“PLCs, Grants, & Profile of a Graduate” Presented by Dr. Steven L. Johnson, Superintendent, steven.Johnson@k12.nd.us, @johnson557377 January 21, 2019

Focus on Learning To truly reform American education we must abandon the long-standing assumption that the central activity of education is teaching and reorient all policy making and activities around a new benchmark: student learning. - Edward Fiske (1992) Last year I wrote, “We must focus on an united staff dedicated to a common commitment to student learning. We must become a collegial group of administrators and staff who are united in our commitment to student learning” Steven L. Johnson (2008)

Highly Effective Schools An analysis of research conducted over a thirty-five year period demonstrates that schools that are highly effective produce results that almost entirely overcome the effects of student backgrounds. - Robert Marzano (2003)

Lisbon Public Schools #19 We need staff members, who have a shared mission, vision and value. Who practice collective inquiry and work in collaborative teams creating continuous improvement of our schools and their classrooms. (student engagement, active learners)

The Power of Professional Learning Communities The most promising strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement is building the capacity of school personnel to function as a professional learning community. The path to change in the classroom lies within and through professional learning communities. - Milbrey McLaughlin (1995)

Collective Responsibility The best organizations are places where everyone has permission, or better yet, the responsibility to gather and act on quantitative and qualitative data, and to help everyone else learn what they know. - Pfeffer & Sutton (2006)

Professional Learning Community (PLC) Defined Educators are committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research in order to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job- embedded learning for educators. - DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many (2006)

Characteristics of a Learning Community Shared mission, vision, values, goals Collaborative teams focused on learning Collective inquiry into best practice and current reality Action orientation and experimentation Commitment to continuous improvement Results orientation

The BIG IDEAS of a PLC We accept learning as the fundamental purpose of our school and therefore are willing to examine all practices in light of their impact on learning. We are committed to working together to achieve our collective purpose. We cultivate a collaborative culture through development of high-performing teams. We assess our effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions. Individuals, teams, and schools seek relevant data and information and use that information to promote continuous improvement. My Doctoral Cohorts reflected on our PLCs of 2007-08 evaluations with the following comments, “Ultimately, the true stakeholders in any professional development program should be the students.” “If you would have focused on student learning in the teacher’s survey, I believe your teachers would have moved away from their own personal complaints.”

Why Should we Collaborate? Gains in student achievement Higher quality solutions to problems Increased confidence among all staff Teachers able to support one another’s strengths and accommodate weaknesses Ability to test new ideas More support for new teachers Expanded pool of ideas, materials, and methods -Judith Warren Little (1990)

Two Forms of Change Technical Cultural - Anthony Muhammad (2010)

Technical Change Technical changes are changes in learning tools and structure. Collaborative Time Common assessments Norms and protocol Educational technology Support classes Anthony Muhammad (2010)

Common Misconceptions – Technical Changes Changing the structure will lead to higher levels of productivity (rearranging the seats on the Titanic) Technical changes can make up for low capacity or unprofessionalism Technical changes will “fix” kids or schools that are broken (i.e., dress codes, longer school day). Anthony Mohammad (2010)

Cultural Change “Structural change that is not supported by cultural change will eventually be overwhelmed by the culture, for it is in the culture that any organization finds meaning and stability.” Schlechty, Shaking Up the Schoolhouse: How to Support and Sustain Educational Innovation (2001)

School Culture “School culture is the set of norms, values and beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, symbols and stories that make up the ‘persona” of the school.” - Peterson, “Is Your School Culture Toxic or Positive?” (2002)

Healthy School Culture “Educators have an unwavering belief in the ability of all of their students to achieve success, and they pass that belief on to others in overt and covert ways. Educators create policies and procedures and adopt practices that support their belief in the ability of every student.” -Peterson “Is your School Culture Toxic or Positive?” (2002)

Toxic School Culture “Educators believe that student success is based upon students’ level of concern, attentiveness, prior knowledge, and willingness to comply with the demands of the school, and they articulate that belief in overt and covert ways. Educators create policies and procedures and adopt practices that support their belief in the impossibility of universal achievement.” -Peterson “Is your School Culture Toxic or Positive?” (2002)

