Continuous Improvement in the Classroom -Professional Learning Communities

Agenda February 26, 2009 PLC Overview Learning by Doing Chapter 5 Subject Area discussion What’s worked and what hasn’t with your low performing students? Team time Next steps Closing & Evaluation

Al aligned and focused on the process of PLC and the product of formative assessment Principles and Building Leadership Teams on Process Learning Council and In-service on Product and using the Process of PLC FYI: Learning Council is made up of curriculum facilitators and lead teachers who have responsibility for curriculum

PLC Big Ideas & Core Values Continuous Improvement Philosophy Ensuring that students learn Learning for all A Culture of Collaboration Teamwork Focus on Results Data-Driven Decisions Same as PDSA

PLC Crucial Questions What do we want each student to learn, know, or be able to do? What evidence do we have of the learning? How will we respond when some students don’t learn? Frame our conversations and allow us to drill deeper Introduced these Q’s during the 07-08 school year How will we respond to those who have already learned?

Student Crucial Questions What do I need to know? Where am I now? How do I get there? What happens if I fail?

PLC Critical Questions What do we want students to know and be able to do? Standards/Student Learning Expectations Classroom SMART goals How will we know if they can do it? Formative assessments Multiple data sets How will we respond when they don’t? or they already have? Differentiated Instruction Systems of intervention (supplemental to intensive)

What do you expect to see? Student learning Expectations Formative Assessment Collaboration

In-Process Measures – Summative & Formative Assessments Building Leadership Team ITBS/ITED Summative Assessments School Improvement Plan ARD Team Communication ARD Team SEB ARD Team Math SMART Goal SMART Goal SMART Goal In-Process Measures – Summative & Formative Assessments

Most effective/best practice teaching and learning strategies? Pre Planning: Identification of Need 1. Develop/Review Student Learning Expectations 2. Examine alignment of learning expectations with assessments 3. Review assessment data 4. Identify areas of need based on assessment Identify areas of strength and weakness? Plan: 1. Describe the current process for addressing the identified area of need (flow chart) 2. Review data to determine baseline performance in the specific area identified (Run Chart/Pareto Diagram) 3. Identify potential root causes contributing to the identified area of need (Cause & Effect Diagram, 5 Why’s, Relations Diagram) 4. Study research-based best practice/improvement theory addressing areas of need What do they know? What have they learned? Action Research Overview for Professional Learning Communities DO 1. Plan for implementation of improvement theory (Force Field Analysis, Action Plan) 2. Implement research-based best practices improvement theory based on root causes according to the Action Plan 3. Monitor the implementation of research-based best practice/improvement theory to insure integrity and fidelity 4. Assess student learning Act: 1. Standardize the implementation of research-based best practice (improvement theory) that improved student learning (revise the flow chart to reflect changes made to the system) 2. If improvement theory was unsuccessful continue the PDSA cycle (try another improvement theory based on the next identified root causes) Most effective/best practice teaching and learning strategies? Into your classroom Study: 1. Examine student assessment results (compare to baseline) 2. Assess the impact of research-based best practice/improvement theory on student achievement Have they learned it? What do we do if they don’t?

What to learn? Evidence of learning? If they don’t? If they do? PLAN DO STUDY ACT ITBS Summative Assessment BL Team School SIP ITBS Summative & Formative Assessment PLAN DO STUDY ACT AR Teams Math-Communication-SEB SMART Goal Formative Assessment What to learn? Evidence of learning? If they don’t? If they do? PLAN DO STUDY ACT Grade Level team Using I can statements to look at what students know and evidence of the learning What does the teacher do if students aren’t learning – regroup students as needed Subject Area Teams Std Learning Expectations

Learning by Doing Chapter 5 Pg 91 Collaboration focused on the right things Critical Issues pgs 100-101 Emotional Intelligence pg 103 Where do we go from here? Questions to guide our work

Are the strategies identified in the SIP Action Plan improving student achievement? How Do You Know? What’s worked and what hasn’t with the low performing students? Share, by school, your SIP goal, improvement theory, data and results Be prepared to take the information back to your school team

Team Tasks Preliminary SIP Planning Task from last session Share what you learned from the subject area discussions How might this effect your school improvement plan for next year? Task from last session What is your PLC vision for this school year? Identify 2 or 3 things you would like to have in place in your school by the end of the year. Choose one person to report aloud to the whole group.