Learning Goal:To better understand the PLC process and how it works at Strathmore Secondary College.

What are PLCs? What the hell are FFTs?Why are we doing them?

Professional Learning Communities will involve teachers collaborating on best practice to improve student achievement at Year 7 and Year 8.

Faculty Focus Teams will involve teachers collaborating on curriculum and learning tools to improve student achievement at Year 9 and Year 10.

Each team will be focusing on improving their practice to improve student learning. Both are guided by norms that each member agrees to.

Differences: PLCs have SMART goals set by the team. FFTs have an objective and agenda set by the faculty coordinator.

PLC groups

Year 7 – TE (convener), DP, TT, VP

Year 7 – CF (convener), DU, CD, KM

Year 8 – TH (convener), PT, FV, TL

Year 8 – JP (convener), MN, GY, EC

FFT

Year 9 – LS, BA, PN Develop rubric for persuasive writing (Present at fac meeting Feb 19 Moderate and collect samples of work.

Year 10 – GV, OS, NK Develop a rubric for Justice (Present to faculty at meeting Feb 19) Moderating and collecting samples of work on Justice (distribute to Year 10

team) Develop a rubric for Cartoon Analysis (Present to fac meeting March 26)

English Language – DN, LD

FocusEstablishing team norms

Setting SMART goals

Establishing normsUnderpin all good collaborative work

Ensures all team members contribute and are accountable

Allows us to develop commitment and trust with one another

GuidelinesEveryone needs to be clear on the

commitments made to each other regarding how the team will work together.

Commitments need to be stated as explicit behaviors.

Criteria for team normsThe norms have clarified our expectations of

one another.

All members of the team participated in creating the norms. All voices were heard.

The norms are stated as commitments to act in certain ways.

All members have commitment to honoring the norms.

Team must establish a process for addressing violations of the norms

For example In order to make our team meetings positive and productive

experience for all members, we make the following collective commitments to each other:

Begin and end out meeting on time and stay fully engaged during each meeting

Maintain a positive attitude at team meetings – no complaining unless we offer a better alternative.

Listen respectfully to each other

Contribute equally to the workload

Make decisions based on consensus

Encourage one another to honor out commitments and candidly discuss our concerns when we feel a member is not living up to those commitments

Fully support each other’s efforts to improve student learning.

Always take minutes and send them to DP.

Begin meeting by revisiting norms and previous minutes.

SMART goalsStrategic and specific

Measurable

Attainable

Results orientated

Time bound

For example

SMART Goal:

Current reality: Last year, 85% of our students met or exceeded the target score of 3 on each strand of out summative writing task.

SMART Goal: This year, at least 90% of our students will meet or exceed the target score of 3 on each strand of the summative writing prompt.

Clarify the essential writing skillsBy the end of the year students will be able to:

Develop a plan for writing. Focus on a central argument. Support an argument with logic, reason and

evidence. Use words, phrases, and sentences to create

fluency and cohesion. Provide a concluding statement and section that

supports the central argument. Edit final copies for grammar , capitalization,

punctuation and spelling

Strategies and Action Steps In order to achieve our SMART goal, we will:

Clarify the essential writing skills. Develop monthly common writing prompts Agree on criteria by which we will judge the

quality of student writing Practice applying criteria consistently to establish

consistency in grading. Establish the proficiency target of 3 out of 4. Identify examples for each stage of the rubric Share standards, rubric, and samples with

students, and teach them how to apply the rubric to their writing.

Week 1 PLCEstablish and agree to team norms (needs to

be emailed to faculty heads after first meeting)

Revisit the purpose of PLC – What are the four essential questions?

Decide on how notes for each meeting will be taken

Begin thinking about SMART goals.

Week 2 PLC - Decide on SMART goals

Email copy to faculty head