CORNERSTONES

1. CORNERSTONES of A Highly Effective Professional Learning Community

2. Cornerstones • Leadership • PLCs sustain where we find committed, skilled leaders who continue to learn • Collaborative learning teams • Adult learning and student learning are directly related to the quality of team collaboration • Using data • Information (data ) informs –does not drive—decisions/solutions

3. What is your dream for the children?

4. Social Capital “The Missing Link in School Reform” by Carrie R. Leana. Stanford Social Innovation Review, fall 2011. HUMAN CAPITAL – abilities, knowledge and skills developed through formal education and on-the-job experience SOCIAL CAPITAL – the relationships among teachers that promote a teacher’s growth and improvement • peer helping • atmosphere of high trust

5. Study in NYC public schools: • 2005-2007 • 1,000 4th and 5th grade teachers in 130 elem. schools • Corrected for poverty, attendance & special education status • Focus on math (research shocking) • Teachers 2x more likely to ask peers for help than experts & 4x more likely to ask peers than principal • Teachers who reported frequent conversations w/peers re: math instruction & where there was trust among teachers – the students had higher gains in math achievement. So, social capital was a significant predictor of achievement gains above and beyond teacher experience or ability.

6. LeadershipInspiration. Culture. “Hope burns brightest in those who believe in their ability to impact the future. Leaders of learning communities will keep hope alive in their schools and districts by modeling that belief and calling upon all staff to do the same.” “Professional learning communities set out to restore and increase the passion of teachers by not only reminding them of the moral purpose of their work, but also by creating the conditions that allow them to do that work successfully.”

7. Leadership A good leader is a learner / Asks questions / Seeks solutions. Form a guiding coalition. • Identify known and likely implementation challenges. • Problem solve (include staff input regularly) challenges. • Give teachers tools* to facilitate the PLC work. Communicate expectations. • Focus is always on all students learning at high levels-whatever it takes. • Teachers are valued, supported, empowered and invited to lead. • Teachers know there are some non-negotiables.

8. Leadership Apply tight/loose leadership. Keep hope alive. • Flexibility in beginning • Non-negotiables (high expectations, focus on results, communication) • Empower staff but tight on team accountability • Teams set their goals, but whole faculty sets vision, collective destination for school • Using multiple data to inform decisions is non-negotiable; some decisions made by teams, some school-wide process • Create and support shared leadership

9. Collaborative Teams: Learn by Doing! Curriculum and Instruction • Teams create, revise & monitor curriculum –align with NJCCCS and Common Core State Standards (CCSS) – ongoing work, should be routine practice • Teams use resources and their collective experience to improve instruction – serves to improve teachers’ pedagogy

10. Collaborative Teams: Learn by Doing! Teams focus on student learning objectives and track student learning. DuFour: • What do we want students to know? • What instructional strategies will be effective? • How will we know if students don’t learn? • What will we do if they don’t? • What will we do if they already know it?

11. Collaborative Teams: Learn by Doing! A word about curriculum and instruction— • Things can get disconnected. Curriculum, instruction and assessment must be tightly connected. It’s your primary work and teams are the glue! • Teachers are knowledgeable. But they need each other to bounce ideas, share strategies, plan interventions, share kids, think about barriers to learning & solutions, and have fun together. This is a culture of inquiry!

12. Collaborative Teams: Learn by Doing! What do we want students to know and what instructional strategies will be effective? • Establish common goals (school, team, classroom) based on adequate information • Determine individual and team professional learning needs to meet those goals. • Seek resources and tools to help you structure team meetings focused on curriculum, instruction and assessment.

13. Tuning Protocols Defined 1. a professional learning process that honors the work we as educators are trying to do (our practice). They help us fine TUNE (think of tuning a radio to get the clearest reception or tuning a car so that it runs better) our practice using a PROTOCOL or formal process for examining our work in a supportive, problem-solving group.Lois Brown Easton 2. a teacher presents actual work before a group of thoughtful “critical friends” in a structured reflective discourse aimed at “tuning” the work to higher standards. Joe McDonald

14. Collaborative TeamsHope is Alive “Teaching at this school is a better experience than I could have ever hoped for . . . . It is amazing.” Elementary school teacher PAIR UP: discuss for 2 minutes what makes/can make your school amazing. Be ready to share ideas – something you or a colleague said that helps to keep us passionate. 5 minutes

15. Using Data Analyze Student Data in Teams Collect multiple data on student learning • Summative data • Formative data • Social-emotional data Data = information

16. Summative Assessment Data What do we want students to know & how will we know if they learned it? INFORMS COLLECTIVE DECISIONS RE: SCHOOL-WIDE GOALS Sources: • state tests gr. 3-8, 11 • school-wide interim assessments • teacher-made tests, team designed tests Opportunity to create SMART goals that everyone agrees on and aims to achieves

17. Formative Assessment Data What will we do if students don’t learn it? What will we do if students already know it? ADJUST INSTRUCTION, RETEACH/GROUP, APPLY INTERVENTIONS Sources Interim assessments • Commercial • District • School • Common formative - team created (weekly, monthly, quarterly –intervals determined by team) Student work • assignments, quizzes, projects, portfolios, etc. Teacher-made tests

18. Social-emotional Data How will we factor in influences beyond academic learning? AFFECTIVE CONCERNS, STRENGTHS & GIFTS Sources: Counselor Social worker, Nurse Anti-bullying specialist Other teachers (coaches, electives, tutors, etc.) Parents Surveys Administrators Other students Referral & attendance records

19. CORNERSTONES Leadership. PLCs sustain where we find committed, skilled leaders who continue to learn Think of an excellent leader you know or work with. What attributes qualify this person to be a PLC leader? 5 minutes

20. CORNERSTONES Collaborative learning teams. Adult learning and student learning are directly related to the quality of team collaboration. Think of a collaborative team you know or work with. What attributes qualify this team to be called exemplary? 5 minutes

21. CORNERSTONES Using data. Data informs – does not drive - decisions Think of a collaborative team that uses data (information) to improve teaching and learning. What are they doing right? 5 minutes

22. Resources • NJ Tool Kit (teachpd@doe.state.nj.us ) all staff members should download a personal copy • Teacher Leader Model Standards • Learning by Doing (2006). Richard DuFour, et al., Solution-Tree. • Team to Teach: A Facilitator’s Guide to Professional Learning Teams. (2008). Anne Jolly, National Staff Development Council.

23. Resources • Powerful Designs for Professional Learning, 2nd ed. (2008). Lois Brown Easton, National Staff Development Council. • Leading Professional Learning Communities. (2008). Shirley Hord & William Sommers, Corwin Press. • www.solution-tree.com • www.learningforward.org • www.leadandlearn.com

24. NJDOE Online Resources Professional learning planning documents: www.nj.gov/education/profdev/pd/teacher PLC videos and materials: www.nj.gov/education/profdev/pd/teacher/plc

25. THINKSHEET Instructions Col. One Decide on one, two or three PLC elements you would like to implement in your school or district. Col. Two If present in the school/district, circle “Yes” and describe the successes and challenges experienced. If not, circle “No.” Col. Three Reach agreement on some short-term and long-term steps to take to reach your implementation goal. Your steps may fall into one or more of the three themes; it is not essential to address all three.