1. Whittier Union High School District
Professional Learning Communities: Staying the Course
Sandy Thorstenson
Superintendent
Whittier Union High School District

2. Changes in the Past 12 Years in Students We Serve4%
Other
10%
English
Learners
Now
16%
White
80% Hispanic
80% Soc Econ Dis
20%
R-FEP
13%
English
Learners
23%
R-FEP 3%
Other
22%
White
73% Hispanic
31%
Soc Econ Dis
Then

3. Students Receiving Free or Reduced Meals

4. The Power of Measurable Targets for Coherent Continual Improvement
Academic Performance Index (API)
Annual Yearly Progress (AYP)
CAHSEE: Pass and Proficient
4-Year Graduation Rate
Grade Level Credits Towards Graduation: On-Target Rate
College Eligibility: a-g Course Completion
Advanced Placement: Exams & Enrollment
Student Attendance Rate
Measurable Targets used by Board to assess progress

6. Actions Driven by Measurable Targets
Team
Evidence
Course-Alike Teachers
Site and District Teams Analyze Data to Identify Gaps and Share Best Practices
Data & Strategies posted on Moodle
Principals
Annual Reports
What was plan to meet Target?
How did you do?
What are you going to do next year?
Ed Services
Division Annual Report
Fall Presentation to Board
Shares Longitudinal Data on Targets broken down by site, teacher, and classroom
Superintendent
District Annual Report to the Board
Superintendent’s Data Notebook
Board Weekly Updates

7. Comprehensive Strategy to Increase Performance on Measurable Targets
Professional Learning Communities
We are committed to doing WHATEVER IT TAKES

8. Pyramid of
Prevention &
Interventions
RESULTS

9. District Growth API

10. Staying the Course: Growth over the Past 7 Years
If we add up the API Growth Points from each of the past seven years, how have we done?
WUHSD = 187 growth points
State of California = 56 growth points
How do our High Schools compare to the Comprehensive High Schools in CA?

11. Staying the Course: Growth Points over the Past 7 Years
School
Growth Points
Percentile in CA
(925 HS)
Cal
181
96% LS
162
92%
PHS
172
95% SF
171
WHS
219
99%

12. Narrowing the Achievement Gap: Gaining on the Goal of 800

13. AP Tests Taken & Percent of 10th – 12th Enrollment

14. WUHSD On-Target Rates 10/11 9th 79.0% 77.9% 76.3% 76.8% 79.8% 83.4%
02/03
03/04
04/05
05/06
06/07
07/08
08/09
09/10
10/11
9th
79.0%
77.9%
76.3%
76.8%
79.8%
83.4%
86.4%
86.1%
86.3%
10th
74.3%
75.4%
76.9%
75.3%
79.5%
84.3%
84.7%
86.9%
87.1%
11th
87.6%
87.7%
89.0%
92.6%
94.0%
93.1%
95.0%

16. NCES Four-Year Dropout Rate

17. CAHSEE Senior Pass Rates
ELA
Math
2006
99.3%
99.7%
2007
99.8%
2008
99.5%
2009
99.6%
2010
2011
100%

18. College Eligibility: A-G Course Completion Rate

19. WUHSD Actual College Enrollment within 2 years
HS Grad Class
WUHSD Student Tracker Data, 2010

20. Directed Intervention
WUHSD’s Shared Values
Collaboration
Common Assessments
Directed Intervention
CARLYE … 7 years ago put forth  Started everything off
All lead to Teams  Teams involved with each
Good models on some teams – tried to replicate, but lacked capacity for team leadership

21. Key Questions Addressed by PLCs
What do we want students to know?
How do we know when they learn it?
How do we respond when they do not learn it?
How do we enrich and extend the learning for those students who have demonstrated mastery?

22. #1 What do we want students to know?
Collaboration & Sharing
Teachers Doing it
Together
CA State Content Standards
WUHSD Essential Standards
Course Notebooks
Pacing Guides

23. #2 How do we know when they learn it?
Formative & Summative Assessments
Districtwide Common Assessments (4 or more per year)
Site-based Interim Assessments
Protocol for Collaborative Analysis of Results
Annual CSTs
Collaborative Analysis of Data
Analysis of transparent & timely student performance data within & between schools
Treasure Hunt in search of Best Practices

24. #3 How do we respond when they do not learn it?
Building a Systematic Response
Pyramid of
PREVENTION
& Intervention

25. Pyramid of Prevention & Intervention

26. Whatever it Takes Guiding Principles
Intervention rather than remediation
Intervention that is systematic
Intervention that is provided in a timely manner
Intervention that is directed rather than invited
Prevention is the best Intervention

27. Focus on Freshman Parent Partnership Campus Watch Link Crew
Freshman First Day
Summer Bridge Program
ELA and Math Placement

28. Time & Support Alternative Bell Schedules
Student-Centered, Teacher Driven
Teacher Collaboration
Distributed Leadership Network
Intervention Specialists/Clerk
Course Leads
Link Crew Facilitators

