1. Professional Learning Communities Creating powerful and effective learning for teachers and students

2. Let’s begin with our District Goals…  All schools will earn an A or a B by 2008-2009  All schools will earn an A by 2009- 2010  All schools will make AYP in 2010- 2011  The district will make AYP by 2011- 2012

3. How Can We Do This?  Create Professional Learning Communities Regularly scheduled time and focus for teachers to research, study, reflect, plan together

4. What is a Professional Learning Community? A team with an intentional focus on learning which results in continuous school improvement

5. Professional Learning Communities can also be called a Professional Study Group or a Collaborative Planning Group

6. Why use a Professional Learning Community?  Focuses the site and individual PD on school improvement related to student performance  Job embedded PD has the greatest chance of changing the tradition and culture of an educational environment  Becomes manageable as collaborative teams become units of change  Avoids allowing RESISTERS to stop necessary change  Provides a vehicle for proactively managing change, now and in the future!  Provides a proven method for real results

7. Keep in mind that with a Professional Learning Community Professional Development is…  Ongoing  Job Embedded  Collaborative  Includes follow up

8. A Professional Learning Community  IS NOT a prescription  IS NOT an new program  IS NOT weekly team lesson plan meetings  IS NOT a meeting focused on administration and management details

9. Attributes of a Professional Learning Community (Hord,1997)  Shared and Supportive Leadership  Shared Values and Vision  Collective Learning and Application of Learning  Supportive Conditions  Shared Personal Practice

10. Shared and Supportive Leadership  Principal’s support a collegial relationship with teachers, share power and decision-making, and promote and nurture leadership development among staff Shared Values and Vision An unwavering focus on student learning guides decisions about teaching and learning, and promotes accountability for actions.

11. Collective Learning and Applications of Learning People at all levels work collaboratively to solve problems and improve learning opportunities. Together they seek new knowledge and skills, as well as applying their new learning to their work. Supportive Conditions Physical conditions as well as personal and professional interactions support the work of school staff.

12. Shared Personal Practice Teacher interaction occurs within a formalized structure to provide encouragement and feedback on instructional practices in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.

13. It is easy to begin… Determine an area of study…  Book study  Data analysis  Review of student work  Review of teacher work  Curriculum alignment Professional Learning Team formats  Whole school  Grade level teams  Content area teams  Vertical teams

14. Professional Learning Communities may do any of the following:  Develop school or student improvement plans using data  Plan use and evaluation of instructional practices  Align instructional practices with Sunshine State Standards  Examine teacher work  Examine student work  Plan curriculum and/or classroom based assessments

15. Create a component…  Develop and submit instructional Component to Professional Development for approval (to be available online)  Complete SCPS Professional Development Inservice Activity Application

16. What Do I Need To Write A Component  Component Identifier Number:  Title:  Participants:  Length of Time:  ___ Contact Hours  ___ Independent Work Hours  Funding (as stated on the activity form)

17. What Do I Need To Write A Component  Location  In-service Points: ___ points  Statement of Needs:  General Objective:  Sunshine State Standards:  Specific Objectives:  Description of Activities:  Evaluation Procedures

18. Once your component has been approved.. Develop Norms for Professional Learning Community  Meeting Data  Meeting Format  Gathering/Ordering Materials  Record Keeping (electronic PLC log available)  How did PLC impact student achievement  Upon completion of PLC submission of Professional Development Folder to ESC

19. Resources  Professional Learning Community https://www.t2tweb.us/Mgmt/TTC/SessionFiles/S0042- F01125.pdf Examples, Ideas, Best Practices https://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Sessions.asp?Sessi onID=42 http://www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/cha36.html http://www.doe.state.la.us/de/uploads/3855.pdf