Under Construction:

Leadership from the Ground Up

Sendera Ranch Elementary

• Suzie McNeese, Principal• Michelle Pawski, Asst. Principal• Courtney Baker, 4th grade teacher• Jaime Garcia, 5th grade teacher• Cheri Travis, CIT Nance Elementary (former

STAR support teacher)

• What are some examples of routines and systems that laid the foundations for structuring successful Professional Learning Communities for empowering teacher leadership?

• What procedures and protocols facilitated meaningful data driven decision making?

• What are the next steps for me and/or my district?

Participant Learning Goals

“If schools want to enhance their organizational capacity to

boost student learning,

they should work on building a

professional community that is characterized by

shared purpose, collaborative activity, and collective responsibility among staff.” (Newmann & Wehlege, 1995, pg. 37)

Architectural StructureDistrict Initiatives

• Focused Walkthroughs• Targeted Planning• Quarterly Curriculum Review• Quality Defined meeting• LEAP and LEAD leadership capacity• Instructional Facilitators• RtI Process

Focused Walk Through• A team of 2-3 teachers and one

administrator• Lesson Framework, Principles of

Teaching and Learning, or Student Engagement

• Learning opportunity for the team and classroom teacher

Ground Floor: Creating a Community of LearnersYear 1

• Create a vision and focus• Excite your school community• Work embedded professional learning time

– Administrator/Classroom Instructional Teacher facilitated and planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Leadership Meetings– PLC binders – resources and agendas – Black Box – Assessment and data resources

• Alignment of weekly staff development and PLC needs.– Professional Reading-defining what PLC’s are (DuFour

model)

New Schedule

•8 periods of 45 minutes

•30 minutes lunch

•5 minutes extra at end of day

•Provide 5 minute passing period/break for AMP teachers.

•PLC time occurs at 8:35 am.

• Teachers are fresh.

•Consistent time

•Teachers/Administrators have had time to focus of start of day routines

•420 minutes

Ground Floor: Creating a Community of LearnersYear 1

• Create a vision and focus• Excite your school community• Work embedded professional learning time

– Administrator/Classroom Instructional Teacher facilitated and planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Leadership Meetings– PLC binders – resources and agendas – Black Box – Assessment and data resources

• Alignment of weekly staff development and PLC needs.– Professional Reading-defining what PLC’s are (DuFour

model)

Mapping Our Course

PLC In order to orchestrate results-oriented teacher teamwork – The deepest solution to the problem, says Schmoker, is “instituting the most effective, widely recognized structure for guaranteeing effective teaching and coherent curriculum: professional learning communities.”  

This means requiring teachers to work in teams to:

•Select the most important skills and standards that they will hold one another accountable to teach and test during the year, on a roughly common schedule.•Prepare common interim assessments for students to take at least once a quarter.•Meet, at least twice a month, for 40-60 minutes, to prepare and refine standards-based units and lessons aligned with the interim assessments.

• Meet at least every quarter to look at the results of the interim assessments, celebrate gains, and plan ways to improve instruction and help students who are not yet successful.

• Meet briefly with the principal or department head after each assessment to report on progress.

• Administrators should follow up on these meetings, says Schmoker: “It is absolutely vital that successful results from effective lessons, units, or quarterly assessments be celebrated at faculty, central office, and school board meetings.

We become what we honor and celebrate frequently.

“A Chance for Change” by Mike Schmoker in American School Board Journal, April 2007 (Vol. 194, #4, p. 45-46), no e-link available

Framing: Building CommitmentYear 2

• Revisit vision and focus• Renew excitement in our school community• Building a culture of disciplined leaders who take

intentional action– Leadership Meetings – clear expectations training and support– Division of leadership – PLC Coach and Team Facilitator

• Work embedded professional learning time– Administrator/Classroom Instructional Teacher facilitated and

planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Protocols for looking at data and student work– Standards Based Bulletin Boards

• Alignment of weekly staff development and PLC needs.

Framing: Building CommitmentYear 2

• Revisit vision and focus• Renew excitement in our school community• Building a culture of disciplined leaders who take

intentional action– Leadership Meetings – clear expectations training and support– Division of leadership – PLC Coach and Team Facilitator

• Work embedded professional learning time– Administrator/Classroom Instructional Teacher facilitated and

planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Protocols for looking at data and student work– Standards Based Bulletin Boards

• Alignment of weekly staff development and PLC needs.

Framing: Building CommitmentYear 2

• Revisit vision and focus• Renew excitement in our school community• Building a culture of disciplined leaders who take

intentional action– Leadership Meetings – clear expectations training and support– Division of leadership – PLC Coach and Team Facilitator

• Work embedded professional learning time– Administrator/Classroom Instructional Teacher facilitated and

planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Protocols for looking at data and student work– Standards Based Bulletin Boards

• Alignment of weekly staff development and PLC needs.

