professional learning communities at work june 12, 2015...learning and jot down your thoughts (5...

1 STRENGTHEN – INNOVATE - CONNECT

Professional Learning Communities at Work

June 12, 2015


Message From Tomball ISD


Since 1997 School Reform

Literacy and Numeracy Leadership


STRENGTHEN INNOVATE CONNECT


Welcome From A+

A+ Introductions What to expect from an A+ PD


Professional Expectations • We will begin and end on time • We will work hard to refrain from side-bar

conversations and be respectful when others are sharing

• We will focus on building individual and collective responsibility through shared learning

• We will work hard to “Just saying NO” to electronic distractions (exception: an emergency

• Most importantly, we will enjoy ourselves while engaged in learning today


Outcomes for Today: You Will… • Obtain clarity around what a Professional Learning

Community is and what it is not. • Clarity around your personal “Why” and your school’s

“Why”. • Understand the significance of the 3 Big Ideas that drive

the work of Professional Learning Communities . • Understand/examine the cultural shifts required in a PLC • Begin to articulate the work required to shift from a group

to a team • Identify possibilities for your team’s collective

commitments • Begin to formulate a plan to engage faculty in building a

PLC


Protocol for Bringing Participants Back Together

• If you can hear the sound of my voice… Clap Once, Clap twice, etc…


Clarity Precedes Competence

The first question any organization must consider if it hopes to improve results is the question of PURPOSE (Drueker)

Why do we Exist?


Mission and Vision: The Why and the What of the Organization

• What brought you to education? • Why do you come to work every day? • What is your school’s fundamental

purpose and what part do you play?


Directions:

• Individually and silently respond to the 3 questions on your Participant’s Guide (3 minutes)


Directions Continued:

• Share answers with school teams, think and talk about commonalities noticed within your teams

• On chart paper, write commonalities for each question (10 min)



• Teams form a circle to share charts and discuss commonalities (10 min)


Contrary to popular wisdom, the proper first response to a changing world is not to ask, “How should we change,” but rather, “What do we stand for and why do we exist?” This should never change. And then feel free to change everything else. (Collins and Porras)

an we assess it?


When you think of a Professional Learning Community,

what comes to mind? Independently and silently capture your thoughts on your Participant’s Guide (3min)

Share what you came up with at tables


What are Professional Learning Communities?

1. Read independently and silently then complete

T-Charts: “ I used to think but now I know” and “I used to think but now I am wondering” (10 min)

2. Table/School conversation about your findings (5 min)

3. Whole group share: 1 person, each school (5 min)


Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up

• What did you learn from this experience ?

• What ideas do you have to take this back to your campus?


Break 8 Minutes


The best schools we visited were tightly aligned communities marked by a palpable sense of common purpose and shared identity among staff– a clear “we.” By contrast, struggling schools feel fractured: there is a sense that people work in the same school but not toward the same goals (Lickona and Davidson)


“All Kids Can Learn”


“All Kids Can Learn”

The typical 4 schools in North America who would endorse the above statement with a resounding YES!


Directions for 4 Schools Activity:

• Individually/silently read the four sample school descriptions whose faculty would endorse the statement that “all kids can learn” and each school’s underlying assumption/belief (5 min)

• In school teams, discuss how each school would respond to students who are not learning and jot down your thoughts (5 min)

• Whole group/tables share out


4 Schools Directions Continued

• Review the “formal” school responses and note the differences at your tables

• Think of a time when you or someone

you know responded in any of these ways

• Share with your table


The Four Critical Questions Driving The Daily Work of Every Classroom

• 1a. What am I teaching today and what do I want my students to know, understand, and be able to do as a result of my teaching?

• 1b. How will I teach so they do learn?

• 2. How do I ensure they are learning minute by minute?

• 3. How do I respond when they are not learning?

• 4. How do I deepen the learning for kids who are ready for more?


4 Schools Directions Continued • Individually, think of 5 classrooms on your campus

and the school(s) each classroom represent. Using a marker place a dot in the appropriate school(s) representing each classroom

• School team members share dots and decide

which schools are most represented. Place dots (up to 3) on your campus diagram (cardstock) that most represent your school’s classrooms

• From the above, take 3 dots to the District Wall Diagram and place accordingly


Current Truth

27

When it comes to students in the same school who experience difficulty…

We are “all over the place”


Which school would you want your own child to attend?


