Harrison County Schools Professional Learning Community (PLC) Implementation Plan

WHY PLCs? A forward-thinking approach Allows for school-based decision making Provides funding to support school goals for student achievement Gives the opportunity to plan professional development tailored to your needs

ARE WE READY? This is an initial step - schools may currently be at different levels It can take years to get a PLC functioning at a high capacity Communication and a shared vision, mission, and goals will provide a good first start

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PLC 1.Shared mission, vision, values, and goals 2.Collective inquiry 3.Collaborative teams 4.Action orientation and experimentation 5.Continuous improvement 6.Results orientation

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Turn to Building a Professional Learning Community at Work: A Guide to the First Year - it was the basis for our Proposal design Review the Solution Tree PLC resources within your school (see Resources packet) Visit

THE PLAN BASICS

ALLOCATIONS Each school has an allocation A base amount + your schools percentage of total county enrollment

ALLOCATIONS Each schools base amount is tiered according to 2 nd month enrollment: students$3, students$6, students$9,000 The remaining allocation is based upon your schools percentage of total county enrollment

SAMPLE SCHOOL ALLOCATION School Total % of County % Supplement /Pupil Base Amount TOTAL BUDGET Sample School %$11,730.87$6,000$17,730.87

1. Core PLC Planning Time 2. School-wide Professional Development Opportunities 3. Resource Materials to Build Knowledge and Understanding of PLCs 4. Funding to Support School Goals PLC Implementation Plan

Each school will complete a PLC Proposal outlining goals and action steps.

The process will guide you through establishing the initial components of a PLC.

Your support person will be available to field any questions and assist you with the Proposal process.

The Proposal is the process in which you request funding. Complete Proposal = quick approval (…use the Rubric as the guide)

Proposals are due on or before May 3, 2010.

Proposals will be returned on or before May 17, 2010.

COMPLETING YOUR PROPOSAL

PLC IMPLEMENTATION TEAM Follow the guidelines for your selections Use what is applicable to your school Strive for variety and balance Cant meet the criteria? - work with your support contact for a solution Include K-12 access addresses

DETERMINING A FOCUS Vision 5-Year Strategic Goal(s) SMART Goals

VISION STATEMENT The Vision is for your work as a PLC Serves as an anchor - your blueprint Begins with the end in mind Credible, with a focus on the essentials What do you hope to become at some point in the future?

SAMPLE VISION STATEMENT The PLC Implementation Team of Sample Middle School will work to reduce the failure rate in our school and increase the percentage of students scoring at or above the established proficiency standard on the state assessment in all areas.

5-YEAR STRATEGIC GOAL Taken directly from your 5-Year Strategic Plan Correlates to your Vision Supports your decisions Links your PLC work back to your larger, long- term school goals

SMART GOALS Must have at least one, though two is preferred Similar in structure to the formula of the 5- Year Strategic Plan – 5 components Designed to carry out your vision and school goals All about improving student learning

SAMPLE SMART GOAL Last year, 24% of our students failed one or more semesters of math and 31% percent of our students were unable to meet the state proficiency standard in math. SMART Goal: This school year, we will reduce the percentage of failing grades in math to 10% or less and the percentage of students unable to meet state standards to no more than 15%.

DATA ANALYSIS Will be a personalized experience for your school Will be the basis and the evaluation tool for your direction – its what guides you Look for variety – formal / informal assessments, program reports, standardized tests Make it useful for your teachers Plan to revisit the information

ACTION PLAN An outline – an organizational tool – a map Becomes a storyboard of your overall plan Should be placed in chronological order Includes all activities – meetings, professional development sessions, data analysis, etc. Note the need for evidence / indicators

BUDGET PLAN Strive for balanced distribution Maximize your dollars – half day vs. whole day, shared funds between schools, in house assistance Match the item to its budget code carefully Stipends for professional development should include provisions for all willing staff participants Note the daily / hourly rate for stipends - $35.00 per hour + 24% fixed costs

MEETING DATES Try to establish consistency Allow enough time to complete planning Establish times when the majority of team members can be present Involve your support contact when needed Dates on your Proposal must match dates on your time cards

STATEMENT OF INTENT A commitment Shows your understanding of the requirements Shows principals knowledge and acceptance of the plan Expresses that you are willing to try to carry out your plan to the best of your ability

YOUR FORMS PACKET

FORMS CHECKLISTS PLC Implementation Team Meetings – forms your core team needs to complete when they meet 1. Time Cards 2. Sign In Sheets 3. Agenda

FORMS CHECKLISTS PLC Implementation Team Planning – forms your core team uses when planning events or making purchases 1. PD Proposals 2. Invitations 3. RFPs and RFVs 4. Requisition Forms

FORMS CHECKLISTS School-wide Professional Development Sessions – forms your team / staff completes to document and process payment for PD sessions 1. Time Cards 2. Sign In Sheets 3. Agendas 4. Evaluations

SUGGESTIONS FOR FORMS Carefully read the descriptions beneath each forms name Ask your school contact for assistance Keep copies of all paperwork within your Documentation Binder

YOUR RESOURCES PACKET

CONTENTS Key characteristics of a PLC PLC materials list Professional development ideas Contact information for the Federal Programs staff

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

A team will read your Proposal and rate it against the Rubric. Reviews, with feedback, will be complete on or before Monday, May 17.

QUESTIONS?