leading change in professional learning communities leading change in professional learning...

LEADING CHANGE IN LEADING CHANGE IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

COMMUNITIES COMMUNITIES

New Insights on How PLCs Improve Schools

Richard DuFour & Rebecca DuFour (December 2010)

Adapted: Dr. Bessie Karvelas

What We Think about What We Think about Learning?Learning?We learn about…

◦--- of what we read◦--- of what we hear◦--- of what we see◦--- of what we see and hear◦--- of what we discuss with others◦--- of what we experience

personally◦--- of what we teach to someone

else

Student Learning Begins Student Learning Begins with Staff Learningwith Staff Learning

“…teacher knowledge, skill and collaboration contribute to improved instruction and student achievement.

Staff members within these schools who learn together create a spirit on which improvement efforts thrive.”

Joellen Killion 1999

What is a Professional What is a Professional Learning Community (PLC)?Learning Community (PLC)?

Highly effective teams that are committed

to…

◦Collective inquiry◦ Action experimentation◦Continuous improvement◦Results

Elements of PLCsElements of PLCs

The professional learning community is anongoing process in which educators workcollaboratively in recurring cycles of collectiveinquiry and action research to achieve betterresults for the students they serve.

PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators.

What PLCs Do?What PLCs Do?Develop an understanding of academic

contentSupport the implementation of curricula

and instructional activitiesIntegrate and give coherence to a school’s

instructional programs and practicesIdentify a school wide instructional needStudy the research on teaching and

learningMonitor the impact of instructional

initiatives on studentsExamine student work

What Do We Know About theWhat Do We Know About theWorld’s Best School World’s Best School Systems?Systems?“The best school systems in the world

recognizethat the quality of an education system cannotexceed the quality of its teachers. The only wayto improve outcomes is to improve instruction.

So, high-performing systems use theprofessional learning community process tosupport powerful professional developmentthrough teacher collaboration (Barber andMourshed, 2007).

If We Implemented What We If We Implemented What We Know to Be Best Practice…Know to Be Best Practice…

Schools would be organized intocollaborative teams in which members work together interdependently to achieve common goals for which members are mutually accountable.

Where We Are Now?Where We Are Now?A good thing happening in my school or

classroom…….

Schools that help all students to learn pay attention to……

Developing or enhancing my PLCs is an opportunity to…………

To make this project successful I am prepared to………..

Moving from Good to Moving from Good to GreatGreat

1) Everyone collaborates

2) Principals lead PLCs

3) Staff analyzes data to inform

decisions

What We’ve Learned in What We’ve Learned in AMPSAMPS

Principal participates in instructional practice

Has the ability to support instruction directly or indirectly

Insures that teachers meet about the right things

Manages a small number of initiatives with focus

What We’ve Learned in What We’ve Learned in AMPSAMPS

Asks good questions

Strategic about his or her time

Makes decisions that benefit students (willing to make unpopular decisions about budget and scheduling if needed)

Role of Principal in Leading Role of Principal in Leading PLCsPLCs

Sharing basic norms and values about students, learning and teaching

Reflective dialogue about teaching practice and student learning

Fostering a sense of collective responsibility

Supporting collaborative time/workFocusing on results

PLC in SchoolsPLC in Schools

“Teams Get Results”

Katzenbach and Smith 1993

1) Administrative Team2) Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)3) Response-to-Intervention Team (RtI Team)4) Department Chairs Team5) Content-Area Team6) Course Team

Instructional Leadership Instructional Leadership TeamsTeams

A PLC that…

Expands the use of a variety of instructional strategies

Supports enhanced instructional practices by teachers

Provides support for colleaguesDevelops a plan for the school

leadership team to apply and share Facilitates a school wide plan to

implement instructional strategies

BUILDING TEAMSBUILDING TEAMS

Creating a collaborative culture among your staff

In high-performing teams, members hold each other accountable. Everyone carries his or her own weight (Blanchard, 2007).