Which school would be the ideal for all students across ALL

schools and ALL classrooms in Tomball ISD?


How about School #4 with a Splash of School #3?

We believe all kids can learn… and we will work to ensure all students achieve high standards of learning through a healthy, warm, and respectful learning community school and classroom environment


Debrief: Planning Template

• What are the possibilities for taking this back to your campus

• Share out


Tomball Triads

• Find two individuals from another school to form a triad

• Locate an area in the room to begin your

work.


What is a Professional Learning Community?

Protocol: Modified Jigsaw Assign facilitator: Count off by threes • Person 1: Big Idea #1 • Person 2: Big Idea #2 • Person 3: Big Idea #3 All: Read individually and silently the intro, your assigned Big Idea, and Hard Work and Commitment (15 min – take notes)



Teach your part to the other members by sharing the key points/message or learning for each Big Idea (10 minutes) (Individual members “capture” the learning by writing in the margins or whatever works for you)


The Three Big Ideas

• Big Idea #1 Ensuring that Students Learn at relatively high levels

• Big Idea #2 Culture of Collaboration • Big Idea #3 A Focus on Results


The Four Critical Questions Driving The Daily Work of Every Classroom

• 1a. What am I teaching today and what do I want my students to know, understand, and be able to do as a result of my teaching?

• 1b. How will I teach so they do learn?

• 2. How do I ensure they are learning minute by minute?

• 3. How do I respond when they are not learning?

• 4. How do I deepen the learning for kids who are ready for more?


PLC Graphic Organizer

37


Clear and compelling vision of what the organization must become

Big Idea #1 A Focus on Learning: The purpose of our school/district is to ensure all students learn at relatively high levels.

From ensuring students are taught to ensuring all students learn essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions

Start with Why What is our moral, ethical and professional responsibility?

Determine Values (How) Establish Mission

Establish Vision (What)

Cultural Shifts

All kids can learn Banner: What’s the response when they don’t?

Critical questions that drive the daily work:

1a. What is it we want students to learn? b. How do we teach so that ALL students show progress (growth) and learn at relatively high levels?

2. How will I/we know when each student has achieved the learning? 3. How will I/we respond when a student is not learning? 4. How will I/we deepen the learning for the students who have mastered essential knowledge and skills?


Big Idea #2 A Collaborative Culture: Helping all students learn requires a collaborative and collective effort.

Action Research

Continuous Improvement

Collective Inquiry

Attributes of High Functioning Teams

Cultural Shifts

From a Group to a Team: Collective Commitments

A systematic process in which teachers work together interdependently in order to impact their classroom practices in ways that will lead to better results.


Examination of student work that is not selected response.

Learning is the constant; time and support are the variables.

Data as information, then what?

Cultural Shifts

Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Quantitative and Qualitative results

From Inputs to Outcomes From Intentions to Results

Big Idea #3 A Results Orientation: In order to assess our effectiveness in helping all students learn, we must focus on results- evidence of student learning.



Silently and independently study the Venn diagram to make sense of it.

42



• School Teams: Why do you think the placement of the 4 questions is in the center of the Venn diagram?

• What implications will this have for your work?

• Whole group: share implications and your learning from this activity

43


Lunch 12:05-1:20


Debrief and Next Steps

Participant’s Guide and Planning Template: • Debrief and note possibilities for taking

this back to your campuses

45


Cultural Shifts in a PLC

Big Idea #1 A Shift in Fundamental Purpose

From a focus on teaching….. to a focus on learning

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From emphasis on what was taught….. to a fixation on what students learned

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From coverage of content…. To demonstration of proficiency

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From fixed time and support for learning…. To time and support for learning as variables

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From learning as the variable …. To learning as the constant

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10


Cultural Shifts in a PLC A Shift in School Culture

From independence…. to interdependence

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From infrequent generic recognition…. to frequent specific recognition and a culture of celebration that creates many winners

