1. Professional Learning Teams October 2010

2. Recap The PLT meeting 1 Morning tea Developing a learning log The PLT in action Leading a PLT Role play 9.00 10.30 11.00 – 1.00

3. NMR - School Improvement Model

4. Complex change …. Change in the way teachers operate/behaviour De-privatised practice Collaboration and challenge Joint planning Peer observation Personalisation Evidence based practice /goal setting Strategies for differentiation Pedagogical teaching and content knowledge Teaching frameworks/concepts Literacy and numeracy teaching strategies Standards and continuums of learning Assessment practices Technology Teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about students’ capacity to learn

5. Activity: Think, pair, share ‘Communities that undermine learning’….. and change Discuss article by Plat & Tripp at tables Think about the different teams you have worked in. Identify one effective team and one low performing team – what was the difference? How would you define a high functioning, accountable PLT?

6. The genius of ‘AND’ …………….. The tyranny of ‘OR’ Must we be A or B, not both??? High performing organisations seek to be both A and B Not a question of balance – implies going to the mid point (50-50) Create a culture that is simultaneously loose and tight Concept of ‘directed empowerment’ ‘defined autonomy’

7. School readiness What’s your story?? Implementation stage Building awareness Common understanding Planning Piloting Full implementation Planning Where do you want to be in 2011 What do you need to do What will be your challenges What will you do when you get back to your school

8. Action plan Goal: Clarity and alignment Review structures, frameworks Teaching and learning – what and how Assessments Role and responsibilities Teams Student voice School organisation Year levels Timetable Meetings Develop 2011 implementation plan Consider change strategy Action learning with existing teams

9. Activity – table talk Your story Where are PLTs in your school at now? Where would you like them to be in a year’s time? What will you do to get there? ‘Connect peers with purpose’ … …. Fullen ‘Create a sense of urgency’ …………Kotter

10. AiZ Structure Teams of teachers (PLTs and Triads) Teams of teachers (PLTs and Triads) Team leaders (PLT leaders) Learning leaders School improvement team (SIT) NMR

11. PLT Triad PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AiZ (Learning Leaders, PLT leaders) Coaches School Improvement Team/Leadership Team

12. PLTs – look like? Size Ideally no more than 6 Composition Mix of experienced and beginning Mix of expertise (eg numeracy/literacy/disciplines) Primary Usually year level Secondary Year level Discipline

13. PLT structures - secondary Same subject/discipline Same class Vertical Inter/trans disciplinary teams Online teams

14. Organise teams Each team ensures a guaranteed curriculum Each team creates frequent common formative assessments Develop a school wide plan for intervention and enrichment

15. AiZ PLTs a new team work approach Evidence not inference Challenge not share Group responsibility From ‘my class’ to our students Your problem to our solution Peer accountability rather than system reporting Expectations of ALL students Developmental not deficit approach Patrick Griffin

16. The Patrick Griffin model Use of data based on Theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) – scaffolding of instruction/learning Developmental continuums or “learning pathway maps”

17. Patrick Griffin model cont... Based on the belief that, by knowing where students sit along the continuum, teachers can target the teaching strategies and interventions to scaffold the students to the next level Goal: to monitor, promote and accelerate students along a developmental continuum (eg VELs) by focusing the teaching to where they ARE, rather than where they SHOULD BE.

18. Deficit v Developmental learning approach Prof Patrick Griffin Deficit approach to learning: Focus on what students cannot do Outcome is a ‘fix-it’ approach. Developmental approach: Build on and scaffold the existing knowledge bases of every student. Focus on student readiness to learn.

19. A developmental approach to learning PLTs require clarity around: 1. Guaranteed curriculum/essential learning: What it is we want our students to learn at each year level - aligned with VELs Does it have endurance? Does it have leverage? Does it prepare students for next level of learning? (Douglas Reeves 2002 – assessing significance of standards)

20. A developmental approach to learning 2. Knowing when each student has learned it What will students know and be able to do as a result of unit of work How will students demonstrate their learning What will it look like in terms of students work How will we monitor students’ learning? Types of assessment, Purposeful, Focused, Diagnostic, Timely

21. Making reliable judgements Teachers need to have 3 sets of data in order for a reliable judgement to be made for each student in the school Tests should be reliable and accurate i.e. calibrated and not subject to opinion Where possible use departmental resources -they are free, well researched and developed Tests should have an aspect of literacy or numeracy as a focus Tests should have data that provides detailed information about skill levels Tests should be able to indicate where the student needs to go next. For example have a developmental continuum Test results should be able to indicate student growth once the test is repeated Test results should help teachers develop groupings in their classes

22. Closing the gap??? Idea of closing gap will not be addressed because all kids should move; in fact the gap may widen in some instances. It’s about identifying where students are ready to learn rather than where they are expected to be. Teaching concepts, not just skills will enable students to perform better in future tests.

