reeves, 2002)

1. Does it have endurance?

2. Does it have leverage?

3. Does it develop studentreadiness for the next level oflearning?


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How will we know if our students arelearning?

Why common assessments?

Efficiency

FairnessEffective monitoring

Informs individual teacher practice

Builds team capacityCollective response to interventions


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Intervention

(rather than remediation) takes placein many ways:

Small group instruction (in class)

Grade level interventions

Students join another class forinstruction

Enlisting the assistance of special areateachers and support staff

Designing an at home strategy


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Summary of the Day

Need for Change

Definition of PLC

Characteristics of PLC

4 Pillars of Learning

3 BIG questions


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PLC at Work!

Read the Connie Donovan Scenario:

Is the school culture in which she isworking desirable, preferable, feasible

or possible? Review the different elements in this

scenario. Which would require

additional funding before a schoolcould move forward withimplementation? Which could beinitiated without substantial new

funding?


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Teaching in a Professional LearningCommunity

The willingness to examine issues

outside of individual classrooms and

to seek solutions together is a majorfactor in the success of a

professional learning community.


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Welcome Back!

Professional LearningCommunities

Day 2


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Collaboration

To build Professional LearningCommunities, meaningful collaborationmust be systematically embedded into

the daily life of the school.

Collaborative Teams

The best structures for fosteringcollaboration is the team-the basicbuilding block of the intelligentorganization.


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Collaborative Culture

A Professional Learning Community iscomposed of collaborative teams whosemembers work interdependently to achievecommon goals linked to the purpose of learningfor all.

Characteristics of Professional LearningCommunities

Shared Mission, Vision, and ValuesCollective Inquiry (referred to as the

team learning wheels)

Public ReflectionShared MeaningJoint PlanningCoordinated Action


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How Can We Find Time forCollaboration?

Provide common preparation time.

Use parallel scheduling.

Adjust start and end times. Share classes.

Schedule group activities, events,and testing.

Bank time.

Use in-service and faculty meetingtime wisely.


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The degree to which people areworking together in a coordinated,focused effort is a major determinantof the effectiveness of anyorganization.


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One of the most effective strategiesfor bringing district goals to life is toinsist that all schools create goalsthat are specifically linked to districtgoals.


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SMART GOALS

S trategic and specific

M easureable

A ttainableR esults - Oriented

T imebound


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District Goals

1. All students will successfullycomplete every course and everygrade level and will demonstrateproficiency on local, state andnational assessment.

2. We will eliminate the gaps in

student achievement that areconnected to race, socioeconomicstatus, and gender.


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School Goals

Our reality: Last year 14% of the gradeassigned to students were failing grades.

Our goal: This year we will reduce the % offailing grades to 7% or less.

Our reality: Last year 76% of students metthe proficiency standard on the state mathtest.

Our goal: This year we will increase the %of students meeting the proficiency standardto 80% or higher.


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A team is a group of peopleworking interdependentlyto achievea common goalfor which membersare held mutuallyaccountable.


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Short Term Goals

Create short term goals that serve asbenchmarks. Example: 23% ofstudents demonstrate proficiency on

a pre-assessment instrumentadministered at the beginning of aunit.

Establish a short term goal: 90% ofthe students will demonstrateproficiency by the end of the unit.


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Helping Teams Translate long-termpurpose into specific, measurableshort term goals and then helping

members develop skills to achievethose goals is one of the mostimportant steps leaders can take in

building the capacity of a group tofunction as a high performingcollaborative team.

(Katzenbach & Smith, 1993)


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The Role of the Principal in theProfessional Learning Community

Principles of PLC: Lead through shared vision and

values.

Involve members in the schoolsdecision-making processes andempower individuals to act.

Provide staff with the information,training, and parameters they need to

make good decisions. Establish credibility by modeling

behavior that is congruent with thevision and values of their school.

They are results-oriented.


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Community begins with a shared vision. Itssustained by teachers who, as school leaders,bring inspiration and direction to the institution.Who, after all, knows more about the classroom?

Who can evaluate, more sensitively, theeducational progress of each student? And whobut teachers create a true community for learning?

Teachers are, without question, the heartbeat of asuccessful school.

(Ernest Boyer 1995 p.31)


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The bottom line is that there isjust no way to create good

schools without good teachers.

(What Matters Most: Teaching for

Americas Future 1996 p.9)


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Every member of the teaching andclassified staff must have an activerole in restructuring school

improvement.

(Donahue 1993)


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John Gardner (1986) observes:

Every Great Leader is clearlyteaching- and every great teacheris leading.


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Good teaching is not just a matter ofbeing efficient, developingcompetence, mastering technique,

and possessing the right kind ofknowledge.

Good teaching involves emotionalwork. It is infused with pleasure,

passion, creativity, challenge, andjoy. It is a passionate vocation.

(Andy Hargreaves 1997)


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Kanter (1995) writes,

Change is always a threat when it isdone to people, but it is an opportunity

when it is done by people.

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