Dedicated to Learning A professional learning community at work

Principals need to focus on creating… an environment in which people are working toward a shared vision and honoring collective commitments, an environment in which the structures and supports foster collaborative efforts and continuous professional growth, an environment in which each teacher has someone to turn to and talk to when confronted with challenges. an environment in which people are working toward a shared vision and honoring collective commitments, an environment in which the structures and supports foster collaborative efforts and continuous professional growth, an environment in which each teacher has someone to turn to and talk to when confronted with challenges.

Principals need to… become students of the teaching-learning process. PLC’s require shared vision and collective commitments. Principals need to prioritize and focus on continuous improvement. become students of the teaching-learning process. PLC’s require shared vision and collective commitments. Principals need to prioritize and focus on continuous improvement. encourage the hearts of those with who they work. They need to participate in servant leadership.encourage the hearts of those with who they work. They need to participate in servant leadership.

“Deep reform will require support and pressure” Learning by Doing, Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, Many (2006)

Implementation Dip Practice over time Awkward Consciously skilled Beginning Awareness Growth Fullan, (2001)

How do you build a collaborative culture? Unlock potential by empowering othersUnlock potential by empowering others Encourage experimentation and create the opportunities for teachers to leadEncourage experimentation and create the opportunities for teachers to lead Develop established norms and practices and defend those normsDevelop established norms and practices and defend those norms Expect bumpiness and difficulties as people learnExpect bumpiness and difficulties as people learn Create opportunities for and celebrate small successes (Quick Wins)!Create opportunities for and celebrate small successes (Quick Wins)!

Collaboration is Key Provide time for collaboration in the school day and the school year. Provide time for collaboration in the school day and the school year. Identify critical questions to guide the work of collaborative teams. Identify critical questions to guide the work of collaborative teams. Ask teams to create products as a result of their collaboration. (TLL) Ask teams to create products as a result of their collaboration. (TLL) Insist that teams identify and pursue specific achievement goals. Insist that teams identify and pursue specific achievement goals. Provide teams with relevant data and information. Provide teams with relevant data and information.

How did we get there? Teachers need to know the intended outcomes Teachers need to know the intended outcomes Common planning in disciplines Common planning in disciplines Use of rubrics to assist our learners Use of rubrics to assist our learners Provide descriptive feedback to students Provide descriptive feedback to students Focused professional developmentFocused professional development

Olympic View’s Evolution To Becoming A PLC Learning By Doing “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

Year One Empower your teacher leadersEmpower your teacher leaders Build relationships… How do you continue to motivate staff?Build relationships… How do you continue to motivate staff? Create common visionCreate common vision Book study Book study Start a tradition Start a tradition Honor previous work Set up expectations Take a midyear pulse Assessment Training Institute

Questions that drive our instruction What is it we want students to learn? What is it we want students to learn? How will we know when they’ve learned it? How will we know when they’ve learned it? How will we respond when they don’t? How will we respond when they don’t? What if they already know it? What if they already know it?

Professional Development Teachers attended the Assessment Training Institute (ATI) Teachers attended the Assessment Training Institute (ATI) ~ Staff development needs to provide teachers with research-based instructional strategies that assist our students. It needs to prepare teachers to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately.

Year Two Interdisciplinary teams Interdisciplinary teams Developed common summative assessments/assessment buffet Developed common summative assessments/assessment buffet Professional Development: Raise the bar Professional Development: Raise the bar Team building: ROPES Team building: ROPES Continue with a tradition Continue with a tradition Begin to address instructional issues Begin to address instructional issues Assessment Training Institute (new group of teachers)Assessment Training Institute (new group of teachers)

Assessment FOR Learning “Formative Assessment”

Your experiences  What impact did the experience have on you?  What affect does this have on your subsequent work?  What did the assessor do to make it counterproductive? Think about a poor assessment experience. Think about a poor assessment experience. Stiggins, (2004)

Think about a positive experience with assessment. Specifically, what did the assessor do to make it positive?Specifically, what did the assessor do to make it positive? What impact did this have on you?What impact did this have on you?

Creating hope: Assessment FOR Learning (Stiggins 2005) Expected Benefits PROFOUND ACHIEVEMENT GAINS FOR ALL LARGEST GAINS FOR LOW ACHIEVERS SOLID FOUNDATION FOR LIFE-LONG LEARNING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED

Assessment FOR Learning OF vs. FOR Research: Largest effects for lowest achievers. Wiliam & Black SummativeFormative

5 Keys to Quality Assessments 1. Clear Purpose2. Clear Target 3. Sound Design 4. Effective Communication 5. Student Involvement Accurate assessment Effectively Used Stiggins, (2004)

Assessment Buffet Begin with teacher leaders/department chairs Begin with teacher leaders/department chairs Look at student work and criteria with rubrics Look at student work and criteria with rubrics Questioning, descriptive feedback, peer and self-assessment Discuss four driving questions: Discuss four driving questions: -What is it we expect students to learn? -How will we know when they’ve learned it? -How will we respond when they don’t learn? -What if they already know it?

Assessment buffet Assessment buffet Teachers sharing examples of student work with corresponding rubrics.Teachers sharing examples of student work with corresponding rubrics. Students presentingStudents presenting

Assessment Buffet May 2, :30-8:00 AM

Rubric Development Teachers were unsure as the difference between a rubric and a scoring guide. Teachers were unsure as the difference between a rubric and a scoring guide. Mini lesson created using leadership capacity within the school. Mini lesson created using leadership capacity within the school.

Rubrics can help you Grade objectively and consistently Clarify your instructional goals Improve student performance Assist in peer and self-assessments Tool to inform instruction Eliminate questions regarding grades

Refrigerator 4Entire refrigerator is sparkling and smells clean. All items are fresh, in proper containers (original or Tupperware, with lids), and organized into categories. 3 Refrigerator is generally wiped clean. All items are relatively fresh, in some type of container (some Tupperware lids are missing or don’t fit) and are sitting upright. Marzano, (2003)

2Some of the shelves are wiped clean, although there are some crusty spots. There are some suspicious smells. Items are in containers, but there seems to be some green stuff growing in some of the Tupperware 1Items stick to the shelves when they are picked up. The smells linger long after the refrigerator door is closed. Several items need to be thrown out— Tupperware and all

Rubrics for PLC’s As teachers work in disciplines, have them identify where they are on a PLC continuum. As teachers work in disciplines, have them identify where they are on a PLC continuum. Enclosed rubrics for teams Enclosed rubrics for teams

Year Three Common plan for content teams/team norms/ Common plan for content teams/team norms/ feedback from teams/expectations (packet) Fine tune common assessments with corresponding rubricsFine tune common assessments with corresponding rubrics Implementation of Team Learning LogImplementation of Team Learning Log Focus on resultsFocus on results Continue with ATI (Sending 3 rd group)Continue with ATI (Sending 3 rd group) Assessment BuffetAssessment Buffet Grading (SBR)Grading (SBR) Get the right people on the bus and in the right seatGet the right people on the bus and in the right seat

Year Three Continued… Book Studies Book Studies ~ How to Grade for Learning Ken O’Connor ~ Learning by Doing Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, & Many ~ Assessment for Leaders Rick Stiggins

Planning Use data to inform your instruction. Use data to inform your instruction. Team Learning Log: Focused/intentional collaboration with content teams Team Learning Log: Focused/intentional collaboration with content teams

Second Order Change Can create discourse Can question leadership Change is uncomfortable for some “Deep reform will require both support and pressure” (Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, Many)

Push on… Be persistent… Stay the course…

Questions?