Professional Learning Communities: Supporting RtI Through a Collaborative School Framework Blazing a Trail from Cedar Lane Elementary to Discovery Elementary and on to all Loudoun County Public Schools Loudoun County Public Schools

Presenters Marlon Mohammed, M.Ed., General Education Teacher Marlon Mohammed, M.Ed., General Education Teacher Laura Clairmont, M.Ed., Precision & RtI Support Teacher Laura Clairmont, M.Ed., Precision & RtI Support Teacher Judy Gruden, M.Ed., Special Education Teacher Judy Gruden, M.Ed., Special Education Teacher Lisa Waldbaum, M.Ed., Assistant Principal Lisa Waldbaum, M.Ed., Assistant Principal Kristin H. McGraw, M.Ed., Early Intervening Specialist Kristin H. McGraw, M.Ed., Early Intervening Specialist

6 Critical Components of LCPS Current “RI” Framework High Quality Instruction High Quality Instruction Universal Screening Universal Screening Fluid Tiered Framework Fluid Tiered Framework Progress Monitoring Progress Monitoring Collaborative Decision-Making Using Data Collaborative Decision-Making Using Data Implementation with Fidelity Implementation with Fidelity

At present … LCPS has 54 Elementary Schools 9 Fully implementing RI schools 9 Fully implementing RI schools 12 partially implementing schools 12 partially implementing schools 8 additional “Partnership” schools implementing early intervention frameworks based on fAMO status 8 additional “Partnership” schools implementing early intervention frameworks based on fAMO status 29 schools are using a RtI process All IEP goals are progress monitored

Loudoun County Public Schools Total ES Population = 34,371

Cedar Lane Elementary Total Population =724

Discovery Elementary Total Population = 712

Cedar Lane’s Journey “Go slow to go fast.” (James Dallas)

Cedar Lane’s Journey Spring2008: New principal brought PLC vision Fall Fall 2008: 2008: Staff implements Staff implements CLT CLT Fall2009: Pilot RtI Classes Fall Spring 2011: Full RtI implementation (including tier 3) Fall Spring 2011: Full RtI implementation (including tier 3) January 2010: Universal Screening & school wide implementation (through tier 2) Spring Spring 2009: 2009: RtI introduced RtI introduced

Everyone has a role at the meeting Everyone has a role at the meeting PLC at Cedar Lane WHO? Grade level CLT: Grade level CLT: - Grade level teachers - Grade level teachers - Special education teachers - Special education teachers - Reading Specialist - Reading Specialist - Administrator - Administrator - RI Coach - RI Coach - Educational Diagnostician - Educational Diagnostician

PLC at Cedar Lane WHAT? Respect Respect time & time & maintain maintain focus focus Agenda Agenda

PLC at Cedar Lane WHEN? Bi-monthly Bi-monthly 60 minute sessions 60 minute sessions + 2 half-day planning sessions per school year + 2 half-day planning sessions per school year

Specialists transition students to and from specials classes Specialists transition students to and from specials classes PLC at Cedar Lane HOW? Scheduling is the key! Scheduling is the key! CLT meets during back-to-back specials CLT meets during back-to-back specials Teaching assistants provide support to students in special education during specials as outlined by IEPs Teaching assistants provide support to students in special education during specials as outlined by IEPs

PLC at Cedar Lane WHERE? Classrooms Classrooms Conference room Conference room Hallway Hallway Room with Interactive Whiteboard Room with Interactive Whiteboard Space for a data wall Space for a data wall

PLC at Cedar Lane WHY? Administer and score a common assessment Create a visual display of student results Collectively analyze student results Target struggling students Collaborative Action Plan for Timely, Direct Interventions at Your Grade Level Discuss response options Prioritize Response Options Prioritize Response Options Develop action plan for selected response options Secure group commitment to action plan Collaborative Identification of Struggling Students at Your Grade Level

PLC/ CLT PALS Tutors Data Walls Lesson Study Protocol PBIS Reading Resource Guided Reading Focus Areas What were we missing?

A timely, systematic approach to responding to struggling learners.

