a focus on the three big ideas of a plc at the early ......in-demand events innovative publishing...

A Focus on the Three Big Ideas of a PLC at the Early Elementary Level

Barb Cirigliano

in-demand events innovative publishing inspired professional development www.solution-tree.com

PLC: A Focus on the Three Big Ideas at the Early Elementary Level

Kildeer Countryside School District 96 Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Barb Cirigliano [email protected]


Today’s Targets

  Big Idea 1: Focus on Learning

  Do we share a common purpose?

  Big Idea 2: Collaborative Culture

  Highly effective teams

  Big Idea 3: Results Orientation

  Using assessments to make a difference

Handout


PLC Defined

“A PLC is an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve.”

—DuFour, DuFour, Eaker & Many, 2010, p. 111

© Cirigliano 2012. solution-tree.comDo not duplicate. 1


Implementation of PLCs

“The reason professional learning communities increase student learning is that they produce more good teaching by more teachers more of the time. Put simply, PLCs improve teaching, which improves student results, especially for the least advantaged students.”

—Saphier, 2005, p. 23


Key Concepts of a PLC

Focus on Student Learning

Collaborative Culture

Results Orientation






Results Orientation


© Cirigliano 2012. solution-tree.comDo not duplicate.2

in-demand events innovative publishing inspired professional development www.solution-tree.com in-demand events innovative publishing inspired professional development

District Average: Reading, Math, and Science

District AVERAGE Score 1999-2010(Average through 2009)

91.1

89.4

87.688.6

85.0

86.0

90.3

91.7

95.8

96.595.6

96.0

96.3

75

80

85

90

95

100

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Pe

rce

nt


Overall Reading ISAT District READING Scores 1999-2010

(Average through 2009)

95.5

94.7

95.094.7

93.7

87.787.7

86.0

84.7

87.3

85.3

87.7

89.5

75

80

85

90

95

100

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Perc

en

t


Overall Math

ISAT District MATH Scores 1999-2010(Average through 2009)

92.2

97.3

97.5

90.7

88.089.0

84.386.0

92.3 93.3

97.5 97.8 97.2

75

80

85

90

95

100

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Perc

en

t



IEP Reading

District ISAT and IEP READING Scores 2001-2010(Average through 2009)

95.594.795.094.793.7

87.787.787.785.387.3

89.5

81.779.179.5

77.4

72.7

60.060.6

62.362.964.5

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

ISA

T S

co

re


IEP Math

District ISAT and IEP MATH Scores 2001-2010(Average through 2009)

97.397.597.297.897.593.392.3

90.788.089.092.2

88.690.4

81.0

64.3 66.067.3

71.7

86.1 87.3 87.6

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

ISA

T S

co

re


Can We All Agree?

  We must focus on making sure that children learn.

  No one person can meet the needs of every single child.

  Hoping children learn is not a strategy that’s good enough.



One Critical Purpose

We make learning rather than teaching the fundamental purpose of our schools.


“The very essence of a professional learning community is a focus on and a commitment to the learning of each student.”



Shifts in Fundamental Purpose

From a focus on teaching

From emphasis on what was taught

From a coverage of content

To a focus on learning

To a fixation on what students learned

To demonstration of proficiency



Shift in the Work of Teachers and in School Culture

From private practice

From these are my kids, those are your kids

From each teacher assigning priority to different learning standards

To open sharing of practice

To these are our kids

To collaborative teams establishing the priority of standards


One Critical Purpose

By making learning rather than teaching the fundamental purpose of our schools, we ensure that each child can and will reach his or her maximum potential.


Until it’s been learned, it hasn’t been taught.



Identify a current practice in your system that points to a focus on teaching rather than on learning. Identify evidence of a focus on learning.

Put Your Heads Together Group Talk





Results Orientation






Results Orientation




Collaboration Defined

“A systematic process in which [we] work together, interdependently, to analyze and impact … professional practice in order to improve individual and collective results.”



Rick DuFour Groups Versus Teams



“Interdependence is what organizations are about. Productivity, performance, and innovation result from joint action, not just individual efforts and behavior.”