23. Four critical questions for learning: What is it we expect our students to learn? How will we know when they have learned it? How will we respond when they don’t learn? How will we respond when they already know it? Learning by Doing, DuFour et al

24. Activity - Think, pair, share Do you believe that schools should be expected to deliver a guaranteed curriculum at each year level What does a guaranteed curriculum mean to you How does it impact on the 4 critical questions for learning? To what extent is the use of learning continuums embedded in the practice of your school? Refer to NMR Maths competencies Years P – 8 What is the value of a continuum for teachers, for students Do you have concerns about the use of a continuum Share these with the person next to you.

25. Effective PLTS Shared norms and values Collaboration Collective focus on student learning Reflective dialogue De-privatisation of practice Sharon Kruse (Building Professional Learning Communities) 1995 Meetings follow set protocols A developmental approach to learning Students & teachers Engage in process of evidence based inquiry to plan for teaching interventions Members accountable to the group Prof Patrick Griffin Shared values, goals Collaborative culture Collective inquiry (and challenge) Action orientation (learning by doing) Commitment to continuous improvement Results orientation DuFour and Eaker (1998)

26. Ticking the effective team boxes TEAMS

27. Activity: Think, pair, share ‘Communities that undermine learning’….. and change Discuss article by Plat & Tripp at tables Think about the different teams you have worked in. Identify one effective team and one low performing team – what was the difference? How would you define a high functioning, accountable PLT?

28. The PLT meeting What does is it look like, feel like, sound like ………….. Featuring: Lena Clark Lorraine Edwards Patricia Quan

29. Activity: Observation and table discussion What is the PLT leader doing? What are PLT members doing? Nature of conversation, questioning? How does this align with student centred meetings at your school? The main outcome of the meeting was the development of the learning log. From the PLT discussion you have just observed identify what you think should be the key elements of a student learning log?

30. Developing a learning log

31. Student: Level: On Demand: VELS: Year Level: Review date: ___________ Is the level on the pathway what was expected in relation to the evidence collected in the classroom? If not, what level does the evidence suggest? Why? What specific learning goals are set to support this student’s development and progress? Set goals that are focused and specific. For information about what to set as specific learning goals look at:  VELS Progression Points  Mathematics Continuum – Indicators of Progress  NMR Powerful Learning Maths Competencies P-8 Eg: Use short-cut strategies to multiply and divide a number by multiples of 10 What specific teaching strategies will you use to achieve these goals? Where to find teaching strategies:  Mathematics Continuum  Scaffolding Numeracy in the Middle Years – Learning Plans  Teaching Primary Mathematics by George Booker  Other Maths teachers  T&L Coach (Numeracy) Eg: Use multiplication algorithm to identify patterns when multiplying by multiples of 10. Summarise in own words what happens. What resources are needed? Open ended questions  Eg. Good Questions for Math Teaching by Nancy Canavan Anderson, Lainie Schuster  Thinking Allowed by Sue Gunningham Online resources  Eg. Illuminations http://illuminations.nctm.org/ http://illuminations.nctm.org/ Concrete aides & tools  Eg. MAB, counters, icypole sticks, calculator Graphic Organisers  Eg. Placemat Games Professional Development, eg  T&L Coach (Numeracy)  Online  Other Maths teachers  External providers What evidence (do, say, make, write) would show the goals are met? You don’t need to collect all 4 types of evidence each time. Think about what is going to best demonstrate the student’s learning in relation to the goal set. Over time you would aim to collect a range of different types of evidence. The student will be able to SAY: explain a solution process, identify the next step in a process, explain links in their thinking, etc. This can be recorded in teacher notes, using the Flip camera, etc The student will be able to DO: a particular type of problem, an online task, etc. The student will be able to MAKE: a model representing a problem, etc. The student will be able to WRITE: solution to a problem showing steps, explanation of how they solved the problem, instructions for someone else, etc.

