4/30/08Huron Middle School Chamberlain 7-1: Lessons Learned and Making Use of PLCs Wednesday April 30, 2008 Huron Middle School

4/30/08Huron Middle School Presenter Allan Bertram, Teacher Leader Chamberlain School District

4/30/08Huron Middle School Contact Information

4/30/08Huron Middle School Change in Schools “Educational change depends on what teachers do and think—it is as simple and complex as that” Fullan

4/30/08Huron Middle School Communication “I wonder how many children’s lives would be saved if we educators disclosed what we knew to each other" Roland Barth (2001)

4/30/08Huron Middle School PLCs The question confronting most schools and districts is not “What do we need to know in order to improve?” but rather, “Will we turn what we already know into action?”

4/30/08Huron Middle School PLCs The most promising strategy for sustained substantive school improvement is building the capacity of school personnel to function as a professional learning community. The path to change in the classroom lies within and through professional learning communities. Rick DuFour Presentation ASCD Pre-conference, 2004

4/30/08Huron Middle School Three Critical Questions (PLCs) Exactly what is it we want all student to learn? How will we know when each student has acquired the essential knowledge and skills? What happens in our school when a student does not learn?

4/30/08Huron Middle School Attributes of Professional Learning Communities Inquiry Based Focused on Student Learning Goal and results orientated Collaborative Reflective Based on shared values and beliefs Committed to continuous improvement

4/30/08Huron Middle School Characteristics of Professional Learning Communities Shared mission, vision, values, goals Collaborative teams focused on student learning Collective inquiry into “best practice” and our “current reality” Action orientation/experimentation Commitment to continuous improvement Results orientation

4/30/08Huron Middle School Why not PLCs?  Schools:  Do not believe in  Do not invest in  Fail to focus on their development  Privatization  Talking about a cultural change

4/30/08Huron Middle School Focus on Learning The very essence of a learning community is a focus on and a commitment to the learning of each student

4/30/08Huron Middle School Question 1 What are you currently doing with PLC’s at the Huron Middle School?

4/30/08Huron Middle School Collaborative Culture A PLC is composed of collaborative teams whose members work interdependently to achieve common goals linked to the purpose of learning for all

4/30/08Huron Middle School Collaborative Culture “Successful schools are places where teams of teachers meet regularly to focus on student work through assessment and change their instructional strategies accordingly to get better results” Fullan

4/30/08Huron Middle School Collaborative Culture Michael Fullan….. Improving schools require collaborative cultures……without collaborative skills and relationships, it is not possible to learn and to continue to learn as much as you need to know to improve.

4/30/08Huron Middle School Collective Inquiry In a PLC teams engage in collective inquiry into both best practices in teaching and best practices in learning This enable team members to develop new skills and capabilities that in turn to new experiences and awareness

4/30/08Huron Middle School Action Orientation Members of PLCs are action oriented: They move quickly to turn aspirations into action and visions into reality

4/30/08Huron Middle School Commitment to Continuous Improvement Inherent to a PLC are a persistent disquiet with the status quo and a constant search for a better way to achieve goals and accomplish the purpose of the organization

4/30/08Huron Middle School Results Orientation Members of a PLC realize that all of their efforts must be assessed on the basis of results rather then intentions

4/30/08Huron Middle School Question #2 What positives have you seen through the PLC process so far?

4/30/08Huron Middle School Question #3 What has been the biggest obstacle or difficulty through your PLC process so far?

4/30/08Huron Middle School PLCs and Curriculum Mapping How do they fit together? Is it “One More” thing?

4/30/08Huron Middle School Curriculum Mapping on the Edge “Curriculum mapping makes teachers’ work transparent. This transparency can make mapping seem threatening. It also becomes a key tool for sustaining PLCs. Mapping becomes an electronic town square where educators can collaborate and exchange ideas” Heidi Hayes Jacobs

4/30/08Huron Middle School Projected maps for a period of time (months or entire year) Diary map throughout the school year Creation of consensus maps from diary maps Core maps with diary mapping against the core maps Projected maps with diary mapping against projected maps Data Entry First Stage

4/30/08Huron Middle School Elements of literacy – reading, writing, and speaking across the curriculum Analysis of standardized assessment results Analysis of classroom assessment types Alignment – gaps and redundancies Spiraling content (cognitive demand) Read-Throughs Second Stage

4/30/08Huron Middle School Third Stage Systemic School Improvement

4/30/08Huron Middle School Lessons Learned-Cautions  Not talking about implementing a program  Term travels faster than the concept  Thought of as a intra-school phenomena

4/30/08Huron Middle School Lessons Learned-Structural Concerns  Time to meet and talk  Physical proximity  Communication structures (Strategic)  Teacher empowerment  School autonomy

4/30/08Huron Middle School Lessons Learned-Social/Human Concerns  Openness to improvement  Trust and respect  Cognitive and skill base  Supportive leadership  Socialization

4/30/08Huron Middle School Lessons Learned-Final  Requires a complex cultural change  Teacher resistance to deprivatization of the classroom  Need to address Structural, Technological and Social/Human issues to ensure success

4/30/08Huron Middle School Where are we at? New Foundational Statements –Mission, Vision, Collective Commitment & Goals 3 rd year of Curriculum Mapping (Tech Paths) Collaborative Structure –Grade K-6 Grade Level Collaborative Teams –Grade 7-12 Department Meetings

4/30/08Huron Middle School Implementation Teacher Leadership Team formed Separated K-6 and 7-12 into two separate groups with different needs Shifted from a focus on read-throughs to improve the quality of the maps to read- throughs that made use of mapping data Starting to merge curriculum mapping data with the collaborative structure

4/30/08Huron Middle School Question 4 In what ways do you feel that HMS could use PLC’s to enhance student achievement and performance?

4/30/08Huron Middle School Resources “The New Meaning of Educational Change” M. Fullan “On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities” R. DuFour, R. DuFour & R. Eaker “Whatever it Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don’t Learn” R. DuFour, R. DuFour, R. Eaker & G Karhanek “Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities” R. DuFour, R. DuFour & R. Eaker

4/30/08Huron Middle School Resources “Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement” R. DuFour, R. DuFour & R. Eaker “Sustaining Professional Learning Communities” A. Blankstein, P. Houston & R. Cole “Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work” R. DuFour, R. DuFour, R. Eaker & T. Many