A HANDBOOK FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES AT WORK

CHAPTERS 1-3

Learning by Doing

A GUIDE TO ACTION FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES AT WORK

Chapter One

What are Professional Learning Communities?

The essence of a learning community includes:

Commitment to the learning of each student

Collaborative teamsCollective inquiry into best

practices in teaching and learning

Action oriented: quickly turn aspirations into action

Ongoing Cycle

Evidence of current levels of student learningDevelop strategies to build on strengths and

address weaknessAnalyze the data to determine what is

effectiveApply new knowledge in the next cycle of

continuous improvement

Four objectives to close the disconnect between knowledge and action

Develop a common vocabulary and consistent understanding of key PLC concepts. (Glossary p. 213)

Present a compelling argument that the implementation of a PLC will benefit both students and teachers

Help teachers assess the current realityConvince educators to take purposeful steps

to develop their own PLC

Format for each chapter

1. The Case Study2. Here’s How3. Here’s Why4. Assessing your place on the PLC journey5. Tips for Moving Forward 6. Questions to Guide the Work of your PLC

A CLEAR AND COMPELLING PURPOSE

Chapter Two

Case Study: Clarifying our Purpose

Mission Statement

Process to build consensus

Leadership team acts as a guide Build consensus one small group at a timeSpend time up front to build shared

knowledge Schools are most effective when staff

members define their purpose as helping students learn rather than ensure that they are taught.

Action

Initiate structures to foster qualities and characteristics consistent with the school they are trying to create.

Create processes to monitor conditions and goals

Reallocate resources Pose the right questionsModel what is valued Celebrate progress Confront violations of commitments

“Research has found a correlation between clarity of purpose and effective

schools.”

Mission: Pillar One of Successful SchoolsVision: Pillar Two of Successful SchoolsValues: Pillar Three of Successful SchoolsGoals: Pillar Four of Successful Schools

(There are videos in PD 360 about each one of the pillars.) http://www.schoolimprovement.com/pd360/pd360.cfm?

Celebration

Is a powerful tool for communicating what is valued.

Four Keys for incorporating celebration into the culture of the school Explicitly state the purpose Make celebration everyone’s responsibility Establish a clear link between the recognition and the

behavior you are encouraging Create opportunities to have many winners

Assessing your place on the PLC Journey

Pre-Initiation StageInitiation StageDeveloping StageSustaining Stage

(Use the “Where do we go from here? Planning worksheet)

Tips for Moving Forward

Move quickly to action Build a shared knowledge when asking for a

decisionUse the foundation to make day-to-day decisionsUse the foundation to identify existing practices

that should be eliminatedTranslate the vision into a teachable point Write value statements as behaviorsFocus on yourself Recognize the process is nonlinearIt is what you do that matters not what you call it

Questions to guide the work

Use the worksheet provided in the book and on the CD

CREATING A FOCUS ON LEARNING

Chapter Three

Case Study

What do we want our students to learn and how will we know when they have learned it?

What are we going to do if they do not learn it?

Here's How

What is it we want our students to learn? Align with district standards and benchmarks

Four part test to consider as to the significance of a standard Does it have endurance? Does it have leverage? Does it develop student readiness for the next level of

learning? What current content can we eleminate?

Students must be able to demonstrate proficiency

Guaranteed and viable curriculum

Marzano concluded that the single most powerful impact a school can have on student achievement is providing students a guaranteed and viable curriculum that: (What Works in Schools) Chapter 3 Gives students access to the same essential learning

regardless of who is teaching the class Can be taught in the time allotted

Collaborative Study of Essential Learning

Promotes clarityPromotes consistent prioritiesIs crucial to the common pacing required for

formative assessmentsCan help establish a curriculum that is viableCreates ownership of the curriculum among

those who are asked to teach it

Common Assessments

Are more efficient than assessments created by individual teachers

Are more equitable for studentsRepresent the most effective strategy for

determining whether the guaranteed curriculum is being taught and, more importantly, learned

Inform the practice of individual teachersBuild a team’s capacity to improve its programFacilitate a systematic, collective response to

students who are experiencing difficulty

Assess your place on the PLC journey

Use the worksheets provided on the CD and in the book

Clarifying and Monitoring Essential Learning

1. Less is More2. Focus on proficiency, rather than coverage, in

key skills3. Recognize that common assessments might

create teacher anxiety4. Use technology as a tool to support the process5. Districts can play a role6. Create shared understanding or the term

”common assessment” 7. Use assessments as a means rather than an end

Questions to Guide the Work of Your PLC

See the reproducible guide on the CD or in the book on page 68-69