Using Professional Learning Communities to Improve Student
Learning
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200120042011 Hispanic4.7%13.5%24% ELL4.1%12.9%14% Low-Income
14.4%33%51% Special Ed 0.8%7.6%11%
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200220072011 Overall63%87%92% Hispanic34%64%87% ELL31%66%74%
Low-Income 46%77%86% Special Ed 37%49%72%
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20022008200920102011 Overall 63%71%59%77%92% Hispanic
34%59%45%74%87% ELL 31%64%47%54%74% Low-Inc. 46%66%52%68%86%
Special Ed 37%58%47%69%72%
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20022011 Absences5.11.9 Tardies4.40.9
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200220062011 Enrolled in Honors 32%41%48% Enrolled in AP
8.7%13.1%18.9% Enrolled in Leadership 5%16%26%
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Read excerpt from Education for Everyone Discuss the following
questions: Why do we collaborate? What questions are being asked by
my team?
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Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing
processes of collective inquiry and action research in order to
achieve better results for students they serve. PLCs operate under
the assumption that the key to improved learning for students in
continuous job embedded learning for educators. Dufour, Dufour,
Eaker, Many, 2006
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Can ALL students learn? What keeps students from learning? Take
5 minutes to discuss this.
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What is the schools role in the learning process for
students?
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The role of our school is to provide students with the
opportunity to learn. We fulfill our responsibilities when we
provide students with clear lessons and opportunities to
demonstrate their learning. If students fail to take advantage of
the opportunities they are provided, they must suffer the
consequences of their decisions. See Learning by Doing p.
19-31
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The mission of our school is to take credit for all the kids
that succeed, and assign blame for the students that dont. Our
mission is to protect the comfort and individuality of the adults
that work here. See Learning by Doing p. 19-31
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ENSURE high levels of learning for ALL students. See Learning
by Doing p. 19-31
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The purpose of our school is to see to it that all students
learn at high levels, and the future of our students depends upon
our success in achieving that purpose.
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Many educators say they believe that all student can learn yet
they want to keep their practices the same. If we are not willing
to change our practices, then PLCs become yet another failed
program. This is not intended to be a program it is a process for
job embedded professional development and change.
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This is NOT A PROGRAM This is a PROCESS FOR CHANGE
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The key to improved student learning is being able to identify
areas where we can improve and being willing to change to improve
where identified.
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Accountability must be a reciprocal process. For every
expectation I have of you to perform, I have an equal
responsibility to provide you with the capacity to meet that
expectation. Richard Elmore, 2006
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Students Teachers System
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Key Concept: Professional Learning Communities are a process
for change. If change is not taking place, then the professional
learning community is not functioning.
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Composed of collaborative teams whose members work
interdependently to achieve common goals linked to the purpose of
learning for all.
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Collaborative cultures, which by definition have close
relationships, are indeed powerful, but unless they are focusing on
the right things they may end up being powerfully wrong.
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1. What do we want students to learn? 2. How are we going to
know if they learned it? 3. How do we respond if they do not learn
it? 4. What do we do if they already know it?
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Composed of collaborative teams whose members work
interdependently to achieve common goals linked to the purpose of
learning for all. Focus on the learning not the teaching.
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What do we want students to learn? Learning By Doing Chapter
3
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Do you know each standard you want students to learn this year?
Do the students know which standards you want them to learn this
year? Do your students know which standard you are working on each
day?
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How will we know if they have learned it? Learning By Doing
Chapter 3
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Consider a negative experience you have had taking a test. What
did your teacher do that made the testing experience negative? How
did that experience affect your motivation to succeed in the
class?
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Is this how we use assessment?