32. Professional Learning Team Log LiteracyDate: Student Code: ABC12 Year Level: 7A Low Subject: Hums/ Endangered Species Review Date: 3 weeks 1.Is the level on the pathway what was expected in relation the evidence collected in the classroom? If not, what level does the evidence suggest. In reading comprehension the student is able to identify literal facts in a piece of text but does not understand how to infer meaning from a text 2.What specific learning goals are set to support this student’s development and progress? Identify the inference or implied information in a variety of texts Be able to explain how they identified inference Be able to use inference in their own writing 3a. What specific teaching strategies will you use to achieve these goals? Remind students of the difference between literal and inferential information Get students to practise identifying oral inference at sentence level related to topic/ Inference in pictures/cartoons In reading of texts on endangered species ask students to identify inference In paragraphs and in longer texts A sheet that asks them how they determined the inference in some activities Get students to practise writing using inference Provide opportunities for students to practise inference in whole class, individual and small group situations 4. What evidence (do, say, make and write,) would show goals are met? Student work samples x 3 of written questions related to endangered species/inference Teacher observation notes of student group work on investigating an endangered species Oral responses from students in regard to how they determine inference Extended piece of writing on an endangered species where they include inference Student writing of inferential questions

33. PLT: using data to plan teaching learning logs Develop a learning log for a group of students (any grade level) for whom ‘your’ evidence shows their skills in identifying or interpreting the main idea of text is low Determine learning goals for next 3 weeks No more than 3 goals What teaching strategies will use to achieve these goals What evidence will you use to show goals have been met specific and measurable

34. The PLT in action Leading the change …………

35. The work of the PLT leader Lead the team Understand change Model behaviours Develop culture of challenge – questioning Develop the capacity of the team Pedagogical knowledge Assessment practices Use of data Goal setting and strategy selection Support collaboration Regular, focused meetings Establish protocols Develop structure and processes

36. PLT Meetings Develop agreed protocols/norms Set agenda/proformas Regular time Keep to time Have a focus Share facilitation Encourage participation and group

37. The process TEAMS of teachers take responsibility for the cohort LEADERS take teams of teachers through the following cycle: REVIEW where the students are at. What is their Zone of proximal development? Look at evidence of what students can DO, SAY, MAKE or WRITE What evidence have we used to determine this? What learning GOALS are appropriate? PLAN STRATEGIES/ INTERVENTIONS to move them forward IDENTIFY THE RESOURCES needed STIPULATE THE EVIDENCE required to say that kids have moved

38. The Process ……Patrick Griffin Plan strategy for intervention to take the students to the next level on the developmental continuum. Identify the resources that are needed Stipulate the evidence that will be required to establish that movement has occurred and the timeframe for the review Review students’ progress. Discussion based on evidence of do, say, make and write. All inferences of learning challenged and defended.

39. The Process …… building teacher capacity Set Goals Identify strategies (Identify teacher learning needs?) Act/ Implement Observe/give feedback/ Reflect Analyse Classroom Data Teacher Inquiry Knowledge Building cycle Hume Central SC

40. PLT agenda and timing TopicDetailsTiming 1a SharingUse of data10 min 1b Select students Highest, lowest and middle common levels + 1 student from whom data/assessments were used from each class (if applicable) 5 min 1c Middle level Selection of students from common levels from each class by individual teachers 5 min 1d Each teacher to give background on each selected student from this level to be discussed 2 min per student 2a Look for commonalities b/ween students and decide goals 3a Strategies/ resources Discuss possible interventions/strategies/resources in general 10 min per stud 3b Decide on interventions 4 EvidenceDecide on evidence that goals will be met 5 ReviewDecide review date and fill out learning for selected students

41. Activity: Producing a learning log Task: complete a learning log for a student or a cohort of students Year 7: Finn and the Big Guy Data - 2009 Y7 Spa/Naplan diagnostic data (sample) - 2009 Y7 Naplan questions and source material Steps - Analyse data 10 min - Select cohorts/student 5 min - Identify/develop learning goals 10 min - Identify teaching strategies to achieve learning goals 10 min - Identify evidence to show learning goals have been met 10 min

42. Activity: Producing a learning log Groups of 5 – 6 teachers Nominate: Team leader and observer Team Leader: lead meeting Observer: note type of questioning, level of challenge, use and focus on data, team participation, use of protocols to engage team member in discussion Reflection: 5 mins Observer reports back to team about observations. Group reflects 2 key positives and 2 key challenges for doing the work in their schools.