Post on 23-Dec-2015
Developing District LevelProfessional Learning Communities
Woodford County Schools
Jimmy Adams, Candace James and Sam Watkins
Professional Learning Community (PLC)As defined in On Common Ground: The
Power of Professional Learning Communities
A group of teachers who meet regularly as a team to:
Identify essential and valued student learning Develop common formative assessments Analyze current levels of achievement
PLC, continued
Set achievement goals Share strategies And then create lessons to improve
upon those levels.
Who are we?
Central KY: Versailles & Midway
3,900 Students 27% Free/Reduced
Lunch 4 Elementary
Schools 1 Middle School 1 High School
Academic Index 2008 Elementary: 91.1 Middle: 91.3 High: 81.5 District: 84.9
Why did we seek assistance from KASC?
Not satisfied with scores Not satisfied with level of progress School Board request to gather data for
superintendent search Suggestions and strategies to improve
KASC Process for Woodford
October Met with district leadership District leadership observed a Learning
Walk November/December
Learning walks conducted by KASC teams
Principals received feedback from KASC
KASC Process for Woodford
November/December KASC provided Next Step suggestions
January District leadership and principals
conducted Learning Walk with guidance from KASC in neighboring district
KASC Process for Woodford
January ORQ training by KASC for PLC and
teacher leaders Learning Walk findings presented by
KASC at board and faculty meetings KASC recommended and scheduled
visits by our schools to schools with similar demographics
KASC Process for Woodford
February Discussion of characteristics and
attributes of a PLC Book study of On Common Ground ,
chapter 4 “Assessment for Learning: Building a Culture of Confident Learners”
Team norms and ground rules established for PLC
KASC Process for Woodford
February Development of district learning walk
instrument with “Look for” items with guidance from KASC
Learning targets and daily objectives training conducted by KASC
Flashback and goal calculator training conducted by KASC
KASC Process for Woodford
February PLC attended Mike Schmoker
presentation at KLA PLC meeting to debrief presentation and
commit to change
KASC Process for Woodford
March KASC follow up Learning Walk visits
and findings reports District PLC Learning Walks at 2
schools, follow up and BOE report
On Common Ground, Chapter Four If educators are to achieve learning for all,
they must use assessment in very different ways.
Carefully-developed assessments for learning, when done well, can inform teacher/team practice, help students assess and manage their own growth toward clearly articulated and relevant standards, and promote and encourage learning.
Student-involved assessment is prescribed for learning as a central element in any school that hopes to function as a PLC.
On Common Ground,Chapter Four Replace teachers working in isolation
with cooperation and collaboration. Replace student anxiety and
competition with strategies that encourage their confidence as learners.
On Common Ground,Chapter Four
Five step plan for teams
1. Start by clearly understanding the standard to be mastered.
2. Deconstruct it into the enabling classroom achievement targets that form the foundations of learning leading up to the standard.
3. Create a student-friendly version of those targets to share with students from the beginning of the learning.
4. Create high-quality assessments of those classroom targets.
5. Use those assessments in collaboration with students to track improvement over time.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Needed “buy-in” to the process. Schools who embraced the next steps and
team planning process made gains Those who didn’t, didn’t. Score releases have served as wake up calls
to those that didn’t.
Simmons Elementary
Over 50% F/R Lunch
Lowest Scores in District
Teachers loved students too much
“What about my student that works hard but will never achieve a 4?”
2007 2008
Reading 86.6905 89.0285
Mathematics 77.3264 85.1908
Science 82.3918 99.9682
Social Studies 78.5700 81.1300
Arts and Humanities
71.1691 63.4220
Prac. Living / Voc. Studies
75.3089 92.7489
Writing Portfolio 79.8114 87.2300
Writing On-Demand
82.3669 72.0617
Total Academic Index
80.5 86.1
Current Practices from Results
Principals are active participants in weekly team planning meetings.
Schedules are being redesigned to accommodate common grade level planning.
Emphasis of meetings: instructional strategies; common assessments; student achievement.
Central office personnel attends team planning. Learning walks scheduled twice for all schools before
Winter Break On going job embedded PD for all staff School visits continued and encouraged
Current Practices from Results
In all classrooms: Classroom goals posted KCCT like assessments with appropriate DOK
levels Displays of quality student work Agendas Learner outcomes Use of goal calculator Flashbacks Core Content is the floor not the ceiling
Sample PLC Type Activities
Using shared planning to develop units, lessons and activities
Learning from one another by watching each other teach
Collectively studying student work to identify weaknesses and plan new ways to teach to those weaknesses
Sharing articles and other professional resources for ideas and insights
Sample PLC Type Activities
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, including data collection and analysis
Attending training together and helping each other implement the content of the training
Sample PLC Type Activities
Participating in continual quality improvement activities
Using collective decision making to reach decisions that produce collective action
Providing support for “help-seeking” as well as “help-giving”
Sharing the responsibility for making and/or collecting materials
From Building and Sustaining Learning Communities Resource Guide, Partnership for Kentucky Schools, www.pfks.org
Questions?