—Pfeffer & Sutton, 2000



The Power of Collaboration

Teacher collaboration in strong PLCs:

  Improves the quality and equity of student learning

  Promotes discussions that are grounded in evidence and analysis rather than opinion

  Fosters collective responsibility for student success

(McLaughlin & Talbert, 2006)


From the Researchers

“There is broad, even remarkable, concurrence among members of the research community on the effects of carefully structured learning teams on the improvement of instruction.”

—Schmoker, 2004, p. 430


The Focus of Collaboration

“Collaborative cultures, which by definition have close relationships, are indeed powerful, but unless they are focusing on the right things they may end up being powerfully wrong.”

—Fullan, 2007, p. 67



What Are the Right Things?

  Clarify essential outcomes by grade or course.

  Establish targets and benchmarks.

  Develop common assessments.

  Analyze results.

  Plan for instruction and improvement strategies.


Collaborative Teams

Therefore, collaborative teams’ conversations center on certain critical questions.


The Four Critical Questions

  What do students need to know and be able to do?

  How will we know when they have learned it?

  What will we do when they have not learned it?

  What will we do when they already know it?

Handout



“The fact that teachers collaborate will do nothing to improve a school…. The purpose of collaboration … can only be accomplished if the professionals engaged in collaboration are focused on the right work.”

—DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010, p. 119


Keys to Effective Teams

  Collaboration is embedded into routine practices.

  Time for collaboration is built into school day and school calendar.

  Teams focus on key questions.

  Products of collaboration are made explicit.

  Team norms guide collaboration.

  Teams pursue specific and measurable performance goals.


Tools for Teams



Team Tools That Support Collaboration in a PLC

 Teams agree to norms.

 Agendas are outcome driven.

 Teams build shared knowledge and reach consensus.


The standards of behaviors by which we agree to operate while we are in this group.

Norms Help Establish Trust


Norms …

 Clarify expectations.

 Promote open dialogue.

 Serve as a powerful tool for holding members accountable.

(Lencioni, 2005)



 Revisit norms often.

 Use norms to monitor and manage behavior.

Norms …


Willow Grove Norms 2010–2011

1. Come prepared to meetings that begin and end on time.

2. Listen and speak with respect, attentiveness, and an open mind.

3. Respect all conversations and understand what needs to be kept confidential.

4. Use decision-making processes that are appropriate to the issue and keep the best interests of the students in mind.

5.  It is each member’s responsibility to actively participate.

6.  It is the expectation that all will focus on the task at hand and all will be held accountable.

Handout


Norms Violations

What will we do when someone violates a norm?

You may need a norm checker!



Creating Norms

1.  Take five minutes to brainstorm specific things you need to be successful when working with a team.

2.  Record each idea on a separate Post-It™.

3.  Share your ideas with your group.

4.  Create group categories (save Post-Its™ to record later).

in-demand events innovative publishing inspired professional development


Team Tools That Support Collaboration in a PLC

  Teams agree to norms.

  Agendas are outcome driven.

  Teams build shared knowledge and reach consensus.


Group Name: Date:_______________ Time_________________ Location:______________________ Meeting Purpose: Meeting Nonpurpose:

Item

Goal

*I/D/A Facilitator

Time

Desired Outcome Desired

Outcome Desired

Outcome

(Adapted from original work by Delehant, 2007)

MEETING AGENDA

Tasks, Decisions, Outcomes

Agenda Template

Handout




Item

Goal

*I/D/A Facilitator

Time


Outcome Desired

Outcome

MEETING AGENDA


Agenda Template




Item

Goal

*I/D/A Facilitator

Time


Outcome Desired

Outcome

MEETING AGENDA


Agenda Template




Item

Goal

*I/D/A Facilitator

Time


Outcome Desired

Outcome

MEETING AGENDA


Agenda Template





Item

Goal

*I/D/A Facilitator

Time


Outcome Desired

Outcome

MEETING AGENDA


Agenda Template




Item

Goal

*I/D/A Facilitator

Time


Outcome Desired

Outcome

MEETING AGENDA


Agenda Template




Item

Goal

*I/D/A Facilitator

Time


Outcome Desired

Outcome

MEETING AGENDA Agenda Template






Item

Goal

*I/D/A Facilitator

Time


Outcome Desired

Outcome

MEETING AGENDA


Agenda Template




Item

Goal

*I/D/A Facilitator

Time


Outcome Desired

Outcome

MEETING AGENDA


Agenda Template



Three Important Roles to Establish

Role Qualities

Timekeeper

Recorder or minutes taker

Scribe

  Attend to the meeting and time.   Tactfully work with the group to resolve

time issues when discussions exceed the allotted time.

  Attend to the meeting and record minutes.

  Summarize major ideas without identifying every detail.

  Communicate with speaker (e.g., “Did I capture what you meant?”).



Put Your Heads Together Table Talk

List two things you could do to take the next step toward embedding a collaborative culture in your school and on your team.





Results Orientation






Results Orientation




Teams are committed to achieving desired results.

They are hungry for evidence that their efforts are producing the intended outcomes.

PLCs Have a Results Orientation


“Research consistently shows that regular, high-quality formative assessments increase student achievement.”

—Black & William, 1998


From “Measuring” to “Diagnosing” …



From Measuring to Diagnosing …


Rules of Data

1.  Easily accessible

  Improve accessibility of data.

2.  Purposefully arranged

  Data are presented in a complete, accurate, and straight-forward manner.

3.  Publicly discussed

  Teachers benefit from the collective wisdom of their team.

  Sharpen their pedagogy and deepen their content knowledge.

Handout


How Would You Measure …

We can measure things that impact student achievement beyond just test scores, especially at the early elementary level.



Common Formative Assessment Students are asked periodically to participate in assessments that are:

1.  Common at each grade level at each building

2.  Linked to power standards or targets

3.  Used to guide instruction

4.  Used to initiate interventions

5.  Used to measure, monitor, and report student progress

6.  Created by teams of teachers through a collaborative process

Common Assessments … More Formative


Daily Classroom Assessment   Ticket out the door (exit slips)

  Numbered heads together

  Think, pair, share

  Conferencing with students

  Checklists

  Slate assessment

  Use of clicker system

Classroom Assessments … Most Formative

Naomi’s Progress



Naomi’s Writing


Naomi’s Writing


How would you measure? Remember we can measure things that impact student achievement beyond just “test scores.”

Create a list.

Put Your Heads Together Group Talk






Results Orientation



“What we know today does not make yesterday wrong; it makes tomorrow better.”

—Carol Commodore

Thank You!

Barb Cirigliano

[email protected]

To schedule professional development at your site, contact Solution Tree

at 800.733.6786.

Solution Tree


Professional Learning Communities at Work™: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement

DuFour and Eaker (1998, pp. xi–xii) introduce Professional Learning Communities at Work™ by noting that “careful examination and constant probing of context and detail” are key aspects:

Each word of the phrase “professional learning community” has been chosen purposefully. A professional is someone with expertise in a specialized field, an individual who has not only pursued advanced training to enter the field, but who is also expected to remain current in its evolving knowledge base. The knowledge base of education has expanded dramatically in the past quarter century, both in terms of research and in terms of the articulation of recommended standards for the profession. Although many school personnel are unaware of or are inattentive to emerging research and standards, educators in a professional learning community make these findings the basis of their collaborative investigation of how they can better achieve their goals.

Learning suggests ongoing action and perpetual curiosity. In Chinese, the term learning is represented by two characters: The first means to study, and the second means to practice constantly. Many schools operate as though their personnel know everything they will ever need to know the day they enter the profession. The school that operates as a professional learning community recognizes that its members must engage in the ongoing study and constant practice that characterize an organization committed to continuous improvement.

Much has been written about learning organizations, but we prefer the term community. An organization has been defined both as an “administrative and functional structure” (Webster’s Dictionary) and as “a systematic arrangement for a definite purpose” (Oxford Dictionary).

In each case, the emphasis is on structure and efficiency. In contrast, however, the term community suggests a group linked by common interests. As Corrine McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson (1994) write:

Community means different things to different people. To some it is a safe haven where survival is assured through mutual cooperation. To others, it is a place of emotional support, with deep sharing and bonding with close friends. Some see community as an intense crucible for personal growth. For others, it is simply a place to pioneer their dreams.

