Strengthening the Quality of Mathematics and Science Learning for All: Measuring What Matters

1. Strengthening the Quality of Mathematics and Science Learning for All: Measuring What Matters 2001 Southwest Regional Conference St. Anthony Hotel San Antonio, TX December 12-15, 2001

2. Strand Session I: Professional Learning Communities What Matters? How do we build ongoing support structures for teachers to enable them to perform their tasks in the highest quality way?

3. What do you mean . . . A Professional Learning Community?

4. ProfessionalLearning Community “At the lunchtime address, you heard Dr. Hord talk about professional learning communities. We are going to spend some time dissecting what that term means, and how such a community can be created in a school.” What is it? and How do you create one?“At the lunchtime address, you heard Dr. Hord talk about professional learning communities. We are going to spend some time dissecting what that term means, and how such a community can be created in a school.” What is it? and How do you create one?

5. Professional Learning Community... is NOT a prescription. is NOT a new program. IS an infrastructure, or a way of working together, which results in continuous school improvement. What a professional learning community is NOT, and what it IS. “If it is an infrastructure, how is that created? What is used to put together that frame? Through our researching at schools that have created such a community, we have identified five important building materials that were necessary for building such an infrastructure. We call them attributes, or dimensions.” What a professional learning community is NOT, and what it IS. “If it is an infrastructure, how is that created? What is used to put together that frame? Through our researching at schools that have created such a community, we have identified five important building materials that were necessary for building such an infrastructure. We call them attributes, or dimensions.”

6. Professional Learning Community =Community of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement

7. Attributes of a Professional Learning Community Supportive and Shared Leadership Shared Values and Vision Collective Learning and Application Supportive Conditions Shared Personal Practice [Review the five dimensions by name.] “Okay, there are five attributes to a PLC. What do they really mean? What do they look like?” “In order to examine the different aspects of a professional learning community, we are going to work in groups, by dimension.” [Split group in five smaller groups, and assign one dimension to each group. Pass out transparencies - one per dimension group - and vis-à-vis pens.] “Each group will need three volunteers: a recorder, a reporter, and a facilitator…identify those people within your groups now.” “Within your dimension, identify what you might see happening in a professional learning community. What is the role of the principal? What are the roles of teachers? What does it look like to see this dimension operating successfully within a PLC? List those characteristics, actions, etc. on your transparency in the form of a T-chart. One side is what principals would be doing, the other is what teachers would be doing.” [Review the five dimensions by name.] “Okay, there are five attributes to a PLC. What do they really mean? What do they look like?” “In order to examine the different aspects of a professional learning community, we are going to work in groups, by dimension.” [Split group in five smaller groups, and assign one dimension to each group. Pass out transparencies - one per dimension group - and vis-à-vis pens.] “Each group will need three volunteers: a recorder, a reporter, and a facilitator…identify those people within your groups now.” “Within your dimension, identify what you might see happening in a professional learning community. What is the role of the principal? What are the roles of teachers? What does it look like to see this dimension operating successfully within a PLC? List those characteristics, actions, etc. on your transparency in the form of a T-chart. One side is what principals would be doing, the other is what teachers would be doing.”

8. Supportive and Shared Leadership Principals support a collegial relationship with teachers, share power and decision making, and promote and nurture leadership development among staff. “What does it mean to have supportive and shared leadership within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points of S&SL: • collegial relationship • shared decision-making • whole staff involvement on issues and decisions that concern their students, their work, their school • administrator shares leadership with teachers, encourages leadership development among teachers, provides opportunities for teachers to work in leadership roles“What does it mean to have supportive and shared leadership within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points of S&SL: • collegial relationship • shared decision-making • whole staff involvement on issues and decisions that concern their students, their work, their school • administrator shares leadership with teachers, encourages leadership development among teachers, provides opportunities for teachers to work in leadership roles

9. “I don’t work under the principal, I work with her.” School 40 teacher

10. Shared Values and Vision An unwavering focus on student learning guides decisions about teaching and learning, and promotes accountability for actions. “What does it mean to have shared values and vision within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points: • unwavering focus on student learning at the core of all decision-making about teaching and learning • common vision for school, students and staff • ability to maintain the vision, and use it as a guide for informing all work at school “What does it mean to have shared values and vision within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points: • unwavering focus on student learning at the core of all decision-making about teaching and learning • common vision for school, students and staff • ability to maintain the vision, and use it as a guide for informing all work at school

11. “A core characteristic of the professional learning community is an undeviating focus on student learning.” Shirley Hord, 1997

