What It Means to be a Professional Learning CommunityKelly Gillespie,Southwest Plains RegionalService Center

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PLC defined…

• Educators committed to working collaboratively in an ongoing process of collective inquiry and action research in order to raise student achievement.

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PLC Key

• Assumes student learning will improve when embedded teacher-learning occurs

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PLCs Ask Four Critical Questions

1) What do we expect students to learn?

2) How will we know when they have learned it?

3) How will we respond when kids don’t learn?

4) How will we respond when they already know it?

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Characteristics of PLCs

• 1. Shared– Mission

• Why do we exist?

– Vision• What do we hope to become?

– Value• How must we behave to get

there?

– Goals• What steps do we need to

take and when?

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Characteristics

• 2. Collaborative Teams Focused on Learning– Cultural shift from teaching

to learning

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Characteristics

• 3. Collective Inquiry into…– “Best Practice” and– “Current Reality”

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Characteristics

• 4. Commitment to Continuous Improvement with Results

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First Big Idea of PLC

• Focus on Learning– We expect high levels of

learning for all students. And are willing to examine all practices and their impact on learning

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What happens when kids don’t learn?• School’s Response

– Directive– Timely– Systematic

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Second Big Idea of PLCs

• A Collaborative Culture– We can achieve high levels

of learning for all students only if we work together

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Advantages of Teachers Working in Collaborative Teams• 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, methods

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Highly Effective Collaborative Teams• Collaborate on routine

tasks– Time for collaboration is

built into the school day and school calendar

– Products of collaboration are made explicit

– Team norms guide collaboration

– Teams pursue specific and measurable performance goals

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Collaboration

• Collaborate on…– Curriculum– Instruction– Assessment

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What is collaboration?

• A systematic process in which we work together, interdependently, to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve our individual and collective results.

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Third Big Idea of PLCs

• Focus on Results– We assess our effectiveness

on the basis of RESULTS not intentions

• 4 common assessments

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School Results Focus On…

• Meaningful teamwork• Clear and measurable

goals• Regular collection and

analysis of performance data

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PLC Focus

• In a PLC, we look at:– Each individual student– Each individual indicator

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I’m Intrigued…

• Now what– Complete Book list

• http://www.solution-tree.com/Public/Media.aspx?node=allbooks&ListProducts=true&ProductType=books

– Book study– Solution Tree

• www.solution-tree.com

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Books at SWPRSC• Professional Learning

Communities: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement

• Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don’t Learn

• Learning By Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities At Work

• Professional Learning Communities At Work – Plan Book

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Dr. Rick and Becky DuFour• PLC Training hosted by

SWPRSC• April 23-24, 2006• Wichita Airport Hilton• $325/person or $275/person

for teams of 4 or more for SWPRSC members

• $400/person or $350/person for teams of 4 or more for non members

• Seating is limited to first 400 registrants

• Hotel room block available at reduced rates at Airport Hilton

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Now What?

• Brainstorm about finding time

• Begin to put together horizontal and vertical teams

• Begin with curriculum conversations or assessment analysis

• Don’t forget to set team norms and have teams turn in a product

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SWPRSC…

•Helping districts improve student learning!