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Productive: Keep Trying Unproductive: Stop Trying Confidence:
How Winning and Losing Streaks Begin and End. ~Rosabeth Moss
Kanter, Crown Business, 2004
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Confidence Confidence Optimism: An expectation of positive
results. Optimism: An expectation of positive results. Strong
Desire to Succeed. Strong Desire to Succeed. Self-Analysis in
Failure. Self-Analysis in Failure. High Levels of Effort High
Levels of Effort Risk Taking--Stretching Risk
Taking--Stretching
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Pessimism: Expectation of a Negative Result. Pessimism:
Expectation of a Negative Result. A Sense of Futility,
Hopelessness, Fatalism. A Sense of Futility, Hopelessness,
Fatalism. Waning Effort. Waning Effort. Self-Criticism in Failure.
Self-Criticism in Failure. Denial; Cover Up Denial; Cover Up Fear
of Risk Taking--Defensiveness Fear of Risk
Taking--Defensiveness
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The Students Emotional Reaction Will Determine What That
Student Does in Response.
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Consider a student you feel is on a losing cycle. Why is that
student a loser in the school system? How do you think that student
feels about his/her ability to succeed in school? What could be
done to help that student change from losing to winning?
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High Stakes Tests are good for all students because they
motivate learning. High Stakes Tests are good for all students
because they motivate learning. Reality: only good for students who
expect to succeed. For other students they are a source of
embarrassment
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If I judge you to have failed, it will cause you to try harder.
If I judge you to have failed, it will cause you to try harder.
Reality: Only true when students feel in control. Otherwise when
students fail, they feel
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If a little intimidation doesnt work, use a lot of
intimidation. If a little intimidation doesnt work, use a lot of
intimidation. Reality: when students are intimidated, it leads them
to feel afraid of standing out
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To maximize learning, maximize anxiety. To maximize learning,
maximize anxiety. Reality: Anxiety causes the brain to lock down
which leads students to feel
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It is the adults who use assessment results to make the most
important instructional decisions. It is the adults who use
assessment results to make the most important instructional
decisions. Reality: Students are the key users of assessment
information.
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How has your student used the information he/she has gathered
from past assessments? What conclusions has he/she drawn from
his/her performance on those assessments?
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The Students Emotional Reaction Will Determine What That
Student Does in Response.
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Productive: Keep Trying Unproductive: Stop Trying
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Teachers & leaders dont need to understand sound assessment
practicesthe testing people will take care of us Teachers &
leaders dont need to understand sound assessment practicesthe
testing people will take care of us Reality: All educators
absolutely must understand sound assessment FOR learning
practices!
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Most important academic decisions are made once a year with
placement. Most important academic decisions are made once a year
with placement. Reality: Teacher decisions are made
constantly.
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How will we know if they have learned it? Even more how will
they know if they have learned it?
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Assessment of Learning vs. Assessment for Learning
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Assess accurately Manage and share results effectively Elicit a
positive emotional reaction to the assessment results from the
learner
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How can we use assessment to help our students believe they can
learn so theyll try? The key is to use assessment to help the
student believe that the target is within reach
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How can assessments promote further learning? Syllabus Mastery
Quizzes (Formative Assessments) Unit Test (Summative Assessments)
Student Self-Evaluations
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Student can begin to see the positive in their assessment
results through the use of Self-Evaluation.
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We can teach our students how to analyze their own results from
an assessment.
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What are the concepts that we will be assessing? Grade Level
Objectives Classroom Objectives (Student Centered) Norms &
Agendas
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FOR ADULTS ITS A SCORE OR GRADE: FOR OUR STUDENTS, ITS FAR MORE
PERSONAL
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Our job is to help students believe they are capable
learners.
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We can make success an irresistible force in their minds.
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Its OK not to be good at it when youre just getting started You
may hit the target today or you may not If you dont, it is crucial
that you remain willing to return and try again tomorrow.
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[Students] want the confidence that their investment of time,
effort, and loyalty will lead to positive results Teaching is about
delivering that confidence. ~Adapted from Kanter
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Physicians Creed Above all, do no harm.
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Educators Creed Above all, do nothing to diminish hope; Promote
winning streaks.
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What do we do if they do not learn it? Learning By Doing
Chapter 4
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Assessments have two roles in a PLC. 1. Identify the students
that have not achieved mastery of each standard. 2. Inform teachers
on their instruction of each standard.
