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Professional Learning Communities: Professional Learning Communities: Staying the CourseStaying the Course
Whittier Union High School DistrictWhittier Union High School District
Sandy Thorstenson Superintendent
Changes in the Past 12 Years
in Students We Serve
13% English
Learners
23% R-FEP
3%Other
22% White73% Hispanic
31% Soc Econ Dis
Then
4%Other
10% EnglishLearners Now
16% White80% Hispanic
80% Soc Econ Dis
20%R-FEP
The Power of Measurable Targets for
Coherent Continual Improvement• Academic Performance Index (API)
• Annual Yearly Progress (AYP)
• CAHSEE: Pass and Proficient
• 4-Year Graduation Rate
• Grade Level Credits Towards Graduation: On-Target Rate
• College Eligibility: a-g Course Completion
• Advanced Placement: Exams & Enrollment
• Student Attendance Rate
Actions Driven by Measurable Targets
Team Evidence
Course-Alike Teachers • Site and District Teams Analyze Data to Identify Gaps and Share Best Practices
• Data & Strategies posted on Moodle
Principals • Annual Reports • What was plan to meet Target?• How did you do?• What are you going to do next year?
Ed Services • Division Annual Report• Fall Presentation to Board• Shares Longitudinal Data on Targets broken
down by site, teacher, and classroom
Superintendent • District Annual Report to the Board• Superintendent’s Data Notebook• Board Weekly Updates
Comprehensive Strategy to Increase Performance on
Measurable Targets
Professional Learning CommunitiesProfessional Learning Communities
We are committed to doing WHATEVER IT TAKES
Staying the Course:Growth over the Past 7
Years• If we add up the API Growth Points from each
of the past seven years, how have we done?
WUHSD = 187 growth points
State of California = 56 growth points
• How do our High Schools compare to the 925 Comprehensive High Schools in CA?
School Growth PointsPercentile in CA
(925 HS)
Cal 181 96%
LS 162 92%
PHS 172 95%
SF 171 95%
WHS 219 99%
Staying the Course:Growth Points over the Past 7
Years
Narrowing the Achievement Gap: Gaining on the Goal of
800800
400
500
600
700
800
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Hispanic/ Latino White Socioeconomically Dis.
WUHSD On-Target Rates
02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11
9th 79.0% 77.9% 76.3% 76.8% 79.8% 83.4% 86.4% 86.1% 86.3%86.3%
10th 74.3% 75.4% 76.9% 75.3% 79.5% 84.3% 84.7% 86.9% 87.1%87.1%
11th 87.6% 87.6% 86.3% 87.7% 89.0% 92.6% 94.0% 93.1% 95.0%95.0%
CAHSEE Senior Pass Rates
ELA Math
2006 99.3% 99.7%
2007 99.8% 99.8%
2008 99.3% 99.5%
2009 99.6% 99.8%
2010 99.6% 99.8%
2011 99.8% 100%
Key Questions Addressed by PLCs
1. What do we want students to know?
2. How do we know when they learn it?
3. How do we respond when they do not learn it?
4. How do we enrich and extend the learning for those students who have demonstrated mastery?
#1 What do we want students to know?
CA State Content StandardsCA State Content StandardsWUHSD Essential Standards
Course NotebooksPacing Guides
Collaboration & SharingCollaboration & Sharing
Teachers Doing itTeachers Doing it
TogetherTogether
#2 How do we know when they learn it?
• Formative & Summative Assessments– Districtwide Common Assessments (4 or more per year)
– Site-based Interim Assessments– Protocol for CollaborativeCollaborative Analysis of Results– Annual CSTs
• Collaborative Analysis of Data– Analysis of transparent & timely student
performance data within & between schools– Treasure Hunt in search of Best PracticesBest Practices
Whatever it Takes Guiding Principles
• Intervention rather than remediation
• Intervention that is systematic
• Intervention that is provided in a timely manner
• Intervention that is directed rather than invited
• Prevention is the best Intervention
Focus on Freshman• Parent Partnership
• Campus Watch
• Link Crew
• Freshman First Day
• Summer Bridge Program
• ELA and Math Placement
Time & Support
• Alternative Bell Schedules– Student-Centered, Teacher Driven
– Teacher Collaboration
• Distributed Leadership Network– Intervention Specialists/Clerk
– Course Leads
– Link Crew Facilitators
Alternative Block Schedule:Not Allowing Students to Choose
Failure
BREAK LUNCH HOME
Embedded Support to Ensure Mastery
120 minutes
Period1 or 2
Period3 or 4
Period5 or 6
100 min 20 min
120 minutes 100 min 20 min100 min 20 min
120 minutes
Prevention Practices• Revision of Grading Policies
– Retesting: Ensuring students learn content
– Case Against the Zero
• Increased Feedback to Parents
– Grading Period every 4.5 weeks
– Teleparent Parents as Partners
– Zangle Parent Portal & Teachers’ Websites
New Positions to Meet Challenges
• Revised Dept. Chair Description
• Subject Course Leads
• District Curriculum Assessment Coaches
• EADMS On-Site Technology Support
• Zangle On-Site Support Teachers
• Intervention Specialist & Clerk
Broad Base of Distributed Leadership
• Over 40% of Teachers in Leadership Role
– 137 Stipend Positions
– 59 Dept. Chairs
• Funding of Positions at each Site
– 10 Teacher Leaders funded by Site
– 28 Teacher Leaders funded by District
• Annual Total Cost Districtwide for Stipend Positions: $139,500 (does not include dept. chairs)
Distributed Leadership: Sample Site’s Stipend
PositionsCourse Lead Algebra 1 9th AVID Program Coord.Course Lead Algebra 1 (10th-12th) Curriculum CoordinatorCourse Lead Algebra 2 EADMS Support TeacherCourse Lead Geometry Intervention SpecialistCourse Lead Geometry Concepts Link Crew AssistantCourse Lead Biology Link Crew CoordinatorCourse Lead Chemistry Puente CoordinatorCourse Lead Earth Science Freshman Mentor Coord.Course Lead English 1 Sr. Project CoordinatorCourse Lead English 2 WASC CoordinatorCourse Lead English 3 Zangle Support TeacherCourse Lead Spanish 1
Course Lead U.S. History
Course Lead World Civ.Course Lead Spanish 1
Development of Teacher Leaders
• Site:
– Leadership Meetings
– Role of Department Chairs
• District:
– Lateral Networks
– Summer Professional Learning
– Targeted Leadership Training
– Curriculum and Assessment Coaches
2009/10 Pay it Forward: The Basics• Meetings & Agendas• Language of Support• Dealing with Unproductive Behavior• Sharing Best Practices without Highlighting Poor
Performers • Rewards and Recognition
2010/11 Pay it Forward: Team Development• Phases of Team Development• How Decisions are Made • The Role of Conflict
Group of Individuals Divergent Team Cohesive Team Interdependent Team
2011/12 Targeted Trainings & Individual Support
Teacher Leadership Training
Leadership Training 2011/12
• 2 Days in Summer
• Facilitation of Teams
– Communication: Dialogue vs. Discussion
– Team Energy
– Conflict
– Developing Common Understandings
Leadership Support: Curriculum Assessment
Coaches• Assigned to different sites
• Individual support for Course Leads
• Team Workshops for Course Leads
• Keeps finger on the pulse of Teacher Leaders
• Communicates Needs to Administration
District Quarterly Course-Alike Meetings
• Modeling of Collaborative Analysis
• Gap Analysis
• Discussion of Team Challenges
• Sharing of Best Practices
Teacher Development for All: Summer PD
• One week for each Content Area
• Teachers and Course Leads
• New Learning with Application Time
• Alignment of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
• Supplemental Collaboration Time (outside of the structure content week)
• Last Summer: 1,165 Teacher Work Days
Developing a staff’s capacities for talking
together may be the most significant investment faculties can make for
student learning.
Robert Garmston and Bruce Wellman
District Support Role• Amplified the Culture
– Built capacity through developing Teacher Leaders
– Brought Decentralized Depts together to collaboratively develop Common Assessments and address Support Issues
– Supported a Culture of Inquiry
• Safe Discussion of Transparent Data and Needs
• Collegial, not Competitive
• Student-Centered
• Listened– Rick Du Four’s Presentations for Teacher
Leaders and Administrators
• Read & Discussed– Professional Learning Communities at Work:
Best Practices for Improving Student Achievement– Whatever it Takes: How Professional Learning
Communities Respond when Kids don’t Learn
• Visited
– Three Visits to Stevenson HS in Illinois
How We Started
How We Watered the Seeds
• Learned– Gayle Karhanek Consulting
• Districtwide Workshops
• Consulting Days at each School Site
• Applied– Pyramid of Interventions
– 3 Meetings per Year• Peer Accountability in Reporting Progress
• Communicated– Instructional Direction Brochure (version 3)
– DVD
How we Continue to Expand Capacity through Collaboration
• Fostering Leadership
– Leadership training for Teacher Leaders
– Support from Curriculum Assessment Coaches
– Modeling at District Best Practices Meetings
• Continual Learning for all Teachers
– Summer PD
– District Course-Alike Teams
– Site Course-Alike Teams
Vision of Instructional Leadership in the Future
Leading from Behind and not from in Front Michael Fullan
Distributed Leadership
Lateral Coordination & Communication Sharing
Peer Accountability
Student Learning
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships
Intensity
Coherence
Focus
Whatever it Takes