Pioneer High School Our Journey: Becoming and Sustaining a Professional Learning Community

Background  Growth on API indicators flat since 2000  On verge of entering program improvement  PHS decided to volunteer for a mock audit Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Background Mock Audit:  Conducted by District and LACOE personnel in March of 2003  Included: classroom observations, teacher and student interviews and data analysis  Matrix developed by audit team provided more specificity Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Background Mock Audit Results  “The prevailing academic culture at PHS does not reflect a challenging and rigorous program in ALL classes and for ALL students.”  “There is limited evidence of standards-driven assessments being used to improve instruction.”  “There is inconsistent implementation of a standards- driven curriculum that incorporates appropriate and engaging instructional strategies.” Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Background  Key Planners (school leadership team) decided to address the areas of growth at a two-day retreat during the summer with attendees from each department.  The PLC model was presented as a vehicle to facilitate and improve upon Mock audit results. Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Retreat Objectives  Address corrective actions imposed by mock audit team  Establish collaborative groups to address standards based instruction across the curricula  Establish levels of intervention for student success Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Retreat Outcomes  Increased teacher leadership in decision- making/ownership  Collaboration  Realistic goals & clear, attainable expectations  Standards-based instruction  Student support – ID at risk students before they have problems  Shared vision, mission, values, goals, passion

What is a Professional Learning community?

Characteristics of a Learning Community  Shared mission, vision, values and goals  Collaborative groups  Collective inquiry into “best practice” and our “current reality”  Action orientation/experimentation  Commitment to continuous improvement  Results orientated Rick DuFour Rick DuFour Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Structures that Promote PLC  Team structures  Time for collaboration within the school day and the school calendar  Systematic approach for students who don’t learn  Rick DuFour Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Barriers to PLC  Professional norm of teacher isolation  Lack of shared vision, beliefs, values and goals  Rick DuFour Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Ten Steps in Becoming a PLC 1.Acknowledge Collaboration 2.Know PLC Concepts 3.Develop Shared Mission, Vision, Values & Goals 4.Communicate a Mission of Student Learning 5.Describe a Vision of Excellence 6.Use the Vision Statement 7.Link Value to Vision 8.Focus on Short-term & Long-term goals 9.Engage in Research- based & Data-driven Plans 10.Expect a Cyclical Process  Rick DuFour Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Resulting Proposals  We organized into subject alike “Collaborative Crews” consisting of 3 or more persons  Each teacher was a member of a Collaborative Crew Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Collaborative Crew Proposal Each “Collaborative Crew” will:  Develop and adhere to crew norms & protocols  Identify essential standards  Write and administer common assessments and subject benchmarks  Establish proficiency standards for each benchmark/assessment  Develop and adhere to a pacing calendar for the teaching and assessing of essential standards and benchmarks  Analyze results

Collaborative Crew Proposal  Develop and implement strategies to improve results  Conduct and discuss collegial observations  Develop and adhere to a common grading policy  Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results Oriented, and Time bound) goals for the crew and monitor progress Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Crew Products  Products, not narrative descriptions of meetings  Analysis of work/text/data/observation/etc. using an accepted protocol  Course notebooks  Crew norms  SMART goals and progress toward their achievement  Academic calendar to use as a guideline Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Implementing PLC  The PLC structure will help to achieve our goals and accomplish our mission.  We ensured that all points of view were heard.  The will of the group was evident. Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Fist to Five  5 – I’ll champion  4 – strongly agree  3 – agree  2 – reservations  1 – oppose  Fist – strongly oppose Rick DuFour Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

First Steps  Shared mission, vision, values and goals  Ideally, this would be first!  Buy-back day, examined our mission statement  Looked at student achievement data  Reviewed the SMART goals concept and shared a template Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Student Intervention  Tutorial  Initially, all students with D’s and F’s and all 9 th and 10 th graders  Result = overcrowding in tutorial  Response = tutorial survey sent to staff, students, and parents  Modification = revised to only D and F students Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Collaboration  Crews  Initially, all crews and leaders were subject-alike and selected by administration  Result =some teacher dissatisfaction  Response = end of year survey  Modification = crews will be self- determined using an application process Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Refinement  Crews  Initially, requirements upon crews were loose  Result =little or no productivity, confusion  Response = end of year survey  Modification = part of application process requires submission of action plan with SMART goal, timeline and members accountable, crews present on progress at monthly KP meetings and buy-back days Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Refinement The process  Initially, problems were brought up in Key Planners, and a small group of administrators, the curriculum coordinator and our coach brainstormed solutions and presented these to Key Planners  Result = limited input, less teacher buy-in, less sustainability  Response = group of teachers met during summer to brainstorm modification  Modification = formation of a Steering Committee  Steering Committee leads agenda for key planners Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Refinement  New Teachers  Adjusting to crew/department meetings  Role or function of Key Planners and Steering Committee  School Culture Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Data Analysis

Academic Performance Index

Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) English

AYP Mathematics

Focus on the Future  “Best practices” should be the priority in staff development  Continue to adjust to block schedule to use extended class time to its maximum effectiveness  Meeting district goals through common assessments and learning walks Pioneer High School – A Professional Learning Community

Questions???

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