New Hope School District November 22, 2010 Presented by NATC Reform Commission

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In Flight Construction = Educational Reform Programs Initiatives One and done trainings TYNT & LYNT How can we pull everything together to target real student achievement while still operating the School District on a daily basis?

Professional Learning Communities EQ: What are Professional Learning Communities (PLC)?

Professional Learning Community (PLC) Utilizes teacher collaboration focused on student learning. Maximizes the knowledge and experience of current staff to impact long term improvement. ISSLC #2 Guided by a clear vision: At New Hope School District all decisions, policies and resources support engaged learning and student achievement in an environment that promotes personal excellence, respect, diversity and civic responsibility every day to enable students to become contributing members of society and successful participants in the global economy.

New Hope School District PLC ? Whole Faculty Study Groups

Developed by Carlene Murphy Teacher Director of Staff Development 35 years in Augusta, GA Public School System National Staff Development Council Past President WFSG research- 18 years ( ) Proven success record at all levels of public education School districts across the U.S. have seen success

Whole-Faculty Study Groups Whole-Faculty Study Groups (WFSGs) is a student driven approach to build a community in which professionals continuously strive to increase student learning. This is accomplished as practitioners deepen their own knowledge and understanding of what is taught, reflect on their practices, sharpen their skills, and take joint responsibility for the students they teach. “Whole-Faculty” means that every faculty member at a school is a member of a study group focusing on data-based student instructional needs. In such a context, a study group is a small number of individuals joining together to increase their capacities to enable students to reach higher levels of performance. The collective synergy of all the study groups advance the whole school. - Carlene Murphy Author, Whole Faculty Study Groups

Whole Faculty Study Groups Focused and guided by two questions: What do students need for teachers to do so that teachers will have a deeper understanding of what they teach? What do students need for teachers to do so that teachers will be more skillful in how they teach?

Whole-Faculty Study Groups Simply: Structure Vehicle Place

WFSG are NOT: A new program Task Force A one and done training and initiative Quick fix ******************************************************** Whole Faculty Study Groups = A way to focus school wide and individual teacher’s efforts through collaboration as a way to target effective instruction and student achievement.

Whole-Faculty Study Groups Student centered Student needs determine member needs Leadership rotates Asks: “What do I need to do and learn in order to change how I teach and what I teach?” All members are equal and share the responsibility of the group. Instructional techniques are practiced in the group members’ classrooms before sharing with others. 3-5 members per group

Principles (3) 1. Students are 1 st ! 2. Everyone participates 3. Leadership is shared 4. Responsibility is equal 5. The work is public

Traditional New Hope Meetings Department/Grade Level Committees Managerial focus Agenda is developed by building administration Lead by a grade level/department chairperson Interaction and communication is often one- way Members are appointed or “volunteered” Lead by a chairperson Objectives are usually dictated by the administration or driven by “name “ of committee Limited actual control Finite in nature

WFSG Process/Cycle 1. Analyze student data 2. Identify student needs 3. Categorize student needs 4. Complete Individual Action Plan 5. WFSG design Action Plan 6. WFSG implement the Action Research 7. The whole faculty analyzes impact of AP

What Will Drive NHSD WFSG? The School Improvement Plan and SWOTS! 1. Analyze student data 2. Identify student needs 3. Categorize student needs

New Hope Key Areas Mentor Program Assessment Reading initiative

WFSG in Action Teacher groups of 3 – 5 people are established The groups focus on the student needs identified in the District Improvement Plan and SWOTS. An action plan is created by the group. The teachers collaborate to identify instructional techniques that will target the areas of need. Individual teachers attempt these techniques in their classrooms and then report back to the group. The effective techniques are then shared with the whole faculty/District.

Where are we now? Initial District assessment (SWOTS)- completed Vision and Mission Statements -revised The Improvement Plan was approved by PDE All District and building level administrators have attended WFSG training. Performance Tracker has been purchased

What happens next? Professional Development: A core group of teachers from each building will attend PLC/WFSG training institute in December Pilot PLC/WFSG teams will begin working as a PLC during the remainder of the SY. Pilot team data will be shared District wide in June. The Pilot team will train the remaining teachers in the New Hope SD during the Summer 2011 PD institute. Full implementation – August 2011.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” - Henry Ford

1. DuFour, R., Dufour, R., Eaker, R., & Many (2006) Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning Communities at work., (2-4). 2. Dufour, R. (2004). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership, May, 2004, Murphy, C. and Lick, D. (2005). Whole-Faculty Study Groups: Professional Learning Communities That Target Student Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. 4. Murphy, C. and Lick, D (2006). The Whole-Faculty Study Groups Field book: Lessons Learned and Best Practices From Classrooms, Districts, and Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. 5. Piercey, D. (2010) Why don’t teacher collaborate? A leadership conundrum. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(1),