Transcript School Reform Academy

SSRI
Secondary School
Redesign Initiative
Building Professional
Learning Communities
SPN/SSRI Liaison
Primary Function
Physicals
Vs.
Autopsies
Douglas Reeves
as quoted in On Common Ground p 53
Even school districts that
devote tremendous time and
energy to designing the intended
curriculum often pay little
attention to the implemented
curriculum (what teachers
actually teach) and even less to
the attained curriculum (what
students learn).
Marzano, 2003
Quality teaching requires strong
professional learning
communities. Collegial
interchange, not isolation, must
become the norm for teachers.
National Commission on Teaching
2003
National Staff
Development Council
The Standard:
“Staff Development that improves
the learning of all students
organizes adults into learning
communities whose goals are
aligned with those of the school
and district.”
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5
National Staff
Development Council
The Rationale:
Teams that meet on a regular
basis for the purposes of......
Learning
Joint lesson planning
Problem-solving
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6
Teacher members of a PLC
assist one another in the
following ways:
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Examine the standards students
are required to master
Plan more effective lessons
Critique student work
Solve the common problems of
teaching
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7
Teams determine areas in
which additional learning
would be helpful and do the
following:
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read articles
attend workshops or courses
invite consultants to assist them in
acquiring necessary knowledge or skills
observe one another in the classroom
invite support staff, administrators, or even
school board members to participate
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8
What does the Florida DOE
say?
1.1.6 Learning Communities
“The faculty member participates in
learning communities of adults
whose goals are aligned with those
of the school and district.”
“Describe how your school organizes
teachers into learning communities.”
(Note: Learning communities are small groups of
faculty who meet regularly to study more effective
learning and teaching practices.)
House Bill 7807 outlines the
A++initiative and includes
the SSRI Act:
10. Professional Development for staff based
on data-determined needs with common
planning and PLCs for teachers and a
network of PD providers for education
leaders.
SSRI is a PLC.....
“Many educators also benefit from
participation in regional or national
subject-matter networks or school
reform consortia that connect
schools with common interests.”
www.NSDC.org
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12
Dufour
Members of Learning
Communities take collective
responsibility for the learning of all
students represented by team
members.
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13
Critical Friends Groups...
The National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) is rooted in
four beliefs:
•
that school people, working together, can make real and lasting
improvements in their own schools;
• that teachers and administrators must help each other turn theories
into practice and standards into actual student learning;
• that the key to this effort is the development of a "learning
community" based on public, collaborative examination of both adult and
student work;
• that to create this community, practitioners need high-quality
training and sustained support.
Characteristics of a PLC
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Shared Mission, Vision, Values
and Goals
Collective Inquiry
Collaborative Teams
Action Orientation and
Experimentation
Continuous Improvement
Results Orientation
What does a PLC involve?
Professional conversation that
leads to improved practices.
Professional development that
translates into improved student
learning.
What is required of PLC
members?
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Common Purpose
Focus on Learning
Commitment
Willingness to Stretch Comfort
Zone
Training
Continued Support
Frequent Conversation
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First Steps
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Understanding of and
Commitment to PLC
Relationships
Culture of Safety
Staff Readiness
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Zones of Safety
Danger
Risk
Comfort
19
Low Level of Risk
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Book Study
Relationship Building
Examining Standards
Text Based Discussions
Action Research
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Higher Level of Risk
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Examining Student Work
Examining Teacher Work
Consultancy Dilemmas
Peer Observation and
Debriefing
What are Protocols?
A script or series of timed steps
for how a conversation among
teachers on a chosen topic will
develop
Numerous protocols are available
from the National School Reform
Faculty
http://www.nsrfharmony.org
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Protocols
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Enable you to choose the
correct strategy
Provide training
Provide guidelines and structure
to conversation
Help enforce timelines
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Among educators especially, just
talking may not be enough. The
kind of talking needed to educate
ourselves cannot rise
spontaneously and unaided from
just talking. It needs to be
carefully planned and scaffolded.
The Power of Protocols: An Educator’s Guide
to Better Practice
Quality teaching requires strong
professional learning
communities. Collegial
interchange, not isolation, must
become the norm for teachers.
National Commission
on Teaching, 2003
Resources
๏ www.nsdc.org (Nat’l Staff
Development Council)
๏ www.nsrfharmony.org (Critical
Friends)
๏ www.nefec.org/documents/12/m
onograph08-3.pdf (Action
Research)
๏ http://www.just4kids.org/en/florid
a
SSRI
Secondary School
Redesign Initiative
Building Professional
Learning Communities
Penny Sell and Chris Kisner