1. Building the Foundation of a Professional Learning Community: Mission and Vision
Chapter 4
Professional Learning Communities at Work
Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

2. The First Building Block
Mission/Purpose
Why do we exist?
Mission Statement
Personal Philosophy
page 58

3. Four Basic Beliefs in Education
…and we will establish
high standards of
learning that we expect all
students to achieve
Page 59

4. Ask Yourself and Others…..
What is it we expect all students to learn?
How will we respond when they do not learn?
“without resolution to these crucial questions, mission statements will contribute little to the creation of a professional learning community”
Don't ask, "How smart is the child?" Ask "HOW IS THE CHILD SMART?"
page 85

5. Second Building Block
VISION
*What do we hope to become?
page62

6. Creating a Vision of a Learning Community……
Creating a Vision of a Learning Community……..Five Ways of Looking at Groups/Vision
Telling - dictate
Selling - persuade
Testing - react
Consulting - encourage
Co-Creating – collaborate
page 65

7. Writing a Vision Statement
District or School Site Level?
Both district and individual schools
School Personnel or Community?
Both the school personnel and the community
Inform the Community and Personnel.
Past vision drafts, school policy, achievement data, survey results, statistical information, research on effective schools
page 66-68

8. Research, Research, Research..
Positive Indicators of a Productive School Culture
Predispositions
*student-centered orientation
*improvement orientation
*success orientation/high expectations
Collaborative Work Behavior
Professional Productivity
*strong knowledge base supported by staff development
*sense of group goals and commitments
*staff is focused, involved, and concerned
page 70-71

9. More RESEARCH….. Some Characteristics of Effective Schools
*Safe and orderly environment
*Climate of high expectations for success
*Instructional leadership (coach, cheerleader, leader, and partner)
*Clear and focused mission
*Opportunity to learn and student time on task
*Frequent monitoring of student progress
*Home-School Relations
*NOTE OTHER CHARACTERISTICS CAN BE FOUND ON page 71-72

10. Assessing the Present, Envisioning the Future
Gather your research….
Discuss your research….
Begin a plan….
(Current Reality vs. Our Future Ideal – Inventory pg. 75)
page 75

11. What do you see in 5 years? Some of many questions…..
-What is our purpose?
-How will we treat each other?
-What values will we incorporate?
-What school functions will happen?
-How will we treat our students?
-How will students remember the school in
years to come?
page 78-79

12. The Writing Process Individual Post-its
Group – Post Ideas on Large Chart Paper
Read Ideas Aloud in Group
Arrange Post-its in Categories
Classify the Category
Writing Committee Collects and Writes Draft
Share Draft –Revise, Critique
Writing Committee Rewrites 2nd Draft
Review 2nd Draft
Discuss
Ask if each individual could “own” the statement
page 79-80

13. Check The Vision Statement
Imaginable?
Desirable?
Feasible?
Focused?
Flexible?
Communicable?
Will it withstand time?
page 81-83

14. Evaluate the Vision Statement
IS IT CLEAR AND BENEFICIAL?
Does it energize and motivate people?
Does it create a proactive orientation?
Does it give direction to people within the
organization?
Does it establish specific standards of excellence?
Does it create a clear agenda for action?
page 84

15. DOES IT ANSWER? What is it we expect all students to learn?
How will we respond when they do not learn?
AGAIN……“without resolution to these crucial questions, mission statements will contribute little to the creation of a professional learning community”
page 85

16. APPLY
“The shared vision must be used to guide the daily operation and improvement initiatives of the school, and its importance must be communicated constantly.”
page 86