29. Alternative Block Schedule: Not Allowing Students to Choose Failure
Period
1 or 2
3 or 4
5 or 6
100 min
20 min
120 minutes
120 minutes
EMBEDDED
SUPPORT
EMBEDDED
SUPPORT
EMBEDDED
SUPPORT
BREAK
LUNCH
HOME
Embedded Support to Ensure Mastery

30. Prevention Practices Revision of Grading Policies
Retesting: Ensuring students learn content
Case Against the Zero
Increased Feedback to Parents
Grading Period every 4.5 weeks
Teleparent  Parents as Partners
Zangle Parent Portal & Teachers’ Websites

31. The Best Prevention is the Best First Instruction

32. New Positions to Meet Challenges
Revised Dept. Chair Description
Subject Course Leads
District Curriculum Assessment Coaches
EADMS On-Site Technology Support
Zangle On-Site Support Teachers
Intervention Specialist & Clerk

33. Broad Base of Distributed Leadership
Over 40% of Teachers in Leadership Role
137 Stipend Positions
59 Dept. Chairs
Funding of Positions at each Site
10 Teacher Leaders funded by Site
28 Teacher Leaders funded by District
Annual Total Cost Districtwide for Stipend Positions: $139, (does not include dept. chairs)

34. Distributed Leadership: Sample Site’s Stipend Positions
Course Lead
Algebra 1 9th
AVID Program Coord.
Algebra 1 (10th-12th)
Curriculum Coordinator
Algebra 2
EADMS Support Teacher
Geometry
Intervention Specialist
Geometry Concepts
Link Crew Assistant
Biology
Link Crew Coordinator
Chemistry
Puente Coordinator
Earth Science
Freshman Mentor Coord.
English 1
Sr. Project Coordinator
English 2
WASC Coordinator
English 3
Zangle Support Teacher
Spanish 1
U.S. History
World Civ.

35. Even the best classroom teacher needs support when learning how to lead a team of their peers

36. Development of Teacher Leaders
Site:
Leadership Meetings
Role of Department Chairs
District:
Lateral Networks
Summer Professional Learning
Targeted Leadership Training
Curriculum and Assessment Coaches
Leadership Meetings
Lateral Networks: Best Practices, CITs
Summer Professional Learning
PiF

37. Teacher Leadership Training
2009/10
Pay it Forward: The Basics
Meetings & Agendas
Language of Support
Dealing with Unproductive Behavior
Sharing Best Practices without Highlighting Poor Performers
Rewards and Recognition
2010/11
Pay it Forward: Team Development
Phases of Team Development
How Decisions are Made
The Role of Conflict
Group of Individuals  Divergent Team  Cohesive Team  Interdependent Team
2011/12
Targeted Trainings & Individual Support

38. Leadership Training 2011/12 2 Days in Summer Facilitation of Teams
Communication: Dialogue vs. Discussion
Team Energy
Conflict
Developing Common Understandings

39. Leadership Support: Curriculum Assessment Coaches
Assigned to different sites
Individual support for Course Leads
Team Workshops for Course Leads
Keeps finger on the pulse of Teacher Leaders
Communicates Needs to Administration

40. District Quarterly Course-Alike Meetings
Modeling of Collaborative Analysis
Gap Analysis
Discussion of Team Challenges
Sharing of Best Practices

41. Teacher Development for All: Summer PD
One week for each Content Area
Teachers and Course Leads
New Learning with Application Time
Alignment of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Supplemental Collaboration Time (outside of the structure content week)
Last Summer: 1,165 Teacher Work Days

42. Developing a staff’s capacities for talking together may be the most significant investment faculties can make for student learning Robert Garmston and Bruce Wellman

43. District Support Role Amplified the Culture
Built capacity through developing Teacher Leaders
Brought Decentralized Depts together to collaboratively develop Common Assessments and address Support Issues
Supported a Culture of Inquiry
Safe Discussion of Transparent Data and Needs
Collegial, not Competitive
Student-Centered

44. How We Started Listened Read & Discussed Visited
Rick Du Four’s Presentations for Teacher Leaders and Administrators
Read & Discussed
Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Improving Student Achievement
Whatever it Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond when Kids don’t Learn
Visited
Three Visits to Stevenson HS in Illinois

45. How We Watered the Seeds
Learned
Gayle Karhanek Consulting
Districtwide Workshops
Consulting Days at each School Site
Applied
Pyramid of Interventions
3 Meetings per Year
Peer Accountability in Reporting Progress
Communicated
Instructional Direction Brochure (version 3)
DVD

46. How we Continue to Expand Capacity through Collaboration
Fostering Leadership
Leadership training for Teacher Leaders
Support from Curriculum Assessment Coaches
Modeling at District Best Practices Meetings
Continual Learning for all Teachers
Summer PD
District Course-Alike Teams
Site Course-Alike Teams

47. Vision of Instructional Leadership in the Future
Leading from Behind and not from in Front
Michael Fullan
 Distributed Leadership
 Lateral Coordination & Communication
 Sharing
 Peer Accountability
 Student Learning
Increased lateral coordination & communication through higher level of sharing and peer accountability across school borders
More distributed leadership  leadership residing within a greater number of individuals
Moodle  Interdependent Teams

48. Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes