1. + Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Foundations of PLC’s: Where do we begin? (Adapted from Professional Learning Communities at Work Designed by DuFour, DuFour and Eaker)

2. + Description This session is for campuses that are new to the Professional Learning Community process. The participants will embark upon development of systems and outline responsibilities for successful PLC’s.

3. + Today’s Objective To define a PLC To introduce the professional learning community concept, and To show the cultural shifts that must occur when a school decides to take action to ensure that all kids learn by becoming a PLC.

4. + What does PLC mean? An on going- process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the student they serve. PLC’s operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job embedded learning for educators. DuFour, DuFour, Eaker and Many (2010)

5. + “ 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

6. + What does the research say?

7. + Research SAYS… Collegiality is also important for teachers. Collegiality can be expressed through experiencing challenging and stimulating work, creating school improvement plans, and leading curriculum development groups. The literature suggests that collegiality is directly linked to effective schools (Johnson 1986; Glatthorn and Fox 1996), where "teachers valued and participated in norms of collegiality and continuous improvement (experimentation)“ (Little 1982, 1).

8. + Research SAYS… Feedback is the factor most strongly related to job satisfaction, yet teachers typically receive very little accurate and helpful feedback regarding their teaching.

9. + Research SAYS… Find the time to build professional development into the life of schools. Reorganize the school day to enable teachers to work together as well as individually, both daily and weekly, and throughout the year. Redefine the teaching job to include blocks of extended time for teachers’ professional development.

10. + Sample Items for a PLC Agenda Looking at item specifications Discussing ideas from recent trainings Best Practices discussion Connecting with Activity Teachers Bending rules for student success Giving input for the School Improvement Plan Problem-solving safety issues Demo Lessons Cross-curricular planning

11. + Research SAYS… Autonomy is strongly related to job satisfaction for many, but not all, satisfaction for many, but not all, teachers. Autonomy is not necessarily defined as freedom from interference in the classroom; rather, the majority of classroom; rather, the majority of teachers view autonomy as freedom to develop collegial relationships to accomplish tasks.

12. + Research SAYS… Help teachers to assume responsibility for their own professional development based on an analysis of the needs of students in their own schools. In addition, teachers and administrators should collaborate to create peer assistance and review to nurture the practice of all teachers.

13. + BIG IDEAS & CORE VALUES Laying the foundation for a professional learning community.

14. + PLC: Big Ideas & Core Values Ensuring that students learn Learning for all A Culture of Collaboration Teamwork Focus on Results Data-Driven Decisions

15. + What schools believe… The Charles Darwin School: “We believe all kids can learn…based on their ability.” The Pontius Pilate School: “We believe all kids can learn… if they take advantage of the opportunity we give them to learn.” The Chicago Cub Fan School: “We believe all kids can learn...something, and we will help all students experience academic growth in a warm and nurturing environment.” Henry Higgins School: “We believe all kids can learn …and we will work to help all students achieve high standards of learning.”

16. + The PLC Big Ideas #1 LEARNING FOR ALL

17. + The PLC Big Ideas #1 Learning for All We accept learning as the fundamental purpose of our school and therefore are willing to examine all practices in light of their impact on learning. “ the fundamental purpose of the school is to ensure that all students learn rather than see to it that all students are taught—an enormous distinction. ” (from Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap-Whatever it Takes)

18. + Critical Questions of Learning 1. What is it that we expect them to learn? 2. How will we know when they have learned it? 3. How will we respond when they don ’ t learn? 4. How will we respond when they already know it?

19. + Formula for Learning in a PLC Targeted Instruction + Time = Learning Variable Variable Constant

20. + The PLC Big Ideas #2 COLLABORATION

21. + The PLC Big Ideas #2 Collaboration- To ‘co labor’ We are committed to working together to achieve our collective purpose. We cultivate a collaborative culture through development of high-performing teams. A systematic process in which we work together, interdependently, to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve our individual and collective results. DuFour, Dufour & Eaker

22. + Why Collaborate? Gains in student achievement Higher quality solutions to problems Increased confidence among all staff Teachers able to support one another ’ s strengths and accommodate weaknesses Ability to test new ideas More support for new teachers Expanded pool of ideas, materials, and methods Judith Warren Little (1990)

23. + “ Wide ranging research…shows it is impossible for even the most talented people to do competent, let alone brilliant, work in a flawed system. Yet a well-designed system filled with ordinary-but well trained-people can consistently achieve stunning performance levels ” Pfeffer and Sutton (2006)

24. + Seven Keys to Collaboration in a PLC 1. Embed collaboration with a FOCUS ON LEARNING in routine practices of the school. 2. Schedule time for collaboration in the school day and school calendar. 3. Focus teams on critical questions. 4. Make products of collaboration explicit. 5. Establish team norms to guide collaboration (See next slide.) 6. Pursue specific and measurable team performance goals. 7. Provide teams with frequent access to relevant information.

