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Bringing Your PLC to Life!

Charlie ColemanCowichan Secondary School

SD 79, British Columbia, CANADA

ccoleman@sd79.bc.ca

Sharing your story…

Email: ccoleman@sd79.bc.caBlog: heartcoleman.blogspot.caTwitter: @Heart_ColemanWeb: www.heartofeducation.com

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A little background…

About you…

About me…

About our time together…

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Tell me a little about you…

Years of experience

Current position

PLC Experience

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My PLC Journey

K - 12 Experiences, 25 years

PBS and PLC Consultant

Khowhemun Elementary Principal

Quamichan Middle School Principal

Cowichan Secondary School Principal

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My PLC Journey

School population, situation…

Inner City, “Mixed” population, % Aboriginal

Changing demographics, socio-economics

Other Challenges

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RESULTS, NOT INTENTIONS

Over 5 years at Khowhemun…

Reading Scores up from 67% to 80% plus

Math Scores up from 65% to almost 90%

Over 3 years at Quamichan…

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Results, Not Intentions

Over the previous 5 years at Quamichan, our reading scores had been low and dropping:

2003 = 61% 2004 = 68% 2005 = 57% 2006 = 58% 2007 = 43%

We started our PLC journey in 2007-2008

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Results, Not Intentions

QUAMICHAN MIDDLE SCHOOLReading Scores

2007 = 43% 2008 = 48% 2009 = 67% 2010 = 84%

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Results, Not Intentions

At COWICHAN HIGH SCHOOL:

Reduced Fights Zero Fire Alarms Zero Bomb Threats Data just coming in…Revitalizing our PLC… Failure rates dropping, Grad rates growing More to do…

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RESULTS & RECOGNITION

“Top 40 Schools in Canada”

“Canada’s Outstanding Principals”

ASCD’s OYEA! Award

“WE”…not “me”

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The Learning Team Letter Activity

This activity will demonstrate the importance of working as a

team. You will begin by working individually to solve a

problem. Next, you will experiment with problem

solving as part of a team. As you work consider the

differences between the models.

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Focus on Learning

TEAMWORK Identify student needsEssential Learning Outcomes Common AssessmentsPyramid of Interventions Individualize & differentiate Increased instructional repertoire Increased student engagement

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School Goals:

Ask lots of questions… How’s it working now? How many are not at grade level? Who are they? What do they need? What new structures and strategies? How do we individualize & differentiate?

Who’s job is it?

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PLC - A quick review (DuFour et al)

Mission, Vision, Values, GoalsCollaborative TeamsCollective InquiryAction OrientationResults-Based Improvement

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Our PLC Journey…

30%…30%…

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3 Big Ideas…

Focus on…1. Learning2. Collaboration3. Results

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PLC TEAM

Seek solutions & try something different Change the schedule Increase academic time “Sacred time” for reading instructionCommon Standards & AssessmentsReading Support Groups Increase instructional repertoireMultiple IntelligencesStrategies targeted to student needs Individualized Interventions

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Questions so far?

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Digging Deeper: How do you maintain the momentum in aProfessional Learning Community?

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PLC - Guiding Questions

1. Do we believe that ALL kids can learn? (Mission, Vision, Values)

2. What do we expect kids to learn?(Standards, Outlines, Goals, Targets)

3. How will we know that they’ve learned?(Measurable Outcomes, Data, Collaborative Inquiry)

4. What will we do differently if they didn’t learn?

(Action Orientation, Results-Based Improvement)

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PLC OverviewBe prepared to share:

1. What’s worked & what hasn’t?

2. What you will try next?

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Mission, Vision, Values, Goals

Members of a PLC Members of a PLC articulate the articulate the collective collective commitmentscommitments they are they are prepared to make to prepared to make to move the school move the school toward their toward their shared shared visionvision..

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Generic Mission Statement

“It is the mission of our school to help each and every child realize his or her potential and become a responsible and productive citizen and life-long learner who is able to use technology effectively and appreciate the multi-cultural society in which we live as we prepare for the challenges of the twenty-first century.”

DuFour (1998) p.58

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Collaborative Teams

Members of a PLC work Members of a PLC work interdependentlyinterdependently to to achieve achieve common common goalsgoals… and create … and create momentum to fuel momentum to fuel continued improvement.continued improvement.

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Collective Inquiry

Members of a PLC Members of a PLC engage in engage in inquiryinquiry into into best practice and best practice and current reality…with current reality…with an an opennessopenness to new to new possibilities.possibilities.

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Using Data for School Improvement Planning

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Action Orientation

Members of a PLC Members of a PLC understand that they understand that they must take action and must take action and ““do differentlydo differently”” if they if they want to see different want to see different results.results.