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From a language of complaint…. to a language of commitment

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

Rubric for Assessing Current Reality Specific to Cultural Shifts

1-2 Pre-initiating: District or School has not yet begun to address the Cultural Shift 3-4 Initiating: District or School has made an effort but the effort has not begun to impact a critical mass (1-33%) 5-6 Implementing: District or School critical mass is implementing but approach with compliance over commitment (34-

66%)

7-8 Developing: District or School structures altered, resources devoted, members becoming more receptive to the culture shift and what it takes to be successful

9-10 Sustaining: District or School practices/processes associated with the cultural shift is deeply embedded in the culture and driving force in the daily work


• Individually and silently review the first Cultural Shift and rank your campus on each continuum (5 min)

• In school teams, share rankings and discuss similarities and differences.

• Identify 1 shift you want to focus on



• Using your Planning Template, discuss possibilities for taking this back to your campus (5min)

• Stand up and pair up with a person you have not talked to in your school team and share possibilities for taking this back to your campus (5min)

• Table talk/team share



From a Group to a Team

Individually, think about a cluster of people that work well together on your campus and name the behaviors they exhibit in your Participant’s Guide


Current Reality: Groups or Teams?

Think about your cluster of people, are they a Group or a Team?


Clarity Around Key Team Elements

• Interdependence

• Goal Orientation

• Mutual Accountability


Building a Collaborative Environment: 5 Examples of

Group to Team

• Examine the chart and consider ways to work harder to exhibit all characteristics of a Team


Establishing Collective Commitments

When we think about Collective Commitments and Norms, there are three areas to consider: 1. Behavioral (collective commitments) 2. Learning (collective commitments 3. Givens (norms)


Establishing Collective Commitments

• Group yourselves into teams that meet regularly

• Get 3 index cards per team member

• Individually write down the behaviors or commitments believed to be essential for the Leadership Team to function at a high level on each index card

• Organize cards accordingly and determine the top 5 commitments

• Address violations


Collective Commitments

Collective Commitments: • are decided and agreed upon by the team • govern individual behavior, facilitate the work of the group, enable the group to accomplish its task • can help clarify expectations, promote open dialogue and serve as a powerful tool for holding members accountable • help to increase the emotional intelligence of the group by cultivating trust, a sense of group identity and belief in group efficacy

Behavioral - group held belief about how members should behave in a given context

• We will seek to understand others’ points of view. • We will work together to fix problems. • We will assume good will from one another. • We will commit to supporting ideas once the team agrees to them. • We will take the necessary time to process.

Learning - group held belief about how members should learn together in a given context

• We will engage in reading professional text on a regular basis. • We will engage in collective inquiry in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the state standards. • We will observe each other to push ourselves to refine our craft. • We will challenge each other through the use of protocol-driven work. • We will use the results from common assessments to assist each other in building on strengths and

addressing weaknesses as part of an ongoing process of continuous improvement.

Givens - professional expectations (Norms) • We will use an agenda and stick to it. • We will be prepared before meetings. • We will establish a way to address violations.


Next Steps

• Planning Template: Discuss possibilities for taking this back to your campus. The principal will start the discussion.

• Share ideas/next steps using the Team side of your chart in order to establish collective commitments with the current “clusters of people”

• Keep in mind the difference between Norms and Collective Commitments. Majority of time needs to be spent on learning


Big Idea #3: A Results Orientation

• Measureable goals established across school, grade levels, departments, individual teachers

• Must focus on BOTH Quantitative and Qualitative


Big Idea # 3 Continued • S.M.A.R.T Goals: What are they?

– Specific/Strategic – Measurable – Attainable – Results Oriented – Timebound

• Example

• T-Chart: Qualitative and Quantitative

• Possibilities for Qualitative


Passion and Persistence

• As you watch this, keep in mind there is not audio so pay attention to the screen

• While watching, think about how you might use this to help guide the work toward becoming a PLC


Bring Ideas Together

Share ideas and ask questions about how you might engage your respective faculties in learning around how to begin building Professional Learning Communities on each campus


Evaluation/Reflection


TIME, PERSPECTIVE AND PRIORITIES

Rick DuFour Getting Started


Time, Perspective and Priorities

• Review “Three Levels of Text” protocol • Read pages 42-45 from Chapter 2 of

Getting Started • Take notes • 8 minutes


Three Levels of Text Protocol

Groups of 3 or 4 One person using up to 3 minutes to: Level 1: Read aloud Level 2: Interpretation Level 3: Implications for her/his work The group responding (for a total of up to 2 minutes) to what has been said.