25. + Why Norms? When all is said and done, the norms of a group help determine whether it functions as high-performing team or becomes simply a loose collection of people working together. Positive norms will stick only if the group puts them into practice over and over again. Being explicit about norms raises the level of effectiveness, maximizes emotional intelligence, produces a positive experience for group members and helps to socialize newcomers into the group quickly.

26. + The fact that teachers collaborate will do nothing to improve a school. The pertinent question is not, “Are they collaborating?” but rather, “What are they collaborating about?”

27. + Building a collaborative culture is means to an end, not the end itself. The purpose of collaboration—to help more students achieve at higher levels—can only be accomplished if the professionals engaged in collaboration are focused on the right things.

28. + TIPS for Team Norms Each team establishes its own norms. (Provide a template for writing norms) Norms are stated as commitments to act or behave in certain ways. Norms are reviewed at the beginning and end of each meeting until they are internalized. One norm requires team to assess its effectiveness every six months. This assessment should include review of adherence to norms and the need to identify new norms. Less is more. A few key norms are better than a laundry list. Violations of norms must be addressed.

29. + Types of Teams Horizontal teams: Teachers who teach the same course or grade level Vertical teams: Teachers who teach the same content over different grade levels (perhaps including teachers in a feeder pattern) Logical links: Teachers who are pursuing the same learning outcomes (including teachers in Special Education or specialist subjects such as music, art, PE and so on) Electronic teams: Teachers who seek connection with colleagues across the district, state or world (Learning by Doing, DuFour, DuFour, Eaker & Many, 2006, pp. 93-95)

30. + The Big Ideas of PLC #3 RESULTS

31. + The Big Ideas of PLC #3 Results We assess our effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions. Individuals, teams, and schools seek relevant data and information and use that information to promote continuous improvement.

32. + S.M.A.R.T. GOALS Strategic and Specific Measurable Attainable Results-Oriented Time-Bound

33. + Types of Assessment Common Assessment: An assessment created collaboratively by a team of teachers responsible for the same grade level or course and administered to all students in that grade level or course. Formative Assessment: An assessment used to advance and not merely grade learning. A formative assessment is an assessment FOR learning (that is, used as part of the teaching and learning process) as opposed to a summative assessment, and assessment OF learning (used to determine if the student achieved the intended outcome by the deadline).

34. + Common formative assessments are used frequently throughout the year to identify: Individual students who need additional time and support for learning The teaching strategies most effective in helping students acquire the intended knowledge and skills Program concerns—areas in which students generally are having difficulty in achieving the intended standard Improvement goals for individual teachers and the team ( adapted from Learning by Doing, DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006, pp. 214-215)

35. How Should We Determine what is the right work? Best available evidence of positive impact on student learning Keys to Formative Assessment It is used to identify students who are experiencing difficulty in their learning? Are students who are having difficulty provided with an additional time and support for learning? Are students given an additional opportunity to demonstrate their learning?

36. + If We Implemented What We Know to be Best Practice Common Curriculum -Learn What? Teachers must come together to agree on the “ Learn What ” Common Pacing -Implementing the Common Curriculum collaboratively Common Assessment -Formative Assessments designed around the common curriculum to monitor student learning

37. + WHAT IS A PLC? A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNNITY DEFINED

38. + Definition Groups are considered professional learning communities if they: identify new programs or topics to investigate gather research and studies on new approaches share their findings or implement and study the effects of new practices and share these results with other faculty in the school.

39. + Characteristics of a Professional Learning Community Shared mission, vision, values, goals Collaborative teams Collective inquiry into “best practices” and our “current reality” Action orientation/experimentation Commitment to continuous improvement Results orientated

40. + Partner A – Reads #1, 2, 3 Partner B – Reads #4, 5, 6 Highlight or underline the key ideas for your assigned characteristics. 40 Share the key ideas from your section with a partner.

