Learning By Doing Putting the Pieces Together Kristine Servais Kellie Sanders

Participants will: To help leaders develop a common vocabulary and a consistent understanding of PLC concepts. To present a compelling argument for the implementation of PLC’s that will benefit students and educators. To help leaders assess the current reality in their own schools and districts To convince educators to take purposeful steps to develop their capacity to function as a PLC. Kellie: Goals for today as a group… Preview the workbook…goal to provide you with a practical resource for today and for when you return to your school..we have all been to conferences where what you learn lasts the length of the session..and once you leave there is not the time or opportunity to apply new skills or knowledge… See workbook pages…. Page 4….your goals and hopes for this session…We invite you to share individual/personal goals for being here with the group or in your workbook goals page… If you have time we encourage you to look ahead in the workbook, we won’t have time to address everything in this session but we feel the workbook is a great piece to take with you back to your schools. Page 5-transformational leadership Page 6 strategies to implement Page 7 reflections…not over-rated but an essential part of learning Appendix of resources and worksheets…

Identify a name or symbol that represents you as a group Who are we? Guiding Questions: What is your educational background? What leadership qualities do you bring to today? Identify recent successes as a leader? Identify recent leadership challenges? Identify a name or symbol that represents you as a group

Academy Features Today will offer you: 1. Models, Resources, and Frameworks for Leadership Growth and Development 2. A Day of Teaming and Teaming Strategies 3. Interacting, Networking, and Collaborating with Colleagues in and outside district 4. Reflective Practice: Individually and Collectively 5. Best Practices in Teaching: Music, Engagement, Multi-media, Peer Recognition, etc. 6. Recognizing and Celebrating Success

Four Square Activity Team Name & Symbol Our Current Reality Problem-solving: What do we do When students Don’t learn? Promises to Ourselves And Each Other

What are PLC’s A Focus on Learning Collaborative Culture & Teams Collective Inquiry into Best Practice Action Orientation A Commitment to continuous improvement Results Oriented Celebrating our Successes

A Clear and Compelling Purpose

Creating Shared Meaning: Vision, Mission, and Goals Vision: A futuristic picture of the ideal; it is what we aspire to become Mission: Prioritized and purposeful actions we will take to make the vision a reality Goals: specific and measurable plans of how we will achieve our mission S.M.A.R.T. Goals www.franklincovey.com Purpose

S.M.A.R.T. Goals Identify a goal shared by the team Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-framed

Vision, Mission and Goals Process Development: Collectively define a shared vision Articulation: Collectively plan, energize, and discuss ways to move closer toward the vision Implementation: Collectively take time, action, and effort toward the goals Stewardship: Sustain the focus and momentum to keep moving toward the vision; modify and make adjustments as needed

Creating a Focus on Learning What is it we want our students to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? What do we do when students don’t learn? “Keep, Drop, Create” Activity Learning

The Hope Foundation www.communitiesofhope.org Failure is Not an Option: Six Principles that Guide Student Achievement in High-Performing Schools ~ Alan Blankstein ~ Common mission, vision, values, and goals Ensuring achievement for all students: Systems for prevention and intervention Collaborative teaming Using data to guide decision making and continuous improvement Gaining active engagement from family and communities Building sustainable leadership capacity The Hope Foundation www.communitiesofhope.org

Goals to transform diverse schools (Rank 1 for achieving, 2 work in progress, 3 area of deficiency) ___ Improve academic achievement. ___ Develop an effective writing program based on the 90-90-90 schools research ( www.makingstandardswork.com ) ___ Develop an effective English-language development program.. ___ Change faculty meetings into productive student-centered learning experiences. ___ Change professional development days to focus on student achievement. ___ Improve the quality and fairness of teacher collaboration. ___ Focus on the emotional and psychological needs of students and faculty during a turnaround. ___ Celebrate success during your first sixty days of the turnaround. ( www.turnaroundschools.com ) ___ Develop a teacher accountability system. ___ Develop reading and writing campaigns. ___ Develop a teacher/student recognition program. ___ Learn how to "coach" teachers for improved student achievement

Building a Collaborative Culture Develop team purpose and identity Define guiding principles Identify performance goals and action strategies Determine team roles and responsibilities Establish meeting management; www.effectivemeetings.com Identify communication techniques: Internal and External Establish methods of accountability Culture Apollo Clip: Go For Launch & Square Hole/Round Peg

Creating a Results Oriented PLC Data Walls: Reeves RTI: FLEX, Progress Monitoring Focus Walks: Instructional Inventory School Improvement Plan: Link school goals to team goals Celebrate successes Results SMART Goal Worksheet