Must Do’s and Have To’s

Two Columns in Your Notes

What are the Must-Do’s for us?

Must Do’s Have To’s - The important stuff -The other stuff


LUNCH


THANK YOUR TEAMMATES


Considerations for Your Work


Formal or informal acknowledgment approving

of a job well done

Recognition


Appreciation

Revised: 6/5/15

Excerpts from: Learning By Doing By: R. DuFour, R. DuFour, R. Eaker, & T.Many

1

What Are Professional Learning Communities?

It has been interesting to observe the growing popularity of the term professional learning community. In fact, the term has become so commonplace and has been used so ambiguously to describe virtually any loose coupling of individuals who share a common interest in education that it is in danger of losing all meaning. This lack of precision is an obstacle to implementing PLC processes because, as Mike Schmoker observes, “clarity precedes competence” (2004a, p. 85). Consequently, let us attempt to clarify our meaning of the term.

We have seen many instances in which educators assume that a PLC is a program. The PLC process is not a program. It cannot be purchased, nor can it be implemented by anyone other than the staff itself. Most importantly, it is ongoing—a continuous, never-ending process of conducting schooling that has a profound impact on the structure and culture of the school and the assumptions and practices of the professionals within it.

We have seen other instances in which educators assume that a PLC is a meeting—an occasional event when they meet with colleagues to complete a task. It is not uncommon for us to hear, “My PLC meets Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.” This perception of a PLC is wrong on two counts. First, the PLC is the larger organization and not the individual teams that comprise it. While collaborative teams are an essential part of the PLC process, the sum is greater than the individual parts. Much of the work of a PLC cannot be done by a team but instead requires a schoolwide (or districtwide) effort. We believe it is helpful to think of the school as the PLC and the various collaborative teams as the building blocks of the PLC. Second, the PLC process has a pervasive and ongoing impact on the structure and culture of the school. If educators meet with peers on a regular basis only to return to business as usual, they are not functioning as a PLC. So the PLC process is much more than a meeting. The process requires people to act on the new information.

Many schools operate as if their primary purpose is to ensure that children are taught, PLCs are dedicated to the idea that their organization exists to ensure that all students learn essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions. All the other characteristics of a PLC flow directly from this epic shift in assumptions about the purpose of the school.

(See reverse side for a working definition and what you would expect to see in a PLC)

Revised: 6/5/15

Excerpts from: Learning By Doing By: R. DuFour, R. DuFour, R. Eaker, & T.Many

1

A Working Definition for Professional Learning Communities:

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

What Could We Expect to See in an Organization That is Functioning as a Professional Learning Community?

First, the people in the organization have a clear sense of the mission they are to accomplish and a shared vision of the conditions they must create to achieve their mission. They work together in collaborative teams that engage in collective inquiry into both best practices for accomplishing their aims and the current reality of the conditions in their organization. Any discrepancy between best practice and the reality of their school spurs them to take action to reduce the discrepancy.

Next, the entire organization is designed to engage teams in a cycle of continuous improvement* – gathering and analyzing data and information, identifying weaknesses and areas of concern, working together to develop strategies to address specific weaknesses and concerns, supporting each other as they implement those strategies, gathering new data and information to assess the impact of the strategies and then starting the process all over again.

This cycle is not an annual event, but is rather the ongoing process that drives the daily work of people throughout the organization. Finally, the effectiveness of the organization is assessed on the basis of results, rather than intentions or activities.

-Richard DuFour The School Administrator May 2003

*Collective Inquiry into Best Practice and Current Reality: Working together to build shared knowledge on the best way to achieve goals and meet the needs of clients is what professionals in any field are expected to do, whether it is curing a patient, winning the lawsuit, or helping students learn.

