Franklin Regional Elementary Schools

Professional Learning Community Initiative

Fall 2010

The very essence of a learning community is a focus on and

a commitment to the learning of each student.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes,

but in having new eyes. ~ Marcel Proust

A PLC Means Building a Collaborative Culture

We… • accept that learning is the fundamental purpose of our school and

are therefore willing to examine all practices in light of their impact on learning. To become more effective in helping students learn, we must also be continually learning.

• are committed to working together to achieve our collective purpose. We will support a collaborative environment and develop high performing teams.

• will assess our effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions. Relevant data and information will be used to tailor instruction so all students at Franklin Regional can learn and achieve.

The Essential Questions of LearningAnd How FR Will Address Them This Year…

What is it we expect our students to learn?

Cultural Shift: Define consistently expected outcomes for units of instruction.

Evidence: Weekly team meetings and a new elementary schedule will support common planning, literacy, and math blocks across each grade level.

The Essential Questions of LearningAnd How FR Will Address Them This Year…

How will we know when they have learned it?

Cultural Shift: Formative and summative common assessment results will be examined and shared. This data will drive instruction designed to meet students’ learning needs.

Evidence: 1)Maintain a focus on strategies, best practices including present practices and levels of achievement,and the support of colleagues. 2)Analyze the data as a team. 3) Develop flexible cluster groups that can simultaneously take place across a grade level.

The Essential Questions of LearningAnd How FR Will Address Them This Year…

How will we respond when they don’t learn it?• Cultural Shift: A visible and systematic approach to

interventions utilizing all available resources.• Evidence: RTII Model

How will we respond when they already know it?• Cultural Shift: Collaborative planning will also assist in

extending, enriching and engaging high achieving students.

• Evidence: RTII Model

This unique “diamond” model will become the standard for the delivery of instruction and intervention.

No longer will teachers, parents and students question “What is the next step?”

This innovative model illustrates the resources that exist and allows for efficient use of materials, manpower, expertise, and TIME.

A Schedule That Supports Professional Learning Communities…

•The blocked schedule allows for math and reading times to be shared across a grade level so flexible cluster groupings can replace the complexity of differentiation within one classroom. No more teacher isolation.

•Curricular pacing, administration of common assessments, and data analysis can more naturally occur due to identical grade level schedules. Support services are more easily accessed.

A Schedule That Supports Professional Learning Communities…

• Every classroom teacher shares a common planning period each day. Opportunities for professional collaboration exist as they never have before.

• A new level of intervention can take place during Panther Power. Multiple resources can be accessed to support students at all levels.

Our Game Plan For

An Elementary Professional Learning Community :

•Collaboratively establish acceptable norms for grade level meetings – this is how we will do business - and follow the framework developed to support learning for all students.

•Believe every student will learn, and create second chance opportunities through Panther Power and tutorials.

•Use data as evidence when instructional decisions are made.

•Create a systematic and sustainable approach to help students achieve.

Who will achieve the goal through a systematic approach with the support of a team effort?

Consider the

Marathon Runner and the Rowing

Crew…

Winning is the goal of both…

Great Schools row as one; they are clearly in the same boat

pulling in the same direction in unison…

FRSD~PLC 2010-2011