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Results-Based Improvement

Members of a PLC Members of a PLC recognize that all of recognize that all of these efforts must be these efforts must be assessed based on assessed based on RESULTSRESULTS, rather than , rather than INTENTIONSINTENTIONS..

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The PLC Journey…

30%…30%…

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PLC - Critical Questions

Where are we now?

Where do we want to go?

How will we get there?

How will we know if we have made a difference?

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Ask the question…

Where are we now?Where are we now?

Your school?Your school?Confront the “brutal Confront the “brutal

facts”facts” (Collins)

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Ask the question…

Where do we want to go?Where do we want to go?

WhatWhat’’s our preferred future? s our preferred future? SMART Goals? SMART Goals? Targets?Targets?

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Ask the question…

How will we get there?How will we get there? What can we do to make a difference for

each student?

What can we control? What can we change?

Variables, not excuses

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Ask the question…

How will we know weHow will we know we’’ve ve made a difference?made a difference?

What assessments? What other measures and

indicators?What interventions?

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Collective Inquiry

Collaboratively set SMART goalsReal data… that matters to usExamine our structures and

strategiesFine-tune the goals and strategiesThis data drives our

interventions

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S.M.A.R.T. GoalsSpecific and strategic. The goal must state specifically what is to be achieved and the result must hold promise of impacting areas where learning concerns have been identified.

Time Bound. The goal must state the time by which the outcomes will be achieved.

Results-based. The goals should challenge the staff to measurably improve performance and achievement.

Attainable. The goals must be attainable. Offering options for goal selection and allowing the learning teams to establish their objectives is important.

Measurable. The goals must be stated in outcome terms that are measurable. This allows for the assessment of improvement and for the modification of processes if the results are not improving.

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Results Orientation

A professional A professional learning community learning community

is based on is based on RESULTS…RESULTS…

notnot INTENTIONS!INTENTIONS!

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Action Orientation

People who engage People who engage in in collaborative collaborative team learningteam learning are are able to learn from able to learn from one another.one another.

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Teamwork

“It is difficult to overstate the importance of collaborative teams in the improvement process.” Rick DuFour

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The PLC Journey…

Before you can do the Before you can do the hard work of PLCs…hard work of PLCs…You must take care of You must take care of the relationship the relationship piece.piece.

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The PLC Journey…

“No significant learning occurs

without a significant relationship."

Dr. James Comer

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TEAM NORMSThe commitments we will honor…

How to ensure COLLABORATION, not just CO-BLAB-ORATION ?

How to stay focused on LEARNING and RESULTS, not just ADMINISTRIVIA?

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TEAM NORMSHow will your TEAM operate?Time?Listening?Confidentiality?Decision-Making?Conflict Resolution?Participation?Expectations?

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TEAM NORMSThe commitments we will honor…

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TRUST“… in every situation, nothing is

as fast as the speed of trust. And, contrary to popular belief, trust is something you can do something about. In fact, you can get good at creating it.”

Stephen M. R. Covey

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An old error is always more popular than a new truth.

Change and Transition

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Conflict Avoidance

“ Conflict avoidance

in the face of poor performance

is an act of moral neglect.”

(Fullan)

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Probing Questions

Where is YOUR school now?

Where do YOU (collectively) want to go next?

How will YOU get there…together?

How will YOU know you have made a difference?

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What Works In Schools(Marzano, et al)

Instruction ,

Assessment

&

Intervention

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What Works In Schools (Marzano et al)

““Any school can operate at Any school can operate at advanced levels of advanced levels of effectiveness if it is willing effectiveness if it is willing to implement to implement WHAT IS WHAT IS KNOWNKNOWN about effective about effective schooling.schooling.””

Robert J. MarzanoRobert J. Marzano

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Re-phrasing PLC Questions

1. What do we expect kids to learn?(Common Curriculum)

2. How will we know if students are learning?(Common Assessments)

3. How will we respond when students don’t learn? (Pyramid of Interventions)

4. How will we respond when students have learned? (Challenge & Enrichment)

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Essential Learning Outcomes

What do we agree are the most important outcomes & standards?

How can we be more consistent?

How do we know if we’re getting results?

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Collaborative study of essential learning…

promotes consistent prioritiesis crucial to common pacinghelps establish a viable curriculumCreates ownership of the curriculumSupports assessment FOR learning

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Why Common Assessments?

EfficiencyFairnessEffective

MonitoringInformed

practice

Assessment literacy

Raised expectations

Team capacityCollective

ResponseModified from R. DuFour keynote address at PLC Institutes

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Common Assessments

Develop valid, reliable, and rigorous assessment tools to gather the data needed

Create a continuum of assessments (formative/summative, performance based) in our instruction to address our classroom results

Interpret and use current assessment data

Identify missing and needed dataUtilize research based grading practices

to better reflect student learning/achievement

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The constant collective inquiry into “What is it we want our students to learn?” and “How will we respond when each student has learned it?” is a professional responsibility of every faculty member.