In a professional learning community, all of these characteristics are evident. Educators create an environment that fosters mutual cooperation, emotional support, and personal growth as they work together to achieve what they cannot accomplish alone.


Three Big Ideas That Drive the Work of a PLC DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many (2010, p. 14) note, “The essence of the PLC process is captured in three big ideas”:

1. The purpose of our school is to ensure all students learn at high levels.

2. Helping all students learn requires a collaborative and

collective effort. 3. To assess our effectiveness in helping all students learn, we

must focus on results—evidence of student learning results—and use the results to inform and improve our professional practice and respond to students who need intervention or enrichment.

Notes


The Key Questions DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many (2010, p. 119) describe the four critical questions of a PLC:

1. What is it we want our students to learn? 2. How will we know if each student has learned it?

3. How will we respond when some students do not learn it? 4. How can we extend and enrich the learning for students who

have demonstrated proficiency?

Notes


Willow Grove Kindergarten and Early Childhood Norms

1. Come prepared to meetings that begin and end

on time.

2. Listen and speak with respect, attentiveness, and an open mind.

3. Respect all conversations and understand what needs to be kept

confidential.

4. Use decision-making processes that are appropriate to the issue, and keep the best interests of the students in mind.

5. It is each member’s responsibility to actively participate.

6. It is the expectation that all will focus on the task at hand and all will

be held accountable.

Notes


Age

nda

Tem

plat

e G

roup n

ame

____________________________________________________

Dat

e ___________ T

ime_

_______ L

oca

tion _

____________________

______

Mee

ting p

urp

ose

_________________________________________________

Mee

ting n

onpurp

ose

__________________ M

eeting a

djo

urn

s at

___________

Item

G

oal

*I/

D/

A

Faci

lita

tor

Tim

e

Desi

red

Ou

tco

me

Des

ired

O

utco

me

Des

ired

O

utco

me

*I:

Info

rmat

ion,

D:

Dis

cuss

ion,

A:

Act

ion–dec

isio

n p

oin

t

(So

urc

e:

This

tab

le is

exce

rpte

d fro

m D

eleh

ant,

2007.)

Task

s, D

eci

sions,

O

utc

om

es


Three Rules of Data Easy Access

• It is timely. • It is the most efficient way to get data to teachers. • It has a turn-around time of less than 48 hours.

Purposeful Arrangement • Data are organized in a format that is complete, accurate, and

straight-forward. • They are organized in a simple—not simplistic—way. • Format is conducive to discussion.

Public Discussion • Teacher teams engage in public discussions of data. • They are used to make decisions and adjust instruction.

(Many, 2009)

Notes


References and Resources Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998, March). Assessment and classroom learning.

Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 5(1), 7–73. Delehant, A. M. (2007). Making meetings work: How to get started, get going, and

get it done. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010). Learning by doing: A

handbook for professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work: Best

practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Fullan, M. (2007). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Jolly, A. (2008). Team to teach: A facilitator’s guide to professional learning teams.

Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council. Lencioni, P. (2005). Overcoming the five dysfunctions of a team: A field guide for

leaders, managers, and facilitators. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Many, T., (2009, March/April). Three rules help manage assessment data. TEPSA

News, 66(2), 7–8. McLaughlin, M. W., & Talbert, J. E. (2006). Building school-based teacher learning

communities: Professional strategies to improve student achievement. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. I. (2000). The knowing-doing gap: How smart companies

turn knowledge into action. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing. Saphier, J. (2005). John Adams’ promise: How to have good schools for all our

children, not just for some. Acton, MA: Research for Better Teaching. Schmoker, M. (2004). Tipping point: From feckless reform to substantive

instructional improvement. Phi Delta Kappan, 85(6), 424–432. Turner, D., & Greco, T. (1999). The personality compass: A new way to understand

people. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Books. Waterman, R. H., Jr. (1987). The renewal factor: How the best get and keep the

competitive edge. New York, NY: Bantam.


a focus on the three big ideas of a plc at the early ......in-demand events innovative publishing...

Documents