41. + 1. Shared Mission, Vision, and Values 2. Collective Inquiry 3. Collaborative Teams 4. Action Orientation & Experimentation 5. Continuous Improvement 6. Results Orientation Which essential characteristics are already in place in your school? What do they look like? What are the obstacles to establishing PLCs? 41

42. + Are PLCs an Option? Loose vs. Tight- Effective school cultures don ’ t simply encourage individuals to go off and do whatever they want, but rather establish clear parameters and priorities that enable individuals to work within established boundaries in a creative and autonomous way. Procedures are “ tight ” Agreement on what is to be taught, not how it is to be taught

43. + SHIFT HAPPENS

44. + Changing the Focus Old Focus Every student can learn Focus on teaching Isolation Assessment OF learning (Summative) Failure is an option New Focus Every student will learn Focus on learning Collaboration Assessment FOR learning (Formative) Failure is not and option

45. + Culture Shifts in a PLC Shift in Fundamental Purpose …… From teaching to learning Shift in Use of Assessments …… From summative to frequent formative Shift in the Work of Teachers …... From isolation to collaboration Shift in Response When Students Don ’ t Learn …... From remediation to intervention

46. + A Shift in the Response When Students Don’t Learn From individual teachers determining the appropriate response From fixed time and support for learning From remediation From invitational support outside of the school day From one opportunity to demonstrate learning To a systematic response that ensures support for every student To time and support for learning as To intervention To directed(that is, required) support occurring during the school day To multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning From To

47. + A Shift in the Work of Teachers From isolation From each teacher clarifying what students must learn From each teacher assigning priority to different learning standards From each teacher determining the pacing of the curriculum To collaboration To collaborative teams building shared knowledge and understanding about essential learning To collaborative teams establishing the priority of respective learning standards To to collaborative teams of teachers agreeing on common pacing From To

48. + A Shift in the Work of Teachers From individual teachers attempting to discover the ways to improve results From privatization of practice From decisions made on the basis of individual preferences From “collaboration lite” on matters unrelated to student achievement From the assumption that these are “my kids, those are your kids” To collaborative teams of teachers helping each other improve To open sharing of practice To decisions made collectively by building shared knowledge of best practice To to collaboration explicitly focused on issues and questions that most impact student achievement To an assumption that these are “our kids” From To

49. + A Shift in the Use of Assessments From infrequent summative assessments From assessments to determine which students failed to learn by the deadline From assessments used to reward and punish students From assessing many things infrequently To frequent common formative assessments To assessments to identify students who need additional time and support To assessments used to inform and motivate students To assessing a few things frequently From To

50. + A Shift in the Use of Assessments From individual teacher assessments Each teacher determining the criteria to be used in as assessing student work From an over-reliance on one kind of assessment From focusing on average scores To assessments developed jointly by collaborative teams To collaborative teams clarifying the criteria and ensuring consistency among team members when assessing student work To monitoring each student’s proficiency in every essential skill From To

51. + Harvard sociologist Henry Louis Gates contends, “Collecting data is only the first step toward wisdom. Sharing data is the first step toward community.” The goal of a learning community is ultimately to make data easily accessible and openly shared among members of a team so that team members can use it to inform and improve their practice and better meet the needs of their students.

52. + Tips for Incorporating Celebration Into Your School Culture Explicitly state the purpose of celebration Make celebration everyone’s responsibility. Establish a clear link between the recognition and the behavior or commitment you are attempting to encourage or reinforce. Create opportunities for many winners. (Learning by Doing, DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006, p. 31)

53. + Resources www.allthingsplc.info www.allthingsassessment.info http://go.solution-tree.com/PLCbooks http://quality.cr.k12.ia.us/PLC/indexPLC.html Glatthorn, Allan A. and Linda E. Fox. 1996. Quality Teaching through Professional Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc. Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work; DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006 Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don’t Learn; DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Karhanek, 2004

54. PLCs Part II

55. Objectives for Today  To understand how collaborative communities (PLCs) can impact teacher learning and student achievement.  To understand the role you will play in PLCs.  To shift our thinking from teaching to learning.

56. Professional Learning Communities  The term professional learning community describes a collegial group of administrators and school staff who are united in their commitment to student learning.  Hord (1997b) notes, “As an organizational arrangement, the professional learning community is seen as a powerful staff development approach and a potent strategy for school change and improvement.”

57. Why are professional learning communities important?  They function as an effective strategy for building school capacity around core issues of teaching and learning (Darling-Hammond, 1995)  If implemented correctly, they can serve as a mechanism to transform school culture.