Rick DuFour et al

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Rick Stiggins points out that “Teachers and students can hit any target they can see and will hold still.”

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Common Assessments

One of the most powerful, high leverage strategies for improving student learning available to schools is the creation of frequent, common, high-quality assessments by teachers working collaboratively to help students develop agreed-upon skills.

Mike Schmoker

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Support Structures

If common expectations, commoncurriculum and common assessments are soimportant… (please note: “common” does not mean “cookie-cutter”)

…what structures and strategieswill you have in place to support thecollaboration required of this collectiveinquiry?

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Goal # 1 @ Quamichan: Literacy Across the Curriculum

Face the data & try something different (SSR, etc) Increase academic focus Make changes to the timetable Subject/Department “Power Standards” (Common Core) Structure “PLC Time” into the day, week, month, year Enhance instruction & assessment repertoire Cooperative Learning Strategies Increase intervention structures Pyramid of Interventions Customize Timetables (think outside the box) “Success Chats” and Advisory (relationships)

Power Standards(Ainsworth)

In collaborative subject-grade teams, teachers work together to determine the “Essential Learning Outcomes” for each grade.

Essential to knowImportant to knowNice to knowThen use Common Assessments to

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Pyramid of Interventions

Learning must be the constant. Time and support should be the variables. In the past, time and support have been constant and learning was variable.

The school must be prepared to provide additional opportunities for students to learn during the regular school day.

ClassroomDifferentiated Instruction and

Assessment

Support Structures

1-on-1

Pyramid of Intervention

(Adapted from Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2009)

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Targeted intervention

After 3 years at Khowhemun we had to

re-adjust (again) to constantly changing

clientele…

(2-year action research grant)

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Targeted intervention

Data was shared with the whole staffStaff Meetings, Grade Meetings, etc. Reading Support Team took the lead Data used to re-group students “on the fly” Small groups for reading support allowed

teachers the opportunity to individualize instruction based on student needs and group results.

It provided a “safe place” for teachers to try new strategies and for students to risk new learning.

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Targeted intervention

The most critical data for us has been the monitoring of our most “at risk” students. (54 students tracked over 2 years)

28 improved by two grade levels or more (52%) 17 improved by one grade level or more (31%) 9 showed minimal growth (16%) 8 of these 9 have been identified as LD All have Individualized Education Plans (IEP) Nobody falls through the cracks!

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Academic Systems Behavioral Systems

1-5% 1-5%

5-10% 5-10%

80-90% 80-90%

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•High Intensity

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•Intense, durable procedures

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Universal Interventions•All students•Preventive, proactive

Universal Interventions•All settings, all students•Preventive, proactive

Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success

Guiding Questions Is the core program (academic and/or

behavior) maintaining or accelerating skills for your student performing at or above expectations?

Does supplemental instruction exist for students who are not on track? Is instruction targeted, specific to student need,

and intensive?

Is the supplemental instruction/intervention bringing kids up to expectations?

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Pyramid of Interventions

Suggest some ways that you might take action to create a system of intervention and additional supports for struggling learners.

What might that look like at your school?

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PLC TEAMS – Checklist

Norms, Goals and Targets Common Core State Standards Common AssessmentsFormative vs Summative (both) Classroom Instruction &

Differentiation Support Structures Intensive Interventions

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Effective schools ensure that all students learn.

It’s about improving the life-chances of each child.

Moral Imperative (Fullan)

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What Works In Schools (Marzano et al)

““The schools that are The schools that are highly effective produce highly effective produce results that almost results that almost entirely overcome the entirely overcome the effects of student effects of student background.background.””

Marzano

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Keep Hope Alive

“PLCs set out to restore and increase the passion of teachers…by creating the conditions to do that work successfully.

The focus is on making a positive difference in the lives of kids...”

DuFour et al

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Celebrate…Celebrate…knowing that what you do knowing that what you do

makes a differencemakes a difference for for kids!!!kids!!!

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www.solution-tree.com

www.allthingsplc.info

www.heartofeducation.com

Helpful sites…

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Evaluation Forms…Evaluation Forms…

Questions & Comments…Questions & Comments…

ccoleman@sd79.bc.caccoleman@sd79.bc.ca

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Credits:Credits:

www.solution-tree.com

DuFour & DuFour, Eaker, DuFour & DuFour, Eaker, Edmonds, Fullan, Hierck, Edmonds, Fullan, Hierck, Hulley, Lezotte, Marzano, Hulley, Lezotte, Marzano, Reeves, Schmoker, Sugai, Reeves, Schmoker, Sugai, Stiggins, Tomlinson, WeberStiggins, Tomlinson, Weber