Kristin Davies Beth Gedde Monica Gregory Lynne Scott Shannon Schaal Jennese Morauski Florida Gulf Coast University December 1, 2011

Professional Learning Communities

Hickory Ridge High School Demographics Student Population 1,800 students 15% Special Education 46% White 40% African-American 12% Hispanic 2% Asian or other Staff Population 40% < 30 years of age 40% >= 51 years of age and older ¾ White, not of Hispanic origin 60% earned Master’s Degrees

Need for Change Various reforms initiated unsuccessfully Chosen to be model school Become a technologically driven, innovative school system Implement throughout Wingfield District

Need for Reform Main issues Transformation within the school culture Effective leadership – both administration and teachers Teacher collaboration and collegial coaching “Meaningful participation is a cornerstone of professional communities - a stone that we often leave unturned” - Lambert

Need for Cultural Change Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) Develop vision/mission statements Collaborative process Common interests, goals, aspirations

Effective Leadership Management and Leadership Expected to be a combination of both Develop skills and knowledge Successful leadership Practices Leadership affects learning Many sources (stakeholders) of leadership within a school Create vision and culture that focuses on teaching and learning Respond to policy demands and guide successful actions Respond to diversity and build communities that expose cultural capital

Effective Leadership Dynamic Leadership Forecasting Sustaining Planning

Implementing School Reform Reform effort led by strong leader Change agent Teacher leaders Change Process Stage 1: what needs to be changed Stage 2: are people ready for change Stage 3: Increase knowledge Stage 4: Examine data and more needs of change Implement Professional Learning Communities

Support and Empowerment Culturally empowered department Analysis of current department culture and governance Compelling vision of empowered organization Sharing information with department stakeholders Sharing authority, tasks, and accountabilities Commitment to ideas, not personalities Autonomy within boundaries Replacing the old hierarchy with self-directed teams

Support and Empowerment Professional Development Attend to needs of teachers Built upon inquiries and concerns Facilitate development of mutual relationships Promote opportunities for advocacy Types of Professional Development Communities of practice Active Support

Technology Technological Implementation Participate in staff development opportunities involving integration of technology into daily lessons Departments will create projects that incorporate technology

Activity Develop our own PLC by combining separate ingredients

References Birky, V.D., Shelton, M., & Headley, S. (2006). An administrator’s challenge: Encouraging teachers to be leaders. NAASP, Brody, D., & Hadar, L. (2011). “I speak prose and I now know it.” Personal development trajectories among teacher educations in a professional development community. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(8), Retrieved from Education Full Text Database. Cherif, A., et. al. (2010). Strengthening the academic department through empowerment offaculty and staff. Academic Leadership, 8(2), Spring Retrieved from Education Full Text Database. Cunningham, W.G. & Cordeiro, P.A. (2009). Educational leadership: A bridge to improved practice, 4 th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Flint, A. S., et. al. (2010). Not a one-shot deal: Generative professional development experienced teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(8), Retrieved from Education Full Text Database. Lambert Leithwood, K, & Riehl, C. (2005). What we know about successful school leadership. New York: Teachers College Press. Nelson, S., Guerra, P. (2008) 4-stage process changes individuals and entire schools. J Staff Dev 29 no 2. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from Peters, A.L. (2011). (Un) planned failure: Unsuccessful succession planning in an urban district. Journal of School Leadership 21 (1), Toogood, S. (2008). Interactive training. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 33(3), Retrieved from ERIC database.