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Formative assessment will show the learning or non-learning of
each student by standard.
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Teachers and schools have a responsibility to intervene for
student learning, once it has been identified that a student is not
learning. This can take many different forms within the classroom
and within the school system.
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Remediation is after the fact. Intervention attempts to address
the problem as you go.
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Assessments have two roles in a PLC. 1. Identify the students
that have not achieved mastery of each standard. 2. Inform teachers
on their instruction of each standard.
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NO INTERVENTION SYSTEM CAN REPLACE GOOD TEACHING.
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We will not know if we are helping all student learn unless we
focus on results and use evidence of student learning as part of a
continuous improvement process.
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Create a results orientation by frequently gathering and using
achievement data to inform and improve our practice, to establish
goals, and direct team dialogue.
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The key to improved student learning is being able to identify
areas where we can improve and being willing to change to improve
where identified.
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Lack of data is not the problem. Schools typically suffer from
what Robert Waterman has called the DRIP syndrome: they are data
rich but information poor. Data alone will not inform a teachers
professional practice and thus cannot become a catalyst for
improvement unless those data are put in context to provide a basis
for comparison.
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Team developed assessments. Agreed upon proficiency standard.
Receive frequent and timely feedback on the performance of his or
her students. Compare these results to other teachers using
protocols.
Obj. 2.1 Translating Expressions with Variables (5 Questions)
Obj. 2.2 Order of Operations (5 Questions) Obj. 2.3 Evaluating
Expressions (4 Questions) Obj. 2.4 Properties of Numbers (5
Questions) Obj. 2.5 Distributive Property (3 Questions) Obj. 2.6
Like Terms (3 Questions)
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Highest Standard: 2.5 Distributive Property Highest Standard:
2.5 Distributive Property Lowest Standard: 2.3 Evaluating
Expressions Lowest Standard: 2.3 Evaluating Expressions Immediate
Plan: Immediate Plan: Insert questions on Evaluating Expressions
onto the Warm-ups daily and on the practice test for upcoming units
Insert questions on Evaluating Expressions onto the Warm-ups daily
and on the practice test for upcoming units Plan for Next Year:
Plan for Next Year: We think that the problem is coming from the
use of Absolute Value in the evaluating expressions problems so we
will spend more time and adjust the lesson plan for absolute value
to better prepare the student for the evaluating expressions
objective. We think that the problem is coming from the use of
Absolute Value in the evaluating expressions problems so we will
spend more time and adjust the lesson plan for absolute value to
better prepare the student for the evaluating expressions
objective. Smart Goal Smart Goal Have 80% of our students
proficient in Objective 2.3 by the end of the term. Have 80% of our
students proficient in Objective 2.3 by the end of the term.
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We cannot help all students learn at high levels if we work in
isolation. We must build a collaborative culture and engage in a
collective effort to achieve our purpose.
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What do you enjoy most about collaboration time. What do you
find least effective about collaboration time. What do we currently
spend time doing during collaboration time.
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Clarifying both purpose and goal at the start of the meeting
Using an agenda to stay focused on the meetings purpose Attending
to the task at hand and fully participating Using processes to
discuss topics, gather information, analyze and make decisions
Listening and learning to divers points of view Tackling tough
issues Calling one anothers attention to Norms Leaving knowing what
is expected to prepare for the next meeting FOCUSED ON STUDENT
LEARNING.
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Attending without bringing necessary items to the meeting
Checking out or focusing on unrelated tasks Discussing the same
issue or student over and over Listening to one or two people doing
most of the talking Complaining about the administration or
district mandates Dismissing or demeaning others points of view
Taking care of management items Leaving the meeting without closure
and a plan.
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These are the agreed upon ways we conduct business during
collaboration time.
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Keeps us focused on the task at hand.
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Collaboration is messy. When people work in groups there will
be disagreement, miscommunication, frustration that is OK. Keep the
focus on our purpose.