Good to Great What do great corporations and organizations do differently than good or average organizations? They seek and find the “brutal facts.” They get the right people on the “bus” and sit them in the “right seats.” - Collins, Good to Great (2001)

Characteristics of Healthy Staff Intrinsically motivated Flexibility with students (academically and behaviorally) Mission driven or connected to school or community Willing to confront negative talk and attitudes towards children Varied levels of pedagogical skill - Anthony Muhammad (2010)

Characteristics of Toxic Staff Believe not all children can learn (social Darwinists). Believe that school reform is a waste of time. Believe in autonomy and academic freedom. Organize to resist threats to status quo. Believe that gaps in learning are solely due to outside forces (students, parents, administration). More about being correct instead of being more “effective.” Have varied levels of pedagogical skills. Anthony Muhammad (2010)

The Ultimate Hard Fact Although we typically contend that it is our mission is to ensure “all students will learn,” our practices are frequently not aligned with that purpose, and we have proven reluctant to change them.

Control of Language Healthy Toxic - Anthony Mohammad (2010) 1. Focus on the problem 1. Focus on personal affects And problem solving. 2. Pragmatic discussions 2. Emotional discussions lie Stay within the locus of outside of the locus of control Control. - Anthony Mohammad (2010)

Common Language – Real Difference Healthy Toxic 1. Goal: Success for every 1. Goal: Maintain status quo Student 2. Accepts that change 2. Rejects any substantive (the right change) is change if it clashes with personal agenda Necessary to improve Student performance 3. Student interest is more 3. Self-interest is more important Important than personal than student interest (self servant) interest (public servant). - Anthony Mohammad (2010)

Toxic Culture Things that kill the workplace Excuses Whining Gossip Zero (0) tolerance in the workplace insist that everyone be Positive and Professional

A Call to Action “Education is too critical to our society for leaders to allow it to be hijacked by a group of individuals who refuse to embrace substantive change, even in the face of compelling evidence.” Muhammad, Transforming school culture (2009)

Hard Fact #1 Schools are institutions created for the purpose of educating children not for adult employment.

Hard Fact #2 Educators are public servants, no different than police officers or fire fighters.

Hard Fact #3 “If schools are going to improve the issue of fundamentalism and inordinate self-interest must be effectively addressed.” Anthony Muhammad (2010)

PLCs Focus on the Critical Questions of Learning What is it we expect LPS students to learn? How will we know when our students have learned it? How will we respond when our students do NOT learn? How will we respond when students already know it? These questions are best discussed and answered in a collaborative setting in which staff members work in teams to evaluate their own teaching, develop common formative assessments, and analyze student learning.

PLCs Focus on the Critical Questions of Learning How will we respond when our LPS students do NOT learn? Increase levels of time and support are given when the student is not being successful Response is timely Response is increasingly directive, not invitational Response is systematic Last spring when we met as a Steering committee we found that our discussion was dominated by staff that wanted to focus on Question 3.

Grant Writing – Two Examples Lisbon Community Foundations https://ndcf.net/learn/community-endowment- funds/lisbon.html#apply-for-a-grant Lisbon Public Schools Place-Based Education Grant https://www.lisbonpublicschools.com/2018-lps- place-based-education-grant-winner/

Profile of a Bronco Graduate What are the hopes and dreams of our community for our youth? What are the skills and habits of mind that our children need to succeed in a changing world? What are the implications for the design of the learning experiences that we need to provide in our school to meet those needs?

60 Minutes – Kai-Fu Lee https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-ai- facial-and-emotional-recognition-how-one-man-is- advancing-artificial-intelligence/ Facial and Emotional Recognition ; How one man is advancing artificial intelligence.

Resources www.allthingsplc.info http://newfrontier21.com/ Learning by Doing by DuFour, DuFour, Eaker & Many Professional Learning Communities at Work Plan Book by DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker Raising the Bar & Closing the Gap by DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Karhanek Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division by Muhammad