Insulation and Drywall: Building Stability Year 3

• Revise vision and focus• Renew excitement your school community• Support a culture of disciplined leaders who take

intentional action– Division of leadership – PLC Content Coaches and Team

Facilitator

• Work embedded professional learning time– Gradual Release of Responsibility- PLC Coaches facilitated

and planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Protocols for looking at data and student work– Standards Based Bulletin Boards

• Alignment of weekly staff development and PLC needs.

Insulation and Drywall: Building Stability Year 3

• Revise vision and focus• Renew excitement your school community• Support a culture of disciplined leaders who take

intentional action– Division of leadership – PLC Content Coaches and Team

Facilitator

• Work embedded professional learning time– Gradual Release of Responsibility- PLC Coaches facilitated

and planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Protocols for looking at data and student work– Standards Based Bulletin Boards

• Alignment of weekly staff development and PLC needs.

Remodeling: Building Stability to Support Changes

Year 4• Revise vision and focus• New School Community

– Campus split due to population growth– Team building

• Established culture of trust in disciplined leaders who take intentional action– Division of leadership – PLC Content Coach and Team

Facilitator– Gradual Release of Responsibility- PLC Coaches facilitated and

planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Protocols for looking at data and student work-Problem of

Practice and Instructional Rounds– Standards Based Bulletin Boards

• Alignment of weekly staff development and PLC needs.

Landscaping: Building from Strengths Year 5

• Revise vision and focus• Renew excitement your school community• Support a culture of disciplined leaders who take

intentional action– New Organization/Division of leadership – PLC Content

Coach, Team Facilitator and Technology Team Facilitator– Continual Release of Responsibility with support- PLC

Coaches facilitated and planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Protocols for State of the Class– Standards Based Bulletin Boards

• Alignment of weekly staff development, PLC needs, problem of practice and assessments

Attend PLC meetings with Principal, AP and/or CIT

Attend TF meetings with Principal, AP and/or CIT

Assist in the implementation and communication of technology updates

Collaborate with Principal, AP and/or CIT on future topics relating to team needs

Gather questions/ concerns from team to share at meeting

Assist in the implementation and teacher leader/modeling with instructional technology integration

SST Case Manager for your grade level Organize Field Trips Gradebook help for grade level

Lead PLC meetings every week Lead lesson planning meetings Point of contact for technology for assigned grade level

Compile data information from the district Disseminate organizational information Point of contact for technology showcase

Monitor record keeping for PLC. Turn in all forms to CIT

Write the grade level weekly newsletter  

Monitor and lead discussions about assessment

Textbook Contact  

Lead and monitor goal setting Approve grade level copies  

Arrange team observations during PLCs    

     

PLC Coach Team Facilitator Technology Facilitator

Landscaping: Building from Strengths Year 5

• Revise vision and focus• Renew excitement your school community• Support a culture of disciplined leaders who take

intentional action– New Organization/Division of leadership – PLC Content

Coach, Team Facilitator and Technology Team Facilitator– Gradual Release of Responsibility- PLC Coaches

facilitated and planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Protocols for State of the Class– Standards Based Bulletin Boards

• Alignment of weekly staff development, PLC needs, problem of practice and assessments

Landscaping: Building from Strengths Year 5

• Revise vision and focus• Renew excitement your school community• Support a culture of disciplined leaders who take

intentional action– New Organization/Division of leadership – PLC Content

Coach, Team Facilitator and Technology Team Facilitator– Gradual Release of Responsibility- PLC Coaches

facilitated and planned PLC meetings

• Provide clear expectations, training, and support– Protocols for State of the Class– Standards Based Bulletin Boards

• Alignment of weekly staff development, PLC needs, problem of practice and assessments

Outcomes and Benefits

• Vertical teaming• School wide expectations• Common language and vocabulary• Ownership of student success

academically and social/emotional

What are the next steps for me and/or my district?

BlueprintsWhat steps can your campus

take to empower teacher leaders in successful PLCs?

BarriersWhat barriers do you foresee? What might stand in the way

of accomplishing campus goals?

 

Sources• Revisiting Professional Learning Communities

at Work (DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker, 2008). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

• Elementary School Scheduling (Canady & Reittig). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education

• A Chance for Change,(Mike Schmoker) American School Board Journal, April 2007 (Vol. 194, #4, p. 45-46)

• Successful School Restructuring: A Report to the Public and Educators (Newmann & Wehlege, 1995)