LEADING CHANGE IN LEADING CHANGE IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
COMMUNITIES COMMUNITIES
New Insights on How PLCs Improve Schools
Richard DuFour & Rebecca DuFour (December 2010)
Adapted: Dr. Bessie Karvelas
What We Think about What We Think about Learning?Learning?We learn about…
◦--- of what we read◦--- of what we hear◦--- of what we see◦--- of what we see and hear◦--- of what we discuss with others◦--- of what we experience
personally◦--- of what we teach to someone
else
Student Learning Begins Student Learning Begins with Staff Learningwith Staff Learning
“…teacher knowledge, skill and collaboration contribute to improved instruction and student achievement.
Staff members within these schools who learn together create a spirit on which improvement efforts thrive.”
Joellen Killion 1999
What is a Professional What is a Professional Learning Community (PLC)?Learning Community (PLC)?
Highly effective teams that are committed
to…
◦Collective inquiry◦ Action experimentation◦Continuous improvement◦Results
Elements of PLCsElements of PLCs
The professional learning community is anongoing process in which educators workcollaboratively in recurring cycles of collectiveinquiry and action research to achieve betterresults for the students they serve.
PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators.
What PLCs Do?What PLCs Do?Develop an understanding of academic
contentSupport the implementation of curricula
and instructional activitiesIntegrate and give coherence to a school’s
instructional programs and practicesIdentify a school wide instructional needStudy the research on teaching and
learningMonitor the impact of instructional
initiatives on studentsExamine student work
What Do We Know About theWhat Do We Know About theWorld’s Best School World’s Best School Systems?Systems?“The best school systems in the world
recognizethat the quality of an education system cannotexceed the quality of its teachers. The only wayto improve outcomes is to improve instruction.
So, high-performing systems use theprofessional learning community process tosupport powerful professional developmentthrough teacher collaboration (Barber andMourshed, 2007).
If We Implemented What We If We Implemented What We Know to Be Best Practice…Know to Be Best Practice…
Schools would be organized intocollaborative teams in which members work together interdependently to achieve common goals for which members are mutually accountable.
Where We Are Now?Where We Are Now?A good thing happening in my school or
classroom…….
Schools that help all students to learn pay attention to……
Developing or enhancing my PLCs is an opportunity to…………
To make this project successful I am prepared to………..
Moving from Good to Moving from Good to GreatGreat
1) Everyone collaborates
2) Principals lead PLCs
3) Staff analyzes data to inform
decisions
What We’ve Learned in What We’ve Learned in AMPSAMPS
Principal participates in instructional practice
Has the ability to support instruction directly or indirectly
Insures that teachers meet about the right things
Manages a small number of initiatives with focus
What We’ve Learned in What We’ve Learned in AMPSAMPS
Asks good questions
Strategic about his or her time
Makes decisions that benefit students (willing to make unpopular decisions about budget and scheduling if needed)
Role of Principal in Leading Role of Principal in Leading PLCsPLCs
Sharing basic norms and values about students, learning and teaching
Reflective dialogue about teaching practice and student learning
Fostering a sense of collective responsibility
Supporting collaborative time/workFocusing on results
PLC in SchoolsPLC in Schools
“Teams Get Results”
Katzenbach and Smith 1993
1) Administrative Team2) Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)3) Response-to-Intervention Team (RtI Team)4) Department Chairs Team5) Content-Area Team6) Course Team
Instructional Leadership Instructional Leadership TeamsTeams
A PLC that…
Expands the use of a variety of instructional strategies
Supports enhanced instructional practices by teachers
Provides support for colleaguesDevelops a plan for the school
leadership team to apply and share Facilitates a school wide plan to
implement instructional strategies
BUILDING TEAMSBUILDING TEAMS
Creating a collaborative culture among your staff
In high-performing teams, members hold each other accountable. Everyone carries his or her own weight (Blanchard, 2007).
Stages of Team Stages of Team DevelopmentDevelopment
Orientation Stage---------- Forming◦Testing◦Polite◦Impersonal◦Watchful◦Guarded
Stages of Team Stages of Team DevelopmentDevelopment
Dissatisfaction Stage------Storming◦Infighting◦Controlling Conflicts◦Confronting People◦Opting Out◦Difficulties◦Feeling Stuck
Stages of Team Stages of Team DevelopmentDevelopment
Resolution Stage-----------Norming◦Getting organized◦Developing Skills◦Establishing Procedures◦Giving Feedback◦Confronting Issues
Stages of team Stages of team DevelopmentDevelopment
Production Stage-----------Performing◦Mature closeness◦Resourcefulness◦Flexible ◦Open◦Effective◦Close and Supportive
Group ActivityGroup Activity
Complete Chart on Stages of Team Development
One Focus of ILTs – PDOne Focus of ILTs – PDPowerful staff development…
Builds a culture that supports innovation, experimentation, and collegial sharing
Engages people in daily planning, critiquing and problem solving
Deepens content knowledgeExpands instructional skills within the contentTeaches assessment skills that help people
regularly monitor student learningProvides on-going practice based assistance.Connects people to networks beyond the
workplace
PD should be…PD should be…
1) Standard-Based
◦Content: What knowledge and skills must educators learn to produce higher levels of learning for all students?
◦Process: How will learning be organized to support adult acquisition of new knowledge and skills?
◦Context: How will the organization be structured to support adult learning?
PD should be……PD should be……
2)Results-Driven
◦What do students need to know?
◦What do educators need to know and be able to do to ensure success?
◦What professional development will ensure that educators acquire the necessary knowledge and skills?
PD should be… PD should be…
3) Job-Embedded
◦Happens during the work day in the work place.
◦Designed to support team learning.
◦Offered to all teachers all the time.
◦At school, everyone’s job is to learn.
Job-Embedded Learning Job-Embedded Learning provides...provides...
The development of a deeper understanding of academic content
Support implementation of curricular and instructional initiatives
Provides coherence to school programsFocuses on a specific school-wide needSupports the study of teaching and
learningMonitors impact of an initiativeProvides time for dialog
Job-Embedded PracticesJob-Embedded PracticesSharing article and professional
resources for ideas and insights
Talking with one another about what and how you teach and the results your teaching produces
Providing moral support, comradeship and encouragement
Jointly exploring a problem (i.e. data collection and analysis; conducting action research)
Job-Embedded Action Job-Embedded Action ItemsItems
Attending training together and helping each other implement the content of the training
Participating in the continual quality improvement activities
Using collective decision making to reach decisions that produce collective action
Provide support for “help–seeking” as well as “help-giving”
Sharing responsibility for making and/or collecting materials
Essential QuestionsEssential QuestionsAt the point of…
Delivery --- Did the students (they) like it?Knowledge --- Did they learn it?Application --- Are they using it?Results --- Did it impact student learning?
Organizational Support/Change --- Did it impact the organization?
Tom Guskey 2000
Teaching & LearningTeaching & LearningAccording to the 2009 Metlife survey
of teachers in the United States, 84 percent of teachers are “very confident that I have the knowledge and skills to enable all of my students to succeed academically.”
According to that same survey, only 36 percent of teachers believe all theirstudents have the ability to succeed academically.
What We Know Versus What We What We Know Versus What We DoDo
In most schools, assessments willcontinue to be developed andadministered by individual teachers andwill be used primarily for summative purposes.
Unless assessment serves as acatalyst for adult learning and changes inteacher practice, it will not be effective in improving student achievement.
Why Common Why Common Assessments?Assessments?
Impact on professional practice — the irrefutable evidence of better results and the positive peer pressure of a collaborative team working interdependently to achieve a common goal provide the most powerful levers for impacting practice.
Efficiency — by sharing the load teachers save time.
Equity — promotes a guaranteed curriculum, similar pacing, and consistent standards for assessing student proficiency.
Assessment Drives Assessment Drives CollaborationCollaboration
Teachers can…
Monitor the learning of students who are expected to acquire the same knowledge and skills.
Use the same instrument/process for assessing the quality of student work.
Gauge the alignment of the curriculum and the effectiveness of their instruction.
Sample PLC ActivitiesSample PLC ActivitiesUsing shared planning to develop
units, lessons, and activitiesLearn from one another by
watching each otherCollectively study student work
to identify weaknesses and plan new ways to teach
Strategies to Build Strong Strategies to Build Strong PLCs PLCs
JigsawConsulting LineAcademic ControversyGive One/Get OneCarousel Brainstorm