Transcript Slide 1

Professional Learning Teams
August 2010
Overview
Day 1
 Context
 Professional Learning Teams
 Handbook
Day 2 – ½ day early term 4
 Using data to develop student logs
(not September 2, 3 as advertised)
Professional Learning Teams
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Common understanding
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Reflection - where is your school located
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Building awareness
Planning
Piloting
Full implementation
Planning
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Looks like, feels like, sounds like
Where do you want to be in 2011
What do you need to do
What will be your challenges
What will you do when you get back to your school
What’s your story??
The context
Why change will continue ……….
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External accountability
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Data rich
Know more about
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Social/political/economic environment
How we learn
Effective, precise teaching strategies
Effective schools
Learning spaces
Technology
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Enabler
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assessment, analysis, learning, teaching, information, monitoring,
reflecting, planning, communication, collaboration
Leaders of complex change ….
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Change in the way teachers operate
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De-privatised practice
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Personalisation
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Evidence based practice /goal setting
Strategies for differentiation
Pedagogical teaching and content knowledge
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Collaboration and challenge
Joint planning
Peer observation
Teaching frameworks/concepts
Literacy and numeracy teaching strategies
Standards and continuums of learning
Assessment practices
Technology
Teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about students’
capacity to learn
Challenges & barriers to change
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Low Expectations!
“The
biggest resistance to improving high
schools is the deep-seated belief that
many of our students cannot learn much
for a range of reasons including social
class and language background.”
Prof Patrick Griffin 2009
Beliefs and attitudes
“It’s far easier to build an individual’s skills than to try to change his
or her beliefs”
Examples of belief that underpin the work of PLTs
• All students can learn
• Expertise develops through continuous effort to
identify and tackle problems
• Collective good overrides individual autonomy
• A strong moral purpose
Platt and Tripp et al (The Skilful Leader II: Confronting conditions that Undermine Learning, 2008)
Complex problems cannot be solved simply by technical
responses – require adaptive change – this is the work of a
PLT.
Table discussion
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What are your beliefs around the work of
PLTs in working collectively to improve
student learning?
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How would you respond to a colleague
who attributes her/his lack of success
with a group of students to the students’
background, ability?
Understanding change
Create a sense of
urgency
2. Form a powerful
coalition
3. Create a vision for the
change
4. Communicate the vision
5. Remove obstacles
6. Create short term wins
7. Build on the change
8. Anchor the changes
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Kotter’s 8 step change model
Fullan’s Six Secrets of Change
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Love your employees
Connect peers with
purpose
Capacity building
prevails
Learning is the work
Transparency rules
Systems learn
Lasting school change
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Personalisation
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Differentiation
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Precision
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Consistent and effective use of assessment for learning
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Identifying learning needs of every individual
Responding accurately with right focused instruction
Professional learning
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Supports the above
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Building learning into the culture of the organisation
Fullan, Hill and Crevola (2006)
NMR School Improvement Model
NMR
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Powerful Learning Strategy
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Committed to teachers working collaboratively
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Informed by research, evidence of what works and
expert advice
Literate, Numerate and Curious
PLTs
Triads
Model of School Improvement / change
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Based on theories of action
Theory of action
…. Proposes a link between cause and effect
A guide for identifying, designing, implementing and
evaluating effective responses to the challenges
of school improvement.
A common reference point for all members of the
school community.
Emphasises accountability by relying on data that
measures the impact of the action taken
Theory of Action for Powerful Learning
IF all the distinct but interrelated parts of
the NMR School Improvement Model –
the rings, and each component of each
ring – are aligned and working together,
THEN all schools will improve.
AiZ
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Change
Differentiated approach for schools
Building school capacity
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Structures
Use of data
Teaching strategies – literacy & numeracy
Teaching models – next step
Leadership
Professional learning
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Focussed on classroom practice
Collaborative teacher learning
AiZ ………….
….. Not a ‘project’ but a process that will require
continued, sustained effort FOREVER.
Aim:
Embed strategies that foster continuous and
purposeful peer interaction.