*Action Research: Until members of the organization “do” differently, there is no reason to anticipate different results. The reason we work together in teams and engage on collective inquiry is to serve as catalysts for action.

*Continuous Improvement: A persistent disquiet with the status quo and a constant search for a better way to achieve goals and accomplish the purpose of the organization

2

Professional Learning Community Reflections

I Used to Think, But Now I Know…. I Used to Think, But Now I am Wondering…. What Are Professional Learning Communities?

What Are Professional Learning Communities?





Professional Learning Community Planning Template

1

Big Idea Learning Experiences Readings to Further My Knowledge Possible Next Steps for Campus Implementation

1

Why Do We Exist? Pg. 30 Learning by Doing

Ch. 1 Getting Started: Professional Learning

Communities at Work

The Four Typical Schools in North America Who Would Endorse the Statement “All Kids Can Learn”

Ch. 2 Whatever It Takes

1, 2 & 3 What is a Professional Learning Community?

Getting Started: Professional Learning Communities at Work

Learning By Doing

Professional Learning Community Planning Template

2

Big Idea Learning Experiences Readings to Further My Knowledge Possible Next Steps for Campus Implementation

2

Cultural Shifts in a Professional Learning Community

Ch. 2 Getting Started: Professional Learning Communities at Work

Shift in School Culture - DuFour

Groups to Teams Collective Commitments

Pgs. 33-35 Learning By Doing Ch. 5 Learning By Doing

Professional Learning Communities at Work Continuum

Work Together But Only if You Want To - Eaker & Keaton

Why Do We Collaborate? Establishing Commitments to Enhance the

Effectiveness of Teams

3 Results Orientation Ch. 6 Learning By Doing

Seeing Results - Schmoker

1, 2 & 3 Passion and Persistence Video Passion and Persistence Transcript

The Four Typical Schools in North America Who Would Endorse The Statement That “All Kids Can Learn.”

1

Sample School #1: “We believe all kids can learn…based on their innate ability.” We believe that all students can learn but the extent of their learning is determined by their innate ability or aptitude. This aptitude is relatively fixed, and as teachers we have little influence over the extent of student learning. It is our job to create multiple programs or tracks that address the different abilities of students and then guide students to the appropriate program. This ensures that students have access to the proper curriculum and an optimum opportunity to master material appropriate to their ability. How would this school respond to students who are not learning?

Sample School #3: We believe all kids can learn… something, and we will help all students experience academic growth in a warm nurturing environment.” We believe that all students can learn and that it is our responsibility to help all students demonstrate some growth as a result of their experiences with us. The extent of the growth will be determined by a combination of the student’s innate ability and effort. Although we have little impact on those factors, we can encourage all students to learn as much as possible and we can and will create an environment that fosters their sense of well-being and self-esteem. How would this school respond to students who are not learning?

Sample School #2: “We believe all can kids can learn…if they take advantage of the opportunity we give them to learn.” We believe that all students can learn if they elect to put forth the necessary effort. It is our job to provide all students with an opportunity to learn, and we fulfill our responsibility when we attempt to present lessons that are both clear and engaging. In the final analysis, however, while it is our job to teach, it is the student’s job to learn. We should invite students to learn, but if they elect not to do so, we must hold them accountable for their decisions. How would this school respond to students who are not learning?

Sample School #4: “We believe all kids can learn…and we will work to help all students achieve high standards of learning.” We believe that all students can and must learn at relatively high levels of achievement. We are confident that students can master challenging academic material with our support and help. We establish standards all students are expected to achieve, and we continue to work with them until they have done so. How would this school respond to students who are not learning?

Professional Learning Communities at Work

Big Idea #3

A Results Orientation:

In order to assess our effectiveness

in helping all students learn, we

must focus on results- evidence of

student learning.

Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Quantitative and Qualitative results

Data as information, then what?

Big Idea #1

A Focus on Learning:

The purpose of our

school/district is to

ensure all students learn

at relatively high levels.

Start with Why

What is our moral,

ethical and professional

responsibility?

