1. Presenters: Jeanne Cowan Janet Hensley
Using Professional Learning Communities to Address the AdvancED Standards
Presenters:
Jeanne Cowan
Janet Hensley

2. Outcomes
To become familiar with the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model
To enhance your understanding of how a PLC provides the structure for a “systems approach” to school improvement by concentrating on interdependent relationships
To learn how collaborative teams can help us focus on the continuous improvement of the entire organization while addressing the AdvancED Standards and Indicators. 

3. Professional Learning Communities & AdvancED
The Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model is designed to improve teaching and learning.
A PLC provides the structure for a “systems approach” to school improvement by concentrating on interdependent relationships.
Collaborative teams focus on the continuous improvement of the entire organization while addressing each of the AdvancED Standards and many of the Indicators.

4. 6 Characteristics of PLCs
Shared Mission, Vision, Values and Goals—All Focused on Student Learning
A Collaborative Culture With a Focus on Learning
Collective Inquiry Into Best Practice
Action Orientation: Learning by Doing
A Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Results Orientation

5. 5 AdvancED Standards Purpose and Direction Governance and Leadership
Teaching and Assessing for Learning
Resources and Support Systems
Using Results for Continuous Improvement

7. Shared Mission, Vision, Values and Goals—All Focused on Student Learning
The very essence of a learning community is a focus on and a commitment to the learning of each student.
What AdvancED Standard(s) does this align with?
What indicators seem to correlate with this PLC characteristic?
AdvancEd Standards and Indicators: Presenter will model connections and alignment between PLCs and AdvancED standards

8. A Collaborative Culture With a Focus on Learning
A PLC is composed of collaborative teams whose members work interdependently to achieve common goals linked to the purpose of learning for all.
What AdvancED Standard(s) does this align with?
What indicators seem to correlate with this PLC characteristic?
Table talk or large group talk to make connections (use handout)

9. Collective Inquiry Into Best Practice
The teams in a PLC engage in collective inquiry into both best practices in teaching and best practices in learning.
What AdvancED Standard(s) does this align with?
What indicators seem to correlate with this PLC characteristic?

10. Action Orientation: Learning by Doing
Members of PLCs are action oriented: They move quickly to turn aspirations into action and visions into reality.
What AdvancED Standard(s) does this align with?
What indicators seem to correlate with this PLC characteristic?

11. A Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Inherent to a PLC are a persistent disquiet with the status quo and a constant search for a better way to achieve goals and accomplish the purpose of the organization.
What AdvancED Standard(s) does this align with?
What indicators seem to correlate with this PLC characteristic?

12. Results Orientation
Members of a PLC realize that all of their efforts must be assessed on the basis of measureable results rather than intentions.
What AdvancED Standard(s) does this align with?
What indicators seem to correlate with this PLC characteristic?

13. PLC Overview

14. Professional Learning Communities
What is a professional learning community?
What are the implications for AdvancED schools?

15. PLC Defined
A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve.
Learning By Doing, 2010
AdvancEd summary document – p. 2 & 3 Leadership and staff
p. 4 School leaders monitor
p. 4 Teachers participate in collaborative learning communities

16. Random Acts of Improvement
The Big Arrow
Aim of the
District
District
Goals & Measures
Purpose of PLC’s –lots of stuff going on; sometimes “one-shot”; provide some direction
Random Acts of Improvement

17. Aligned Acts of Improvement
The Better Big Arrow
Aim of the
District
District
Goals & Measures
Revised view in each district and school after the implementation of PLC work
Aligned Acts of Improvement

18. A PLC is NOT… A program Something you can purchase
A meeting on Tuesdays
A PLC is not a meeting; it is a way being.
A school does not do PLCs; they become a PLC.

19. “Big Ideas” of a PLC Focus on student learning rather than teaching.
Work collaboratively on matters related to learning.
Hold everyone accountable for the results that fuel continual improvement.