12. Collective Learning and Application of Learning Persons at all levels work collaboratively to solve problems and improve learning opportunities. Together, they seek new knowledge and skills as well as apply their new learning to their work. “What does it mean to have collective learning and application within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points: • Staff at all levels work together to solve problems and improve learning • Time provided is used productively, whether whole staff or in smaller groups • Importance of regular whole staff learning together, sharing information • Identifying needs and learning together to address those needs • Applying the learning to the classroom, and revising it as necessary • Staff value learning and problem-solving together; take collective responsibility for actions and for teaching for success“What does it mean to have collective learning and application within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points: • Staff at all levels work together to solve problems and improve learning • Time provided is used productively, whether whole staff or in smaller groups • Importance of regular whole staff learning together, sharing information • Identifying needs and learning together to address those needs • Applying the learning to the classroom, and revising it as necessary • Staff value learning and problem-solving together; take collective responsibility for actions and for teaching for success

13. “[Our principal] models what it means to be a lifelong learner.” School 30 teacher

14. Supportive Conditions Physical conditions as well as personal and professional interactions support the work of school staff. “What does it mean to have supportive conditions within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points: •Physical structures - time…made, not found - space to meet and work - supportive communication structures - necessary materials available or accessible • People capacities - collegial relationships - trust, and respect - recognizing humanness in each other - administrators and teachers “What does it mean to have supportive conditions within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points: •Physical structures - time…made, not found - space to meet and work - supportive communication structures - necessary materials available or accessible • People capacities - collegial relationships - trust, and respect - recognizing humanness in each other - administrators and teachers

15. “In communities of learning, all teachers and students feel included as full-fledged participants in the school…take responsibility for the collective life of the school... and can count upon one another for help in meeting both individual and collective needs. Fred M. Newmann

16. Shared Personal Practice Teacher interaction occurs within a formalized structure to provide encouragement and feedback on instructional practices in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. “What does it mean to have shared personal practice within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points: • formal structures for teachers to observe each other and provide feedback • learning experiences for all teachers, to learn from each other • trust is key to making this work • understandably, this is the last dimension to evolve, and it does so slowly • can’t force someone to participate…most effective when it’s voluntary • supportive conditions are important to this dimension “What does it mean to have shared personal practice within a school? What does that look like?” [Allow the reporter for that group to display transparencies and discuss what they identified as actions/strategies/etc. for this dimension.] Emphasize key points: • formal structures for teachers to observe each other and provide feedback • learning experiences for all teachers, to learn from each other • trust is key to making this work • understandably, this is the last dimension to evolve, and it does so slowly • can’t force someone to participate…most effective when it’s voluntary • supportive conditions are important to this dimension

18. Views from a traditional school community Teachers are rarely involved in decision-making and do not have access to information to make sound decisions. Visions for improvement held by teachers are widely divergent and do not focus on students and quality learning experiences. Teachers rarely meet to consider substantive educational issues, share information, learn with and from each other, act on their learning or assess their work.

19. Views from a traditional school community Teachers rarely visit their peers’ classrooms to observe and provide feedback on instructional practices. Teachers have little or no opportunity to manage time and facility space for fostering peer interaction and learning. Teachers rarely communicate with one another about instructional issues due to the lack of a collaborative environment.

20. Why would we want to create a Professional Learning Community?

21. Staff Benefits Reduced teacher isolation Collective responsibility for student success Increased understanding of the roles teachers play in helping all students achieve More satisfaction, higher morale, and lower absenteeism rates

22. Student Benefits Decreased dropout rate Lower absenteeism rates Greater academic gains in comparison to traditional schools Smaller achievement gaps between students from different backgrounds

23. “Teachers in professional learning communities are more likely to be consistently well informed, professionally renewed, and inspired so that they inspire students.” Hord, S. (1997). “Professional Learning Communities: Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement”.  Southwest Educational Development Laboratory

24. Change is a process, not an event. “Leadership is the process of translating intentions into reality.” Block, P. (1987) The Empowered Manager

25. The creation of a PLC requires a balance of pressure and support, because any change is hard. Change is a process, one that occurs over time, and affects people at different levels, according to their needs. Administrators need to be understanding and supportive of how much a staff, or an individual, can handle. At the same time, they must also provide a little “push” or pressure, to keep the work moving forward, edging in on the comfort level. In order to learn and grow, there must be disequilibrium…if there weren’t, there would be no way to learn new things.The creation of a PLC requires a balance of pressure and support, because any change is hard. Change is a process, one that occurs over time, and affects people at different levels, according to their needs. Administrators need to be understanding and supportive of how much a staff, or an individual, can handle. At the same time, they must also provide a little “push” or pressure, to keep the work moving forward, edging in on the comfort level. In order to learn and grow, there must be disequilibrium…if there weren’t, there would be no way to learn new things.

26. What difference does it make? “Teachers in professional learning communities are more likely to be consistently well informed, professionally renewed, and inspired so that they inspire students.” Shirley Hord (1997)