Establish Vision (What)

Clear and compelling vision

of what the organization

must become

From ensuring students are taught to

ensuring all students learn essential

knowledge, skills, and dispositions

Establish Mission

Determine Values (How)

All kids can learn

Banner: What’s the

response when they

don’t?

Critical corollary questions that drive the daily work of schools:

1a. What is it we want students to learn? b. How do we teach so that ALL students show progress (growth) and

learn at relatively high levels?2. How will I/we know when each student has achieved the learning?3. How will I/we respond when a student is not learning?4. How will I/we deepen the learning for the students who have

mastered essential knowledge and skills?

Big Idea #2

A Collaborative Culture:

Helping all students learn

requires a collaborative and

collective effort.

From a Group to a Team:


A systematic process in which teachers work

together interdependently

in order to impact their

classroom practices in ways

that will lead to better results.

Attributes of High

Functioning Teams Collective Inquiry

Action

Research

Continuous

Improvement

1. What? How?

2. Assess

3. Respond

4. Deepen

Cultural Shifts

Clarify/Action

Examination of

student work that

is not selected response.

From Inputs to Outcomes From Intentions to Results

Learning is

the constant;

time and

support are the

variables.

1 Adapted from Learning by Doing DuFour

Cultural Shifts in a Professional Learning Community

Big Idea #1 A Shift in Fundamental Purpose From a focus on teaching….. to a focus on learning

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From emphasis on what was taught….. to a fixation on what students learned

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From coverage of content…. To demonstration of proficiency

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From fixed time and support for learning…. To time and support for learning as variables

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From learning as the variable …. To learning as the constant

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

Big Idea #2 A Shift in the Work of Teachers From isolation…. to collaboration

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From each teacher assigning priority to different learning standards….

to collaborative teams establishing the priority of respective learning standards

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From individual teachers attempting to discover ways to improve results….

to collaborative teams of teachers helping each other improve

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From decisions made on the basis of individual preferences….

to decisions made collectively by building shared knowledge of best practice

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From “collaboration lite” on matters unrelated to student achievement….

to collaboration explicitly focused on issues and questions that most impact student achievement

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

2 Adapted from Learning by Doing DuFour

Big Idea #3 A Shift in Focus From a focus on intentions…. to a focus on results

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From ONLY quantitative data to BOTH quantitative and qualitative data

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From a focus on inputs …. to a focus on outcomes

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From goals related to completion of projects and activities….

to SMART goals demanding evidence of student learning

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From teachers gathering data from their individually constructed tests in order to assign grades….

to collaborative teams acquiring information from common assessments in order to (1) inform their

individual and collective practice and (2) respond to students who need additional time and support

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

A Shift in School Culture From independence…. to interdependence

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From infrequent generic recognition…. to frequent specific recognition and a culture of celebration that creates many winners

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

From a language of complaint…. to a language of commitment

1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 │ 10

Rubric for Assessing Current Reality Specific to Cultural Shifts

1-2 Pre-initiating: District or School has not yet begun to address the Cultural Shift 3-4 Initiating: District or School has made an effort but the effort has not begun to

impact a critical mass (1-33%) 5-6 Implementing: District or School critical mass is implementing but approach with

compliance over commitment (34-66%) 7-8 Developing: District or School structures altered, resources devoted, members

becoming more receptive to the culture shift and what it takes to be successful

9-10 Sustaining: District or School practices/processes associated with the cultural shift is deeply embedded in the culture and driving force in the daily work

1

Building a Collaborative Environment

Creating a collaborative environment has been described as “the single most important factor” for successful school improvement initiatives and ‘the first order of business” for those seeking to enhance the effectiveness of their school (Eastwood & Louis, 1992, p 215).

