The Power of Professional Learning Communities at Work 2009 Hanover County Public Schools Leadership Conference

Welcome & Opening: Table Discussions Guiding Questions 1) What does Professional Learning Community mean to you? What does it look like? 2) How are goals and actions determined and implemented at your school or in your department? 3) What is the difference between COOPERATION & COLLABORATION? 4) What are some obstacles to TEAMWORK? 5) What are some examples of meetings or opportunities to collaborate in your building or department?

What Is a Professional Learning Community? The purposes of this session are: 1)To introduce the professional learning community concept, and 2) To show the cultural shifts that must occur when a school decides to take action to ensure all kids learn by becoming a PLC.

Concepts to be Introduced 1) Introduction to PLC’s and Reaction Log 2) A Focus on Learning 3) A Culture of Collaboration 4) A Focus on Results 5) Cultural Shifts

What is a Professional Learning Community? VIDEO CLIP

What is a Professional Learning Community? “Schools have traditionally operated from the premise that educators have a responsibility to provide students with the opportunity to learn. Whether or not students actually learn depends on factors educators cannot influence, such as innate ability, student motivation, a home environment that supports and encourages learning, student work habits, and so on.” What are YOUR reactions to this statement?

Big Idea #1 – A Focus on Learning VIDEO CLIP

Big Idea #1 – A Focus on Learning Think/Pair/Share… What has been your experience with school or organizational performance programs or processes?

Big Idea #1 – A Focus on Learning “A professional learning community is an ethos that influences every single aspect of a school’s operation. When a school becomes a professional learning community, everything in the school looks different than it did before.” - Andy Hargreaves

Big Idea #1 – A Focus on Learning What are some practices we would expect to see in a school or division committed to ensuring all students learn at high levels?

“Some students will always choose to fail, regardless of what we do in our schools and classrooms. It is impossible to help all students learn if students refuse to learn.” “Some students will always choose to fail, regardless of what we do in our schools and classrooms. It is impossible to help all students learn if students refuse to learn.” “We could help more of our students be successful if we were willing to work together to implement more effective practices.” “We could help more of our students be successful if we were willing to work together to implement more effective practices.” Big Idea: A Focus on Learning

Big Idea #2: A Culture of Collaboration VIDEO CLIP

Are you a group or a team? Activity…. You will be given 10 seconds to copy as many letters from the triangle as possible.

G E M C T A W H K Q F X U B Y D R L D V I Z P J S

B M R G W C K Q E U S L X H O V T F N Y A P Z D I

COLLABORATION DuFour, et. al. define collaboration as… “A systematic process in which people work together, interdependently, to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve individual and collective results.” “A systematic process in which people work together, interdependently, to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve individual and collective results.”

Collaboration vs. Coblaboration “The most critical question to consider when reflecting on collaboration is not, ‘Do we collaborate?’, but rather, ‘What do we collaborate about?” DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many The focus of collaborative team meetings needs to be systematic and conversations should center around students, learning, and the four essential questions of a PLC.

Case Study Reflection Why did Principal McDonald’s efforts to build a collaborative culture go awry? What steps might he take to improve upon the situation?

To make collaboration work… Teams need time to work together. This time should be spent clarifying essential knowledge and skills, developing common assessments, analyzing student work samples and performance data, and engaging in conversations about instruction to help each team member learn from one another. Teams need time to work together. This time should be spent clarifying essential knowledge and skills, developing common assessments, analyzing student work samples and performance data, and engaging in conversations about instruction to help each team member learn from one another.

Helping teams focus on issues that impact student learning Providing time during the school day. Offering guidance and structure for how to use collaborative time. Make expectations for products of collaboration explicit and time specific. Assisting with the development of team norms. Establishing a system of documentation and communication, with a way for teams to communicate with administration. Monitor progress. Have administrators or knowledgeable individuals available to join team meetings.

Collaboration to Strengthen Teams Effective teams balance their focus on three characteristics… Relationships - How people relate to one another and the organization AND how people feel about their own contributions. Process – How work gets divided and accomplished, as well as how the work is monitored and evaluated. Results – Completion of the task and achievement of the common goal. ** Adapted from Interaction Associates, LLC, & a presentation by Janet Malone **

BREAK

Big Idea #3 – A Focus on Results Video Clip

Brainstorm What kind of data do we receive?

How do we use the data that we receive? How do we use the data that we receive?

A Focus on Results Does the way we use data help students to learn at high levels? How do we know?

A focus on results Represents a “cultural shift” for many, because it must be a focus on “in process” data, rather than summative measures. Teams develop common assessments based on their goals, then use student performance on those assessments to regularly measure progress towards goals. Is correlated to the factors of collaboration and a focus on learning.

A Focus on Results “Without attention to results, it is impossible for any group or organization to assess the effectiveness of improvement processes.” (Mike Schmoker)

Analyzing Data Results…No shame, no blame…just honest analysis of whether students met the team agreed upon standard and what to do about it. DuFour, DuFour, and Eaker, remind us, “That data alone will not help individuals or teams improve. They need the context of valid comparison to identify strengths and weaknesses.”

Results as a Motivator Celebrate each and every small success. Use successes to sustain the efforts of those committed to improvement, and to gain the support of the “resisters”. Be sure that results and feedback on results are used to influence, not to punish or embarrass. Jim Collins says, “When skeptics ‘feel the magic of momentum’, when they can begin to see tangible results—that is when they will get on board.”

Celebrate Big and small successes as a team Publicize successes, not just amongst your organization, but in the public, with the community you serve. Keep hope “alive” with staff through celebration and genuine affirmations. See Tips for Celebrating Page. See Tips for Celebrating Page.

Avoid Pitfalls… Focus on results, not activities or intentions. Use SMART goals and statements that focus on outcomes (results-oriented). Plan for strategies to achieve the goal. A focus on results should NOT negate attention to the process. Frequently gather information about students’ performance in the area (interims and nine weeks or even more regularly) and assess progress towards goal. Make sure that data and results get to teachers and other stakeholders in a timely manner. As a team, make adjustments based on results. “Expect to make mistakes, and learn from them.” Be careful about compromises!

Cultural Shifts VIDEO CLIP

Cultural Shifts “Where are we going? Where have we been?” Areas where cultural shifts are needed… Fundamental Purpose Use of Assessments Response when Students Don’t Learn Work of Teachers Focus School Culture Professional Development

Cultural Shifts Activity

“It is a daily habit of working together, and you can’t learn this from a workshop or course. You need to learn it by doing it and having mechanisms for getting better at it on purpose.” - Michael Fullan

Reflections/Closure Sharing reflections from response log (Volunteers?) What will be your next or first steps? (Where to begin or continue the journey!) Resources to help! Follow-Up Training