Professional Learning CommunitiesThe Warren County Journey

Why PLC’sTeaching: the cause to know

somethingLearning:

knowledge or skill acquired by

instruction or study

PLC Defined

• What is the definition of a Professional Learning Community?• “Educators committed to working collaboratively in

ongoing processes 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.”

(Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, and Many, 2006)

So What is a PLC?The Essential Elements of a PLC are:1. A PLC is a collaborative venture.2. A PLC is always focused on student learning.3. A PLC distributes leadership responsibilities.4. A PLC narrows the curriculum to its essence.5. A PLC shares best practices as a means of

improving instruction.6. A PLC uses “assessment for learning”.7. A PLC Improves professional practice.8. Eye Doctor Example

A PLC is Not!A Professional Learning Community is NOT:• A program to be implemented• A package of reforms to be adopted• A step-by-step recipe for change• A sure-fire system borrowed from another school• One more thing to add to an already cluttered

school agendaA PLC IS A PROCESS THAT WILL CHANGE A

SCHOOL’S CULTURE!

Why Should We Collaborate?

None of us know what all

of us know!

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.

Dufour, Dufour, & Eaker (2002)

Four Questions that Guide the Work of our Collaborative Teams• What do we expect students to learn and be able to do?• Essential outcomes, essential standards, learning

targets, pacing • How will we know if they learn it?• Common assessments, quick checks for

understanding, results analysis• How do we respond when students experience difficulty

in learning?• Differentiated instruction, intervention programs, RTI

• How will we respond when students do learn?• Differentiated instruction, enrichment activities

Bloom’s Keys to student learning

•“Educators should pre-assess skills then focus on lacking skills which will allow for student success.”

Benjamin Bloom

What are the Characteristics of High Performing Teams?

• Effective Leadership (Learning Leaders)• District, School, Team• Quality Teaching and Learning• Improved Pedagogical Practice• Systemic Improvement• Getting Started to Get Better• Clear and Collaborative Relationships• Learning how to work together!

Quality Teaching and Learning

• High expectations and accountability for adults• Guaranteed and viable curriculum and instruction for

students• Focus on Learning• Teaching without learning isn’t teaching at all. It’s just

presenting

• Answering the Four Questions• Taking ownership for results and data • In the absence of data you are just another person with an

opinion!

How do I begin the Journey?• Organize into Collaborative Teams and

agree on meeting norms that are agreed upon and shared by all.• Start Small•Model and Train, Train, Train• Limit Initiatives –How does in fit into the

PLC Process?• First you have to start Learning by Doing

(Get Started To Get Better).

Begin and end meetings on time.Stay fully engaged during each meeting.Maintain a positive attitude at team meetings

– no complaining unless offering a better alternative.

Listen respectfully to each other.Contribute equally to the workload.Make decisions on the basis of consensus.Fully support each other’s efforts to improve

student learning.

Collective Commitments (Team Norms)

How do I begin the Journey?

• The quality of “bottom up” ownership from the faculty and staff, depends first, on the quality of top-down leadership within the district.

Cox, Eaker, Hale, 2011

How to Answer the Four Critical Questions.• Work together to identify what students

should know and be able to do. (If we want all students to learn lets identify what they are to learn) Learn What?• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of

students as identified by data and plan together how to respond.• Develop Interventions and Enrichments based

on student data.• Celebrate Success!

Implementation: Decisions to Make• When do we start the process? Start Now!• Loose and Tight Expectations? How do we get to where we want to be?• Time and Support (who controls the time?)• For Teachers• For Students

• Communication (You can’t communicate to much!)• Team Leaders-Building Capacity (Identifying potential leaders)• Train, Train, Train• How do we collaborate, hold a team meeting, accomplish our goal?

(Model Everything)• Identifying and Aligning the Power Standards• Establishing Common Assessments• Team Developed – Leadership Supported

What Have We Learned From Our Journey?

• The Director, School Board, and School Leadership must own & lead the work •Have a 100 day plan and stick to it!•Collaboration by invitation will not

work• You must establish the “why”• Time for collaboration must be

provided within the school day

The Journey Continues

• The work of teams must be monitored and must meet collaboratively agreed upon standards of quality (Documentation of Products )• The quality of principal teams impacts the quality of

teacher teams• Model what you expect teams to produce• Leadership monthly Teaching/Learning Meetings• Annual Leadership Planning Retreat

• Universal happiness is not the goal but shared responsibility is• Use data to influence attitudes• You will always be monitoring and adjusting (it’s a

process)• The work of teams must be recognized and

celebrated

Warren County Data

2010 20110

10

20

30

40

50

60

Projected Elementary AYP ChartReading /Language Arts 3-8 Math 3-8

Perc

ent P

rof/

Adv

Warren County Data

Algebra I Biology I English I English II US History0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Projected GrowthSpring 2011

% at or aboveabove onlybelow only

Conclusion

• Learning vs. Teaching• Collaboration vs. Isolation• Intervention vs. Reaction• All students vs. My students

•You Decide!

The PLC process is hard work and is

not something that will happen

overnight, but over time students will learn more and at higher levels if the

process is followed.

PLC Professional Consultation

Bobby Cox, Ed.S.Assistant Director For Teaching/LearningWarren County Schools, TN2548 Morrison StreetMcMinnville, TN 37110931-668-4022 ext. 277Coxb7@k12tn.net

Resources for the Journey

A Short Bibliography for More Information about Professional Learning Communities

Failure is Not an Option: Six Principles that Guide Student Achievement in High Performing Schools, Alan Blankstein, 2005

Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities, Robert Eaker, Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, 2002

Leading Learning Communies: Standards for What Principals Should Know and Be Able to Do, NAESP, 2002

On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities, Richard DuFour, Robert Eaker, Rebecca DuFour (Editors), 2005

Professional Learning Communities At Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don’t Learn, Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, and Gayle Karhanek, 2004

Learning by Doing, Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, Thomas Many, 2006

Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work: New insights for improving schools, Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, 2008

THE END

Thank You for Your Time and Attention and Good Luck on Your Journey to Help more students

LEARN more!