Content Specific

From Group To Team

Behave nicely towards one another

Develop protocols and collective commitments to guide when working together

Each teacher independently decides what to teach Collaboratively agreed upon curriculum focuses on what students are expected to learn

Each teacher determining the pacing of the curriculum Establishing the priority of respective learning standards as a team Decisions about improvement strategies are made by “averaging opinions” or individual preferences

Decisions are research-based with collaborative teams of teachers seeking our “best practices”

Behave nicely towards one another Develop protocols and collective commitments to guide when working together

Review data Study data and set measurable team goals and work together to achieve them

Individual teachers attempting to discover ways to improve results

Teachers helping each other improve

Interdisciplinary

From Group To Team


An assumption that these are “my kids, those are your kids” An assumption that these are “our kids”

There is little awareness of what or how others are teaching. Teachers recognize the common curriculum and exchange ideas regarding instructional materials, teaching strategies, or methods of assessment.

Each teacher sets goals and works independently to achieve them.

Characterized by common goals and their interdependent efforts to achieve those goals.

2

Leadership

From Group To Team

Behave nicely towards one another

Develop protocols and collective commitments to guide when working together

Celebrations and recognition are rather infrequent and often focus on things other than the central mission of the school.

Celebration is frequent, tied directly to the school’s values, and recognizes the accomplishments of individuals as well as groups.

Improvement efforts frequently shift as new fads or trends come along.

The school is committed to “staying the course” in the attainment of the school vision. New initiatives are only implemented if it is determined that the change will help the school achieve its vision of the future.

Leaders look for a quick fix and adopt anything that might show quick improvements regardless of whether it is aligned with the school’s vision or values.

Leaders role is to promote, protect and defend the school’s vision and values and to confront behavior that is inconsistent with the school’s vision and values.

Administrators solicit and value teacher input as improvement initiatives are developed and considered, but administrators are regarded as having primary responsibility for school improvement.

Staff is fully involved in the decision-making processes of the school. School improvement is viewed as a collective responsibility.

Administrators give directives and provide limited or no information, training and parameters to make decisions.

Administrators pose questions, delegate authority, create collaborative decision-making processes, and provide staff with the information, training and parameters they need to make good decisions.

Parent

From Group To Team


There are no consistent communication systems between home and school.

Systems are in place for consistent, two-way communication between home and school (i.e., notes, phone calls, visits)

There are events at school to secure parental support for the school’s efforts.

Conduct grade-level parent workshops to clarify intended outcomes and provide strategies that enable parents to reinforce the intended learning at home.

It is stated that there is an open communication policy. The school-parent partnership moves beyond open communication. Parents are only welcome in the school when they are invited. Parents are welcome in the school and there is an active volunteer

program. Teachers inform parents of educational decisions that affect their children.

Parents are full partners in the educational decisions that affect their children.

Community resources are randomly chosen and not connected to student learning.

Community resources are used to strengthen the school and student learning.

Information is sent home about future class requirements. Involve parents in setting student goals each year and in planning for postsecondary education and careers.

Parents are given opportunities to volunteer. Develop feedback forms that enable volunteers to reflect on their experience, and analyze the results in an effort to make the experience more satisfying.

My Campus Cultural Shifts

Fundamental Purpose

(Focus on Learning) Example: A shift from teaching to learning

• Next Steps – teachers examine student work protocols

Which shift does your campus want to focus on? What are your next steps?


Collective Commitments: • are decided and agreed upon by the team • govern individual behavior, facilitate the work of the group, enable the group to accomplish its task • can help clarify expectations, promote open dialogue and serve as a powerful tool for holding members

accountable • help to increase the emotional intelligence of the group by cultivating trust, a sense of group identity and belief

in group efficacy

Behavioral - group held belief about how members should behave in a given context

• We will seek to understand others’ points of view. • We will work together to fix problems. • We will assume good will from one another. • We will commit to supporting ideas once the team agrees to them. • We will take the necessary time to process.

Learning - group held belief about how members should learn together in a given context

• We will engage in reading professional text on a regular basis. • We will engage in collective inquiry in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the state standards. • We will observe each other to push ourselves to refine our craft. • We will challenge each other through the use of protocol-driven work. • We will use the results from common assessments to assist each other in building on strengths and

addressing weaknesses as part of an ongoing process of continuous improvement.

Givens - professional expectations (Norms)

• We will use an agenda and stick to it. • We will be prepared before meetings. • We will establish a way to address violations. • • •

When Establishing Commitments, Consider:

Time • When do we meet? • Will we set a beginning and ending time? • Will we start and end on time?

Violation: A team member is late to meetings repeatedly and always apologizes for it. Listening

• How will we encourage listening? • How will we discourage interrupting?

Violation: One team member talks all the time and hogs airtime.

Confidentiality • Will the meetings be open? • Will what we say in the meeting be held in confidence? • What can be said after the meeting?

Violation: Our department chair always shares all of our business with the other departments.

Decision Making • How will we make decisions? • Are we an advisory or a decision-making body? • Will we reach decisions by consensus? • How will we deal with conflicts?

Violation: Once our team makes a decision there is always a member that goes back to their classroom shuts the door and does their own thing.

Participation • How will we encourage everyone’s participation? • Will we have an attendance policy?

Violation: A few of our team members stay silent in meetings and tell us they simply do not like to talk much. Expectations

• What do we expect from members? • Are there requirements for participation?

Violation: A few of our members act any way they want because they are veterans and have always acted that way.

Learning • How will we make decisions on what to learn more about? • How can we hold each other accountable to the learning? • How can we protect learning time for our team?

Violation: Two of our team members always have something else to do when we have learning time planned as a team.

Ways to Act on Violations - Failure to confront clear violations of the commitments members have made to each other will undermine the entire team process. We will remind the member of the team about the commitment at the moment the violation occurs.

Qualitative vs. Quantitative

Qualitative Results Quantitative Results

HOW TO DEVELOP A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY:

Transcript for: PASSION AND PERSISTENCE Build a Solid Foundation “Let’s put our mind together and see what life we can make for our children.”

Sitting Bull

Find a Common Ground ……… what unites you rather than what separates you. Don’t call upon others to improve your school. Accept responsibility for doing it yourselves. Embrace learning rather than teaching as the fundamental purpose of your school. Remember: Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll sit in a boat and drink beer all day. Use data to paint a picture of your current reality. Be hungry for information on your school, it’s achievements, how it is perceived. Tolerate truth even if it is bad news. Identify the shared hopes and dreams of the school you might create. Identify the collective commitments you are willing to make to each other to make your shared hopes a reality. Act. Go. Do. It takes action, not philosophy, to advance your improvement plan. Translate your good intentions into specific steps. Remember, the Romans didn’t build a world empire by just talking…OK, they did it by killing all those who were opposed to them, but still… Your school improvement plan isn’t worth the paper it’s written on, unless it starts you doing something. Consistently Communicate Priorities Remember, you express what you value by what you do, NOT by what you say. Ask yourself: What do we plan for? What do we monitor? What do we model? What do we celebrate through our stories, ceremonies and rituals? What do we confront? What questions are we attempting to answer? How do we allocate our resources - time, money energy – according to our priorities?

Create a Collaborative Culture Recognize that a collaborative culture will not be created by chance, or even by invitation… You must embed collaborative processes into the routine practices of the school. Organize the school into genuine teams – people working – interdependently to achieve a common goal. Improve your team’s effectiveness by identifying team goals. Improve your team’s effectiveness by developing team protocols. Improve your team’s effectiveness by focusing on critical questions of learning. Improve your team’s effectiveness by bringing donuts to meetings. Before criticizing a teammate, walk a mile in his shoes…that way if he gets upset…he’ll be a mile away and barefoot. Care about each other. Reach out to each other. Give of yourself to each other. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world…indeed it’s the only thing that ever has!

Margaret Mead

Stay Positive in the Tough Times Complaining is like a rocking chair…it gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere. What you see in students…in parents…in each other…will depend on what you look for. Be tender with one another. Acknowledge that to err is human…but if your eraser wears out before the pencil, you’re overdoing it. Be thankful for every new morning… especially the ones in June. Understand that example is the most powerful teacher. Live your life so that when your students think of fairness, caring, integrity…they think of you. Persist Recognize that the road to becoming a learning community is dotted with many tempting parking places. Push on! Obstacles and others can stop you temporarily; you’re the only one who can do it permanently. Believe that what lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are insignificant in compared to what lies within us.

professional learning communities at work june 12, 2015...learning and jot down your thoughts (5...

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