58. Characteristics of a Professional Learning Community  Shared mission, vision, values, and goals  Collaborative teams FOCUSED ON LEARNING  Collective inquiry into “best practice” and “current reality”  Action orientation/experimentation  Commitment to continuous improvement  Results oriented

59. Make a Shift---Power of 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. All students learn vs. All students are taught

60. What do PLC’s ‘do’?  They connect teachers with information, strategies and best practices. Teachers Information Best Practices Strategies

61. What do highly effective schools do? They produce results that almost entirely overcome the effects of student backgrounds. Robert Marzano, What Works in Schools, 2003

62. Focus of Collaboration Team Learning Process

63.  Examine SE’s/Objectives and engage in dialogue about what students should learn  Analyze data to make decisions  Clarify 8-10 essential common outcomes per semester by course/content area  Develop at least 4 common assessments to be used this year  Establish specific measurable standards of goals  Analyze results  Identify and implement improvement strategies Build Shared Knowledge—As a Team All need to:

64. CULTURAL SHIFT: CURRICULUM TRADITIONAL  Primarily focus on teaching.  Each teacher independently decides what to teach.  Curriculum overload is common. PLCs  Primarily focus is on learning.  Collaboratively agreed upon curriculum focuses on what students expected to learn.  Reduced content means meaningful content is taught at greater depth.  Assessment developed through collaboration.  A plan is developed for students who are not responding.

65. CULTURAL SHIFT: RESEARCH AND RESULTS TRADITIONAL  Effectiveness of improvement strategies is externally validated.  Emphasis is placed on how teachers like various approaches. PLCs  Approaches are internally validated. Try various approaches that affect student learning.  Effect of student learning is basis for assessing various improvement strategies.

66. WHERE DO I FIND THE TIME? Parameters for PLCs and Time

67. Get Rid of Excuses and Find the Time—Parameters  Students must come to school—cannot stay home  Cannot lose instructional time  Cannot increase costs/salary  PLCs should meet at least on a regular basis—an hour at a time  PLCs should be build into the regular school schedule

68. Get Rid of Excuses and Find the Time—Ideas  Adjust hours within work week  Have large group activities/assemblies that are supervised by others so that can teachers can meet  Consider using faculty meeting time  Consider common planning time/parallel scheduling  Use staff development funds for substitutes  Give parameters {expectations} for reporting outcome of meeting—help them to stay on task!  Make time!

69. How will PLCs be organized and when will they meet?  For example, PLCs will meet on Thursdays

70. HIGH PERFORMING PLCs

71. High Performing PLCs  Willingness to consider matters from another perspective  Accurate understanding of spoken and unspoken feelings and concerns of members  Willingness to confront a team member who does not participate/contribute  Communicate positive regard, caring and respect  Willingness and ability to evaluate the team’s own effectiveness

72. High Performing PLCs--Continued  Seeking feedback about and evidence of team effectiveness from internal and external sources  Maintaining a positive attitude and outlook  Solving problems—be proactive  Awareness of how group contributes to the purpose and goals of the larger organization  Establishes own norms—reviews and addresses violations

73. LEADERSHIP AND PLCs TRADITIONAL  Administrators viewed as leaders and teachers as followers.  Improvement efforts frequently shift as new fads or trends come along. PLCs  Administrators are viewed as leaders of leaders. Teachers are viewed as transformational leaders.  Leader protects, promotes and defends school vision and values and confronts behavior that is incongruent with the school’s vision and values.

74. Professional Learning Communities Powerful, proven structures for improved results already exist. They begin when a group of teachers meet regularly as a team to identify essential and valued student learning, develop common formative assessments, analyze current levels of achievement, set achievement goals, and then share and create lessons and strategies to improve upon those levels. Mike Schmoker, 2005 The Key to Improved Results

75. What’s My Role?  Focus on student performance  Collaborate with colleagues during PLC time  Become students of teaching and consumers of research  Accept responsibility for implementing systems that enable all students to be successful

76. Examples of PLC Groups  Book Study Groups  Effective Instructional Strategies  Data Analysis  The Achievement Gap (Race and Equity in the Classroom)  Action Research  Developing Interdisciplinary Units  Cornell Note Taking  Lesson Study  Culturally Responsive Teaching  Looking at Student Work  Teacher Choice

77. Fundamental Questions  What is it we expect students to learn?  How will we know when they have learned it?  How will we respond when they don’t learn it?  How will we respond when they already know it? Dufour, Dufour, Eaker

78. STEPS in the RTI Process  Solid core program (Tier 1)  Universal screening  Differentiated support within Tier 1  Progress monitoring of students in the core  Supplemental (Tier 2) interventions to students slightly below level  Progress monitoring of students within a supplemental intervention continued…

79. STEPS in the RTI Process  Intensive interventions (Tier 3) to students well below grade level  Progress monitoring of students within an intensive intervention  Referral for formal evaluation for special education eligibility

80. Tier 1: Strengthening the Core  Differentiated instruction and small-group activities  Prioritized curriculum so students have ample opportunity to master power standards  Analysis of assessment data to help inform staff about quality of the core  Focused PD for quality teaching  Programs implemented with fidelity  Maximized instructional time