20. Four Key Questions
What is it we expect our students to learn? (standards)
How will we know when they have learned it? (evidence, assessments)
How will we respond when they don’t learn? (interventions—time and support)
How will we respond when they already know it? (differentiation)

21. Advantages of Teachers Working in Teams
Develop more creative solutions to complex problems
Reduce isolation among teachers
Build commitment and support for new ideas
Foster collective responsibility for students’ success
Successfully implement complex plans
Allow those closest to the work to collectively improve teaching and learning
Provide possibilities for empowerment that are not available for individuals
Let’s look at some of the advantages to be gained by forming teams of educators into professional learning communities.

22. This could be the same group as your AdvancED Leadership Team.
One model of the BLT Team Process
This could be the same group as your AdvancED Leadership Team.
The BLT (Building Leadership Team) meets regularly and also prior to each scheduled in-service.
At each BLT meeting, discussion is held regarding strategies to meet district-wide goals or to plan in-service sessions.
The BLT Team takes the information identified at its meeting and plans the best way to introduce and share the information with their whole instuctional staff (may be building specific).

23. Structures for Teams Horizontal groups by grade level
Vertical teams by subject area
Interdisciplinary groups
Groups with common planning times
Groups formed around AdvancED goals, standards and/or indicators
Personal interest in working on a particular goal or topic
Others
The particular name we have chosen for those learning communities is collaborative work groups. There are several ways to consider as you begin discussion with your team here today and back at your schools. Some of these structures work better than others, depending on whether you are an elementary school, a middle school, or a high school. Some will work better for you next year and the following years than they will this first year as we are just forming the teams and studying the process. The structure of the PLC (both the BLT and CWGs) is intended to support teachers as they work towards improved student achievement.

24. Collaborative Teams
This is a form to use as you begin to form your groups. The first question we must ask ourselves is how we will form our groups; that decision is yours. Our suggestion is that YOU decide how and who will be in the groups. We would recommend that each group has one of the leadership team as its facilitator for this first year at least. Then those groups can decide on their meeting times.

25. “Hardware” and “Software”
Form a leadership team
Organize instructional staff into collaborative teams
Arrange regular meeting times with agendas and shared minutes
Focus on goals with results for improving student achievement
Software:
Create norms
Develop collaboration skills
Learn to deal with “resistors”
Celebrate learning with one another!

26. The PLC Journey Begins…
What is it that we must do as a “systems team” in order to work collaboratively and efficiently as a Professional Learning Community? P (Professional) L (Learning) C (Community)
Elbow talk—What does Professional mean? Learning? Community?

27. Ideas for Setting Up Your PLC
What—share PLC concept with staff
How—presentation, from principal and leadership team
Who—all instructional staff are on a team
When—this semester, next semester; meeting times
Where--staff meeting, in-service day

28. This website has practical ideas and reproducibles:
Getting Started…
Helpful Resources:
Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work (DuFour)
Learning by Doing (DuFour)
Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap, Whatever it Takes (DuFour)
Aligning School Districts as PLCs (Mark Van Clay, Soldwedel, Many)
Building a Professional Learning Community at Work (Graham and Ferriter)
This website has practical ideas and reproducibles:

29. Getting Started…
Self-Assessment

30. Where do we go from here?
What are some first step(s) that your school can take to implement a PLC?

31. Getting Started…
Where Do We Go From Here?

32. Where do we go from here?
What are the first step(s) that we must take to structure or school as a PLC?
Who will be responsible for initiating this?
What is a realistic timeline for this?

33. Professional Learning Community Taking ACTION
“Perhaps the greatest insight we have gained in our work with school districts across the continent is that schools that take the plunge and actually begin doing the work of a PLC develop their capacity to help students learn at high levels far more effectively than schools that spend years preparing to become PLCs through reading or even training.”
Richard DuFour, et. al.
Learning by Doing

34. Thanks for coming today! Good luck on your PLC Journey!