SMART Goal Template Template to consider: We will improve __________________________ (specific and measurable item) by _________________________________________ (what strategies will be used to succeed in this area) by _________________. We will assess our success by (when) ______________________________________. (what type of measurement will be used)

Using Relevant Information to Improve our Results “ An astonishing number of educational leaders make critical decisions…on the basis of information that is inadequate, misunderstood, misrepresented, or simply absent” Reeves, 2002, p. 95

Using Relevant Information to Improve our Results Resources: Understanding By Design: Backwards Planning Marzano What Works in Schools Schmoker Results: The Key to Continuous School Improvement Bernhardt, V.: The School Portfolio Toolkit--CD Rom

Consensus and Conflict Androgogy Littlejohn Process for Tungsten Decision Making Models Change Process: fist to five Consensus Dead Poets Society: Conformity Walk Charles Gardner: Six Strategies to Change People’s Thinking Pg. 173

Crucial Conversations (Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, & Switzler) Clarify what you want and what you don’t want to result from conversation. Attempt to find mutual purpose Create a safe environment for honest dialogue Use facts Share your thought process that has led to conversation Encourage recipients to share their facts and thought process. Pick a partner and discuss a crucial conversation

The Challenges of Creating PLC’s Change Literature/Cultural Shifts Substantive First and second order change RTI and shifts in S.E. Changing Leadership Challenges

First-Order Change It is an incremental change It’s the next most obvious step to take in a school or district Teaches us what our current strategies are doing for us. Marzano, Waters, and McNulty: School leadership that works: From research to results

Leadership: First-Order Change Monitoring Culture Beliefs Knowledge of C.A.I. Involvement of C.A.I. Focus Order Affirmation Communication Input Relationships Optimizer Flexibility Resources Contingent rewards Situational Awareness Outreach Visibility Discipline Change Agent

Second-Order Change This involves major departures from the expected, both in defining a problem and finding a solution to that problem. Deep change Examples: poverty, failing schools, national debt, war, prejudice, AIDS, etc.

Leadership for second-order change Being knowledgeable about the initiative will affect C.I.A. Being the driving force behind the new innovation and inspiring others (optimizer) Being research savvy and fostering such knowledge among staff. (intellectual stimulation)

Leadership for second-order change (Cont.) Challenging the status quo and moving forward with no guarantee of success. Continually monitoring and evaluating the innovation Flexibility by being directive and nondirective Actions are consistent with beliefs relative to the innovation.

How influential is the principal in the change process? Marzano found in his leadership study that “A highly effective school leader can have a dramatic influence on the overall academic achievement of students” (2005, p. 10).

Are we ready to accept this challenge? Culture Results Learning Purpose Improvement Respond Consensus Challenges

The Purpose of Celebrations “Without celebration, we are robbed of our life and vitality that energizes the human spirit. Latent and underdeveloped though it might be, there is within our nature as human beings an inherent need to sing, dance, love, laugh, mourn, tell stories, and celebrate. ….There is no culture in the world that doesn’t embrace some form of festivity. To deny our need to celebrate is to deny a part of what it means to be human…..When we work in an environment where we are not encouraged to express this festive nature, our celebrative faculties, like unused muscles, begin to atrophy.” (Southwest Airlines; Nuts, p. 177)

Why should we celebrate? Relationship Culture Building Building SUPPORT Thankful Affirming Fun Rituals Recognition Gift Giving Hope CARING Interactive Momentum Food & Music Relationship Building Culture Building Reinforcing Applause

Recognition Resources Fish – Lundin, Paul, and Christenson Play, Make Their Day, Be There, Choose Your Attitude Encouraging the Heart: A Leader’s Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others – Kouzes and Posner Pay attention Personalize recognition Tell the story Celebrate together Set the example If you Don’t Feed the Teachers, They’ll Eat the Students-Neila Connors The Precious Present-Spencer Johnson

How do we recognize and show support of others? Thank-you notes Praise The gift of time Music Care package Themes Symbolic gifts/awards Support partners Pay Attention—To more than birthdays! Closing ceremonies The Courage to Lead-p. 149-150

Celebrating Successes of the Day Recognize the gifts we gave each other Valued Leadership Caring and Collaboration Overcoming Adversity Humor The Spirit of Teamwork Leadership Growth and Development Communication Reflective Practice Risk-taking and Courage Gift Box; 100 Grand, Lifesavers; 3 musl]keteers; Crunch bar; Snickers and Nose; Good-N-plenty of teamwork; microphone; lobsters, lobster pins

Please Stay in Touch Dr. Kristine Servais kservais@noctrl.edu 630-637-5746 Kellie Sanders ksanders@learningcommunity202.org 815-439-2885