81. “Educators who rely on interventions alone to meet the needs of students who score below proficiency will never solve the basic problem these children face.” Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, Pyramid Response to Intervention, 2009

82. Tier 2: The Supplemental Level Intentional Nonlearners  Mandatory study hall  Mandatory homework help  Frequent progress reports  Study skills classes  Goal-setting & career planning support  Targeted rewards Failed Learners  Targeted, differentiated instruction  Time  Prerequisite skill review to address the learning gap  Prevention (Extremely effective with ELL students)

83. Targeted Interventions  More targeted = more effective  Group by cause of difficulties – not by symptoms  Broad interventions don’t meet any particular need  Crucial to have an effective identification and placement system

84. Tier 3: The Intensive Level  Designed for students who show low content area skills and/or lack of progress over time when provided Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions  Generally last 12-18 weeks and usually serve no more than 5-10% of the student population  Small group (1-3 optimal) pullout setting  Sustained, research-based instruction that may include alternate programs.  Students not “locked in” to intervention : ongoing progress monitoring is vital

85. Is Your Answer “YES” to… 1. Is our response based upon intervention rather than remediation? 2. Is our response systematic? 3. Is our response timely? 4. Is our response directive? 5. Is our response targeted? 6. Is our response flexible?

86. Tier 1 Behavioral Interventions  Provide positive environment for all students through the use of effective classroom management along with differentiated instruction.  Adopt a school wide behavioral curriculum.  Maximize instructional time to provide predictable structures.  Train students at beginning of the year on procedures.  Model and demonstrate appropriate academic behaviors in the classroom.  Set high expectations.

87. Tier 2 Behavioral Interventions  More targeted, individualized, and intensive  Provided to small groups of student on a weekly basis, often in the form of a social skills club, group counseling, mentoring programs, or an actual behavior plan  Progress monitoring can be conducted by using teacher rating scales and providing specific feedback to the student.  Tier 2 interventions must be carried out with fidelity before accurate decisions can be made.  All staff collect and analyze behavioral data.

88. Tier 3 Behavioral Interventions  Provided by a team rather than single expert  Focus on the specific characteristics of the student’s behavior  Focus on analysis of evidence from previous interventions and functional assessments  Goal is to decrease problematic behaviors AND help student build new replacement skills and behaviors  Leverage community agencies to assist students and families  Consider functional behavior assessments

89. Is Your Answer “YES” to… 1. Is our response based upon intervention rather than remediation? 2. Is our response systematic? 3. Is our response timely? 4. Is our response directive? 5. Is our response targeted? 6. Is our response flexible?

90. RTI Success Will be Relevant to How a School Answers… 1. How many tiers of intervention will be provided? 2. How will the school identify students who need intervention? 3. What is an adequate response to intervention? 4. What does formal special education evaluation look like? 5. What is the function of special education in the context of the entire system?

91. Tips for Moving Forward 1. Be aware of appeals to mindless precedent. 2. Make sure the system of intervention is fluid. 3. Systems of intervention work better when they are supporting teams rather than individual teachers. 4. Realize that no support system will compensate for bad teaching. 5. Ensure a common understanding of “system of interventions.”

92. SPEED Intervention Checklist  S ystematic  P ractical  E ffective  E ssential  D irective

93. “It is disingenuous for any school to claim its purpose is to help all students to learn at high levels and then fail to create a system of interventions to give struggling learners additional time and support for learning.” Learning by Doing. DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many

94. Elements of RTI in a PLC  Collective responsibility by all staff for all students  Access to a high-quality core curriculum  True differentiation in the classroom  Universal screening  Analyses of student work to evaluate overall curriculum and diagnose individual student needs  Tiers of instruction  Systematic, explicit, and research-based programs

95. School Culture: The Foundation  Assess current reality  Focus on learning – not teaching  Honestly try to answer the four critical PLC questions  Empowered teacher teams  Embedded collaboration  Effective assessment to guide learning  Focus on results – examine learning

96. Resources  www.allthingsplc.info www.allthingsplc.info  www.allthingsassessment.info www.allthingsassessment.info  http://go.solution-tree.com/PLCbooks http://go.solution-tree.com/PLCbooks  http://quality.cr.k12.ia.us/PLC/indexPLC.html http://quality.cr.k12.ia.us/PLC/indexPLC.html  Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don’t Learn; DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Karhanek, 2004  Pyramid Response to Intervention, RTI, Professional Learning Communities, and How to Respond When Kids Don’t Learn; Buffum, Mattos, & Webster, 2009  Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work; DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006  “Myths About Response to Intervention” National Association of State Directors of Special Education, May 2008