Fullan, 2008 (The Six Secrets of Change),
AiZ ………….. Expectations
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Student level
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improvement in Literacy and Numeracy achievement
Teacher level
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identifying starting points for teacher professional learning
provided a focus of inquiry in the school
provided opportunities to develop teachers’ knowledge of
developmental learning and their understanding of
appropriate targeted intervention practices
emphasised importance of teachers’ knowledge and
experience in identifying appropriate intervention strategies
change in teacher discipline discourse: shift from resource
and discrete skill focus to developmental focus
AiZ Structure
 Teams
of teachers (PLTs and
Triads)
 Team
leaders (PLT leaders)
 Learning leaders
 School
 NMR
improvement team (SIT)
School Improvement Team/Leadership Team
PLT
Triad
Triad
PLT
Triad
PLT
Triad
Triad
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
AiZ (Learning Leaders, PLT leaders)
Coaches
Triad
Professional Learning Teams
What is it?
What does is it look like, feel like, sound like …………..
Table discussion
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What is a PLT?
Identify 4 key features/characteristics
 What is their core work
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Characteristics of a PLT
Shared values, goals
 Collaborative culture
 Collective inquiry (and challenge)
 Action orientation (learning by doing)
 Commitment to continuous improvement
 Results orientation
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DuFour and Eaker (1998) Professional Learning Communities at Work
AiZ PLTs
a new team work approach
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Evidence not inference
Challenge not share
Group responsibility
 From ‘my class’ to our students
 Your problem to our solution
Developmental not deficit approach
Peer accountability rather than system reporting
Expectations of ALL students
Patrick Griffin
The work of the PLT
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Ensuring that ALL students learn
 Collaboration and challenge
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Systematic processes to analyse and improve
classroom practice
A focus on student outcomes
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Judge effectiveness on basis of student outcomes
Ongoing process of identifying current level of
student achievement, establishing next level of
learning
Four critical questions
for learning:
What is it we expect them to learn?
 How will we know when they have
learned it?
 How will we respond when they don’t
learn?
 How will we respond when they already
know it?
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Table discussion
Think about 4 key ‘shifts’ that need to
happen for these approaches/behaviours
to become embedded in your
school/teams
 Share these with the person next to you.
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PLTs – look like?
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Size
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Composition
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Usually year level
Secondary
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Mix of experienced and beginning
Mix of expertise (eg numeracy/literacy/disciplines)
Primary
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Ideally no more than 6
Year level
Discipline
Meet regularly
PLT teams – types
1. Grade level
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All teachers who teach particular grade/s
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Focus on same standards and curriculum content
Address the development needs of students at that level
2. Unit/Program level
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sub school, eg multi-age group, Senior school, VCE, VCAL
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address unique needs of students in program
supports work of team to plan collaboratively
discipline
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focus on same disciplinary content, standards and pedagogic knowledge
addresses the unique
3. Interest or need
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Instructional approach
Topic
Special need, eg Literacy, Numeracy
Effective PLTs
Reflective dialogue
 De-privatisation of practice
 Collective focus on student learning
 Collaboration
 Shared norms and values
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Sharon Kruse (Building Professional Learning Communities) 1995
Effective PLTs
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A developmental approach to learning
Students
 Their own – PD important
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Meetings follow set protocols
 Members are accountable to the group
 Engage in a process of evidence based
inquiry to plan for teaching interventions
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Prof Patrick Griffin
Ticking the effective team boxes
TEAMS
PLT Leader
Leading the change …………
Leadership
The
principal and team leader
are key to the redesign
process.
“A neutral principal or team
leader is an undermining
force.”
The work of the PLT leader
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Lead the team
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Develop the capacity of the team
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Understand change
Model behaviours
Develop culture of challenge – questioning
Pedagogical knowledge
Assessment practices
Use of data
Goal setting and strategy selection
Support collaboration
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Regular, focused meetings
Establish protocols
Develop structure and processes
PLT Meetings
Develop agreed protocols/norms
 Regular time
 Keep to time
 Have a focus
 Share facilitation
 Encourage participation and group
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Variation between PLT leaders
Ability to pass on/share knowledge
 Personal knowledge and capacity
 Agenda modification
 Ability to go in and bat for teachers, ie
rapport with school leadership
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Patrick Griffin
Establishing PLTs
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Zone 1 schools
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Charles Latrobe P – 12 College
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Dallas Primary School & Kindergarten
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Leanne Reynolds, Assistant Principal
Amanda Henning, Assistant Principal
Patricia Quan,
BanyuleTeaching & Learning Coach