Professional Learning Communities

Creating powerful and effective learning for teachers and students

Let’s begin with our District Goals…

    All schools will earn an A or a B by 2008-2009 All schools will earn an A by 2009 2010 All schools will make AYP in 2010 2011 The district will make AYP by 2011 2012

How Can We Do This?

 Create Professional Learning Communities Regularly scheduled time and focus for teachers to research, study, reflect, plan together

What is a Professional Learning Community?

A team with an intentional focus on learning which results in continuous school improvement

Professional Learning Communities

can also be called a

Professional Study Group

or a

Collaborative Planning Group

Why use a Professional Learning Community?

      Focuses the site and individual PD on school improvement related to student performance Job embedded PD has the greatest chance of changing the tradition and culture of an educational environment Becomes manageable as collaborative teams become units of change Avoids allowing RESISTERS to stop necessary change Provides a vehicle for proactively managing change, now and in the future!

Provides a proven method for real results

Keep in mind that with a Professional Learning Community Professional Development is…

 Ongoing  Job Embedded  Collaborative  Includes follow up

A Professional Learning Community

    IS NOT a prescription IS NOT an new program IS NOT weekly team lesson plan meetings IS NOT a meeting focused on administration and management details

Attributes of a Professional Learning Community (Hord,1997)      Shared and Supportive Leadership Shared Values and Vision Collective Learning and Application of Learning Supportive Conditions Shared Personal Practice

Shared and Supportive Leadership

 Principal’s support a collegial relationship with teachers, share power and decision-making, and promote and nurture leadership development among staff

Shared Values and Vision

An unwavering focus on student learning guides decisions about teaching and learning, and promotes accountability for actions.

Collective Learning and Applications of Learning

People at all levels work collaboratively to solve problems and improve learning opportunities. Together they seek new knowledge and skills, as well as applying their new learning to their work.

Supportive Conditions

Physical conditions as well as personal and professional interactions support the work of school staff.

Shared Personal Practice

Teacher interaction occurs within a formalized structure to provide encouragement and feedback on instructional practices in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.

It is easy to begin…

Determine an area of study…  Book study     Data analysis Review of student work Review of teacher work Curriculum alignment Professional Learning Team formats  Whole school    Grade level teams Content area teams Vertical teams

Professional Learning Communities may do any of the following:

      Develop school or student improvement plans using data Plan use and evaluation of instructional practices Align instructional practices with Sunshine State Standards Examine teacher work Examine student work Plan curriculum and/or classroom based assessments

Create a component…

 Develop and submit instructional Component to Professional Development for approval (to be available online)  Complete SCPS Professional Development Inservice Activity Application

What Do I Need To Write A Component

 Component Identifier Number:  Title:  Participants:  Length of Time:  ___ Contact Hours  ___ Independent Work Hours  Funding (as stated on the activity form)

What Do I Need To Write A Component

        Location In-service Points: ___ points Statement of Needs: General Objective: Sunshine State Standards: Specific Objectives: Description of Activities: Evaluation Procedures

Once your component has been approved..

      Develop Norms for Professional Learning Community Meeting Data Meeting Format Gathering/Ordering Materials Record Keeping (electronic PLC log available) How did PLC impact student achievement Upon completion of PLC submission of Professional Development Folder to ESC

Resources

 Professional Learning Community https://www.t2tweb.us/Mgmt/TTC/SessionFiles/S0042 F01125.pdf

Examples, Ideas, Best Practices https://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Sessions.asp?Sessi

onID=42 http://www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/cha36.html

http://www.doe.state.la.us/de/uploads/3855.pdf