Presented by Teresa Schutt Michelle Saylor March 25, 2010

 Reflect on your own beliefs and philosophies about education and learning as a leader.  Develop an understanding of a professional learning community.  Make a commitment to continue your journey of leading a professional learning community and learning with them.

 All answers are acceptable in the Where I Stand exercise.  The first thing that comes to your mind is probably the most accurate indication of how you feel.  You are free at any time during the exercise to change where you stand, your vision, and your opinion.  Assume that where you stand is independent of your school. It is feasible and doable; you have no limitations.  Trust the process.

Cultural Shift Self Pre-Assessment Activity: Traditional Schools versus Professional Learning Communities

 Professional members of a profession  Learningcognitive process of acquiring knowledge or a skill  Communitymembers of common interest; common ownership

“…A Professional Learning Community is a complex organization where all participants are actively engaged in learning through various venues and experiences. (Fullan, 1993; Pouravoud, 1997; Riel & Fulton, 2001; DuFour, Eaker, and Many, 2006)

“…A Professional Learning Community is a collaboration of teachers, administrators, parents, and students, who work together to seek out best practices, test them in the classroom, continuously improve processes, and focus on results.”  Rick DuFour, 2002

 We can make a difference: Our schools can be more effective.  Improving our people is the key to improving our school.  Significant school improvement will impact teaching and learning. 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)

 Professional development should be intensive, ongoing, and connected to practice.  Professional development should build strong working relationships among educators.  Sustained and intensive professional development for educators is related to student achievement gains.  Collaborative approaches to professional learning can promote school change that extends beyond individual classrooms.  Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the U.S. and Abroad (NSDC)

 The Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools  WestEd  National Staff Development Council  National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future

 Dedicate & Share Resources  Acquire, Analyze, and Utilize Data  Take Risks  Continuous Support  Meaningful Communication and Reflection  Cultivate Leadership “One should never impose one’s views on a problem; one should rather study it, and in time a solution will reveal itself.” – Albert Einstein

…in a Professional Learning Community, “learning” rather than “teaching” is the fundamental purpose of your school/organization.

 Focus on Learning ◦ We accept learning as the fundamental purpose of our organization and therefore are willing to examine all practices in light of their impact on learning.  Collaboration ◦ We are committed to working together to achieve our collective purpose. We cultivate a collaborative culture through development of high-performing teams.  Focus on Results ◦ 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 provide continuous improvement.

 What are the essential outcomes that we expect students to learn?  What assessment will we use to determine if the students have learned?  How will we intervene when students do not learn or learn more than anticipated?

 Shared Mission, Vision, Values, Goals  Collaborative Culture  Collective Inquiry  Action Orientation / Experimentation  Commitment to Continuous Improvement  Results Orientation Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

 What distinguishes a learning community from an ordinary school/organization is its collective commitment to guiding principles that articulate what the staff of the school believes and that govern their actions and behaviors.  Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

…is the district/school/organization’s core ideology. “The core ideology clarifies what doesn’t change for an organization in an environment of rapid and unpredictable change.” Built to Last (1997)

 Educational Excellence today for tomorrow by: ◦ Accentuating Rigor ◦ Building Relationships ◦ Creating Relevance ◦ The ABCs of the 3 R’s

 We strive to: ◦ Create a fiscally attentive, collaborative, enriching, and respectful learning environment where students are challenged in a rigorous standards-based curriculum utilizing technology and data-driven instruction.  Collaboration in order to share expertise and improve upon our educational portfolio  Data-driven in order to understand our strengths and adjust our weaknesses  Standards-based in order to guarantee that our curriculum is aligned to national, state, and local standards of achievement  Rigorous in our approach to teaching and learning in order to insure success for all learners.

 Improve upon and expand Wilson’s portfolio to advance student success  Increase organizational agility and capacity for all students and employees  Grow Wilson regionally and nationally as a result of staff and student success  Artfully develop and use infrastructure for all stakeholders  Create a flatter organizational structure for stakeholder collaboration and relationship building  Control for fiscal accountability throughout the District

 Professionals in a learning community work in teams that share a common purpose. They learn from each other and create the momentum that drives improvement. They build with the organization the structure and vehicles that make collaborative work and learning effective and productive.  Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

Collaborative teams are the engine of a Professional Learning Community. Professionals in a learning community work on interdependent teams that share a common purpose. They learn from each other and create the momentum that drives improvement.

A systematic process in which we work together, interdependently, to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve our individual and collective results.  DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker (2002)

Collaboration Activity: Temperament Survey

 People in a learning community relentlessly question the status quo, seek new methods of teaching and learning, test the methods, and then reflect on the results.  They reflect publicly on their beliefs and challenge each other’s beliefs.  They share insights and hammer out common meanings.  They work jointly to plan and test actions and initiatives.  They coordinate their actions, so that the work of each individual contributes to the common effort.  Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

 Members of professional learning communities constantly turn their learning and insights into action. They recognize the importance of engagement and experience in learning and in testing new ideas.  Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

 Members of a learning organization are not content with the status quo and continually seek ways to bring present reality closer to future ideal. They constantly ask themselves and each other:  What is our purpose?  What do we hope to achieve?  What are our strategies for improving?  How will we assess our efforts?  Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

 Members of a learning organization are not content with the status quo and continually seek ways to bring present reality closer to future ideal. They constantly ask themselves and each other:  What is our purpose? (Take a few minutes to discuss in your groups and begin to collect ideas to this first question.)

 Professionals in a learning organization recognize that no matter how well- intentioned the efforts, the only valid judgment of improvement is observable and measurable results. Assessment and re- evaluation are the key to continued improvement. ◦ Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

 Divide into groups by going to the number on the wall that aligns to your assigned number  Choose a leader, a recorder, and a facilitator  Read the assigned article independently  Discuss in group the key concepts from article  List on chart paper  Whole group share out – begin with a brief summary of the article

Staff/Teachers Administrators and Supervisors  Be Committed  Be Engaged  Be Trusting  Be Open  Take Risks  Think Outside the Box!  Genuine communications!  Be Committed  Be Engaged  Be Trusting  Be Open  Take Risks  Think Outside the Box!  Genuine communications!  EMPOWER the staff!  Provide Support! TIME!

 Involve teacher leaders  Consider leading and participating in a book study  Make your work relevant and purposeful. Relate it to existing data.  Pay attention to the pitfalls ◦ Lack of understanding ◦ Lack of confidence ◦ Lack of time

  Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities, Robert Eaker, Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour  Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement, Richard DuFour, Robert Eaker  on common ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities, DuFour and others  Powerful Designs for Professional Learning, NSDC  Finding Time for Professional Learning, NSDC

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; and working together is success.” Henry Ford