Respond to Struggling Learners How can we provide our struggling students more time and support? Improve Student Results What is our performance goal for our students? Work of Our Collaborative Learning Teams Improve Instruction Where do our students need to improve most? FOCUS AREAS Collaborative Learning Cycle -Lesson Study Protocol Examine Student Work Universal Screening Tiered Interventions Progress Monitoring

Analyzed and strengthened Core Instruction Analyzed and strengthened Core Instruction CLT and Tier 1 Balanced Literacy

2 Days/10 Screeners/750 Students Universal Screening

CLT and Tier 2 Data Meetings Half-Day Planning Sessions Data Meetings

Tier 2 - Scheduling

8:00-8:30Third grade 8:20-8:50First Grade 9:55-10:25 Fifth Grade 9:30-10:00AM Kindergarten Power Up 11:45-12:15Second Grade 12:30-1:00PM Kindergarten 2:00-2:30 Fourth Grade Power Up: Monday-Thursday Friday: Progress Monitoring day Tier 2 - Scheduling

Connecting PLC and RtI at Cedar Lane CLTand TIER 2

Fidelity Common Protocols

Power Up Decision Making Flow Chart Refer to RI Decision Making Flow Chart Cedar Lane January 2011 Connecting PLC and RtI at Cedar Lane

DECISION MAKING FLOWCHART

Outcomes Fluency Rates LCPS Cedar Lane Reading Curriculum Based Measurement

Outcomes

Self-Monitoring Outcomes

Measuring Fidelity

RtI & Collaborative Learning Teams (CLT) Fit into the Lion ’ s Den Provided format to analyze data  Data Walls Provided format to analyze data  Data Walls CLT Helped us analyze how best to share students during Power Up Helped us analyze how best to share students during Power Up RtI/CLT provided the framework to develop & agree upon interventions RtI/CLT provided the framework to develop & agree upon interventions Set Common Goals Set Common Goals Time to Communicate & Collaborate  Common planning time is essential Time to Communicate & Collaborate  Common planning time is essential

RtI & Collaborative Learning Teams (CLT) Fit into the Lion ’ s Den data Analyzing data & responding to it systematically RtI Systematic Approach Systematic Approach  ensures fidelity Progress Monitoring Progress Monitoring Aligns with the work of CLTs timely intervention Framework for Tiered Model of timely intervention Core Instruction Based on quality differentiated Core Instruction

RtI & Collaborative Learning Teams (CLT) Fit into the Lion ’ s Den CLT RtI RtI fit with CLT because it : RtI fit with CLT because it : Provided more structure in a time sensitive manner to progress monitor our kids Provided more structure in a time sensitive manner to progress monitor our kids Enabled more consistency in our interventions Enabled more consistency in our interventions Provided a systematic protocol Provided a systematic protocol

Measuring Our Success - One Roar at a Time “It enabled me to not only gather data through weekly progress monitoring, but analyze it and adjust my instruction accordingly.” ~Cedar Lane Teacher

“Collecting data allowed me to understand when my students had achieved the goal I had set for them. I knew when to move to a more advanced level of intervention. I also had a way to record data to help me visually see the growth.” ~Cedar Lane Teacher Measuring Our Success - One Roar at a Time

Measuring our success – One roar at a time, no matter how small It helped me on my DRA! –David Power Up has helped me learn more (vocabulary) words, and to read faster. –Ernesto It has taught me how to think more about what I read. –Gladymarie The graphs help me see how I am improving. -Alyssa

Measuring our success – One roar at a time, no matter how small Now I know that I can do it…read! -Nadean I love graphing day! It makes me proud! -Giovanni

“Is Power Up a good thing to have?” Yes! Now I know it! -Noe (1 st grade)

“It depends on what they need to work on with their reading, not everyone needs this, but it has helped me!” -Gladymarie “Would you recommend Power Up to your friends? Why?”

Successful Supports Inclusive Practices Universal Screening Tiered Interventions Progress Monitoring District Office

Speaking of the District Office…

6 Critical Components of “RI” High Quality Instruction High Quality Instruction Universal Screening Universal Screening Fluid Tiered Framework Fluid Tiered Framework Progress Monitoring Progress Monitoring Collaborative Decision-Making Using Data Collaborative Decision-Making Using Data Implementation with Fidelity Implementation with Fidelity

New “Early Intervention” Framework

How does it all fit together in LCPS? SIOP SIOP Stetson Stetson Pathways to Literacy Pathways to Literacy PBIS PBIS TA01-TA03 TA01-TA03

At the “Core” of our Leadership… “PLC Central”

The IIM Tool Pulls student demographic and behavior data from the SIS NIGHTLY Pulls student demographic and behavior data from the SIS NIGHTLY Pulls Assessment data from multiple sources QUARTLERLY Pulls Assessment data from multiple sources QUARTLERLY Places students in Tiers in Reading, Math and Behavior based on recommended cut score ranges and algorithms set by the DLT Places students in Tiers in Reading, Math and Behavior based on recommended cut score ranges and algorithms set by the DLT Schools don’t ENTER data…they use the data to make instructional decisions Schools don’t ENTER data…they use the data to make instructional decisions

PLCs: Successful Supports Go Slow to go fast. – James Dallas Go Slow to go fast. – James Dallas Patience and fortitude conquer all things. – Ralph Waldo Emerson Patience and fortitude conquer all things. – Ralph Waldo Emerson