The Road to Collaboration: Setting the Stage for

Increased Student Achievement

The PLC journey of Wohlwend Elementary School

PresentersO Dave Meschke, PrincipalO Ellen Geders, Kindergarten TeacherO Jill Skaggs, Reading SpecialistO Meagan Ochoa, Third Grade Teacher

Presentation OutlineO Overview of WohlwendO Setting the Stage for PLCO Structures ImplementedO Focus on Student AchievmentO Question and Answer Session

Essential QuestionO How can we

improve the culture and achievement at our school?

Learning TargetO I can design a

plan to implement PLC successfully in my school.

Wohlwend Elementary Overview

Current InitiativesO PLCO PBISO Character EducationO RtIO Cooperative LearningO UBDO Transition to Missouri Learning

Standards

Setting the StageO Success of PLC hinges on

collaborationO Doesn’t happen overnightO Buy InO Ask everyone for inputO Set Common GoalO Establish Trust/Team BuildersO Allow Enough Time

Buy InO Teachers buy into change efforts that

they feel are importantO Teachers buy into changes they believe

are doableO Teachers buy into changes they believe

will be around for awhileO Collaboration-Not CompetitionO Allow Enough TimeO Broad and InclusiveO Get Outside Help

“You have to go whole heartedly into anything

in order to achieve anything worth having.”

O Frank Lloyd Wright

Building ConsensusO Fist to Five ConsensusO Everyone can support decisionO Easy way to build consensus among

diverse groupO Gives everyone opportunity to state

their objectionsO Team addresses concerns

Creating TeamsO Teams are fundamental building blocks of

PLC…engine that drives continuous movementO PLC Leadership TeamO Grade Level TeamsO Scheduling TimeO NormsO AgendasO CollaborationO Establishing Trust/Team BuildingO Celebrations

“We need to let go of the idea that heroic individuals will change schools. Instead of looking for superheroes, we need to work collectively to

help everyone be successful.”

O Dr. Richard DuFour

Vision and MissionO Teachers develop this together with a pledge

to ensure success of each studentO Share samples of vision and mission

statements from other schoolsO Voice individual visions for school communityO Use of Kagan StrategiesO Chart IdeasO Allow Enough TimeO Fist to Five ConsensusO www.KaganOnline.com

Collective Commitments

O Overlying question-How do we need to behave if we are going to become the kind of school we seek to become?

O Teacher Input-Kagan Strategies, Charting, Creating/Writing

O Student Input-Kagan Strategies, Charting

O Parent Input-SurveysO Allow Enough TimeO Fist to Five Consensus

“ A champion is someone who is willing to be uncomfortable.”

O Pat SummittO Former University of Tennessee

Women’s Head Basketball Coach

My Plate Runneth OverO Scheduling

O Common plan timeO Challenges with kindergartenO Specials: Art, Music, P.E., and Library

A.C.E Teams (Academic, Community, Environment)

O Meet once a monthO Combine with faculty meetingO Agenda, norms, and rulesO Report out last 15 minutes to whole

staffO Productive groups 6-3

What Makes a PLC Team Productive

O NormsO Provided the staff with examplesO Developed school-wide normsO Gave each team a week to develop

their own normsO Examples

Agendas

O NormsO Assign roles: 6-7O CelebrationsO BMWO Establish goals for the meetingO End with a plan of actionO Video Clip

Big Ideas: So Far…O Move slowly: small steps and due datesO Acknowledge when people are

overwhelmedO Keep in consideration times of the year,

i.e. holidays, grades, times when things are most stressful

O CollaborationO Celebrate and BMW (it really is okay)O Community

“The kind of commitment we had on our team put all kinds of emotions at stake. When you worked, played, and fought as hard as we did together, we couldn’t help loving one another.”O Pat SummittO Share stories: Kathy and movement of classrooms

Focusing on Student Achievement

Pre-Post Testing MapWhere we’ve been and where we’re goingO 2010-2011

O Started with reading and mathO Revised existing testsO Agreed upon correct answersO Artifacts

O 2011-2012O Unwrapped reading standardsO Rewrote tests using resource sheet #2O Artifacts

Pre-Post Testing Map Continues

O 2012-2013O Vertical articulationO Common core revisionsO Artifacts

O 2013-2014O Using test results to guide meaningful

differentiated instructionO Artifacts

RtIWhere we’ve been and where we’re going

O 2008-2009O Begin switch from CARE Teams to RtIO Developed an RTI leadership teamO Professional developmentO Created pyramid

RtI Map ContinuesO 2009-2010

O BenchmarkingO Set up 3 datesO Benchmarking done by RTI leadership

team and specialists

O Created intervention block (Nov.)O Trained staffO Developed SMART teams

O A team and B teamO Meeting procedureO Case manager dutiesO Artifacts

RtI Map ContinuesO 2010-2011

O Began training teachers to benchmark

O Grade level meetings focus shiftO 2011-2012

O Teacher’s responsible for their own benchmarking

O Revisited RtI procedures

Conference room walls

RtI Map Continues

O 2012-2013Achievement team organizes interventions

O 2013-2014Achievement team labeling guided reading books

No one of us can do everything…

But each one of us can do something to improve student

outcomes.

Moving Towards Achievement

Tools we picked up along the way…O 2010-2011

O GLE’sO Kagan teaching strategies

O 2011-2012O Formative assessmentsO ExamplesO Student involvementO Examples

Moving Towards Achievement

O 2012-2013O Data teamsO Slow and steadyO artifacts

O 2013-2014O Data team revisionsO Example

Your School…O Where are you in your journey to

achievement?O Where do you want to go?O How will you get there?

Think / Pair / ShareO Think / Write (3 minutes)O Share with a partner (5 minutes)

Questions?