Supporting Schools and District Improvement in Massachusetts Building Professional Learning Communities to Improve Instruction and Raise Achievement ` December 2013

CCE Facilitation Team Meg Robbins, PLC Consultant Richard Dubuisson, PLC Project Lead Meg Maccini, PLC Consultant Dan French, CCE Executive Director Mary Anne Connery-Simmons, School Redesign Team Carlton Carter, PLC Team Frank DeVito, PLC Consultant Michael Brownstein, QPA Team

Institute Goals To continue to develop the knowledge and skills needed to create and sustain effective PLCs, including setting a vision for the work, and using protocols to collaborate with team members To experience facilitating protocols and participating in a PLC group that use protocols effectively To examine how PLC structures can help us achieve instructional and other educational goals in our schools and districts To share successful PLC practices with other schools and collaborate to solve problems of practice together

Today’s Agenda - Morning Welcome, Introduction & Framing Connections Success Analysis Protocol Responsive Facilitation & Facilitation Scenarios Break Video – Window into a Classroom Four Corners Protocol Morning Reflections Lunch

Today’s Agenda - Afternoon Intro & Agenda Review Break-out Choice Groups Team Planning Time Debrief & Reflections Closure

How we work together We use norms to create safe spaces for working together We make use of protocols to structure discussions and keep the focus on student and teacher work as a means to improving teaching and learning We model tools and practices for PLC implementation, group activities to promote learning from each other, gradual release of responsibility as we go through the work, and sharing of our learning through presentations and peer critique We use the website: http://plcexpansionproject.weebly.com/ to share our work, and resource tools to facilitate PLC work.

How we work together Our Norms: Active listening Recognize that everyone is a learner Check your assumptions Trust the process Respect all voices Start and end on time

Connections – Video Clip Watch Video Reflect and capture your thoughts for 3 minutes Dyad Share – What questions/thoughts come up for you? What about this video made you think?

Success Analysis Protocol Protocol in Packet: As a Team, Brainstorm successful PLC practices – List on Flipchart paper (5-7minutes) Then: Form triads with 2 other colleagues from other schools/districts Each person takes turn presenting and answering questions

Facilitation Scenarios At tables, pair up with someone? Each pair selects a scenario, and works to understand the issue at hand and propose solutions Each pair then reports out to table and provides: Summary of scenario Understanding of underlying issues Proposed solution(s) Important to understand the underlying issue before going into problem solving

Facilitation Scenarios What questions came up for you as you participated in the activity? What are some of the Facilitation Challenges for your school? How do you think about building capacity in your team in terms of facilitation?

Break – 10 minutes

Video – Window into a Classroom Watch Video What did you see that made you think about the way you/your team work as a PLC? Record at least 2 things

Four Corners Protocol Break up into 3 groups Each group will work together to solve dilemmas Use travel sheet with protocol Debrief

Morning Reflections What new questions, or insights came up for you from this morning’s work? What are your thoughts on bringing this work back to your schools? What are the implications? Additional Reflections?

Morning Reflections

Lunch – 45mins

Afternoon Agenda Choice Breakout Groups Team Planning Time – What’s next for you? Debrief & Reflections Closure

Choice Breakout Groups Issaquah Protocol – Meg M. Ed Eval and DDM Work Session – Dan Final Word Text Protocol – Mary Anne, Meg Tuning Protocol – Richard

Team Time In your school teams: Determine what your next steps are with PLC work – what do you need to do next? What questions & challenges came up for you from the scenarios and the dilemmas from this morning’s work? Use tools provided at the end of your packet to structure your team time

Final Reflections & Closing Please complete evaluations Learnings and thoughts from the day Download materials including PPT on our weebly site – link is on your agenda See you on Thursday, February 10th back at the Log Cabin/Delaney House