Stages of Team Stages of Team DevelopmentDevelopment

Orientation Stage---------- Forming◦Testing◦Polite◦Impersonal◦Watchful◦Guarded

Stages of Team Stages of Team DevelopmentDevelopment

Dissatisfaction Stage------Storming◦Infighting◦Controlling Conflicts◦Confronting People◦Opting Out◦Difficulties◦Feeling Stuck

Stages of Team Stages of Team DevelopmentDevelopment

Resolution Stage-----------Norming◦Getting organized◦Developing Skills◦Establishing Procedures◦Giving Feedback◦Confronting Issues

Stages of team Stages of team DevelopmentDevelopment

Production Stage-----------Performing◦Mature closeness◦Resourcefulness◦Flexible ◦Open◦Effective◦Close and Supportive

Group ActivityGroup Activity

Complete Chart on Stages of Team Development

One Focus of ILTs – PDOne Focus of ILTs – PDPowerful staff development…

Builds a culture that supports innovation, experimentation, and collegial sharing

Engages people in daily planning, critiquing and problem solving

Deepens content knowledgeExpands instructional skills within the contentTeaches assessment skills that help people

regularly monitor student learningProvides on-going practice based assistance.Connects people to networks beyond the

workplace

PD should be…PD should be…

1) Standard-Based

◦Content: What knowledge and skills must educators learn to produce higher levels of learning for all students?

◦Process: How will learning be organized to support adult acquisition of new knowledge and skills?

◦Context: How will the organization be structured to support adult learning?

PD should be……PD should be……

2)Results-Driven

◦What do students need to know?

◦What do educators need to know and be able to do to ensure success?

◦What professional development will ensure that educators acquire the necessary knowledge and skills?

PD should be… PD should be…

3) Job-Embedded

◦Happens during the work day in the work place.

◦Designed to support team learning.

◦Offered to all teachers all the time.

◦At school, everyone’s job is to learn.

Job-Embedded Learning Job-Embedded Learning provides...provides...

The development of a deeper understanding of academic content

Support implementation of curricular and instructional initiatives

Provides coherence to school programsFocuses on a specific school-wide needSupports the study of teaching and

learningMonitors impact of an initiativeProvides time for dialog

Job-Embedded PracticesJob-Embedded PracticesSharing article and professional

resources for ideas and insights

Talking with one another about what and how you teach and the results your teaching produces

Providing moral support, comradeship and encouragement

Jointly exploring a problem (i.e. data collection and analysis; conducting action research)

Job-Embedded Action Job-Embedded Action ItemsItems

Attending training together and helping each other implement the content of the training

Participating in the continual quality improvement activities

Using collective decision making to reach decisions that produce collective action

Provide support for “help–seeking” as well as “help-giving”

Sharing responsibility for making and/or collecting materials

Essential QuestionsEssential QuestionsAt the point of…

Delivery --- Did the students (they) like it?Knowledge --- Did they learn it?Application --- Are they using it?Results --- Did it impact student learning?

Organizational Support/Change --- Did it impact the organization?

Tom Guskey 2000

Teaching & LearningTeaching & LearningAccording to the 2009 Metlife survey

of teachers in the United States, 84 percent of teachers are “very confident that I have the knowledge and skills to enable all of my students to succeed academically.”

According to that same survey, only 36 percent of teachers believe all theirstudents have the ability to succeed academically.

What We Know Versus What We What We Know Versus What We DoDo

In most schools, assessments willcontinue to be developed andadministered by individual teachers andwill be used primarily for summative purposes.

Unless assessment serves as acatalyst for adult learning and changes inteacher practice, it will not be effective in improving student achievement.

Why Common Why Common Assessments?Assessments?

Impact on professional practice — the irrefutable evidence of better results and the positive peer pressure of a collaborative team working interdependently to achieve a common goal provide the most powerful levers for impacting practice.

Efficiency — by sharing the load teachers save time.

Equity — promotes a guaranteed curriculum, similar pacing, and consistent standards for assessing student proficiency.

Assessment Drives Assessment Drives CollaborationCollaboration

Teachers can…

Monitor the learning of students who are expected to acquire the same knowledge and skills.

Use the same instrument/process for assessing the quality of student work.

Gauge the alignment of the curriculum and the effectiveness of their instruction.

Sample PLC ActivitiesSample PLC ActivitiesUsing shared planning to develop

units, lessons, and activitiesLearn from one another by

watching each otherCollectively study student work

to identify weaknesses and plan new ways to teach

Strategies to Build Strong Strategies to Build Strong PLCs PLCs

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